Show notes
Cement accounts for 8 percent of global CO2 emissions. The production of one ton of Portland cement — the kind most commonly used — results in one ton of CO2 released into the atmosphere. And since cement is exceptionally cheap and the most massively produced man-made material in the world, those emissions are going to grow. “In a do-nothing scenario, emissions from cement are projected to increase 50 percent between now and 2050,” says Dr. Leah Ellis, co-founder and CEO of Sublime Systems.Ellis’ company is producing low-carbon cement by replacing the traditional high-temperature, fossil fuel, combustion-driven kiln with an electrochemical approach that operates at ambient temperature and uses renewable electricity.“I like to say Sublime is the electric vehicle of cement making.”Covered in this episode:[3:18] How Ellis’ background in chemistry led to making carbon-free cement[5:51] Why defining cement by its performance is important[7:48] The basics of cement[9:29] The outrageous amount of cement produced annually[11:29] How Sublime Systems produces cement with fewer carbon emissions[18:06] The ability to compete economically[23:04] Scaling up Sublime’s operations[26:37 The leaky tap analogy to understand the climate crisis[29:53] A vision for the cement industry in 2035For show notes and a full transcript, head to the episode page.Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Apple Podcasts Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Spotify
