Patio Drummond and CarbriCrete announce that the world's first cement-free, decarbonized concrete building block is available for purchase
The CEOs of CarbiCrete and Patio Drummond believe this is an important day for the decarbonization of the production of the world's most widely used artificial substance. Montreal, September 27, 2023 - CarbiCrete and landscaping products manufacturer Patio Drummond announced today that, for the first time ever, consumers can now purchase concrete blocks that are entirely cement-free and carbon-free. The building blocks, which are manufactured at a plant in Drummondville, Quebec, can be purchased directly from Patio Drummond. The announcement was made jointly by Chris Stern, CEO of CarbiCrete, and Philippe Girardin, co-owner of Patio Drummond, at the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 Quebec Regional Qualifier, a qualifying event for the world's largest masonry challenge, held annually in Las Vegas during the World of Concrete Expo. CarbiCrete's carbon-negative concrete block production process replaces cement with steel slag, a byproduct of steel manufacturing, and hardens it with carbon dioxide, thereby avoiding the greenhouse gas emissions associated with cement production while permanently sequestering CO2 in the resulting concrete products. For every ton of concrete produced using this process, 150 kg of CO2 are reduced/removed.
“This is a wonderful day for consumers looking for low-carbon concrete solutions,” says Stern. "We have been working with Patio Drummond since 2018, when we launched our pilot project, and finally being able to commercialize our low-carbon technology is a very exciting step in the evolution of this partnership. “I look forward to continuing our collaboration as we ramp up production with the goal of contributing even more to the decarbonization of the production of the world's most widely consumed man-made substance.”
Funding for the pilot project and its large-scale commercialization was provided largely by the Technoclimat program of Transition Énergétique Québec (TEQ), Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), and NGen—Canada's advanced manufacturing supercluster.
“Over the past year, we have manufactured tens of thousands of building blocks,” says Girardin. "Our tests have proven conclusive, and we are now proud to announce that our Carbicrete decarbonized concrete blocks are now available on the market. “This breakthrough points to a promising future for Patio Drummond and the concrete industry. We are confident that CarbiCrete technology, combined with our expertise, will position us as a leader in the manufacture of sustainable concrete products that exceed all industry requirements and specifications.”
In May, CarbiCrete signed a cooperation agreement with POINT.P, the leading brand of Saint-Gobain Distribution Bâtiment France. This agreement lays the foundation for the production and certification of concrete blocks, manufactured using CarbiCrete technology, at a POINT.P pilot site in France. In addition to creating building products that will reduce the carbon embedded in the built environment, Stern says that implementing CarbiCrete's fully carbon-neutral technology will generate valuable carbon credits that will be made available to companies seeking to offset their emissions and meet their carbon reduction goals. About CarbiCrete CarbiCrete is a Montreal-based carbon removal company whose patented technology produces cement-free, carbon-free concrete from industrial by-products and captured carbon dioxide. For every ton of concrete produced using the CarbiCrete process, 150 kg of CO2 are reduced or eliminated.
