Carbon capture
Becoming a net-zero company
Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies are an integral component of our decarbonization journey, and Holcim is actively working to integrate them throughout our business.
Understanding carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies
CCUS technologies separate and concentrate CO2 released from industrial processes. They can facilitate safe storage underground, recycling for chemical and fuel applications, or capture and recarbonation in concrete and mineral components.
Holcim is in engaged in the development and integration of CCUS – already proven in other industries – within the green building sector:
- Post-combustion technologies
In the exhaust gas of a traditional kiln system, CO2 is absorbed by a liquid solvent and captured in concentrated form by a regenerator.
- Integrated processes
Possible alternatives to pure post-combustion capture include the calcination of raw materials, electricity usage in clinker manufacturing, and the use of purified oxygen in cement manufacturing combustion (oxyfuel).
Participating in CCUS pilot projects around the world
Westküste100
A 10-company consortium based in Germany, Westküste100 develops end-to-end sustainable business practices to reduce waste across all sectors.
The Carbon2Business project involves capturing CO2 from cement manufacturing at the Holcim Lägerdorf plant in Germany. It will then be transformed into synthetic fuel for the mobility sector and feedstock for the chemicals industry. The project was selected for an EU Innovation Fund grant in 2022.
Go4ECOPlanet
Holcim has also received an EU Innovation Fund grant for its GO4ECOPlanet project in Poland. Its aim is to create an end-to-end CCS chain starting with CO2 capture from the site in Kujawy all the way to offshore storage in the North Sea. The project’s vision is for the Kujawy plant to be net-zero by 2027.
This project is part of Holcim’s aim to develop highly replicable carbon capture solutions to drive the decarbonization of the building sector.
ECCO2
The ECCO2 project, in partnership with Carbon Clean and Sistemas de Calor, is a CCUS pilot project designed to enhance farm efficiency.
ECCO2 aims to capture CO2 from flue gas at our Carboneras plant in Almería, Spain and use it to accelerate crop production while reducing the amount of soil and water required per kilogram of vegetable production.
Exshaw
The Exshaw plant, located in Alberta’s Bow Valley, is Lafarge’s largest cement plant in Canada. A feasibility study is currently underway for full scale carbon capture from their two kilns on site. The province of Alberta is a world leader in the development of carbon sequestration hubs. Lafarge will be working with a partner on the feasibility of transportation and sequestration of the captured CO2. This is part of a grant received for 2023 from Emissions Reductions Alberta to support carbon capture and sequestration.
The role of hydrogen and electrification
We believe the hydrogen revolution will drive forward the energy transition across several sectors. At Holcim, we are assessing hydrogen’s potential in two key applications. First, we are studying it as a clean alternative to fossil fuels in our transportation activities and kilns. And second, we are looking at how it can support our CCUS strategy of converting CO2 into valuable products.
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