Carbonaide, a spin-out from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, has come up with a solution to reduce carbon footprint by transforming CO2 into carbon-negative concrete blocks that eventually become a carbon sink, or an object that is able to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Carbonaide says that concrete may capture carbon dioxide through a process called carbonation. The technique causes the iron reinforcements to rust, which, in turn, breaks the concrete structures.
“We turned this disadvantage into an advantage. The Carbonaide method makes the calculated carbon footprint of concrete manufacturing carbon negative: -60 kg per cubic metre of concrete. The carbon footprint of conventional concrete is approximately 250–300 kg per cubic metre,” says Carbonaide CEO Tapio Vehmas.
