The Clean Industrial Revolution has arrived

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the progress being made in the "Clean Industrial Revolution" and the technologies being showcased at the Breakthrough Energy Summit in London. It covers advancements in various sectors like manufacturing, electricity, agriculture, transportation, and buildings, highlighting innovative companies and solutions that are helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Manufacturing - 29% of global emissions

1. What are some of the innovative solutions in the manufacturing sector that are reducing emissions?

• CarbonCure has developed a way to inject waste carbon into fresh concrete, making the cement used in concrete production much greener.
• Ecocem's ACT technology for low-carbon cement has been approved for full commercial use across Europe, and its low-carbon concrete solutions were used in the construction of the Athletes' Village for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris.
• Boston Metal has developed a process to produce "green" steel without coal at scale, and has a facility up and running in Brazil.

[02] Electricity - 29% of global emissions

1. How are advancements in energy storage helping to maximize the use of renewable energy sources?

• Form Energy's affordable batteries can store electricity for multiple days, making intermittent renewable energy sources like wind and solar more reliable.
• TS Conductor's advanced power lines can double the amount of transmittable power and help improve the efficiency of the current grid.

[03] Agriculture - 20% of global emissions

1. What are some solutions that are reducing emissions from the agriculture sector?

• Pivot Bio's microbial products allow crops to draw nitrogen from the air, providing a more reliable and efficient form of fertilizer that produces less than 1% of the emissions of synthetic fertilizers and requires 1,000 times less water.
• Rumin8's feed supplements have successfully reduced livestock methane emissions by over 90% while boosting productivity, demonstrating that beef and dairy can be produced with lower environmental costs.

[04] Transportation - 15% of global emissions

1. How are companies addressing the challenges around electric vehicle batteries and mineral sourcing?

• Redwood Materials has developed a better way to recycle batteries, refining and reusing the metals found in them while emitting 40-70% less than other recycling processes.
• KoBold Metals is using AI to more reliably find minerals and metals that will be needed for the energy transition, such as copper in Zambia. 2. What progress is being made in long-distance and heavy-duty transportation?
• ZeroAvia is developing hydrogen-electric aircraft engines, with successful early trials of their prototype engines.

[05] Buildings - 7% of global emissions

1. What solutions are helping to improve the energy efficiency of buildings?

• LuxWall has created ultra-insulating window glass that performs like a wall but is see-through, and their windows are now being produced at a commercial factory in Michigan.
• Aeroseal's innovative polymer technology finds and plugs air leaks in a building's envelope and ducts, improving energy efficiency.

[06] Carbon Management

1. What are some of the carbon removal and sequestration solutions being developed?

• Graphyte is turning plant waste into carbon-trapping bricks and burying them underground, with plans to sequester 50,000 tons of carbon by 2025.
• Heirloom Carbon's commercial Direct Air Capture facility in California uses limestone to absorb carbon from the air, already removing 1,000 tons per year.