THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: GPRS
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ON THIS EPISODE OF THE CONCRETE LOGIC PODCAST
Low-carbon cement sounds good on paper.

But can it actually compete in the real concrete market without subsidies, mandates, or customers paying a “green premium”?

That is the question Seth gets into with Ryan Gilliam, CEO of Fortera. Ryan explains how Fortera’s approach differs from many other low-carbon cement companies by bolting onto existing cement plants, using limestone as the feedstock, and turning CO₂ back into a reactive cementitious product.

This conversation gets into the hard part of low-carbon cement: economics, field performance, scaling, ready-mix adoption, policy risk, and whether these products can survive when the market stops caring about the carbon story.

Ryan makes the case that the future of low-carbon cement will not be built on guilt, regulation, or good intentions.

It has to perform.
It has to be cost competitive.
And it has to work in the field.
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WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
• Why “green cement” usually makes contractors and producers assume there is a compromise
• How Fortera’s technology bolts onto existing cement plants instead of replacing them
• Why limestone loses roughly 44% of its weight as CO₂ during traditional cement production
• How Fortera claims to turn that CO₂ back into cementitious material
• Whether Fortera’s product should be thought of as an SCM, a cement replacement, or a new cement
• Why ready-mix producers are skeptical of alternative cements
• What field feedback Fortera has received on finishing, flow, pumping, set time, and cracking
• Why Ryan does not believe customers will pay large green premiums
• How policy changes could impact demand for low-carbon cement
• Why carbon capture usually struggles economically
• How Fortera’s approach differs from traditional carbon capture and storage
• What has to be true for low-carbon cement companies to scale
• Why first commercial plants are such a hard step for new cement technologies
• Why Ryan believes performance, not carbon marketing, will decide which technologies survive
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction to Ryan Gilliam and Fortera
03:25 Ryan’s background in materials engineering and cement research
05:20 Fortera’s approach to low-carbon cement
08:28 Is Fortera’s product an SCM or a new cement?
09:23 Blended cement use versus 100% product use
10:33 What is driving demand for low-carbon cement?
13:39 Scaling challenges for new cement technologies
15:43 Field feedback on alternative cement performance
18:58 Type IL rollout, skepticism, and contractor pushback
20:07 Policy risk and whether low-carbon demand depends on regulation
22:18 How Fortera captures CO₂ from limestone
23:07 Why the economics may work
24:41 How this differs from traditional carbon capture
25:45 What cement plants need to adopt the technology
28:07 Fortera’s history and lessons from earlier attempts
29:00 How Fortera may go to market
30:20 Ryan’s main takeaway for the concrete industry
32:09 How to contact Ryan Gilliam
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GUEST INFO
Ryan Gilliam
CEO, Fortera
Profile: https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/guests/ryan-gilliam/

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CONCRETE LOGIC ACADEMY
If you work in concrete and want practical education that actually connects to the jobsite, check out Concrete Logic Academy.

Get access here:
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/concreteschool
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SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Concrete Logic runs on a value-for-value model.
If this episode helped you think through low-carbon cement, alternative cement technology, or what might actually work in the real market, send some value back.
Donate here:
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/support/
You can also support the show through KUIU:
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/kuiu
For sponsorship or media opportunities, contact:
seth@concretelogicpodcast.com
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CREDITS
Producers: Jodi Tandett & Concrete Logic Media
Music: Mike Dunton
https://www.mdunton.com/
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WHERE TO FIND SETH
Concrete Logic Podcast:
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@concretelogicpodcast
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-tandett/