The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) has selected Sublime Systems for award negotiations up to $87 million, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.
Sublime Systems’ project in Holyoke, Massachusetts, is at the forefront of the industry’s shift towards decarbonization. With the construction of its first commercial manufacturing plant, Sublime is championing a fossil-fuel-free, scalable alternative to traditional cement and revitalizing a community historically rooted in manufacturing. This initiative is part of a broader move to mitigate the climate crisis by deploying decarbonized technologies across energy-intensive industries, demonstrating a viable path to net-zero emissions while enhancing local economies.
Through its Community Benefits Plan (CBP), Sublime Systems pledges to create up to 90 permanent jobs post-construction and hundreds during construction. This commitment, in partnership with the United Steelworkers (USW) and local building trade unions, ensures the creation of quality jobs while prioritizing economic and environmental justice for disadvantaged groups. A further collaboration with the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) aims to enrich STEM education within the Holyoke Public Schools, preparing the community for high-quality career opportunities in emergent sectors.
Cement production, a critical component of global infrastructure, accounts for 8% of worldwide CO2 emissions. Sublime Systems’ innovative electrochemical cement manufacturing process eliminates the need for fossil-fuel combustion, drastically reducing emissions of NOx, SOx, mercury particulates, and other pollutants typically associated with industrial activities. The establishment of Sublime’s first commercial facility in Holyoke, operational by early 2026, will produce up to 30,000 metric tons per year of its clean cement, setting a new standard for the industry.
As the nation seeks to slash emissions from hard-to-decarbonize sectors, projects like Sublime's serve as critical steps toward a more sustainable and competitive global economy. Massachusetts Governor, Maura Healey, said, "Sublime represents the tremendous potential the climate tech industry has to transform and grow Massachusetts' economy -- from its beginnings at an incubator to its expansion in Holyoke for manufacturing. Sublime's ingenuity, boosted by state and federal funding, is creating good-paying jobs and boosting our economic competitiveness. We congratulate Sublime on this exciting achievement and will continue to advocate for our Mass Leads Act to replicate this success with other climate tech companies."
