US: Microsoft has agreed to buy 0.62Mt of cement from Sublime Systems over the next 6 - 9 years. The low-carbon cement producer will supply its product from its first commercial factory in Holyoke, Massachusetts and its subsequent full-scale production factory. The purchase marks the first binding commitment for Sublime's full-scale plant, which it plans to bring online in 2030, two years after its plans to open its first commercial facility in Holyoke. The Holyoke plant is due to break ground in mid 2025.
The Somerville-based startup structured the deal using a ‘book and claim’ system that allows Microsoft to purchase cement and its environmental attributes separately when needed. The company says this approach is the first-of-its-kind in the cement industry, adapting a model previously used in renewable energy and sustainable aviation fuel markets. Under the agreement, Microsoft commits to using the environmental value of Sublime's cement in all cases, even when the physical material can't be deployed in nearby Microsoft construction projects.
“Sublime’s mission is to have a swift and massive impact measured in the amount of cement we produce and sell. So we are super-focused on increasing production,” said Leah Ellis, CEO of Sublime Systems. “We can't stop with Microsoft. We want to make sure we're supplying our material to many different types of infrastructure, so we'll also be pursuing various contracts and purchase agreements with folks who represent different types of the built environment.”
