Carbon-negative cement

Novacem, a spin-out from the Imperial Innovations Group, has raised more than £1m in equity funding from a syndicate comprising the Imperial Innovations Group, the London Technology Fund and the Royal Society Enterprise Fund.

Novacem is developing a new carbon-negative cement that will help combat global warming by locking atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) into construction materials.

Cement production produces more than five per cent of mankind’s CO₂ emissions. These emissions come from two sources: decomposition of limestone – a chemical change that emits CO₂ – and the burning of fossil fuels to heat cement kilns.

However, Novacem is developing a cement binder that uses a different chemistry and a new lower-temperature manufacturing process, reducing CO₂ emissions considerably.

During use as a binder or concrete building product, Novacem's cement hardens by absorbing significant amounts of CO₂ and therefore locks atmospheric CO₂ into construction materials. This means that for every tonne of Portland cement replaced by Novacem cement, around one tonne of CO₂ is captured and stored indefinitely.