Jordan sits down with Rafik Kheffache, founder of Heliosand (https://heliosand.com/), a French start-up using concentrated solar power to transform industrial waste into usable construction materials.

Rafik explains how his team is building massive solar furnaces capable of reaching 4,000°C to melt mud and toxic waste into glass-like rock, and why this breakthrough could disrupt cement production—the most carbon-intensive industry on Earth.

Follow Rafik on X: @KheffacheR62805

Follow Jordan on X: @jrwolfe

Links to Learn More:

Heliosand: https://heliosand.com/

Reach out to Rafik on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafik-kheffache-4a32a08b/

Resources:

📖 Michael Faraday: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Faraday

🎧 Recent Podcast: Joe Rogan Experience w/ Elon Musk (on Tesla): https://youtu.be/sSOxPJD-VNo?si=uZormfJir3FR9S1E

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:14 What Is Concentrated Solar Power?

04:09 Difference Between CSP and Traditional Solar Panels

07:23 Challenges With Centralized Production

09:32 The Real Problem in Solar Industry

12:21 Rafik's Journey Into CSP

14:29 Artist Who Made a 3D Printer from Desert Sand

18:27 Heliosand: Melting Things With Solar Energy

22:35 Rafik Operates Right In The Middle Of Trash, Waste, Construction

25:20 Corruption In The Waste Industry

27:01 Understanding the Waste Management Landscape

30:18 Innovative Solutions for Industrial Waste

34:33 Transforming Mud into Valuable Resources

39:03 Elon Musk And Ancient Theories

40:02 Heliosand Customers

43:36 Rafik’s Vision For The Future

46:58 Creating Market-Based Solutions for Circular Economy

49:09 Rafik’s Inspiration: Michael Faraday

50:07 Last Podcast Rafik Listened To

50:46 Where to Find Rafik

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