Aalborg Portland has taken a major step toward large-scale industrial decarbonization by formally submitting a proposal to Denmark’s CCS funding pool for what could become one of Europe’s largest carbon capture projects.
If approved, the initiative would enable the cement producer to capture up to 1.4 million tons of CO2 per year from 2030, placing the facility among the world’s first near-zero-emissions cement plants for direct production emissions.
The project, developed in partnership with industrial gas company Air Liquide, is branded ACCSION (Aalborg Portland Carbon Capture & Storage using Infrastructure Onshore in North Jutland).
It is designed to create a fully integrated onshore CCS value chain, covering capture, transport and storage within Danish borders. Aalborg Portland expects the facility to enter operation at the start of the next decade, subject to final funding and regulatory approvals.
According to the company, the project would deliver climate benefits well beyond the plant’s own footprint. In addition to capturing 1.4 million tons annually, secondary effects such as the reuse of surplus heat could displace a further 100,000 tons of emissions. Combined, this would account for nearly half of Denmark’s industrial emissions reduction target for 2030.
Setting a Template for European Heavy Industry
Chief executive Søren Holm Christensen said the bid represents a pivotal moment for both the company and Denmark’s broader climate strategy.
“Cement forms the foundation of Europe’s continued development. It is a central part of our infrastructure, construction sector, and green transition. But without CO2 capture we cannot decarbonise production 100 percent, because a large part of our emissions stems from mineralogical processes,” he added.
By demonstrating that CCS can be deployed at commercial scale in one of Europe’s most emissions-intensive sectors, Aalborg Portland hopes the project will act as a blueprint for other industrial regions.
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The company argues that industrial carbon capture is essential not only for meeting climate targets, but also for maintaining European competitiveness, safeguarding supply chains and protecting manufacturing jobs.
If selected under the Danish CCS pool, the ACCSION project would become the EU’s first fully integrated onshore CCS system for cement production, potentially accelerating the rollout of similar infrastructure across the region.
Aalborg Portland is now awaiting the outcome of the funding process, which will determine whether the project moves into detailed engineering and construction planning.
Read more: Denmark Approves Its First Commercial CO2 Storage Facility
