"Towards carbon-free cement production"
GO4ZERO consists of the construction and commissioning of a new clinker production unit with innovative low energy consumption and low environmental impact.
Integral to the project is the integration of a cutting-edge "CCS" (CO2 Capture and Storage) solution, facilitating the attainment of a negative carbon balance through the sequestration of biogenic CO2. This unique tool will provide an important contribution to the decarbonization of the Belgian construction industry, thanks to our future range of carbon-neutral "EcoPlanet" cements.
The ambition of this program is not only to secure our cement production capacity and our position in the Benelux and northern France markets, but also to offer a concrete solution in the fight against global warming.
Holcim wishes to invest in new infrastructures that will enable it to integrate the best available technologies to guarantee unprecedented operational, economic and environmental performance. Currently, our two kilns operate on a "wet process," utilizing chalk sourced from local deposits nearing depletion in its life cycle. The kiln planned to replace them will have a slightly smaller capacity than the current one, and will use limestone. Unlike chalk, limestone boasts a higher calcium carbonate content and significantly lower moisture levels, facilitating the adoption of a more efficient "dry process." This combined change in raw materials and technologies will reduce thermal consumption by around 40% and specific CO2 emissions per tonne of clinker by nearly 30%.
GO4ZERO is an investment program implemented in 2 stages :
- The first stage involves the new clinker production line at the Obourg site. This includes grinding, feeding and processing facilities for limestone from our Tournaisis quarries, including high-speed train loading mechanisms which will facilitate the efficient transport of limestone to the Montoise region.
- The second stage, to be implemented further down from the Obourg kiln, involves the capture and purification of CO2 for transport to its final sequestration in saline aquifers or disused natural gas wells in the North Sea. Alternatively, the industrial valorization of CO2 of biogenic origin (the biomass fraction of the alternative fuels used) can also be envisaged to produce new decarbonated molecules (e-methanol, synthetic fuel for aviation, etc.). This strategic stage underscores Holcim's commitment to attaining carbon neutrality within Belgium, aligning seamlessly with its obligations stipulated under the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
"We're building the first plant of the new generation: 30% reduction in specific CO2 emissions as soon as the new kiln is commissioned at the end of 2026, with exemplary circularity and environmental performance, the integration of oxycombustion into the kiln design to enable CO2 emissions to be concentrated in the flue gases, ...
In addition, between now and the end of the decade, GO4ZERO will enable the development of a range of cements with a very low ecological footprint, and will allow our customers to further consolidate concrete's status as the world's most sustainable construction material. It will be a real contribution by the entire sector to reducing its carbon footprint.
The whole project team is hyper-motivated by the challenges that lie ahead and by the ambition we have set for GO4ZERO. That is, to drastically reduce our direct and indirect emissions from our production facilities, while redeploying our activities in markets in Benelux and Northern France, and positioning ourselves as a leader in sustainable building materials and solutions.
We aim to sequester all the CO2 produced in the new clinker kiln through a value chain that will combine new technologies and involve numerous industrial partners along the way. Obourg will become an industrial and environmental flagship for our Group and our region, a new benchmark in the cement world!"
Vincent MICHEL GO4ZERO Program Director
