Heidelberg Materials' Slite plant secures SEK70.8 in green funding

Heidelberg Materials Sweden (formerly Cementa) has secured SEK70.8m (US$6.9m) in funding to invest in switchgear at its Slite plant in Gotland, Sweden. The funding, allocated by the EU and the Danish Agency for Growth, aims to support the site’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.

The new switchgear will enable the company to improve overall efficiency of its electrical systems and reduce downtime and manual electrical work, therefore, supporting the site’s transition to carbon neutrality.

Heidelberg’s Slite plant is currently undergoing a significant transformation, with the goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2030. This will be achieved by capturing as much as 1.8Mta of CO₂. The plant employs advanced carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technologies to capture and store CO₂ emissions from its operations. Increased electrical efficiency, along with reduced downtime and manual electrical work, will further the site’s transition to carbon neutrality.

Meit Föhn, chairman of the regional board of Gotland, stated, “This announcement from the Agency for Growth and the EU is highly encouraging. It highlights Gotland's role in the green industrial transition. For both the production sector and the island of Gotland as a whole, achieving climate neutrality is imperative. To support this transition, further investments are needed, including improvements to the electricity grid and increased availability of fossil-free electricity.”

This funding underscores both Heidelberg Materials’ and the region’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions in the cement industry.