SUVO Strategic Minerals makes incredible headway with the low-carbon, geopolymer concrete project, as they recently entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Polvine Pty Ltd (PERMAcast). PERMAcast is Western Australia’s leading supplier of precast and prestressed concrete products for the state’s leading infrastructure, oil, gas, and mining projects. Among their projects include the Chevron Gorgon Gas Project, Perth (OPTUS) Stadium, Elizabeth Quay, Whitfords, and Greenwood Train Stations. This agreement allows PERMAcast to leverage SUVO’s IP, which includes the chemical batching plant and a number of geopolymer concrete formulations, to potentially replace concrete used in future infrastructure projects of which PERMAcast is a part of. In return, SUVO will get access to PERMAcast’s expertise, network, and resources to expedite the trials on SUVO’s carbon-friendly formulations with the goal of commercialization.
SUVO’s low-carbon, geopolymer concrete, is a Portland cement substitution product made from waste-derived materials. Given that cement(the binder required to make concrete) production produces 8% of the world’s total carbon emissions, SUVO’s goal was to create an alternative product that would not only significantly reduce GHG emissions but clean up the environment too. They’ve partnered with Murdoch University on this project, and have already achieved a 50% reduction in GHG emissions in the lab, with a potential pathway reduction of 80% to 90%.
PERMAcast’s eagerness to partner with SUVO demonstrates the rumbling hunger in the industry to achieve lower emissions. As mining and construction companies generally have a bad reputation for producing gargantuan emissions, there’s pressure from all levels of society on these industries to find solutions. The Australian government has an emissions reduction target of 43% below 2005 levels by the year 2030. As responsibility shifts to corporations, it wouldn’t be surprising if mining and construction companies were the first to be hit with deterrent-based carbon fines.
In terms of strategic position, PERMAcast has a significant market share, servicing some of Australia’s largest construction, transportation, and natural resource companies, such as BHP, Rio Tinto, Santos, Woodside, John Holland, Brookfield Multiplex, and Thiess. Most of these customers share a common goal of achieving lower emissions. For example, BHP has spent more than US $400m on renewable energy projects up to date. Multiplex, which projects exceed the $100b mark, has an ambitious target of net zero by 2050 for their supply chain. The managing director of Multiplex, Terry Olynk describes decarbonization to be “… one of the greatest challenges continuing to face our industry.”
Darren Hedly, CEO of PERMAcast comments:
“I’m excited as we announce PERMAcast’s partnership with SUVO Strategic Minerals, a leap towards sustainable innovation. With our legacy of quality in the Western Australian market and SUVO’s cutting-edge geopolymer technology, we’re setting our sights on reducing GHG emissions and pioneering low-carbon concrete solutions. This collaboration is more than an advancement of products—it’s an alignment of values and a shared commitment to environmental responsibility. Watch this space as we explore greener possibilities for a sustainable industry.”
Locking in the MOU with PERMAcast allows the two companies to operate in good faith, and it positions SUVO in a way, where the onboarding and transition of some of the biggest players in construction are imminent once the formulations are approved. This sets the pathway to rapid commercialization of SUVO’s low-carbon concrete formulations in the months to come. As SUVO buckles down, it’s only a matter of time before their effort starts paying dividends, and even better, it will have an almost immediate impact on the environment.