Sustainability
Two European Projects Aim to Scale Industry Decarbonization Innovations
Dual-purpose EcoLog Terminal Amsterdam, seen here in rendering, would import 200K metric tons of liquid hydrogen and export 1.8M metric tons of liquid carbon dioxide—to start when completed in 2030.
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With the European Union working toward achieving climate neutrality by 2050, efforts to reduce the construction industry’s carbon impact are advancing with projects bringing technological innovations to scale.
The European Commission has identified more than 120 decarbonization projects across the continent, although advancing their completion and competitiveness will depend on factors such as carbon dioxide reduction incentives, energy costs, workforce availability and regulatory issues, according to industry group Cement Europe.
“Climate ambition and competitiveness must advance together,” group President Jon Morrish said in a statement following a March 25 meeting between European leaders and cement sector leaders.
Electrified Clinker Production
Switzerland-based global materials producer Holcim, which operates in 45 markets and last year spun off its North American business, Amrize, is working to open in 2028 what it says is the world's first fully electric cement plant.
Holcim has signed a joint development agreement with Swedish electrification company SaltX Technology to develop and validate equipment that will be used for fully electrified clinker production for cement, SaltX announced March 23 following Holcim’s investment in the company last summer.
The European location for the full size plant was not disclosed, but the two firms are pilot testing its process at a facility in Hofors, Sweden.
“By combining our technology with Holcim’s industrial expertise, we can jointly further develop and industrialize solutions for large-scale electrified cement manufacturing,” SaltX CEO Lina Jorheden said in a statement.
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Their plan relies on electrified calcination, a process that involves heating cement raw meal with plasma burners, replacing an energy-intensive step of clinker production traditionally powered by fossil fuels. Holcim and SaltX then plan to combine the process with electrified sintering, although they are still developing the technology for that stage and testing material to validate the process.
Because electrified calcination and electrified sintering can be implemented together or separately, there is flexibility available in how the technology can be implemented in future plants and added to existing facilities, according to SaltX.
Global cement production generates about 8% of worldwide carbon emissions.
Holcim’s partnership with SaltX, estimated at about $4 million, is one of 19 investments the Swiss firm has made in decarbonization technology-focused startups through its corporate venture capital arm, Holcim MAQER Ventures. The investments are not exclusively focused directly on cement production. In January, it announced its latest investment in Capsol Technologies, a Norwegian company that has developed a post-combustion carbon capture and heat recovery system.
Other investments have been focused on tech such as robotics and energy storage, along with water conservation. In March the firm announced $20 million in investments in its Mexico operations to reduce freshwater extraction by up to 33% by 2030, with steps announced previously to cut water use by up to 38% in its Belgium, Spain and Greece facilities.
CCUS and Liquid Hydrogen
In the Netherlands, planning is underway for another development set to boost continent decarbonization across multiple sectors, says owner EcoLog, a Dubai-based firm specializing in midstream carbon dioxide and liquid hydrogen services.
Construction of the dual-purpose EcoLog Terminal Amsterdam would enable import of liquid hydrogen and export of liquid carbon dioxide—reusing cold energy released during the cryogenic hydrogen regasification process to liquefy the CO2. Hydrogen would then be transported to end users throughout Europe via pipeline, truck, rail or barge, and carbon dioxide shipped overseas for reuse or permanent storage.
The terminal would be the first facility of its scale globally, with an initial planned capacity to annually import 200,000 metric tons of liquid hydrogen and export 1.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. EcoLog aims to complete that first phase in 2030, with planned future expansions that could expand annual capacity to 600,000 metric tons of liquid hydrogen and 4.25 million metric tons of liquid carbon dioxide.
“The EcoLog Terminal Amsterdam seeks to make a large contribution to the decarbonization of sectors like steel manufacturing, heavy duty road mobility, maritime transport and data centers, among others,” EcoLog CEO Ellen Ruhotas said in a statement.
EcoLog recently selected its engineering team for the project, with KBR set to deliver front-end engineering design and Mott MacDonald named as the owner’s engineer.
KBR said in a statement that FEED work, begun in January and expected to complete this year, will determine the facility’s storage systems, operational envelope and safety standards. Mott MacDonald will provide oversight through planning, design and construction.
