Hungary Should Be Filled With This: The World’s First House Capable of Capturing Carbon Dioxide is Built
A concrete development from Japan stands out for its exceptionally low environmental footprint, marking an important innovation within the construction industry, a sector significantly contributory to climate change.
In the heart of Japan, within Nagano Prefecture, the world's first house whose concrete components can store carbon dioxide was constructed, as reported by Interesting Engineering. The house is located in Karuizawa, one of Japan’s most renowned mountain resorts approximately 70 minutes away from Tokyo.
The house was designed by the Nendo company. During the construction, a material named CO2-SUICOM was utilized, which is environmentally friendly. Part of the cement was replaced with industrial by-products to which a material capable of absorbing carbon dioxide was added. This process resulted in lower carbon dioxide emissions during production.
The walls stretch alongside the road for a total length of 110 meters.
According to a study from 2023, the global production of cement and concrete is responsible for approximately 8 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. In 2020, the cement industry accounted for 1.2 percent of Japan's total emissions. Nendo's vision was to use concrete elements that act as filters.
Rather than building dense walls, the elements were angled to not only look appealing but also to restrict visibility. Experts used a total of 2050 blocks to erect five walls, each standing 3 meters tall.
The strength of CO2-SUICOM is comparable to that of traditional concrete walls. After shaping, the elements were placed in a special chamber where carbon dioxide was infused into them. While a cubic meter of concrete typically results in 300 kg of carbon dioxide emissions, this new solution can also achieve carbon neutrality. In this case, the absorbed carbon dioxide is fixed within the concrete, preventing its release.