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CO₂ is captured at Heidelberg Materials’ cement plant in Brevik, Norway.

As industries move away from fossil materials, biogenic CO₂ captured from biomass processes is gaining attention. Unlike fossil carbon dioxide, biogenic CO₂ is part of the natural carbon cycle and can be reused without raising net emissions.

In the forest industry, this side stream has remained largely untapped. But experts now believe it could be the key to a new industrial revolution—especially as the hydrogen economy matures and synthetic fuels gain traction.

Exploring CCU from pulp mill emissions

In September 2025, Finnish forestry company Metsä Group said it launched a carbon capture pilot at its Rauma pulp mill in collaboration with technology partner Andritz. The plant, operational since June, has the capacity to capture approximately one ton of carbon dioxide per day from pulp mill flue gases—marking the first such application in the sector.

“So far, the technology appears to be working well with pulp mill flue gases,” said Kaija Pehu-Lehtonen, SVP Business Development and head of the project.

The pilot is not yet aimed at commercialisation. Instead, it is exploring process conditions like energy consumption, flue gas cleaning needs, and carbon dioxide purity. If successful, Metsä Group may scale up to a facility capturing 30,000–100,000 tons annually—over 100 times the current capacity.

However, scaling will require viable markets and partners who can utilise the captured CO₂ in their own production.

“The entire value chain must be financially feasible,” Pehu-Lehtonen noted.

What Is CCU—and Why It Matters

CCU refers to the process of capturing carbon dioxide emissions and converting them into valuable products. Unlike Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), which sequesters carbon dioxide underground, CCU keeps carbon in circulation by transforming it into fuels, chemicals, or materials.

In the forest industry, CCU offers a unique opportunity to:
• Reduce emissions from biomass combustion
• Replace fossil carbon in industrial processes
• Create new revenue streams from captured CO₂

When combined with green hydrogen, biogenic carbon dioxide enables the production of synthetic fuels such as methanol, methane, and jet fuel. It also has applications in fertilizers, plastics, and even concrete—where mineral binding can make products carbon-negative. Finnish startup Carbonaide and U.S.-based Carbix are already pioneering such technologies.

“Biogenic carbon dioxide is not just an emission—it’s a renewable raw material that can connect the forest industry
and the hydrogen economy,” Professor Kristian Melin of LUT University said in an interview with Forest.fi.

Policy Push: EU Targets Sustainable Aviation

Professor Kristian Melin, an expert in novel processes using biomass and biogenic carbon dioxide at LUT University, views Metsä Group’s Rauma pilot as a critical step in demonstrating the viability of CCU technology within forest industry operations.
According to Melin, small-scale pilots like this are essential for refining process conditions and ensuring that future large-scale facilities can operate efficiently and reliably.

The strategic importance of biogenic carbon dioxide is expected to grow significantly in coming years as global demand for synthetic fuels rises—particularly in sectors like aviation, where decarbonization is technically challenging.

This shift is reinforced by EU policy. The ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation mandates the increased use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), including both bio-based and synthetic options. By 2030, the EU aims to consume at least 2 million tons of SAF annually, with even higher targets set for 2050.

Melin believes that Nordic countries, especially Finland and Sweden, are well-positioned to lead in this emerging market.
“We have abundant sources of biogenic carbon dioxide and access to competitively priced renewable electricity—both of which are essential for producing green hydrogen and synthetic fuels,” he noted.

Cementing the Future

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On 18 June 2025 Heidelberg Materials officially inaugurated the Brevik CCS plant in Norway, the world’s first industrial-scale carbon capture, and storage (CCS) facility in the cement industry. Credits: Heidelberg Materials

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is reshaping the future of heavy industry, and few sectors stand to benefit more than cement. Responsible for an estimated 7–8% of global CO₂ emissions, cement production poses a unique challenge: much of its carbon footprint stems not from energy use, but from the chemical reaction that occurs when limestone (CaCO₃) is heated to produce clinker. These process emissions are difficult to eliminate through efficiency improvements alone.

A breakthrough has been underway in Norway. The Norcem Brevik cement plant, operated by Heidelberg Materials, became the world’s first full-scale CCS facility in the cement industry when it began capturing CO₂ in June 2025. The captured carbon is transported to Øygarden on Norway’s west coast, where it is permanently stored beneath the seabed as part of the country’s Longship climate initiative.

Brevik’s achievement is not just technological—it’s operational. Running a complex CCS system alongside full-scale cement production demands precision and resilience. The facility integrates chemical scrubbers for CO₂ separation, heat exchangers for energy recovery, cryogenic tanks for liquefied CO₂ storage, and high-pressure pipelines for safe transport to the coast.

Maintaining this infrastructure requires more than routine oversight. Heidelberg Materials reports that the project involved over 1.2 million hours of technical work and coordination among hundreds of engineers and partners. It’s a testament to what’s possible when innovation is matched by execution.

Global Momentum Builds

The Norcem Brevik cement plant has inspired similar carbon capture initiatives across Europe.

In Denmark, the nation’s largest cement producer Aalborg Portland is currently advancing its own CCS strategy as part of the broader Project Greensand initiative, which aims to store carbon dioxide in depleted oil fields beneath the North Sea.

Working with partners, the company plans to build and operate a carbon capture facility capable of reducing emissions by 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide annually starting in 2030. If successful, it would mark the largest single CO₂ reduction in

Denmark’s history, significantly supporting the country’s national climate goals.

Meanwhile on 1 October 2025, Heidelberg Materials announced its plan to build a new full-scale carbon capture facility at its

Padeswood cement plant in Wales. The plant will capture nearly 800,000 tons of CO₂ annually—virtually eliminating its emissions—and supply evoZero, the company’s net-zero concrete across Europe.

Padeswood will therefore become Heidelberg’s second industrial-scale CCS site, following the launch of the Norcem Brevik CCS in Norway earlier this year.

Norcem Brevik CCS 

• Location: Norcem Cement Plant, Brevik, Norway
• Operator: Heidelberg Materials in collaboration with SLB Capturi
• Launch: Mechanical completion in Dec 2024; official opening held 17–19 June 2025
• CO₂ Capture: 400,000 tonnes/year (about half of plant’s emissions)
• Technology: Big Catch™ concept with heat integration and on-site storage
• Storage Site: Øygarden, under the North Sea (via Longship project)
• Impact: Enables net-zero cement production and sets a global CCS benchmark

Text: Nina Garlo-Melkas    Photos: Heidelberg Materials