Green cement manufacturer Fortera Corp. (San Jose, Calif.) is partnering with multinational Sumitomo Corp. (Tokyo) to position the market for widespread adoption of Fortera’s carbon-reducing ReCarb technology. The two companies have agreed to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to focus on deploying Fortera’s bolt-on low-to-zero-carbon cement plants with some of Asia’s largest cement manufacturers. The Japanese market will be the partnership’s initial focus, with multiple sites of interest identified. In addition to the MOU, Sumitomo Corporation’s venture capital arm, Presidio Ventures, participated in Fortera’s Series C fundraise earlier this year.
“We believe rapidly addressing the cement and concrete industry’s 8% contribution to global emissions is necessary to achieving climate goals,” said Ryosuke Nagai, General Manager of Industrial Material & System Strategic Business Unit at Sumitomo Corporation. “After visiting Fortera’s Redding ReCarb Plant and seeing the plant operating, we wanted to lead the charge in bringing this transformative carbon mitigation solution to the Asian market. We put a very high value on social and environmental responsibility, making Fortera a natural partner as we seek to aid decarbonization on a global scale.”
Fortera’s novel ReCarb process addresses the cement industry’s core emissions by converting industrial CO2 directly from cement production into performance-enhancing cement that is third-party verified as having 70% less embodied carbon ton-for-ton than ordinary cement. When paired with renewable energy, Fortera can achieve zero-CO2 cement production. The ReCarb technology leverages proprietary reactor-based mineralization processes, which use CO2 as a feedstock, creating quantifiable and permanent carbon removal and turning carbon management into a potential profit center.
“This partnership is a pivotal moment for the future of sustainable cement production because you can’t make a meaningful impact on the industry’s carbon emissions without partnering with major industry players in Asia, which is home to the largest cement market in the world,” said Ryan Gilliam, CEO of Fortera. “Because our technology meets the industry where it is, it can be deployed anywhere in the world using that region’s infrastructure, feedstocks, and supply chains. This partnership with Sumitomo will enable us to establish a strong foundation in Asia while we simultaneously solidify our domestic project pipeline.”
Fortera’s technology also meets the rigorous industry standards required for widespread adoption. ReAct green cement meets ASTM International standards and aligns with current regulations. It can be utilized independently as a clinker-free cement or blended with ordinary cement to improve strength and workability.