MIT scientists say a new carbon-cement “concrete battery” has advanced dramatically, now storing ten times the energy it did just two years ago.
The Breakthrough Explained
The innovation comes from researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who have been working on what they call electron-conducting carbon concrete, or ec³. This new type of concrete blends cement, water, ultra-fine carbon black, and electrolytes to create a conductive network within the structure. That network allows the concrete itself to store and release energy like a supercapacitor, effectively turning ordinary building materials into energy storage units.
Tenfold Increase In Energy Storage
Their new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows a tenfold increase in energy storage compared with earlier versions. The researchers say they achieved this by refining the electrolyte composition and altering how it is introduced during mixing. The result is a more efficient, denser electrical nanostructure that significantly boosts storage capacity.
Who Developed It and Why?
The work has been led by what’s known as MIT’s Electron-Conducting Carbon-Cement (ec³) Hub and the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub. Key researchers are reported to include Associate Professor Admir Masic and research scientist Damian Stefaniuk, supported by a multidisciplinary team of engineers and materials scientists.
According to Masic, the vision behind ec³ is not simply to create another battery alternative, but to rethink how existing materials can help solve global energy challenges. For example, as Masic said in MIT’s announcement about the breakthrough, “Concrete is already the world’s most-used construction material, so why not take advantage of that scale to create other benefits?”.
Embedding Storage Into Construction Materials
The motivation to create the battery lies in the growing global need for affordable, sustainable energy storage. For example, as renewable energy sources like solar and wind expand, there remains the problem of what to do when generation stops, e.g. at night, or when the wind is calm. Embedding storage directly into construction materials, therefore, could be a way to help solve this, removing the need for separate battery systems that rely on scarce materials such as lithium and cobalt.
How It Works
Technically speaking, the material that it’s made from functions as a structural supercapacitor rather than a chemical battery. Supercapacitors store energy electrostatically, which means they can charge and discharge rapidly and endure far more cycles than traditional batteries. The carbon black particles form a continuous conductive web throughout the hardened cement, and the electrolyte fills the pores, allowing ions to flow and charge to build up across the internal surfaces.
Used Microscopy Techniques To Design It
This nanonetwork (the tiny, interconnected structure that carries electrical charge) was designed using advanced microscopy techniques at MIT, i.e., powerful imaging tools were used to see materials at the nanoscale. This then revealed a fractal-like (branch-like) web pattern surrounding the pores. Understanding this structure helped the team identify how to adjust the electrolyte to improve charge flow. The team then switched from soaking the concrete in the electrolyte after it hardened to mixing it directly in from the start, ensuring uniform distribution and better conductivity.
Tenfold Improvement in Power
In the team’s 2023 version, about 45 cubic metres of ec³ concrete were needed to store enough energy to power a typical household for one day. However, the new version needs only around five cubic metres, which is the equivalent volume of a single basement wall.
The improved material can now store more than 2 kilowatt-hours per cubic metre, meaning a cubic block the size of a large household refrigerator can power an actual fridge for a day. This level of storage density, while still lower than lithium-ion batteries, represents a major step towards practical, large-scale use.
Built An Arch From It
The MIT team also demonstrated how the technology could function structurally and electrically at the same time by building a small arch made of ec³. The arch supported its own weight while powering an LED light. Interestingly, when weight was added, the LED flickered, suggesting that such structures could also act as self-monitoring sensors, detecting stress or damage in real time.
Potential Uses and Real-World Applications
The most immediate possible uses for this material could include homes and buildings with integrated solar power systems. For example, instead of relying on external battery packs, the building’s own walls or floors could store excess energy for later use.
Beyond buildings, the team envisions roads and car parks capable of charging electric vehicles, pavements that can heat themselves in icy weather, and bridge structures that both bear loads and store renewable energy. In Japan, for example, ec³ slabs have already been used to heat pavements in Sapporo, suggesting possible future roles in cold-climate infrastructure.
As co-author of the research report, James Weaver explained, “By combining modern nanoscience with an ancient building block of civilisation, we’re opening a door to infrastructure that doesn’t just support our lives, it powers them.”
Long-Term Cost and Energy Savings
For developers and facility managers, this technology could offer long-term cost and energy savings. Buildings made from ec³ materials might one day store solar power onsite without additional space or equipment. Large commercial facilities could reduce their reliance on grid energy, avoiding peak-time tariffs.
Manufacturers and contractors may also find new business opportunities in producing and deploying ec³ at scale. If production methods prove cost-effective, this could redefine energy infrastructure for corporate campuses, logistics centres, and industrial sites. The ability to integrate energy storage invisibly into standard construction materials could lower project complexity and improve sustainability credentials for companies focused on ESG goals.
Battery Makers
For now, ec³ is not positioned to replace high-performance lithium-ion batteries. This is because its energy density is still much lower, making it unsuitable for mobile devices or vehicles. However, its potential lies in stationary storage, particularly where space and material costs are already accounted for.
That said, battery firms could see it as complementary rather than competitive, e.g., part of hybrid systems that combine concrete supercapacitors for daily cycling with conventional batteries for bulk storage. The concept challenges the assumption that batteries must always be separate physical units, hinting at a future where storage is embedded in the fabric of our cities.
Environmental and Sustainability Factors
It shouldn’t be forgotten here that cement production is responsible for around 7 to 8 per cent of global CO₂ emissions. For ec³ to be genuinely sustainable, therefore, its energy benefits must outweigh the embodied carbon from cement and the added materials such as carbon black and electrolytes. The MIT researchers argue that multifunctional materials can deliver a net reduction by serving multiple roles, i.e. structural, electrical, and possibly even carbon-sequestering.
There is also the issue of durability – concrete structures often last decades, so the embedded energy system must remain stable over similar timeframes. The MIT team is currently studying how environmental conditions such as moisture, temperature, and mechanical stress affect performance over time.
Not Alone
MIT is not alone in exploring energy-storing construction materials. For example, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed a rechargeable cement-based battery using metal electrodes and carbon fibre layers, though its energy density is far lower than ec³’s latest version. Also, a team at Washington University in St. Louis has demonstrated “energy-storing bricks” that use a conductive polymer coating to create supercapacitor-like properties.
These parallel projects point to a wider movement towards multifunctional building materials that blur the line between structure and infrastructure. However, MIT’s progress in scaling up storage capacity and integrating the technology into load-bearing concrete sets it apart.
Challenges and Criticisms
Despite the excitement, experts point to several hurdles that the MIT team still need to address. The material’s energy density remains modest compared with lithium-ion batteries, meaning large volumes are required to store meaningful amounts of power. The use of organic electrolytes such as acetonitrile also raises safety and flammability concerns, especially in residential settings.
Cost and manufacturing complexity are further issues. Producing carbon-rich, electrolyte-infused concrete at commercial scale will demand new supply chains, mixing standards, and quality controls. The economic viability depends on achieving costs comparable to conventional concrete, something that remains uncertain.
Critics also note that while supercapacitors excel at rapid charging and long life, they generally suffer from self-discharge and limited total storage time. The MIT team will need to demonstrate consistent long-term performance before industry adoption can begin.
For now, the research remains at laboratory and small-prototype scale, but the tenfold leap in capacity is a meaningful milestone. If the next steps confirm durability, cost efficiency, and safety, the humble concrete block could become one of the most unexpected innovations in sustainable energy to date.
What Does This Mean For Your Organisation?
If proven reliable and scalable, this breakthrough could reshape how the built environment contributes to global sustainability targets. Embedding energy storage directly into the concrete of homes, offices, and transport infrastructure would mean that the same materials already used in construction could also support renewable energy systems, lowering costs and improving resilience. The practical implications extend far beyond academia, giving architects, engineers, and developers a new tool to design buildings that generate, store, and use power autonomously.
For UK businesses, the potential lies in efficiency and reputation. Construction firms and materials suppliers could benefit from being early adopters of multifunctional concretes that reduce carbon impact and add operational value. Facilities managers could also gain from a future where energy-storing walls or car parks reduce dependence on grid supply and shield companies from fluctuating electricity prices. As sustainability reporting becomes a central requirement for both investors and regulators, technologies like ec³ could offer measurable advantages in meeting ESG and net zero commitments.
Governments and regulators are likely to be very interested in this energy storage idea. For example, the possibility of embedding large-scale energy storage into existing infrastructure aligns well with national energy transition goals, but it also raises questions about building codes, safety standards, and lifecycle performance. Clear regulation and industrial partnerships would be needed before ec³ can move from prototype to construction site. Battery manufacturers, meanwhile, will need to assess whether to compete or collaborate. For many, hybrid systems combining traditional battery units with concrete-based supercapacitors could prove to be the most viable commercial path.
From a sustainability standpoint, the real test will come when energy gains are balanced against embodied carbon costs. Cement’s emissions footprint remains substantial, and researchers must demonstrate that the functional value of ec³ outweighs that environmental cost. Even so, the concept of a building material that can both support and store power captures a rare intersection of practicality and vision. If MIT’s concrete battery continues to perform as projected, it could help redefine how energy storage, architecture, and sustainability intersect in the decades ahead.