Sublime Systems is heading to Western Massachusetts to build the first commercial plant for its low-carbon cement.
Founded in 2020, Somerville-based Sublime Systems is developing a cement manufacturing process that bypasses both CO2 process emissions and heating emissions. The company has its own proprietary cement formulations, which it says emit less CO2 and uses renewable electricity to carry out the chemical reactions that traditionally are done via a fossil-fuel-fired kiln.
On Tuesday the company announced it has secured the site for its first commercial manufacturing facility, in Holyoke. Sublime Systems signed an agreement for 16 acres on Water Street on a property that formerly housed paper mills.
Two years ago, Sublime Systems started by making about a gram of cement, said co-founder and CEO Leah Ellis. One year ago, the company finished its pilot plant at Greentown Labs to make 100 tons of cement per year. It was soon sized up to produce 250 tons of cement per year.
As Sublime wraps up its pilot phase after having validated its product, Ellis said the company is ready to go bigger. When the Holyoke facility opens, which is scheduled for early 2026, it will be sized to produce up to 30,000 tons of cement per year, Ellis said.
Sublime received tax credits of $1.05 million from the state Economic Development Incentive Program and a five-year Tax Increment Financing valued at over $351,000 from Holyoke to offset property taxes. Ellis said Sublime is seeking additional funding to build its facility. The chief executive said Sublime applied for federal funding available through the Inflation Reduction Act, which set aside $6 billion for the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.
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Bringing manufacturing back to Holyoke
Holyoke was once well known for its role in the paper mill industry. Ellis said Sublime aims to help rebuild the city’s history as a manufacturing hub, and it will use the bones left behind by the paper companies.
“It’s one of these New England communities that has been doing industry for 200 years and recently it’s had a bust cycle with the closure of the paper plant,” Ellis said. “And it’s interesting that the reason why it was an old manufacturing town is now the reason that it’s a new manufacturing town.”
Ellis said Sublime looked within a three-hour radius of Boston for a site. She said the company chose Holyoke because it checked all of their boxes, including having permits as an industrial site, a “willing and eager” workforce, hydroelectric resources and access to rail.
Ellis said they’ve leveled any existing structures at the new site and are starting to build from a blank slate.
Ellis said they expect to employ up to 70 people in engineering, manufacturing and operations roles at the facility, and many of the positions won’t require education beyond a high school diploma. Sublime plans to keep its facility at Greentown Labs.
