Revolution in cement construction: Norwegian complex separates 400,000 tons of CO2 annually!

Revolution in cement construction: Norwegian complex separates 400,000 tons of CO2 annually!

Brevik, Norwegen - On June 19, 2025, the cement industry celebrated significant progress in reducing CO2 emissions with the inauguration of the new CO2 separation system from Heidelberg Materials in Brevik, Norway. In the presence of the Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and the Minister of Energy Terje Aasland, the facility was presented, the aim of which is to cut 400,000 tons of CO2 from the production process annually. This amount corresponds to half of the emissions of the cement plant in Brevik and is synonymous with the CO2 emissions of around 150,000 return flights between Frankfurt am Main and New York, like [Deutschlandfunk] (https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/net-zero-Beton-anlage-zur-co2-deaf-in-cement industrial-in-norwegen-eroeffnet-102.html) reports.

The secluded carbon dioxide is liquefied and transported to a terminal on the Norwegian west coast. From there, the CO2 is led through a pipeline to a deposit under the North Sea. This innovative CCS technology (Carbon Capture and Storage) is considered the key to combating climate change, since the cement industry alone is responsible for around 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Heidelberg Materials produces around 4.2 billion tons of cement every year, which underlines the urgency of such technologies.

on the way to net-zero concrete

Another milestone of the project is the development of the world's first CCS cement called Evozero, which is to be produced from 2025. This cement enables network -independent concrete without affecting strength and quality. This would be a real profit for the construction industry and the environment, and helps the cement sector, which is considered an important cause of CO2 emissions, are more sustainable. Efficient technologies, alternative fuels and the reduction of cement clinkers are crucial to achieve the climate goals, as can be experienced on the Brevik CCS project page.

We also know that the interaction between the need for cement and the associated emissions is a challenge. When making a ton of cement clinker, there are usually about 0.8 tons of CO2. It is therefore all the more important to look into the research and development of solutions that not only reduce emissions, but also use postulated resources such as CO2. The [Fraunhofer prudence] (https://www.umplich.fraunhofer.de/de/projekte/co2-syn-zement industrie.html) describes that carbon dioxide can be used as a raw material for a variety of chemical value products, which opens up further interesting perspectives.

criticism and possibilities

Despite the promising approaches, there are also critical voices that warn that CCS technologies could hinder existing emission reductions. Critics emphasize that it is not just a matter of "storing" emissions, but that it is essential to minimize the output of greenhouse gases as a whole. The discussion about the optimal path into an emission -free future will certainly become more important.

The cement sector is and remains a central component of the global climate debate. With the new technologies in Brevik and the goal of operating more sustainably, it remains to be hoped that the industry has a good hand to meet the challenges of the future.