Coal ash, which substitutes 30 percent of cement, is in short supply as coal power plants shut down. Phoenix Materials tackles this shortage by refining landfilled coal ash into a high-quality cement replacement. Phoenix transforms unprocessable raw material into valuable products, ensuring a sustainable solution to the ash shortage while securing a supply of critical minerals.
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Krish Mehta
Krish Mehta is founder and CEO of Phoenix Materials, a company that decarbonizes concrete using industrial waste. Growing up in Mumbai, India, Mehta witnessed the devastating impact of climate change on vulnerable communities. He earned dual degrees in business and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Mehta worked as an engagement manager at McKinsey's sustainability practice and later managed part of the Model 3 business at Tesla. A Knight-Hennessy Scholar, Mehta earned an MBA and Master’s in sustainability from Stanford University.
TECHNOLOGY
Critical Need
In the last decade, 380 U.S. coal power plants have shut down, leaving only 217 operating. While this has been beneficial for the climate, coal ash production has fallen from 80 megatons/year to 30 megatons/year. Coal ash substitutes 30 percent of cement today by helping bind sand and gravel to make concrete. As ash supply continues to fall, cement consumption, and therefore cost and CO2 emissions, increases. Globally, by 2050, there will be a 0.9B ton shortage of coal ash, translating to an increased 0.7 gigatons of CO2 emitted per year.
Technology Vision
Phoenix Materials refines the 2.5B tons of U.S. landfilled coal ash into valuable end-products. Phoenix views the landfilled ash as an asset: it is developing proprietary technology to strip away impurities and create ASTM-grade ash alongside additional value-added products like titanium, aluminum, and rare-earth elements.
Potential for Impact
Phoenix Materials can lower global emissions by 0.7 gigatons of CO2 and create a domestic supply of critical minerals. By cleaning up landfills, Phoenix supports historically disenfranchised communities by providing a source of livelihood and improving quality of life.