Heidelberg Materials celebrates start of ANRAV.beta CCUS project

The start of construction for the pilot carbon capture installation at Heidelberg Materials’ plant in Devnya was celebrated  this week, in the presence of Milena Stoycheva, Bulgaria’s Minister of Innovation and Growth, and representatives of Heidelberg Materials and the local community. 

The ANRAV.beta unit is a key next step in the implementation of the company’s large-scale ANRAV project in Bulgaria, which was announced in early 2023. As the first full-chain CCUS project in eastern Europe, ANRAV will eventually cover carbon capture, transport, and geological storage as well as utilisation.

Ernest Jelito, member of the Managing Board of Heidelberg Materials and responsible for Northern and Eastern Europe-Central Asia Group area, said: “The OxyCal technology we will be trialing in Devnya is a crucial addition to our portfolio of capture technologies. Obtaining solid operational data from industrial pilots like this is essential to ensure the successful implementation of projects under our comprehensive CCUS investment programme. At the same time, we can demonstrate an economically feasible way to decarbonise carbon-intensive industries in Eastern Europe.”

OxyCal is an innovative carbon capture technology based on the addition of pure oxygen to the clinker burning process. The result is a CO₂-rich flue gas with a high degree of purity that can be reused or safely stored. The new pilot at the Devnya plant will not only prove the efficiency of the technology, but also its scalability to ANRAV CCUS and other projects of the Group such as Anthemis in Belgium. The demonstration period is expected to last 12-24 months. 

ANRAV is the first full-chain CCUS project in eastern Europe. Subject to regulatory and permitting aspects, it could start operation as early as 2028, with a capturing capacity of 800,000t CO₂ per annum.