SAN ANTONIO – Recently on Old Fredericksburg Rd., a pothole was filled with asphalt mixed with solid carbon, marking the first demonstration of using sequestered carbon on public roads.
According to Washington-based clean energy company Modern Hydrogen, which is behind the effort, using sequestered carbon in asphalt offers several benefits: it goes further for less product, can withstand higher temperatures, and decreases the amount of oil needed in the rest of the asphalt, bringing down costs and lowering carbon dioxide emissions.
Modern Hydrogen will supply the sequestered carbon to Road Recyclers, where it will be mixed with asphalt and provided to the Bexar County Department of Public Works for deployment on pothole projects.
The repair will be monitored in the coming months to make sure the asphalt behaves as expected, as the sequestered carbon is still in a trial phase.