Brevik plant's CCS investment approved by Norwegian parliament

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 enable the capture of 400,000t of CO₂ per year and the transportation for permanent storage, making it the first industrial-scale CCS project at a cement production plant in the world. 

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 per cent reduction of 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," says 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 HeidelbergCement Northern Europe and chairman of the Board of Norcem, says: "HeidelbergCement highly appreciates the successful cooperation with the Norwegian authorities. The Brevik CCS project clearly shows the importance of industry and public sector to find 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 the Norwegian full-scale 'Longship’' climate investment project that comprises capture, transport and storage of CO₂. 
 
HeidelbergCement has committed itself to reduce its specific net CO₂ emissions per tonne of cementitious material by 30 per cent compared to 1990 by 2025. This figure had previously only been targeted for 2030. To achieve this, the company has defined concrete CO₂ reduction measures for all plants worldwide. HeidelbergCement aims to offer carbon-neutral concrete by 2050 at the latest.