HeidelbergCement to install world's first full-scale carbon capture and storage facility in Norwegian cement plant
THE Norwegian parliament has approved the investment in a full-scale carbon-capture facility at the HeidelbergCement Norcem plant in Brevik, Norway. The Brevik carbon capture and storage (CCS) project will permit the capture of 400,000 tonnes of CO2 per year and its transportation for permanent storage, making it the world's first industrial-scale CCS project at a cement production plant.
Work on the new facility in Brevik is expected to begin immediately, with the goal of starting CO2 separation from the cement production process by 2024. The end result will be a 50% cut in emissions from the cement produced at the plant.
‘We are delighted about the final approval of the Norwegian parliament for our breakthrough CCS project in Norway,’ said Dr Dominik von Achten, chairman of the managing board of HeidelbergCement. ‘To meet national and international climate targets, CO2 separation is an important cornerstone. Our CCS project in Brevik will pave the way for our industry and other sectors.’
Giv Brantenberg, general manager of HeidelbergCement Northern Europe and chairman of the board of Norcem, said: ‘HeidelbergCement highly appreciate the successful co-operation with the Norwegian authorities. The Brevik CCS project clearly shows the importance of industry and the public sector finding common solutions in the fight against climate change.’
The Norwegian Government had shortlisted Brevik for an industrial-scale CO2 capture trial at the beginning of 2018. In September 2019, a memorandum of understanding on the capture and storage of CO2 was signed by HeidelbergCement and the state-owned Norwegian energy Group Equinor. The project funding is largely supported by the Norwegian Government as part of Norway's full-scale ‘Longship’ climate investment project, which comprises capture, transport and storage of CO2.
HeidelbergCement have committed themselves to reduce their specific net CO2 emissions per tonne of cementitious material by 30%, compared with 1990, by 2025. This figure had previously been targeted for 2030. To achieve this, the company has defined concrete CO2 reduction measures for all plants worldwide. HeidelbergCement aim to offer carbon-neutral concrete by 2050 at the latest.
