Norway's CO₂ capture and storage initiatives drive decarbonization for the cement industry

March 12, 2021 | Case Study

Norcem is a cement producer based in Norway that exports supplies to the U.S., the U.K., Iceland, Russia, and West Africa. HeidelbergCement, which owns Norcem, is an international cement producer that is active in more than 50 countries and produced 125.9 million metric tons (MT) of cement in 2019, resulting in specific net CO₂ emissions of 590 kg CO₂ per ton of cementitious material produced. In 2018, HeidelbergCement announced its commitment to complying with international climate goals, with the ambition of reducing CO₂ emissions by 30% by 2030 compared to 1990. Looking at long-term objectives, HeidelbergCement's decarbonization strategy will seek to develop concrete as a CO₂-neutral building material by 2050, but the company has not set specific targets for reducing Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions and achieving carbon neutrality. Norcem, which operates two cement plants in Norway, has independent climate initiatives that align with its parent company's strategy as well as Norway's climate ambitions and aims to achieve zero life cycle emissions for its concrete products by 2030.