In a statement, the university said the system, if built, will be installed at U. S. Steel Corporation’s Gary Works, taking advantage of the plant’s waste heat and energy as well as its location to minimize energy and transportation costs. 

“U. S. Steel is committed to progressing our efforts described in our Climate Strategy Report to decarbonize and accelerate towards a lower carbon future, but we know that one company’s actions are not enough,” said Rich Fruehauf, U. S. Steel’s senior vice president – chief strategy and sustainability officer. 

“Achieving our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 is going to take unprecedented innovation and collaboration.”

As envisioned, the system would pull 5,000 tons of CO₂ from the air per year. The gas would be liquefied on-site and transported to a ready-mix concrete plant, where it would be injected into the concrete as its being mixed. 

When injected, the CO₂ immediately mineralizes and is permanently locked away, the university said. 

“We’re excited to bring together a strong team of academic and industry collaborators to accelerate effective, economical carbon capture and use,” said Dr. Kevin OBrien, the project’s principal investigator and leader of the Prairie Research Institute’s Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.