An Australian construction company may have just found a way to turn one of the world’s biggest sources of pollution into part of the solution. Boral, one of the country’s largest building materials producers, has completed successful trials of a new type of concrete that captures and stores carbon dioxide permanently, according to a report from Australian Manufacturing.
The process builds on concrete’s natural ability to absorb carbon over time. Normally, this happens slowly across decades, but Boral’s method accelerates it by exposing recycled concrete aggregates to controlled streams of waste gases from a cement plant. These treated materials are then reused in new concrete mixes, effectively locking in the captured carbon.
Dr Ali Nezhad, Boral’s head of sustainability and innovation, said the breakthrough “enhances the viability of recarbonation-based carbon capture technology” and could significantly reduce the carbon footprint of new construction. The team tested the process at Boral’s Maldon facility, with support from the Australian government. In the trial, the carbon-treated recycled material replaced 50 percent of the natural stone normally used in the mix.
Cement manufacturing is notoriously carbon-intensive. About 65 percent of its total emissions come from the chemical reactions that occur when limestone is heated to make clinker, the key ingredient in cement. By reabsorbing a portion of that carbon through this recarbonation process, Boral’s technology could make concrete production meaningfully cleaner without requiring entirely new infrastructure.
Vik Bansal, Boral’s CEO and managing director, said the results show the technology’s strong potential for large-scale use. He pointed to successful tests at the company’s carbon capture and storage pilot plant in Berrima, which demonstrated that the treated aggregates performed just as well as conventional ones in new concrete. “We are committed to a lower-carbon future, and we believe recarbonation will play an important role in decarbonising the cement and concrete industry,” he said.
The concept also aligns with international research showing that concrete continues to absorb carbon dioxide throughout its lifespan. Boral’s approach amplifies this natural process and channels it into a controlled, circular system—one that captures emissions and feeds them directly back into new construction materials.
In parallel, Boral is exploring other ways to reduce its environmental impact, including using alternative fuels and substitute materials in cement production. The company aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
If the technology scales as expected, future buildings could quite literally be built from air – where yesterday’s pollution becomes tomorrow’s walls and foundations.
