Holcim stake further validates Sublime Systems IP, business plan

Sources: Holcim Ltd., Zug, Switzerland; CP staff

The parent company of Holcim US and Lafarge Canada has invested in Sublime Systems, Somerville, Mass. low-carbon cement technology startup, to expand its range of materials and solutions reducing carbon dioxide emissions associated with construction. Holcim Ltd. capital will advance a charter Holyoke, Mass. production facility that Sublime Systems has scheduled for 2026 opening. The operation will be configured to prove at commercial scale an electrochemical process yielding ASTM C1157-grade binder with significantly lower CO₂ factor than portland cement, for which Holcim is a global leader.

As a “binding offtake reservation,” the investment will give Holcim a large share of Sublime Cement from the 30,000-ton/year capacity Holyoke plant. Beyond that project, the two partners have established a dedicated team to co-develop additional production lines and expedite electrochemical process deployment.

“The Sublime Systems team has developed a unique technology to decarbonize cement, cutting across the entire production process from the use of clean electricity to carbon-free raw materials,” says Holcim Chief Sustainability Officer Nollaig Forrest. “We are excited about this technology’s potential and delighted to be partnering to bring it to market at scale. This investment advances our strategy to decarbonize construction by scaling up the most innovative technologies across our operations.”

“In the cement industry, scale is everything,” observes Sublime Systems Co-Founder and CEO Dr. Leah Ellis. “We are proud to collaborate with Holcim, who supports our mission of swift and massive impact. By pairing our technology with Holcim’s advanced global operations from manufacturing and logistics to commercial distribution, we can scale up our impact together.”

The Holcim investment adds to a recent U.S. Department of Energy Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations award supporting the Holyoke production line.