Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

The Brevik CCS project

With 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ to be captured annually and transported for permanent storage, HeidelbergCement will realise the first industrial-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at a cement production facility in the world at Brevik. The CCS project in Norway is an important cornerstone in our climate strategy: It will enable HeidelbergCement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to the cement production process.

Our Path to Carbon Neutrality by 2050

We are committed to offer carbon-neutral concrete across our product portfolio by 2050 at the latest. For this, we rely on a combination of measures – most importantly, the increased use of alternative fuels, alternative secondary cementitious materials (including recycled materials), and carbon capture and usage or storage (CCUS).

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Norcem - What if?

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Factsheet CCUS
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World’s first cement carbon capture facility at Norcem Brevik

A yearly reduction of CO₂ emissions by over 400,000 tons
A technology that can be used at other cement plants worldwide
The carbon capture facility is scheduled to be fully operational in 2024

What is carbon capture?

Carbon capture is the process of removing CO₂ from large emission sources. The purpose of carbon capture is to limit the release of CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere by capturing it and then storing it safely, for instance in underground geological formations. The whole process of capturing, transporting and storing CO₂ is referred to as carbon capture and storage, or CCS.

The process at Norcem Brevik cement plant will use a mixture of water and organic amine solvents to absorb the CO₂. This process can be applied on emissions from various sources, from gas, coal, cement, refineries, and waste-to-energy through to hydrogen and other process industries.

The carbon capture and storage process

How carbon capture works at the Norcem plant in Brevik

Carbon Capture at Norcem Brevik

Partner technology

Aker Carbon Capture is our carbon capture technology partner

About Aker Carbon Capture

Equinor and Northern Lights deliver transportation and storage of CO₂

About Northern Lights

Gassnova - the government CCS project manager

About Gassnova

FAQs

What is CCS?: Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a technology that can capture up to 95% of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced from the use of fossil fuels in electricity generation and industrial processes, preventing the carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere, and permanently storing it underground.
How can CCS help fight climate change?: Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is one of the few technological solutions that can contribute to a significant reduction in emissions from industrial operations by keeping CO₂ out of the atmosphere.
What can CCS be used for?: CCS will be crucial for decarbonizing energy-intensive industries such as cement, as well as other industries.
What lies behind the concept CCS?: CCS is short for Carbon Capture and Storage. CCS targets reducing the emission of CO₂ to the atmosphere. CO₂ is captured from a point of emission, then transported and permanently stored in underground geological formations.
How important is CCS for reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement?: The Paris Agreement’s central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Additionally, the agreement aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change. Without CCS, both the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and International Energy Agency point out that reaching these goals will be way more difficult and expensive.
Is it safe to store CO₂ below sea-level?: Scientific research shows that the storage of CO₂ on the Norwegian continental shelf is safe. Equinor has thorough experience from storing CO₂ in the North Sea. CO2 is introduced into deep underground rock formations, usually at depths of one kilometer or more. This has been done at both the Sleipner-field (1 mill tons CO₂ annually since 1996) and the Snøhvit-field (appr. 700,000 tons CO₂ annually since 2007). Thorough monitoring measures show that there is no CO₂ leakage from the storing.
Can the Norcem technology be exported to other countries?: Yes. Through the building of the full-scale CCS-project at Norcem Brevik, all parties involved accumulate knowledge which may be useful for future facilities.
Is it necessary to store the captured CCS underground in the North Sea; why not use it for other purposes?: CO2 can and will be used in other industrial procedures. The use of CO₂ in the recarbonation of concrete and the mineralization of aggregates provides permanent solutions for CO₂ emissions. Other uses of captured CO₂ contribute to reducing the consumption of fossil fuels at a lower level than would be necessary to achieve climate targets. Permanent CO₂ storage will be necessary in any case.
Are there similar facilities elsewhere in the world?: According to the Global CCS Institute (GCCSI), there are currently 19 large-scale projects in operation and four new projects under construction, with a total capacity close to 40 million tonnes of CO₂. However, Norcem Brevik will be the first cement plant in the world with full-scale CCS.