(Credit: Sublime Systems)Sublime Systems has achieved an industry-standard performance designation, confirming that its fossil-fuel-free cement meets the same strength and durability standards as conventional cement.
The ASTM C1157 designation allows Sublime Cement to replace ordinary cement at scale as the product may now be used compliantly under major U.S. and international building codes.
The designation is a performance-based standard that is being widely adopted by industries looking to use new materials in order to decarbonize. The performance standard also has more strict strength requirements than older hydraulic cement standards.
In order to be considered compliant with the standard, Sublime's cement was tested by a Concrete Reference Laboratory-certified third party. Sublime is also now conducting additional testing in ready-mix concrete labs and in-field use cases.
The company’s pilot facility currently produces about 100 tons of cement each year, and the company has announced its first commercial plant will be commissioned in 2025.
About half of the cement industry’s carbon footprint, which accounts for about 8% of global emissions, comes from kilns powered by fossil fuels. Sublime's approach replaces these kilns with an electrochemical process paired with renewable energy in order to manufacture with “true zero” operations. In other words, the company does not depend on purchasing carbon offsets or carbon capture to reduce its emissions.
Worldwide construction is expected to increase immensely in the coming years, with estimates that 70% of the infrastructure needed for the world’s growing urban populations is yet to be built. Using Sublime’s carbon-free cement and other cement alternatives is essential to meet decarbonization goals while reaching this scale of development.
Achieving the production standards needed to increase the industry’s confidence in the decarbonized material marks an important first step for widespread implementation of Sublime's product.
"Sublime is on course to make CO2-free cement that performs better and costs less than what pours out of concrete trucks today," said Clay Dumas, general partner at Lowercarbon Capital. "Now, the ASTM C1157 designation paves the way for global adoption of the world's cleanest cement."
Sublime said it is currently in discussions with customers to start its first field pours at the end of this year.
