Paving the Road for Cement and Concrete Technologies - CleanTechnica

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) hosted its third annual Cement and Concrete Critical Technologies meeting on June 9–10 in Golden, Colorado, bringing together over 80 representatives from startups, investment firms, academia, industry, and government labs. The event focused on addressing the challenges and innovations in the cement and concrete industry, which is the second most utilized resource globally and vital to U.S. infrastructure. Key topics included modernizing domestic production, improving material durability, reducing import reliance, funding acquisition, accelerated performance testing, and scaling technologies for field deployment. A regional discussion highlighted how Denver and Colorado transportation and architectural agencies are adopting new procurement methods and infrastructure projects. NREL researchers emphasized the lab’s unique role as a trusted third party that supports the industry across all technology readiness levels, from early discovery to implementation. The meeting underscored the critical need for innovative cement and concrete formulations to meet growing infrastructure demands driven by urbanization and aging construction. Accelerating testing protocols and enabling broader adoption of alternative