Cement giant HeidelbergCement has announced plans to eliminate carbon emissions from a plant in Sweden in a bid to decarbonise one of the world's most polluting industries.
The German company intends to upgrade a factory at Slite on the Swedish island of Gotland, which is operated by its Cementa subsidiary.
The plant is currently the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Sweden, responsible for three per cent of all its CO2 emissions.
Cement production is among the biggest contributors to climate change and is responsible for around eight per cent of global carbon emissions.
Upgrade will capture 1.8 million tonnes of CO2 per year
When the proposed upgrade is complete in 2030, the company claims it will capture and store all emissions from the Slite plant, totalling up to 1.8 million tonnes of CO2 per year. However, the technology it will use to capture the emissions is "not decided yet," according to Per Brevik, director of alternative fuels at HeidelbergCement.
"There are many potential technology providers in this area to be assessed," Brevik told Dezeen. "Most probably we will go for amine technology," he said, referring to chemical compounds that can absorb CO2 from gases.
Top image: the cement factory in Slide will be upgraded. Above: limestone is quarried nearby in Gotland
Amine processes are used to scrub carbon from factory flues although the technology is expensive and is not yet able to remove 100 per cent of emissions....