Concrete is the most-used human-made material on Earth, after water. It is responsible for about 250 million tonnes of carbon emitted each year, making it a major contributor to the world’s carbon emissions. Paebbl, a company founded only three years ago, is doing something about it and taking the climate crisis by storm. They’ve become leaders in carbon-trapping technology that could transform the concrete industry. Acumera co-founder and co-CEO Marta Sjögren is convinced that this innovation addresses the climate challenge directly. Beyond that, she considers it a potential game-changer for making housing more affordable across the continent.
Paebbl has created innovative technology that draws carbon dioxide out of the environment. It then reacts this gas with magnesium silicates or calcium silicates to form stable carbonate rock. This approach significantly lowers the carbon impact associated with concrete production. It’s created an opportunity to innovate and find better uses for what would otherwise be waste. Meanwhile, the European Union’s Green New Deal aims for a 90% emission reduction by 2040. Paebbl’s approach backs these important goals of sustainability.
Rapid Development and Cost Efficiency
Paebbl accomplished a truly remarkable feat by finishing its demonstration plant in just 15 months. This incredible time is triple the industry average of two to three years. Additionally, the project was implemented below the usual budget ceiling of 10 million euros.
“We’ve just completed our demo plant in record time. So industry average time is about two to three years for building up such a project. We built ours in about 15 months and also under the industry average budget as well, under 10 million euros,” – Marta Sjögren.
This efficient timeline and cost-effective strategy demonstrate Paebbl’s capability to lead innovations in a sector often criticized for its slow adoption of new technologies. Sjögren emphasizes the need for public projects to take a cue from private sector successes. This understanding might open the door to more widespread deployment of carbon-trapping technologies in other key industries.
A Sustainable Future
Concrete production is the third largest industrial source of CO2 emissions. In fact, it generates 50% more carbon emissions than the whole country of France generates in 2023. Concrete is mostly used in the public right of way, so as Sjögren explained, moving sustainable practices into this space bends the arc of this practice.
“The built environment, because it is such a huge source of emissions today, if you can flip that equation and if every single building can be storing a little bit of carbon as a carbon custodian, I think that goes a long way, both economically and environmentally,” – Marta Sjögren.
By transforming concrete into a carbon custodian rather than a contributor to emissions, Paebbl positions itself at the forefront of an essential industry change. Homebuilder’s novel approach might be the start of something big, where sustainability comes first but sustainably addressing their economic anxiety comes in second.
The Role of Private Enterprises
Sjögren is hopeful about the potential of private enterprises to push the construction industry toward sustainability. She’s confident that these companies will be key players in developing successful blueprints for how to embed sustainability into building design and operation.
“I believe that private companies will be at the very centre of this, leading the way in terms of creating a blueprint for how you can use the built environment as a sustainability solution and also save money,” – Marta Sjögren.
Despite the lack of a carbon tax associated with Paebbl’s negative emissions technology, the company foresees being competitive in pricing. In doing so, they utilize CO2—an industrial waste byproduct—as an active ingredient in their concrete mix. This proactive approach saves their taxpayers dollars and contributes to a healthier environment.
“We foresee that we will be quite price competitive and that’s because we’re using CO2, which is usually a waste stream, and as an input in the mix,” – Marta Sjögren.
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