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Carbstone technology expands further into China

How Bjorn is reducing CO2 emissions in China with a revolutionary invention: “They love to see us Belgians coming”

What if brick production didn’t just emit less CO2, but the bricks actually soaked up CO2? In Maasmechelen, this idea led to a global revolution in the construction sector. All you need is CO2 and steel slag, the waste product of metal production. The CO2 is then used to bind those purified steel slags into a type of limestone. “The Chinese love to see us Belgians coming,” says Bjorn Gubbels, who is gradually conquering the world, quite literally, with his co-invention.

Serge Celis (Orbix), Bjorn Gubbels (Masterbloc), and their entire staff have been working on this story since 2004. “8 percent of global CO2 emissions are released during cement production,” explains Bjorn Gubbels of Masterbloc.

“Cement is in the bricks or pavers around your home or office. In terms of building regulations, Europe wants to create a strict framework with the Green Deal, requiring all building materials to be CO2-neutral by 2030. The sector is watching anxiously or hoping for a delay, while we have developed a brick that is not just CO2-neutral, but actually CO2-negative.”

Literally: not a single gram of cement is used as a ‘binding agent’ anymore, but CO2 instead. This is not happening on this scale anywhere else in the world. Two years ago, Gubbels headed east. In China, he found partners who will set up concrete plants using the technology developed by the Limburgers. “We told them: you can build the CO2 chambers for us and learn the process. In exchange, we want you to help build and implement it for us everywhere,” he explains. No traditional licensing wall, then, but a knowledge deal designed to deliver speed.

In addition to technical development in China, concrete possibilities were discussed to further expand Carbstone technology toward Taiwan. This makes the collaboration with QGM a promising step in the international growth of Carbstone and the broader rollout of sustainable construction technology in Asia. From Belgium to China and further toward Taiwan: step by step, Masterbloc is helping to build the future of circular, CO₂-negative, and scalable concrete technology.

“They were allowed to learn from us. We see them as a partner, not as an enemy in the market. Look at Tesla: Musk once said he wouldn't enforce his rights strictly in China, and that's exactly why Tesla grew—because others started building it too. Open implementation pulls an entire sector along with it.”

Bjorn Gubbels

Europe has set the bar very high for reducing CO2 emissions. “People often think the Chinese have missed the boat on lowering CO2 emissions, but the opposite is true. Europe is aiming for CO2 neutrality by 2050, but China also sees 2060 as a feasible target date, and their economy is much larger. They realize that our Carbstone technology can help them with the transition. For us, this isn’t just about marketing an invention, but also about solving a global problem. The Chinese are absolutely on board, but the Americans are actually being difficult.”

Just this Sunday, Gubbels flew to one of China’s largest steel mills. The vast amounts of steel slag left behind can thus serve as raw material for making bricks. The production line is running, and expansion plans are on the table. “It is striking how quickly they make room for CO2 capture, and how smoothly the administration operates.”

Europe vs China

From a European perspective, people can be critical of China, but what Gubbels sees nuances the clichés. “I am here for the first time and am deeply impressed. It is clean, friendly, and disciplined here. Progressive. The interpreters we worked with have been traveling the world for years and don’t want to live anywhere else. There are surely social restrictions, but the decisiveness is truly enormous. In Europe, we are sometimes lax in our business operations; things move faster there.”

The knowledge was ultimately born in Limburg, and Gubbels hopes to further develop that expertise with Carbstone and Orbix at UHasselt and POM Limburg. “We want to exchange information with European universities and roll out that knowledge more broadly,” says Gubbels.

Source: HLN, April 30, 2026

A group of twelve people, some with a thumbs up, stands and poses for a photo in front of a wall with logos of QGM, Zenith, and Masterbloc.
A poster in a factory discusses China's carbon peak and neutrality policy, featuring a photo of an official, diagrams, and information about Carbstone's carbon capture technology.
A group of ten people stands in front of a Carbstone industrial site with tall metal towers and concrete buildings under a cloudy sky.
Four rectangular Masterbloc concrete blocks are placed side by side on a wooden table, with part of a person nearby.
Two people wearing helmets stand next to a large Masterbloc concrete block in an industrial facility, with display boards and potted plants in the background showing innovative construction solutions from China.
A person in safety gear operates a blue industrial machine while others look on; bins of powdered and granular materials sit on the table.
A woman wearing a hard hat and mask stands by stacked concrete blocks in a factory setting while workers operate nearby machinery.
A man examines a gray brick at a laboratory counter with samples, while another man in a red helmet and striped shirt stands nearby. Posters about solid waste recycling hang in the background.