In the News

Sublime Systems, a manufacturer of low-carbon cement with plans to start building a plant in Holyoke in 2025, was hailed by federal and state officials after some of its material was used in Boston’s largest net-zero office building.

The 707,000 square-foot, 17-story building that makes up One Boston Wharf is the biggest mixed-use net-zero-carbon office building in the city. It was developed by WS Development. The building leases to Amazon and features a ground floor with retail and restaurants and two venues for live performance.

The low-carbon cement was poured at two locations within the project in Boston’s seaport district, according to a press release Sublime Systems issued in May. Sublime’s cement was utilized in an interior public space known as the Paseo, which connects to a promenade called Harbor Way where the cement was used in an outdoor setting.

On Oct. 1, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, Gov. Maura T. Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and other state and federal officials attended a ribbon cutting ceremony for the project.

“With 8% carbon production in America coming from concrete it’s hard to imagine manufacturing concrete that’s virtually carbon-free,” said Neal, who attended the ceremony.

After the ceremony, Neal spent some time in Somerville outside Boston visiting Sublime Systems headquarters to see some of the work that will be on its way to Holyoke in the next couple of years.

Sublime cement is created by mixing silicates with reactive calcium, also known as lime, at a low temperature. This mixture is then treated with electricity in water, triggering a chemical reaction.

The process avoids the emissions caused by traditional concrete manufacturing methods, which rely on kilns being heated to over 1,400 degrees and release carbon dioxide locked in limestone.

The company has said its first commercial facility on 14-26 Water Street in the Flats neighborhood Holyoke will produce about 30,000 tons of concrete a year. The 16-acre plant is scheduled to open as early as 2026.

Sublime’s plans in Holyoke reinforces the idea that Massachusetts is “becoming the innovation capital of the United States,” Neal said.

“Reducing the carbon footprint is something we all ought to be able to agree on,” Neal added.

In March, Sublime Systems was awarded $87 million from the Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations and its industrial demonstrations program. The project was one of 33 selected to receive the funding nationwide.

The $6.3 billion industrial demonstrations program was funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and a Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The initiatives invest in decarbonization projects in energy-intensive industries.

Neal said Sublime Cement’s first commercial project highlights the role of the Inflation Reduction Act, which was drafted in the House Ways and Means Committee when he chaired the body.

The inflation reduction act is the singular most important climate legislation in the history of the world, Neal said.

“It’ll reduce the use of fossil fuels will help to decarbonize the atmosphere and it’ll create 70 permanent jobs in the city of Holyoke,” Neal said.

“The Inflation Reduction Act provided $412 billion worth of tax credits and the infrastructure bill that has had a major impact on the success that we witnessed today, and I think the innovation that we’re going to see in the future,” Neal said.

Aaron Vega the director of Holyoke’s office of planning and economic development said Sublime Systems highlights the kinds of green technology companies that the city is looking to attract.

“The economic impact is very favorable and needed for the city,” Vega said. “From the construction jobs to the 70 employees that will work there, the activation of this underutilized property will be a major win for Holyoke and the region.”