A characteristic feature of the cement sector is a high level of innovation in introducing solutions that aim to reduce its negative impact on the environment. The pursuit of decarbonisation means it is necessary to search for and implement new technologies. Carbon capture is currently the only available technology that makes it possible to eliminate CO2 emissions generated during the firing of clinker (the so-called ‘process emissions’). CCS is an opportunity to increase the competitiveness of the cement industry in Poland in the light of the phase-out of the free emission rights under the ETS system, and Poland is currently the third largest cement producer in Europe. That is why Holcim (formerly Lafarge) has undertaken a unique global project to create an infrastructure capable of capturing 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year from the kiln flue gases during clinker production.
Kujawy Go4ECOPlanet is a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project. Infrastructure is being built at the Holcim-owned Kujawy Cement Plant to capture carbon dioxide from the clinker kiln flue gases. It will capture 100% of the CO2 emissions generated by the production of clinker – the basic ingredient for cement production. This will enable the Kujawy Cement Plant to produce very low-emission cement by the end of the decade. More than 10 million tonnes of CO2 will be captured over a period of 10 years, which represents 10% of the annual emissions of the entire cement sector in Poland. As a result, the Kujawy Cement Plant will become one of the first net zero-emission cement plants in Europe. The implementation of an industrial-scale carbon capture facility will make it possible to replicate this technology in other cement plants and industries in Europe. The next stage is to create a full carbon capture and storage chain.
The Kujawy Go4ECOPlanet project is one of the most important elements of Holcim's sustainable development strategy in Poland and across the entire Holcim Group, as it helps to achieve the goals of the European Green Deal, in line with legislation aimed at achieving climate neutrality by 2050. On 19 January 2023 in Brussels, Holcim and the Innovation Fund signed a project co-financing contract. The total cost of the Kujawy Go4ECOPlanet project is around €400 million. The EU funding amounts to €228 million. The Holcim Group is currently developing 30 CCS projects worldwide, including 7 in Europe. In addition to the Kujawy GO4ECOPlanet project, these include projects in Germany, Belgium, France, Croatia and Greece, which have been selected for funding under the EU Innovation Fund.
Holcim has been investing in the modernisation of construction materials production for many years in order to reduce CO2 emissions. All these measures, combined with carbon capture, will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of concrete and the entire construction sector, which will pave the way for low-carbon buildings and infrastructure.
Innovative technologies such as carbon capture and storage are essential to promote industry decarbonisation in Poland and Europe. CCS projects, such as Kujawy Go4ECOPlanet, can become an economic driving force in addition to fulfilling their main purpose of improving the environment.
Jolanta Zdunowska, Technical Director of Carbon Capture and Storage Projects
Source: https://magazynbiomasa.pl/kujawy-go4ecoplanet-pierwsza-zeroemisyjna-cementownia/
Holcim is currently implementing a unique project on a global scale – a zero-emission cement plant. Using CCS technology, the cement plant in Kujawy will soon capture 100% of carbon dioxide emissions. Maciej Sypek, President of Holcim Polska, talks about the investment worth over 300 million euros in an interview for ESG Trends.
During a meeting with stakeholders from the Świętokrzyskie and Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodships that was held on 12 September, Holcim Polska summarised its environmental activities and investment projects. The Environment Day was also attended by a representative of the Marshal's Office in Kielce from the Department of Agriculture, Climate and the Environment, who touched on the development of circular economy in the region.
‘We are focusing on reducing our carbon dioxide emissions. As a result, over the past 20 years we have halved our CO2 emissions from 800 kg to 400 kg per tonne of cement. In addition, we will have implemented a modern carbon capture technology by 2030,’ said President of Holcim Polska Maciej Sypek, PhD, during the 33rd Economic Forum in Karpacz, Poland (3-5 September 2024).
In its expectations of businesses, the EU repeats 'zero net emissions' like a mantra. Holcim is taking up this challenge. As a result, the Kujawy Cement Plant may become the first full ydecarbonised construction materials plant in Poland. Jolanta Zdunowska, Technical Director of Carbon Capture and Storage Projects at Holcim Polska, talks about the PLN 2-bln investment project.
The first zero-emission cement plant in Europe is to be built in 2027 in Poland, in the Kujawy region. Holcim is in the process of implementing the GO4ECOPLANET project, under which 100 percent of the carbon dioxide produced by Cementownia Kujawy will be captured.
The Kujawy Go4ECOPlanet project, which aims to capture 100 percent of CO2 emissions in Kujawy Cement Plant, enters the next stage.
The cement sector is characterized by a high degree of innovation in introducing solutions conducive to reducing the negative impact on the environment.
Holcim and the Innovation Fund (CINEA European Agency) signed the project grant agreement in Brussels on 19 January 2023.