Blue Planet, Chevron, Mitsubishi: Carbon-Neutral Building
The construction sector, notorious for being the source of almost 40% of worldwide CO₂ emissions, primarily utilises quarrying for aggregates.
This method not only destroys natural habitats but also tops the charts in waste production and consumes half the globe's raw materials.
Enter Blue Planet Systems, supported by Chevron, Mitsubishi and HOLCIM, an organisation with an innovative sustainability solution.
Established in 2013 in California, this innovator is turning CO₂ and waste into valuable construction materials such as aggregate, concrete and limestone.
What sets Blue Planet apart is its ability to convert CO₂ from virtually any source.
This flexibility makes its carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) solution more versatile and adaptable across various emission scenarios.
Each tonne of Blue Planet’s aggregate permanently traps 440kg of CO₂, ensuring it won’t return to the atmosphere.
The company employs a revolutionary method of upcycling used concrete to extract calcium, establishing a circular process that securely stores carbon.
Creating carbon-negative buildings
Blue Planet’s limestone aggregate is a game-changer, capable of rendering buildings carbon-negative.
The limestone shines in solar reflectance, significantly exceeding the performance of typical roofing materials and contributing to cooler building interiors.
This not only reduces the demand for air conditioning but also decreases electricity consumption and emissions from power plants.
Through rigorous testing, Blue Planet’s CaCO₃ aggregate has proven to be on par with, if not superior to, traditional materials like pumice and expanded clay, guaranteeing that quality isn’t sacrificed for sustainability.
Blue Planet’s mission has garnered strong support from the industry, with significant investment from Chevron, a global energy manufacturing powerhouse.
"Carbon capture, utilisation and storage, or CCUS, is viewed to be essential to advancing progress toward the global net zero ambition of the Paris Agreement," says Barbara Burger, VP of Innovation and President of Technology Ventures at Chevron.
"This investment is made through our Future Energy Fund which focuses on start-ups with lower-carbon technologies that can scale commercially and we welcome Blue Planet to this portfolio.
"With the backing of such industry leaders, Blue Planet is in a prime position to make a substantial dent in the construction industry’s carbon footprint.
Through capturing CO₂ and repurposing construction waste, Blue Planet not only aims to minimise harm but to make the construction industry a positive force for the environment. As it scales, Blue Planet may well lead the charge towards a net-zero future for construction."
Brent Constantz, Founder, CEO and Chief Scientist at Blue Planet, acknowledges the support from Chevron, adding: "Chevron is a leader in scouting and identifying innovative and game-changing approaches to lower-carbon intensity.
"The investment may also provide future opportunities to incorporate Blue Planet’s approach into Chevron’s projects."
By creating carbon-neutral buildings, manufacturers are not only contributing to global sustainability and human welfare.
They are also creating a foundation for safer, more efficient and modern manufacturing environments.
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