Heidelberg Materials partner with Government of Canada

Government commits to invest in construction of first net-zero CCUS facility in the cement industry

HEIDELBERG Materials and the Government of Canada have successfully completed a Memorandum of Understanding in support of Heidelberg Materials’ project to develop the cement industry’s first global full-scale carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) facility.

The new facility, which is part of Heidelberg Materials’ Edmonton plant, in Alberta, is scheduled to be operational by late 2026 and will capture more than 1 million tonnes of CO2 annually.

‘The Government of Canada’s commitment is a great acknowledgment of our efforts and marks yet another key milestone in our eager decarbonization journey,’ said Dr Dominik von Achten, chairman of the managing board.

‘Our North American sites and the Edmonton CCUS facility in particular play a vital role in achieving Heidelberg Materials’ ambitious CO2-reduction commitment. We will work hard to quickly progress this industry-leading project.’

‘Our Edmonton CCUS project as the world’s first carbon-neutral cement plant is another milestone in Heidelberg Materials’ ambitious drive to lead the industry to net zero, and we are excited to begin realizing this as soon as possible,’ said Chris Ward, president and chief executive officer of Heidelberg Materials North America.

‘We are very fortunate to partner with the Government of Canada in this endeavour and we look forward to continued collaboration as we move forward with this exciting project.’

In 2024, Heidelberg Materials will go on stream with the world’s first industrial-scale carbon capture plant in the cement industry, in Brevik, Norway. The facility will capture and store 50% of the plant’s annual emissions.

Once operational, the Edmonton CCUS project, as the world’s first full-scale carbon-neutral cement plant, is anticipated to capture up to 95% of the plant’s total CO2 emissions.