Air Liquide to supply carbon capture technology for Belgian cement plant

Industrial gas major Air Liquide has signed an agreement with building materials company Holcim to develop a carbon capture solution for a near-zero emission cement plant at Obourg, Belgium.

Under the agreement, Air Liquide will deploy its Cryocap OXY technology to capture carbon dioxide emissions from Holcim’s oxyfuel-ready clinker production line. The industrial gases company will also supply oxygen required for the process.

Captured CO2 is intended to be transported via pipeline to a CO2 export hub, such as Antwerp@C, before shipment for permanent offshore storage in the North Sea.

The partners aim to capture around 1.1 million tonnes of CO2 per year, supporting Holcim’s GO4ZERO programme, which targets carbon neutrality in Belgium by the end of the decade.

The project seeks to transform the Obourg site into a large-scale near-zero cement production facility.

The final investment decision remains subject to the development of wider value-chain partnerships and public support mechanisms.

“The transition toward a low-carbon industry is a long-term endeavor that requires steady collaboration and public support in its initial phase,” said Émilie Mouren-Renouard, member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee.

“Alongside our partner Holcim, we share the same ambition and this new milestone agreement for the pioneering GO4ZERO project is a powerful signal for Belgium’s industrial decarbonisation and energy transition.”

Cement production accounts for an estimated 7–9% of global CO2 emissions, with the majority arising from clinker manufacturing, where CO2 is released as a by-product of limestone calcination.

Carbon capture and storage is increasingly viewed as one of the few scalable pathways to significantly reduce emissions from cement production, particularly where process emissions cannot be eliminated through electrification or fuel switching alone.

The project also fits with broader EU ambitions to deploy industrial carbon capture infrastructure as part of its 2050 climate neutrality targets.

By Anthony Wrighton Feb 27, 2026