A former Utah coal town could soon become a hub for low-carbon cement

This story was originally published by Canary Media. The city of Magna, Utah, was once home to a major coal-fired power plant that powered Rio Tinto’s copper mine. In 2019, the last coal unit shut down, and now it will be repurposed for making low-carbon concrete using waste rocks from the Kennecott copper mine. Terra CO2 Technology was awarded a $52.6 million federal grant to build a new manufacturing plant west of Salt Lake City. The company’s method reduces the carbon footprint of cement by using additives from common minerals. This is part of a larger initiative to accelerate clean energy manufacturing in communities with decommissioned coal facilities across the U.S. The project aims to create high-quality jobs and reduce carbon emissions in the construction industry.