Decarbonizing building with CCUS

HOW CAN WE DECARBONIZE BUILDING WITH CARBON CAPTURE, UTILIZATION AND STORAGE?

As the world's population grows and urbanizes, we have to rethink the way we build our cities. Finding ways to decarbonize the construction phase of a building’s lifecycle is critical to reach the world's climate targets.

As the main ingredient in concrete, cement is an essential building material to accommodate demand for new infrastructure, industry and buildings. Decarbonizing cement and concrete is therefore critical.

As the leading partner for sustainable construction, Holcim is focusing on three decarbonization levers: formulation, energy and advanced technologies to become a net-zero company by 2050.

Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is one of these advanced technologies

But what exactly is CCUS and how does it work?

Rethinking CO₂ as a resource

To understand CCUS, we need to rethink carbon. Because of the role carbon emissions play in climate change, carbon today tends to be viewed purely as a waste product that contributes to global warming and is harmful to the environment. Yet it is also an essential resource.

Carbon is the main element for many chemical products, as well as for a large variety of products from food to materials. During the last two centuries, the main source of carbon was non-renewable fossil resources. For the world’s production to be more sustainable, we have to consider alternative carbon sources and production pathways.

One source of carbon is concentrated CO₂ from the unavoidable raw material-based emissions of industrial production sites. It is possible to capture this CO₂ before it enters the atmosphere and recycle carbon to produce things like carbonated drinks, plastic chairs and nanotubes in electronic devices.

HOW CCUS WORKS

The CCUS process involves capturing CO₂ emissions before they are released into the atmosphere, and either utilizing the CO₂ in various applications or safely storing it.

CCUS allows us to reduce emissions from hard-to-abate sectors, such as cement, offering a viable pathway towards meeting global climate goals and transitioning to a net-zero economy.

carbon capture technologies EXPLAINED

Post-combustion technologies
These types of technologies capture CO₂ in the exhaust gas of a traditional kiln system at the “end of the pipe”. The most advanced post-combustion solution uses solvents like amines to absorb CO₂, before sending the liquid to a regenerator, which releases the CO₂ in a concentrated form. The solvent is then reused for absorption. Other technologies include separating CO₂ using membranes and adsorption processes.

Integrated processes
Alternatives to pure-post combustion capture are integrated processes including oxyfuel, the electrification of clinker manufacturing and the calcination of raw materials. The oxyfuel approach replaces air for combustion in the cement manufacturing process with oxygen to increase the concentration of CO₂ in the exhaust stream.

HOLCIM'S CCUS PATHWAYS

Different CCUS technologies can be deployed in many different places around the world. Options for the capture, transport, utilization and storage of CO₂ vary from one site to another, and the regulatory environment differs from one country to another.

At Holcim, our comprehensive, bottom-up approach allows us to tailor pathways and value chains based on local conditions, ensuring cost-effective, viable and scalable solutions.

FOUR PATHWAYS

Our projects span four main storage and utilization pathways.

1. MINERAL CARBONATION

Mineral carbonation, also known as CO₂ mineralization, is a form of utilization through which CO₂ is reacted with minerals to form carbonates, storing the CO₂ permanently. In the cement sector, this reaction provides a way of using captured CO₂ as part of a raw material to produce new building materials.

2. CONVERSION UTILIZATION

We are exploring new pathways to use CO₂ in the production of fuels, chemicals and plastics. CO₂ can be repurposed by reaction with green hydrogen to produce fuels that can decarbonize the aviation and maritime sectors, or can be used to produce chemicals and plastics.

3. MERCHANT MARKET UTILIZATION

Captured CO₂ can be used for greenhouse plants as a crop growth enhancer or in the food and beverages industries, for example for beverage carbonation.

4. STORAGE

CCUS technologies capture CO₂ from a facility. It is then transported to a location where it can be safely stored underground in deep geological formations. CO₂ can be transported by pipeline, train, ship or truck, for storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs, or saline aquifers.

OUR CCUS ROADMAP

We are scoping CCUS and mineralization projects around the world based on mature technologies, robust partnerships and value chains. As of November 2025, Holcim has eight CCUS projects supported by the EU Innovation Fund. Collectively, these projects will allow us to supply our customers with over 8 million tons of near-zero cement by 2030.

EXPLORE OUR CCUS PROJECTS

Lägerdorf, Germany

Carbon2Business aims to capture CO₂ from our plant at Lägerdorf and repurpose it as an industrial raw material, together with partners thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions AG and Linde Engineering. Using a Carbon Processing Unit and a first-of-its-kind implementation of oxyfuel technology, the project sets new standards in low-carbon cement production.

Pathway: conversion utilization
Annual CO₂ capture: 1.2 million tons

Kujawy, Poland

GO4ECOPlanet will take flue gas from our cement plant in Kujawy and process it in a CO₂ capture plant which produces 99.9% pure CO₂ using Air Liquide’s Cryocap™ FG technology. The installation will capture 100% of CO₂ emissions from clinker production and the CO₂ will be transported to and stored in depleted oil and gas fields.

Pathway: storage
Annual CO₂ capture: 1.2 million tons

Koromačno, Croatia

KOdeCO net zero aims to create a CCS chain from Holcim's Koromačno cement plant to the first permanent offshore storage in the Mediterranean Sea. The project is a large-scale industrial demonstration of disruptive "Cryocap" technology. At plant level this will bring 20% electricity savings and increase use of renewable electricity to 90%.

Pathway: storage
Annual CO₂ capture: 0.4 million tons

Le Teil, France

A partnership with Elyse Energy, eM-Rhône will produce e-methanol using renewable hydrogen production and CO₂ captured from our plant in Le Teil. The project will establish the first large-scale e-methanol plant in France, which will produce 138 kt every year, as a low-carbon alternative fuel and valuable platform molecule for chemical projects.

Pathway: conversion utilization
Annual CO₂ capture: 0.2 million tons

Obourg, Belgium

GO4ZERO will deploy an innovative air-oxygen switchable kiln with carbon purification technology at Holcim's cement plant in Obourg. It will ship the purified CO₂ via the Fluxys network for sequestration under the North Sea. The project broke ground in May 2024, and will transform cement production in Obourg.

Pathway: storage
Annual CO₂ capture: around 1.1 million tons

Milaki, Greece

OLYMPUS will enable the development of significant storage capacity in southern Europe. Here we are developing a new scalable and replicable technology (“OxyCalciner & CryoCap Oxy” combination), allowing low capture variable cost, and transforming the plant into a net carbon removal site by implementing this highly innovative technology combination.

Pathway: storage
Annual CO₂ capture: around 1 million tons

Martres-Tolosane, France

CarboClearTech is a carbon capture and storage system that will be installed at Holcim’s cement plant in Martres-Tolosane in France. The site will use end-of-pipe PSA and cryogenic carbon capture technology, and is already home to CaptureLab, the industry's first carbon capture test platform to validate advanced carbon capture technologies.

Pathway: capture, storage
Annual CO₂ capture: 0.7 million tons

Campulung, Romania

Carbon Hub CPT 01 in Campulung, Romania, is the first large-scale onshore CCS project of its kind in Eastern Europe. Driven by an industrial consortium, the project will use proven carbon capture technology to separate CO₂ from flue gases for safe storage underground. Carmeuse, which has expertise that is critical to build a robust CCS value chain, is a key partner.

Pathway: storage
Annual CO₂ capture: 1 million tons

Partnering across the value chain

Holcim understands that when it comes to accelerating the adoption of CCUS, we cannot do it alone. We need deep collaboration and strong partnerships between public authorities, private companies, local stakeholders and other value chain partners to secure the development of technologies. That is why we are working in close collaboration with our partners across our portfolio of projects.