Thomas Concrete expands use of CarbonCure technology across four plants

The CarbonCure technology injects CO2 gas sourced from local industrial polluters into wet concrete, where the gas becomes chemically converted into a solid mineral. Not only is the greenhouse gas permanently captured, the process is also designed to enable concrete producers to reach strength requirements using less cement. As cement production accounts for 5 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, the reduction of cement prevents further CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere, according to the company.

 

Thomas Concrete first installed CarbonCure’s carbon dioxide (CO2) recycling technology in its Doraville, Georgia plant in February 2016. Following the success at its pilot plant, the company decided to implement the technology across further locations. Plants based in Buckhead, Suwanee, Gainesville and Cumming will now be equipped with the CO2 recycling machinery, which will enable Thomas Concrete to supply greener concrete to construction projects throughout the greater Atlanta region by the fall.

 

By recycling CO2 in five of its Atlanta metropolitan plants, the company says, Thomas Concrete is expecting to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 5 million pounds every year. This is equivalent to taking almost 500 passenger vehicles off the road each year. This is also equivalent to the amount of CO2 that 2,150 acres of forestland would sequester annually.

 

“The decision to expand the CarbonCure technology across further plants was a no-brainer,” says John Cook, director of technical services at Thomas Concrete. “We verified at our Doraville plant that the technology allows us to optimize our cement content, which significantly reduces our carbon footprint. Thomas Concrete is committed to doing what’s best for our employees, our customers, our community and our environment. The CarbonCure technology helps us live up to the high standards that our customers expect from us.”