Bio-cementation & MICP materials

01Overview and value chain

Markers: [EC: EU CBAM (cement) & EU ETS Phase 4 + EU Carbon Removals Regulation | OECD: Carbon management | Regulator: EPA (USA), ADEME (France), NEA (China)]

Bio-cementation and microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) replace the energy-intensive firing of Portland cement with biological or mineral binding at ambient temperature. Conventional cement is responsible for roughly 8% of global CO2 emissions, and bio-cementation targets that footprint directly: micro-organisms precipitate calcium carbonate to bind loose aggregate into solid stone in days at room temperature, with no kiln. Biomason grows bacteria-fed biocement tiles industrially — its Mimmik tile, launched with Front in 2026, cuts emissions by at least 60% versus traditional cement; Prometheus Materials supplies ProZERO, an algae-derived carbon-negative cement selected for the New York Climate Exchange campus; Basilisk sells self-healing concrete in which bacteria seal micro-cracks autonomously; and Carbon8 turns captured CO2 into its CircaBuild aggregate for cement-free carbon-negative concrete blocks. Together these routes convert one of the world’s largest emitters into a stored-carbon product class.

The key directions of bio-cementation and MICP are:

1. Microbial carbonate precipitation biocement (MICP Biocement): ureolytic and alkaliphilic bacteria (Bacillus species) precipitate calcium carbonate to bind sand and aggregate into solid stone at room temperature, avoiding the kiln — Biomason.
2. Algae-derived carbon-negative cement (Carbon-Negative Cement): microalgal calcium carbonate and algal biomass used as a cement replacement that is net carbon-absorbing across its life cycle — Prometheus Materials (ProZERO).
3. CO2-mineralisation aggregates (CO2 Aggregate): accelerated carbonation turns a captured CO2 stream into stable carbonate aggregate for concrete blocks, displacing both Portland cement and natural aggregate — Carbon8 (CircaBuild).
4. Self-healing concrete via MICP (Self-Healing Concrete): bacteria embedded in the mix precipitate calcite to autonomously seal micro-cracks, extending service life and cutting lifetime cement demand — Basilisk.

Sectoral value chain

[sand / aggregate / CO2 / biomass] ──> [biocementation / carbonation reactor]
                                              │
                                     (ambient-temp binding)
                                              │
                                              ▼
[carbon-negative concrete] <─── [tile / block / mortar / aggregate] <─────┘

Value chain levels

Cross-cutting technologies of the sector:

• Ambient-temperature MICP binding (MICP Biocement): Biomason’s process grows biocement in a mould at room temperature, feeding bacteria calcium and water until loose sand cements into stone in roughly three days with no kiln.
• Self-healing calcite precipitation (Self-Healing Concrete): Basilisk embeds alkaliphilic Bacillus strains that precipitate calcite when cracks and moisture appear, repairing damage without external intervention.
• Accelerated CO2 carbonation (CO2 Aggregate): Carbon8’s CircaBuild route mineralises a captured CO2 stream into carbonate aggregate, enabling cement-free carbon-negative concrete blocks.

02US

The US leads commercial bio-cementation, anchored by Biomason’s industrially produced biocement tiles and Prometheus Materials’ algae-derived carbon-negative cement.

Biocement tiles and algae carbon-negative cement

• Biomason: a North Carolina biotechnology company grows its bricks and tiles instead of baking them, feeding bacteria calcium and water until they cement loose sand into solid stone at room temperature in about three days, with no kiln and none of the roughly 2,500-degree fire conventional cement requires; its Mimmik tile, launched with Front in 2026 and believed to be the first bacteria-grown tile industrially produced, cuts emissions by at least 60% versus traditional cement.
• Prometheus Materials: a leader in low- and carbon-negative cement technologies, it supplies ProZERO carbon-negative cement and concrete — an algae-based cement replacement — and in 2026 signed a 10-year strategic partnership with Green Stream Algae (also an investor) to deliver carbon-negative cement at commercial scale; ProZERO was selected for the New York Climate Exchange’s Climate Campus through a landmark collaboration with SOM, Skanska USA and the D’Annunzio Group, chosen from more than 100 climate and resilience solutions.
• EPA oversight: biocement and carbon-negative concrete are governed under EPA environmental rules, with voluntary-carbon-market and procurement methodologies (e.g. low-embodied-carbon material standards) setting the carbon-accounting framework.

03CN

China runs a large cement industry under mounting decarbonisation pressure, but its bio-cementation and MICP activity is concentrated in academic research rather than commercial production.

academic MICP, soil reinforcement, policy signals

• Academic MICP research: Chinese universities — including Tongji University and the Guilin University of Technology — lead research on microbial-induced carbonate precipitation for soil reinforcement, ground improvement and geotechnical stabilisation, reflecting a real but research-frontier field.
• No commercial MICP firm yet: enrichment returned no Chinese firm commercialising MICP biocement or carbon-negative cement at scale; domestic activity stays in low-carbon clinker substitution and kiln efficiency rather than microbial binding.
• NEA and climate policy: bio-cementation’s carbon-storage role is increasingly framed within China’s energy-intensive-industry decarbonisation and dual-carbon policy, though formal bio-cement carbon-credit issuance is less developed than European procurement frameworks.

04EU

Europe anchors the CO2-mineralisation and self-healing ends of the value chain, with Carbon8’s aggregate route and Basilisk’s self-healing concrete, under cement-sector CBAM and EU ETS pressure.

Carbon8, Basilisk, CBAM and EU ETS

• Carbon8 Systems (United Kingdom): its CircaBuild aggregate, produced by accelerated carbonation of a captured CO2 stream, is used in trials by CCP Ltd (SigmaRoc UK) to manufacture cement-free carbon-negative concrete blocks under the Greenbloc technology, turning captured CO2 into a permanent construction-material store.
• Basilisk (Netherlands): its self-healing concrete and self-healing waterproof mortar (REGEN) use alkaliphilic Bacillus albus strains that precipitate calcite to seal micro-cracks autonomously, reducing damage, maintenance and lifetime CO2 for concrete structures.
• CBAM and EU ETS: cement is a flagship sector of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and the EU Emissions Trading System Phase 4, and certified carbon-removal claims fall under the EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Regulation, creating the demand pull that bio-cementation serves.

05Leading companies and research institutes

06Tech stack and innovations

The stack couples biological or mineral carbonate binding at ambient temperature with robust carbon accounting against the Portland-cement baseline, producing a revenue-positive carbon-removal material.

1. Microbial carbonate precipitation (MICP Biocement):
   • Biomason grows biocement in a mould at room temperature: bacteria are fed calcium and water and bind loose sand into solid stone in roughly three days, with no kiln, avoiding the roughly 2,500-degree firing that makes conventional cement so carbon-intensive.
   • The Mimmik tile, launched with Front in 2026 and the first bacteria-grown tile believed to be industrially produced, cuts emissions by at least 60% versus traditional cement, addressing a material responsible for about 8% of global CO2.
2. Algae-derived carbon-negative cement (Carbon-Negative Cement):
   • Prometheus Materials’ ProZERO uses microalgal calcium carbonate and algal biomass as a net carbon-absorbing cement replacement, scaled through a 10-year partnership with Green Stream Algae.
   • ProZERO was selected for the New York Climate Exchange’s Climate Campus via a collaboration with SOM, Skanska USA and the D’Annunzio Group, chosen from more than 100 climate and resilience solutions.
3. CO2-mineralisation aggregates (CO2 Aggregate):
   • Carbon8’s CircaBuild aggregate mineralises a captured CO2 stream into stable carbonate, which CCP Ltd (SigmaRoc UK) uses in Greenbloc trials to produce cement-free carbon-negative concrete blocks.
   • Basilisk’s companion self-healing route embeds alkaliphilic Bacillus albus in the mix so calcite precipitates to seal micro-cracks autonomously, extending structural durability and lowering lifetime cement demand.

07Value chains and production pipelines

Industrial pipeline of a bio-cementation / MICP plant (EU CBAM cement, EU ETS Phase 4)

┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 1. Feedstock preparation  │ ───> │ 2. Biocementation /       │
└───────────────────────────┘      │    carbonation            │
                                   └───────────────────────────┘
                                                   │
                                                   ▼
┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 4. Application            │ <─── │ 3. Product recovery       │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘
              │
              ▼
┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 5. MRV & carbon accounting│ ───> │ 6. Off-take & monetising  │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘

Stage 1: Feedstock preparation

Sand and aggregate are received, sized and graded; a calcium source (lime), the microbial or algal inoculant, and — for carbonation routes — a captured CO2 stream are prepared; Biomason and Prometheus draw on regional mineral and algal supply chains, and Carbon8 on industrial point-source CO2.

Stage 2: Biocementation / carbonation

Aggregate is bound at ambient temperature: in MICP, alkaliphilic bacteria (Biomason, Basilisk) precipitate calcium carbonate around the grains; in algae cement (Prometheus), algal calcium carbonate acts as the binder; in accelerated carbonation (Carbon8), the CO2 stream mineralises into solid carbonate.

Stage 3: Product recovery

The bound matrix is formed, moulded and cured into tiles (Biomason Mimmik), precast units (Prometheus ProZERO), self-healing mortar and concrete (Basilisk REGEN), or carbonate aggregate (Carbon8 CircaBuild), ready for downstream use.

Stage 4: Application

Products are installed as floor and wall tiles, precast structural elements, self-healing concrete structures, or — for CircaBuild aggregate — manufactured into cement-free concrete blocks (CCP Ltd / SigmaRoc UK Greenbloc), locking the stored carbon into the built environment for the structure’s service life.

Stage 5: MRV and carbon accounting

Embedded and avoided CO2 are quantified against the Portland-cement baseline under low-embodied-carbon procurement and carbon-removal methodologies, documenting the tonnage permanently stored in the material.

Stage 6: Off-take and monetising

Carbon-negative materials are sold to specifiers, contractors and developers facing CBAM and EU ETS costs, and — where methodologies certify the stored carbon — as carbon-removal credits, realising the climate-asset value of biocemented and carbonated construction products.