A former coal town in Utah is set to undergo a transformation as plans are in motion to establish a new manufacturing plant that will produce low-carbon concrete using waste rocks from a nearby copper mine. The city of Magna, once home to a coal-fired power plant that supplied energy to Rio Tinto’s copper mine, is now gearing up for a new industrial venture.
Terra CO2 Technology, a company dedicated to reducing the carbon footprint of cement and concrete, has been selected to receive a $52.6 million federal grant to build a manufacturing plant just outside of Salt Lake City. The company has developed a method to create additives from common minerals that can replace Portland cement, a major component in concrete known for its high carbon emissions.
The initiative is part of a larger effort by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains to accelerate clean energy manufacturing in communities with decommissioned coal facilities. The project is expected to create over 1,900 high-quality jobs across a dozen states.
Terra CO2’s innovative approach involves developing supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) that can partially replace Portland cement in concrete mixes. By melting a variety of silicate rocks in a reactor, the company produces glassy powders that can replace 25 to 40 percent of the Portland cement needed for different concrete mixes. This results in a significant reduction in CO2 emissions compared to traditional cement production methods.
In addition to Terra CO2, two other concrete-related initiatives have been selected for federal cost-sharing awards. Urban Mining Industries aims to convert recycled glass into cement additives, while Furno Materials plans to turn industrial waste materials into low-carbon cement. These projects come at a time when the construction industry is seeking alternatives to Portland cement, a material responsible for around 8 percent of human-caused carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Terra CO2 has secured commitments from project finance partners to fund commercial-scale projects and has raised venture capital from investors, including mining giant Rio Tinto and Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures. The company is preparing to launch its first commercial facility in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas, paving the way for a greener future in the construction industry. Construction on the new Terra CO2 facility in Magna, Utah is set to begin in January 2025, with plans to start shipping materials by late summer 2026. The facility will have the capacity to produce up to 240,000 metric tons of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) annually, enough to meet half of the local metropolitan market demand.
Terra CO2 had been exploring the possibility of a second plant near Salt Lake City in collaboration with Rio Tinto to utilize copper-mine tailings as a raw material feedstock for SCMs. The opportunity for federal funding arose when the Department of Energy identified Magna as a coal community, making it eligible for a cost-sharing grant. This grant will accelerate the deployment of the plant on a larger scale and improve the overall economics of the project.
While the total cost of the Utah facility was not disclosed, Terra CO2 has secured financial commitments to cover a significant portion of the remaining capital costs. This support, combined with the cost competitiveness of the company’s products, even before green incentives, positions Terra CO2 as a leader in providing sustainable climate solutions.
CEO Yearsley emphasized the importance of offering cost-competitive climate solutions for industries like concrete production. By making environmentally friendly products economically viable for larger-scale projects, Terra CO2 is paving the way for a more sustainable future in construction and infrastructure development.
