In this video, science journalist Simon Bradley takes a look behind the scenes at the Swiss company Neustark, which has developed a method to convert concrete waste from demolished buildings and roads into a carbon sink, permanently removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
Their process uses CO2 captured from biogas plants which is liquefied and transported to nearby demolition sites. There the CO2 is injected into concrete granules from a demolished building using a purpose-built tank and other technology. This triggers a mineralisation process similar to injecting CO2 deep underground. The CO2 is permanently bound in the pores and surface of the granules.
A staggering 30 billion tonnes of concrete are used every year worldwide - and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions are equally colossal: more than those of international aviation and buildings combined. A Swiss company believes it has a solution to help the concrete industry decarbonise and permanently remove one million tonnes of CO2 by 2030. This may be a fraction of what is needed, but it’s an important step.
0:26 Capturing CO2 at a sewage plant
1:33 Carbonising demolition waste
2:16 Storing CO2 durably
#carboncapture #recycling #switzerland
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