Carbon capture projects in the cement sector are operational, but analysis shows they are unlikely to make a major dent in global emissions by 2035, with less than 2% of total sector emissions expected to be captured.
The world’s first commercial scale facility in Norway is already operating, with Heidelberg Materials’ Brevik plant capturing around 0.4 megatonnes of CO₂ annually.
More than 175 projects are tracked across stages of development, with 38 expected to be operational by 2035.
Perez Yeptho, analyst at LeadIT, said scale remains the key challenge: “When the projects currently planned become operational, the total volume of captured emissions would represent less than 2% of the sector’s overall footprint by 2035, highlighting a critical gap between ambition and impact.”
Policy and infrastructure are decisive for scaling carbon capture, with projects relying heavily on government support and shared CO₂ transport networks.
Major CCS projects are expected to come online from 2026, including Heidelberg’s Edmonton facility, is planned to capture more than 1 Mt of CO₂ annually.
Cement production accounts for 8% of global CO₂ emissions, and the sector is seen as a priority for decarbonisation.
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