Brimstone also suffered a major stumble last year, when the Trump administration revoked a $189 million grant intended to subsidize its next plant, a planned commercial demonstration project in Reno, Nevada. 

Finke says the company continues to have fruitful conversations with the administration about restoring those funds, in which Brimstone has emphasized its potential to boost domestic production of critical minerals. He has previously said the company will be able to proceed with the development of the plant, even without that grant or other subsidies.

Next steps

The company expects to begin operating the Reno facility, which will only produce cement, supplementary materials, and alumina, in 2028. That means Brimstone will still need to finance and build its first full-scale factory to deliver the steel, titanium, and other critical materials, likely pushing the timeline for doing so into the next decade.

Based on its progress so far, though, the company has already lined up several commercial deals. That includes agreements to supply cement to retail giant Amazon and alumina to Century Aluminum, one of the US’s largest producers of its namesake metal.

Even if Brimstone doesn’t bring about another industrial revolution, the company is equipped to slash emissions from cement, which is reason enough to pay close attention. 

If Brimstone also manages to dramatically reduce the energy, pollution, and costs associated with extracting and refining rock to produce all—or any—of those other goods, that would represent a big corporate and climate win as well.