The role for carbon capture and storage in decarbonising Europe’s cement sector

Cement is the key binding ingredient in concrete – a material so ubiquitous in modern society that it is sometimes referred to as the world’s second most consumed material after water. In 2022, the EU produced over 170 million tonnes of cement, which is over 6% of global production. However, the cement industry is one of the EU’s most greenhouse gas intensive industrial sectors, accounting for nearly 100 million tonnes of CO₂ annually (around 4% of the region’s total CO₂ emissions), and is also among the most challenging sources to abate.

This brief explores the role for carbon capture and storage in decarbonising Europe’s cement sector.