Amazon Partners With Brimstone On Low-Carbon Cement

Amazon and Brimstone have announced promising results from early testing of Brimstone’s lower-carbon Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). This material could change the future of concrete in Amazon’s construction projects. The partnership shows Amazon's commitment to using innovative, climate-friendly materials in its supply chain while working toward its environmental and social goals.

Brimstone’s OPC aims to be a lower-carbon option without sacrificing performance. Cement is one of the most carbon-heavy materials in construction, making its environmental impact a critical issue. The testing, which involved Amazon’s concrete experts, assessed the new OPC on important factors like workability, compressive strength, and suitability for slab mix designs used in Amazon buildings.

The initial test results are encouraging. Third-party labs confirmed that Brimstone’s OPC met ASTM C150 standards, the established specification for Ordinary Portland Cement. It performed as well as the conventional cement materials Amazon has used for its large construction projects. This milestone suggests that the material could serve as a direct replacement, allowing for minimal changes to existing construction methods while reducing environmental harm.

Asad Jafry, Amazon's Director of Global Energy, Sustainability & Automation, commented on the significance of this development. He noted, “These initial results are encouraging and demonstrate the potential for Brimstone’s innovative materials to scale across our buildings portfolio and reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.” The strong performance of the cement and its sustainability features led Amazon to secure a commercial agreement. This agreement will reserve annual quantities of Brimstone’s OPC and supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) from the company’s future production facility.

This agreement highlights Amazon’s trust in Brimstone’s production capabilities and the long-term potential of its materials. Brimstone plans to increase manufacturing at its new facility in Oakland, California, to supply materials for the next testing phase and eventually for full-scale construction projects.

The expanded testing phase will continue through 2025 and 2026. It will involve larger amounts of OPC and SCMs. These upcoming trials will focus on cement properties such as durability, sulfate resistance, and aggregate reactivity in a wider range of mix designs and applications. This step is crucial to confirm the performance of the materials in various real-world scenarios, which is essential for integrating them into Amazon’s global infrastructure.

Cody Finke, co-founder and CEO of Brimstone, emphasized that the company’s main strength is its ability to make industry-standard materials sustainably. “Brimstone has developed a more efficient, economical, and sustainable process for producing industry-standard materials that can be used today with established testing programs, allowing for fast market adoption,” he stated.

What sets Brimstone’s product apart is not only its environmental benefits but also its commercial viability. Since the OPC meets ASTM C150 standards, it fits within current regulations and safety guidelines. This allows for quicker market entry, avoiding the expensive and lengthy certifications that often delay the use of new building materials. Additionally, Brimstone claims its OPC can be produced at competitive prices, which could significantly increase adoption in a cost-sensitive industry.

Amazon’s partnership with Brimstone is part of its larger goal to adopt climate-friendly practices in all areas of its operations. From renewable energy-powered facilities to sustainable packaging and now greener construction materials, Amazon is aligning its growth with ambitious decarbonization targets. Recently, the company revealed a geothermal and solar-powered fulfillment center in Japan, demonstrating its commitment to cleaner energy and materials worldwide.

The success of this partnership could significantly impact the construction and logistics sectors. As one of the largest corporations globally, Amazon’s choice of materials can encourage suppliers, developers, and regulators to embrace more sustainable practices. If Brimstone’s lower-carbon cement continues to meet performance and cost standards, it could become a preferred material across Amazon’s extensive network of data centers, fulfillment warehouses, office campuses, and retail sites.

In summary, the collaboration between Amazon and Brimstone is a significant step in the evolution of sustainable building materials. The combination of third-party validation, commercial scalability, and alignment with global goals establishes a strong foundation for what could become a transformative solution in cement production. As testing expands and production increases, this partnership could help redefine industry standards and create a scalable path toward more sustainable construction.