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The cement industry accounts for approximately 8% of global CO₂ emissions, primarily due to its reliance on clinker, the main ingredient in traditional cement. As the construction sector faces mounting pressure to decarbonise, the industry urgently requires scalable alternatives that can reduce embodied carbon without compromising structural performance.
C-SINC (Concrete products through sustainable and innovative carbon-storing binders) will develop alternative binders using CO₂-sequestered magnesium-based silicates, including olivine and pyroxenes, as Supplementary Cementitious Materials. This approach replaces clinker whilst enhancing concrete's carbon capture potential, effectively transforming concrete structures into permanent carbon stores.
The project will optimise accelerated mineral carbonation processes, refine formulations for industrial-scale applications, and deploy machine learning models to design sustainable concrete mixtures. The ultimate objective is to create a commercially viable, low-embodied-carbon binder for the construction industry.
Marta Sjögren, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Paebbl, commented: "Paebbl is honoured to coordinate this effort, but the real strength lies in the consortium: 4 leading universities pushing the science, combined with industrial partners who work with concrete every day and have the expertise to scale. We are excited to collaborate with the value chain to unlock the future-proof potential of concrete.”
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The €4 million grant will fund a comprehensive programme of research and development across the partnership and Paebbl will coordinate a consortium of seven organisations:
Paebbl (Sweden/Netherlands): Coordinator of the project and developer of accelerated mineralisation technology
TU Delft (Netherlands): Academic partner responsible for microstructural modelling of concrete and structural monitoring
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany): Academic partner responsible for data-driven design models and structural integrity validation
KU Leuven (Belgium): Academic partner responsible for fundamental characterisation of reaction kinetics and binder composition optimisation
CSIC – Spanish National Research Council (Spain): Academic partner responsible for atomistic models and fundamental understanding of novel binder interactions in cement and concrete
Prefabricados Tecnyconta (Spain): Industrial partner hosting the implementation of technology at large-scale projects
Holcim (Switzerland): Industrial partner providing expertise and support for the development, production and use of innovative low-carbon materials
Decarbonising the construction industry requires not only technological breakthroughs but also developing the skilled researchers and engineers who will scale these solutions. Within this context, EU-funded research programmes offer the ideal platform to combine fundamental research in academia with direct industrial applications, providing the opportunity for researchers to visualise the immediate impact of their work into society.
Members of Paebbl's R&D team were themselves trained through EU-funded research programmes (DuRSAAM and Isonose), demonstrating the tangible impact such investments have on building the talent pipeline for climate technology on the continent.
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Co-founded by the European Union
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