CIG: U.S. coal mining giant Peabody Energy acquires a stake in innovative carbon conversion firm.

March 24, 2010 - PRLog -- The world’s largest private sector coal company, Peabody Energy seems to be taking its first step into the rapidly growing carbon conversion market, CIG has learned, after the firm recently paid $15 million to acquire a stake in Calera Corp, a firm specializing in the conversion of captured carbon into sustainable building materials.

Calera claims that for each metric ton of building materials it produces it will store up to half a ton of CO2 harvested from cement plants and coal or gas fired power plants.

CIG believes the technology works by using captured CO2 from raw flue gas which is then converted into solid carbonates that are then used as aggregates or other cement type materials.

The firm whose logo is “Green cement for a Blue Planet”, and which was established in early 2007, recently concluded a demonstration project in California where CIG believes they blended carbon dioxide from a natural gas burning power plant with water which caused the minerals to bond and release a synthetic limestone.

Calera further insists that the process also eliminates minerals and other constituents from the water thus producing fresh water which theoretically could then be used in areas where access to clean water is limited.

CIG believes that Peabody is reportedly the latest in a line of high-profile firms to show an interest in Calera.

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