Abu Dhabi to Pioneer Carbon-Negative Cement with Partanna Partnership

The Abu Dhabi Investment Office has teamed up with climate tech company Partanna to establish a regional hub for carbon-negative building materials. This deal not only aims to decarbonize the global cement industry but also places Abu Dhabi at the frontier of sustainable and innovative industrial practices.

The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) has announced a partnership with Partanna, a Bahamian climate tech company, to create its regional headquarters in Abu Dhabi along with a cutting-edge manufacturing facility. This initiative, debuted at the inaugural Abu Dhabi Business Week, aims to position Abu Dhabi as a central hub for carbon-negative building materials, significantly enhancing global sustainability prospects.

This agreement stands to advance Partanna's mission to decarbonize the $400 billion global cement sector. By supporting large-scale manufacturing in Abu Dhabi, the partnership will facilitate Verra-certified carbon credits, aligning with Abu Dhabi's climate goals in reducing carbon emissions. Cement manufacturing currently contributes nearly 9% to global CO2 emissions, making Partanna's innovative approach a scalable alternative. By utilizing magnesium compounds from desalination by-product brine, Partanna not only reuses waste streams but also delivers a cost-competitive, carbon-negative product.

Partanna's new Abu Dhabi facility will transform waste brine into carbon-negative cement capable of converting concrete into a carbon sink. Designed to meet international construction standards, Partanna cement is steel-reinforced and exhibits improved durability in saltwater. The site aims to produce up to 3 million tonnes of Partanna binder annually, comprising 10% of the UAE's cement market, with further regional expansion plans. Ultimately, this production level could offset nearly 7.98 million metric tonnes of CO2 per year, mirroring the environmental impact of the Borneo Rainforest.

This establishment will serve as Partanna's flagship operation and guide for potential global franchising. By capitalizing on Abu Dhabi's infrastructure, extensive brine reserves, and ADIO's industry connections, the initiative aspires to set unprecedented standards in industrial sustainability. Director General of ADIO, Badr Al-Olama, emphasized that through strategic alliances like this, Abu Dhabi demonstrates that economic development and environmental stewardship can coexist beneficially.

Supported by Abu Dhabi's ClimateTech ecosystem at Hub71, Partanna is co-led by NBA champion Rick Fox, who remarked on the historical evolution of construction materials, marking Abu Dhabi as the ideal base for global scaling. Recognized as a major construction innovation by TopWerk and achieving Verra registration, Partanna is on course to influence both the cement industry and global sustainability efforts, anticipating the facility's operation launch by 2025.

(With inputs from agencies.)