Meta has signed a deal with Fortera, a low-carbon cement company, for the environmental attribute certificates (EACs) associated with approximately 200,000 tons of its low-carbon cement.

Under the terms of the deal, Meta will acquire both the EAC’s and also maintain the option to utilize the cement for its own building projects. It also includes an option to expand the volume and duration of the partnership.

"A multi-year commitment is what gets a cement plant financed," said Devon Lake, head of net zero strategy, Meta. "Our agreement helps Fortera move the Ste. Genevieve plant from plan to production, which means construction jobs and long-term manufacturing jobs in Missouri, and low-carbon cement available to builders well beyond Meta."

Fortera produces two cement products: ReAct Blend, which is engineered to be blended with other cement products to enhance early strength and flow, and ReAct Pure, designed as a standalone cement replacement.

The cement is made using Fortera’s ReCarb process, which the company claims produces cement with 70 percent lower CO2 emissions compared to Ordinary Portland Cement.

According to Fortera CEO Ryan Gilliam, to achieve the carbon reductions, Fortera takes cues from nature, producing a stabilized reactive form of limestone that absorbs CO2 rather than emitting it. The process can be bolted onto existing cement manufacturing plants, allowing the facilities to capture industrial CO2 emissions and convert them into mineral form to achieve a ready-to-use low-carbon cement.

The deal with Meta is expected to support the development of Fortera’s cement plant in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. According to the company, the site is strategically located in the Central Midwest along the Mississippi River, providing it with established transportation networks for cost-effective distribution across the US and international markets.

"This agreement marks an important first step in Fortera and Meta's relationship, and we're excited by Meta's efforts to advance plants in our pipeline so we can produce low-carbon cement in more markets where they are building," said Ryan Gilliam, CEO of Fortera. "Agreements of this scale and duration are what unlock financing and move projects from plans to production. They also show the market that low-carbon cement is a product that buyers are serious about and planning around for years to come."

The deal is the second Fortera has signed with a hyperscaler. Last September, Microsoft made a direct investment into the firm through its Climate Innovation Fund, which included the right to procure Fortera’s ReAct low-carbon cement product and its associated environmental attribute certificates.

Meta has also backed some low-carbon cement companies in a bid to decarbonize its construction value chain. In 2024, it backed US firm CarbonBuilt. It followed this up in July of last year, partnering with concrete maker Amrize on the development of an AI model to create new optimal low-carbon concrete mixes.