Sources: Furno Materials, Mountain View, Calif.; CP staff
A $20 million U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) grant will support a venture of Illinois-based Ozinga, top U.S. independent ready mixed concrete operator, and Furno Materials, a Silicon Valley startup eyeing ASTM C150-grade cement production with 20 ton/day capacity modules. The Furno process uses conventional material grinding and analysis equipment to prepare kiln feedstocks—sourced from calcium-rich waste streams, including hardened returned or demolition concrete or virgin limestone deposits—and determine chemical treatment required to match principal compounds netting portland cement clinker.
Photo: Concrete Products
Project OZ envisions construction of an eight-module, 55,000 ton/year cement plant in Chicago, output from which would be consumed at Ozinga’s extensive market operations. Based on testing of material from pilot scale equipment, “Furno’s cement is not only environmentally superior, but it also meets the high-performance standards we require for our projects,” notes CEO Marty Ozinga IV. “We and our customers want to reduce our carbon footprint, without sacrificing quality and schedule. Furno delivers the product we’ve used for generations while lowering emissions. We look forward to continuing to work to integrate this cement into our operations and help us reach our goal to deliver carbon neutral concrete by 2030.”
“Furno Materials’ vision is to make cement production accessible for everyone anywhere. We do this by building plants that are standardized, decentralized, and decarbonized,” adds CEO Gurinder Nagra. “Project OZ brings this vision to life by combining our advanced kiln technology with Ozinga’s industry expertise to produce the same high-performance cement, but with far fewer emissions. This plant will demonstrate how we can rapidly onshore production and drive down carbon emissions.”
Furno Materials will lead Project OZ design and construction, then manage the facility to ensure it meets sustainability, operational, and community-focused goals. Along with providing technical oversight, Ozinga will supply all raw materials and guarantee 100 percent of the cement offtake—ensuring commercial success from the outset.
Related article
Cementitious, pozzolanic material plant project grants approach $110M