Carbon Upcycling Technologies and Ash Grove have begun construction on a new carbon-capture and utilization facility in in Mississauga, Ont.

The companies say the project is the first of its kind in Canada. Known as Carbon 1 Mississauga, it is located at Ash Grove’s cement plant in the Toronto suburb.

The facility will use Carbon Upcycling’s patented technology to sequester carbon-dioxide from the cement kiln and convert it into low-carbon supplementary cementitious materials. Scheduled to open in 2026, it will be able to produce up to 30,000 tonnes of these materials annually.

The project has received up to $10 million in federal funding through the Sustainable Manufacturing Program, the Low-Carbon Economy Fund, and the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program.

“Clean technology, including carbon capture, will play an integral role in our efforts to decarbonize,” said Julie Dabrusin, the federal minister of environment and climate change.

The initiative, supported by CRH Ventures, will create several permanent skilled jobs in Ontario and additional employment during construction.

“Carbon 1 Mississauga is a milestone in our journey to build world-leading, domestic supply chains in North America,” said Apoorv Sinha, CEO of Carbon Upcycling.

Serge Schmidt, president of Ash Grove, said is a “way forward,” rather than just a new system. \

“This project signals a breakthrough in how we decarbonize one of the world’s most essential industries,” he said.

Calgary-based Carbon Upcycling develops technology that converts captured carbon and industrial waste into low-carbon cement and other low-carbon products for hard-to-abate industries. Ash Grove, founded in 1882, is one of North America’s leading cement manufacturers with operations in Canada and the U.S.

Photo: Courtesy of Ash Grove and Carbon Upcycling