Microsoft, a First Movers Coalition member in the Carbon Dioxide Removals sector, has secured a priority option to purchase and deploy Sublime Cement® in its construction projects when geographically possible at their data centres, office buildings, and other infrastructure. Through this novel agreement, the environmental attribute certificates (EACs) of Sublime Cement® can be purchased separately from the physical cement material—a similar mechanism to decoupling renewable energy certificates from the electron at the point of clean electricity production.

Sublime has previously completed multiple successful commercial deployments demonstrating Sublime Cement poured and placed like conventional cement, in projects such as a high-polish interior lobby and an adjacent exterior sidewalk at a building in Boston’s Seaport neighbourhood. The company has strategic partnerships with CRH, Holcim, and Amrize, Holcim’s North American spinoff. These collaborations include equity investments, pre-paid offtake agreements, and joint project development teams focused on megaton-scale Sublime Cement plants. Sublime recently announced the launch of its Distribution Channel Partnership Program, with over 9 leading U.S. general contractors representing over $60 billion in annual revenues. General Contractors are joining the program in response to widespread customer demand for innovative low-carbon cement in their construction. 

Microsoft, through its purchase of environmental attribute certificates, is helping to build markets for low-carbon construction materials, fuels, and other commodities even when directly using those commodities is not feasible. By procuring from companies like Sublime Systems, Microsoft is signalling long-term demand in sectors that often operate on the spot market, attracting financing to projects, and supporting the deployment of manufacturing plants that are expected to supply for decades. This complements Microsoft’s strategies of prioritizing use of low-carbon commodities when feasible and investing in companies developing innovative low-carbon commodities.

Sublime Cement is an ASTM C1157-compliant replacement in concrete for OPC, which is made in kilns running at 1450°C to decompose the feedstock limestone, a mineral that is roughly 50% CO2 by weight. Sublime’s breakthrough electrochemical, ambient-temperature process breaks down low-value rocks and industrial wastes into its constituents: reactive cementitious ingredients and pure streams containing critical mineral co-products. It avoids the waste and carbon emissions characteristic of portland cement manufacturing for over 200 years while improving energy efficiency. 

Noam Boussidan, Programme Head, First Movers Coalition, said, “This offtake agreement is one of the largest of its kind when it comes to the advanced purchase of novel decarbonised cement and an encouraging example of clear progress in decarbonising a heavy-emitting industrial sector. The cement & concrete sector is responsible for 7-8% of global CO2 emissions, so high-ambition technologies such as those developed by Sublime will be crucial for reducing the sector’s carbon footprint and reaching net zero. We hope to see even more offtakes of cement and concrete produced by suppliers in our First Suppliers Hub database of low-carbon solutions in the coming years.”

“This purchase enables Microsoft to access Sublime’s low-carbon cement technology regardless of where their construction is,” said Sublime Systems CEO and Co-founder Dr. Leah Ellis. “This solves a previously intractable challenge for clean cement scale-up: the lack of long-term cement transactions contrasted with the immediate need for innovators to demonstrate bankable customers to fund their manufacturing. Microsoft is stepping up as the first customer for our future megaton-scale plant, enabling us to more rapidly build and scale Sublime Cement as a global, enduring solution for clean construction. Microsoft’s bold purchase paves the way for other visionary companies to secure Sublime Cement offtakes without waiting to pinpoint their construction sites. We encourage FMC members to reach out and learn more about Sublime’s technology, products, and partnership models.” 

“To reach net zero, the world needs innovative technology solutions like Sublime Cement. At Microsoft, our focus is growing the market for these solutions,” said Katie Ross, Director, Carbon Reduction Strategy & Market Development at Microsoft. “While we prioritize deploying physical material whenever possible, this EAC approach helps both buyers and sellers overcome geographic, supply chain, cost, and other barriers that make it challenging to introduce new technologies.”