Carbon Dioxide in the Concrete Industry, and its Impact on Project Valuation

Student

John Sexton

College(s)

Mendoza College of Business

Faculty Advisor

Samuel Miller

Class Year

2018

In a world where carbon dioxide can be viewed as an asset rather than a liability, perceptions of these harmful greenhouse gasses can change together. Through the development of different means of carbon dioxide capture along with potential end markets for these emissions, such as the concrete industry, carbon dioxide can have a positive impact on our economy. Concrete additives have been proven to benefit projects in terms of performance, cost, and environmental sustainability; when this is combined with applications for carbon dioxide as an input, these benefits only increase.

 

Current projections of the global energy market show very few signs of carbon dioxide-emitting sources of energy production disappearing anytime in the near future. Instead of solely focusing on the replacement of these facilities, making efforts to capture their emissions provides opportunities for increased environmental health and economic growth. The financial benefits of products utilizing carbon dioxide as input should incentivize projects to include these products, enhancing their value. I worked with Carbon Upcycling Technologies, a company that produces an enhanced fly ash additive that incorporates carbon dioxide as an input to prove the greenhouse gas to projects. The model I built shows that utilizing carbon dioxide as an asset rather than considering it a pollutant can increase the value of a project to a firm all while helping to curb emissions.