{"id":180523,"date":"2026-09-02T07:23:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T05:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=180523"},"modified":"2026-08-26T12:27:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T10:27:58","slug":"breakthrough-for-future-proof-cement-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/breakthrough-for-future-proof-cement-production\/","title":{"rendered":"Breakthrough for Future-Proof Cement Production"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

The cement production is responsible for around eight percent of global CO\u2082 emissions. The Holcim Deutschland GmbH aims to drive the decarbonization of the industrial sector and has installed a membrane-based pilot plant at its cement works in H\u00f6ver. The innovative technology was developed at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon and brought to market by Cool Planet Technologies Limited (CPT). It is designed to capture up to 90 percent of the CO\u2082 emissions from the plant\u2019s exhaust gas. The project represents a major step toward a future-proof industrial sector in Germany.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ceremonial Commissioning in H\u00f6ver<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Lower Saxony’s Minister President Olaf Lies giving the opening speech at the cement works in H\u00f6ver. \u00a9 Hereon\/Rabea Osol<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

On 21 August, the new membrane pilot plant at the H\u00f6ver cement works was officially commissioned by Lower Saxony\u2019s Minister-President Olaf Lies, Johannes Steiniger, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and Stephan Hinrichs, CEO of Holcim Germany. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe cement industry faces particular challenges in decarbonization. Here in H\u00f6ver, we are now demonstrating how the transformation of the cement sector can succeed,\u201d said Olaf Lies<\/strong>, emphasizing the national significance of the project. \u201cWith this new facility, Holcim is making a clear commitment to Germany as an industrial location and an important contribution to the goal of a climate-neutral Lower Saxony.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The project receives funding from the \u201cFederal Funding Program for Industry and Climate Protection,\u201d through which the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs supports the decarbonization of industry, including the development and application of CCU\/S (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage) technologies for the capture, storage, and utilization of CO\u2082. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe federal government is providing targeted funding for innovative climate protection technologies. The companies and scientists in our country have many good ideas that they are successfully developing and implementing, as is the case here at the cement plant in H\u00f6ver. We are proud of that. The government wants to do its part to establish CCU\/S as a climate protection technology for sectors with emissions that are difficult to avoid, such as the cement industry,\u201d said Johannes Steiniger.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

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\"During
During the panel discussion, Prof. Oliver Zielinski spoke about the milestones in the development of membrane technology at Hereon. \u00a9 Hereon\/Rabea Obol<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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\u201cH\u00f6ver will be one of the first industrial sites in Germany where CO\u2082 will be captured in practice and on a larger scale,\u201d said Holcim CEO Stephan Hinrichs. <\/strong>\u201cIn doing so, we are relying on leading European technology and the engineering expertise of our technology partners. Together, here in Lower Saxony, we are proving that climate protection and industrial competitiveness go hand in hand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prof. Oliver Zielinski, Scientific Managing Director of Hereon<\/strong>, praised the valuable collaboration: \u201cIn H\u00f6ver, scientific research is being transformed into a future-proof solution for industrial practice. The major challenges of decarbonization can only be solved through close cooperation between science and industry.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A Globally Leading Approach to CO\u2082 Separation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cement is the binding agent used in concrete and is therefore one of the most important raw materials in the construction industry. In Germany alone, around 30 million tonnes of cement are consumed each year. During production, limestone, clay, sand, and iron ore are fired at 1,450 degrees Celsius. This process generates up to one tonne of CO\u2082 per tonne of cement produced. To enable net-zero-emission production, the CO\u2082 must be removed from the kiln exhaust gases. This is where Hereon\u2019s research comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cOur membrane technology is among the world\u2019s leading approaches to CO\u2082 separation. It is the result of many years of consistent and interdisciplinary research and development,\u201d said Dr. Torsten Brinkmann, scientist at the Hereon Institute of Membrane Research and scientific lead of the Holcim project<\/strong>. \u201cThe technology can be used not only in cement plants, but also in other sectors such as the steel industry and renewable energy generation.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Filtering Tens of Thousands of Tonnes of CO\u2082<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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From left: Prof. Oliver Zielinski, Dr. Torsten Brinkmann (Hereon), Lisa B\u00fcscher (Holcim Germany), and Patrick Schiffmann (Cool Planet Technologies) press the \u201cred button\u201d to start up the test plant.
\u00a9 Hereon\/Rabea Osol<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The Hereon membranes consist of multiple polymer layers and allow CO\u2082 to pass through more quickly than other flue gas components such as nitrogen and oxygen. In H\u00f6ver, the exhaust gas stream from the cement plant is routed through the pilot facility and across the membranes. The CO\u2082 is separated and discharged, while the remaining low-emission gas stream is returned to the cement plant. At this stage of expansion, up to ten thousand tonnes of greenhouse gases are expected to be captured annually in H\u00f6ver. The CO\u2082 is processed and can then be used as a feedstock, for example in the beverage industry or for the production of chemicals and biofuels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The membrane process is chemical-free and can be operated entirely using renewable electricity. As such, it is one of the most efficient methods of capturing CO\u2082. The system is installed downstream of the actual production process, making it possible to retrofit existing plants without extensive modifications. In H\u00f6ver, the technology is being tested in a cement plant on this scale for the first time. Through the decarbonization of the facility, Holcim aims to secure cement production at this site for decades to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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About Holcim Germany<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Holcim Germany is one of the leading providers of innovative and digital building solutions. With around 1,800 employees in Germany and the Netherlands and a strong focus on climate protection and the circular economy, Holcim is a pioneer in sustainable construction. Its mission is to build more with less material. Holcim Germany is the national subsidiary of the global building materials manufacturer Holcim Ltd. (SIX: HOLN). Holcim is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, and employs more than 45,000 people across 43 markets in Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Holcim was recognized by the Top Employers Institute as a \u201cGlobal Top Employer 2026\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Cool Planet Technologies Limited<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

CPT is a company that significantly reduces the cost of carbon capture in hard-to-abate sectors such as cement, lime, steel, and energy-from-waste through a membrane-based technology. CPT holds the exclusive rights to commercialize the membrane technology developed by Hereon. CPT and Hereon are working together on the development and commercialization of the technology, which has been continuously improved over the past ten years and validated in numerous pilot trials, including a highly successful test at Holcim\u2019s H\u00f6ver cement plant in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The aim of the research at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon is to preserve a world worth living in. To this end, approximately 1,000 staff members generate knowledge and explore new technologies to enhance resilience and sustainability \u2013 for the benefit of the climate, the coast and people. The path from idea to innovation involves a continuous interplay between experimental studies, modelling and artificial intelligence, culminating in digital twins that replicate the myriad parameters of climate and coastal environments or human biology within a computer. This takes an interdisciplinary approach, bridging the gap between a fundamental scientific understanding of complex systems and practical applications and real-world scenarios. As an active member of national and international research networks and the Helmholtz Association, Hereon supports policymakers, industry and society in shaping a sustainable future by sharing the expertise it has gained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Contact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Torsten Brinkmann
Scientific Project Lead
Hereon Institute of Membrane Research
Phone: +49 4152 872400
E-mail: torsten.brinkmann@hereon.de<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The cement production is responsible for around eight percent of global CO\u2082 emissions. The Holcim Deutschland GmbH aims to drive the decarbonization of the industrial sector and has installed a membrane-based pilot plant at its cement works in H\u00f6ver. The innovative technology was developed at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon and brought to market by Cool Planet […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":180536,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"Holcim Germany commissions a CO\u2082 capture membrane plant developed at Hereon","footnotes":""},"categories":[5571],"tags":[6843,5714,10744,22970,15692,10416,11749,24032,10743],"supplier":[26782,27661,19271,21689,21688,9004],"class_list":["post-180523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-co2-based","tag-biochemicals","tag-biofuels","tag-carboncapture","tag-carbonsequestering","tag-cement","tag-circulareconomy","tag-construction","tag-limestone","tag-useco2","supplier-bundesministerium-fur-wirtschaft-und-energie-bmwe","supplier-cool-planet-technologies","supplier-helmholtz-zentrum-hereon","supplier-holcim-deutschland","supplier-holcim-ltd","supplier-niedersaechsische-staatskanzlei"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180523","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=180523"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180523\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":180561,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180523\/revisions\/180561"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/180536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=180523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=180523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=180523"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=180523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}