The Startup Making Greener Cement from Volcanic Rock

Concrete is the second-most-used substance on Earth after water, and its production generates roughly 8 percent of global CO2 emissions. In this episode, Lucas and Luna look at a California startup that is replacing the clinker—the emissions-heavy binder at the heart of Portland cement—with finely ground volcanic rock. The company claims its process cuts embodied carbon by up to 70 percent while matching standard performance specs. Lucas walks through the chemistry: how volcanic ash reacts with lime to form calcium silicate hydrates, the same glue that gives concrete its strength. Luna asks about scalability—can quarries source enough reactive rock? And what does the cost look like versus traditional cement, which is already cheap? They also discuss a pilot project in Reno where the material was used in a six-story building foundation, and why the US Department of Energy recently awarded the startup a $12 million grant. The episode ends with a question about whether geology can be decarbonized fast enough to meet mid-century climate targets. #Cement #Concrete #VolcanicRock #Clinker #EmbodiedCarbon #Decarbonization #CleanTech #Startup #Construction #Materials #DOE #Grant #PilotProject #PortlandCement #CarbonEmissions #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo