Zero

Breakthroughs Are Helping Even Cement and Steel Go Electric

Even the toughest-to-cut emissions from the industrial sector are no longer immune to the allure of a renewable-powered future.

A testing rig in the lab at Electra in Boulder, Colorado, on Sept. 9, 2022. The rig has a photo of Arnold Schwarzenegger next to it and is nicknamed Arnold, “because it pumps iron,” according to Colleen Wallace, senior scientist at Electra.

Photographer: Chet Strange/Bloomberg

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If humans were to build a modern civilization from scratch today, there would be no way around making use of cement and steel. However, we would prefer not to use the primitive methods of making those materials. And, fortunately, a series of innovations in recent years are likely to make that dream possible.