Holcim and Air Liquide join forces to decarbonise new Obourg plant

Air Liquide and Holcim have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to pursue a project to decarbonise Holcim’s new cement production plant under development in Belgium, using Air Liquide's proprietary Cryocap^TM carbon capture innovative technology. Thanks to Air Liquide’s unique carbon capture innovative technology, Holcim will be able to reduce emissions by up to 1.1Mta CO₂.

The new cement production plant announced will be replacing an existing asset. This partnership forms part of GO4Zero, Holcim's investment programme that will enable the company to achieve carbon neutrality in Belgium by the end of the decade.

Air Liquide intends to build and operate a unit of its innovative and proprietary Cryocap Oxy technology to capture and purify up to 95 per cent of the CO₂ generated from Holcim’s production unit in Obourg. The captured CO₂ will then be handled through Antwerp@C CO₂ Export Hub where it will be transported, liquefied and loaded onto CO₂ ships for onward permanent and safe offshore storage.

The implementation of the project will be possible as public funding from European schemes supporting decarbonisation becomes available. Air Liquide and Holcim have jointly applied for the European Innovation Fund, one of the world’s largest programmes for promoting innovative low-carbon technologies.