Heidelberg Materials has started a feasibility study for a decarbonisation project at its Rezzato Mazzano cement plant in the province of Brescia, which could become the first plant in Italy to produce carbon captured Net Zero cement and concrete.
Phase 1 of the Ravenna CCS project is being carried out by a joint venture involving Italian integrated energy company Eni and energy infrastructure operator Snam.
As part of the initiative, Heidelberg Materials will evaluate the feasibility of capturing CO2 from cement production and transporting it via pipeline to the Ravenna CCS storage hub under the Adriatic Sea.
Dr. Dominik von Achten, Chairman of the Managing Board of Heidelberg Materials, said, “Our ambition at Heidelberg Materials is not only to implement a decarbonisation initiative that is highly efficient in terms of resources and energy, but also to provide an important impetus for the development of a regional CCS cluster.”
It has started technical discussions with Eni and Snam for a preliminary technical evaluation.
Jon Morrish, Member of the Managing Board of Heidelberg Materials and responsible for Europe, said, “With an aspired capture rate of more than 95% of our plant’s emissions, this initiative aims to explore options for industrial-scale CCS in Italy. This would enable us to supply locally produced, carbon captured net-zero cement under our evoZero® brand to customers in the region.”
As announced by Eni and Snam, the Ravenna CCS project offers total storage capacity of more than 500 million tonnes, making this project the reference CCS hub in the Mediterranean. Snam is developing a pipeline network to transport CO2 from emitters to the Ravenna CCS hub.
Heidelberg Materials recently signed a strategic agreement to acquire Votorantim Cimentos’ assets in Morocco.
Expanding an existing minority stake in Asment de Témara, the transaction results in buying 63% of shares in Asment de Témara, a cement and ready-mixed concrete producer, and 100% of Grabemaro, a supplier of aggregates, by Ciments du Maroc, its subsidiary in Morocco.
In the summer, Heidelberg Materials strengthened its US presence, buying Highway Materials, one of the largest independent aggregates and asphalt producers in Greater Philadelphia, and two companies in Texas, Victory Rock and Aaron Materials, for a total of $380m.
The cement industry is responsible for around a quarter of all industrial emissions.
As the development of technologies such as CCUS and carbon-cured concrete could take up to 10 years, investments should be made ‘as soon as possible’, according to McKinsey research. Carbon-cured technology injects CO2 captured during cement production to accelerate the curing process and ‘lock in’ CO2 in the end product.
“The progress of extensive decarbonisation will not only depend on the economic viability of storing and sequestering the carbon but also on the availability of CO2 marketplaces, through which the captured CO2 can be sold,” it notes.
Companies are also testing oxyfuel combustion, a promising but expensive technology that results in high concentrations of CO2 in flue gas, which in turn allows for near-total carbon capture.
“Ultimately, capitalising on technology and innovation will require more investment, as well as a shift in mindset for companies that have become too comfortable with the status quo,” adds the McKinsey report.
“Many cement players are not used to relying on partnerships, or to operating in the kinds of ecosystems that are second nature in other industries. With innovation timelines of five to 10 years, these companies could soon find themselves playing catch-up.”
