Holcim Romania has secured funding from the EU Innovation Fund for a new carbon capture and storage (CCS) project aimed at reducing emissions from cement and lime production.
The agreement, signed with European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), marks the first time Romania has received support from the bloc’s flagship program for low-carbon technologies.
Developed in partnership with Carmeuse, the Carbon Hub CPT01 project is designed to capture carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes and enable their permanent storage. The initiative targets facilities in the Câmpulung industrial area, where emissions from both cement and lime production will be processed through a shared capture system.
Scaling carbon capture in Eastern Europe
The project is positioned as a milestone for the region, with ambitions to become the first large-scale onshore CCS development in Eastern Europe. By integrating capture infrastructure across multiple emitters, the hub model aims to improve efficiency while accelerating deployment timelines.
Once operational, the facility is expected to support the production of around two million tons of near-zero emissions cement annually. At the same time, Carmeuse projects output of approximately 200,000 tons of near-zero emissions lime, contributing to its longer-term decarbonization targets.
Cement and lime production are among the most challenging sectors to decarbonize due to process emissions released during chemical reactions. As a result, carbon capture is widely viewed as a necessary pathway for reducing emissions while maintaining industrial output.
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The funding comes from the EU Innovation Fund, one of the world’s largest financing mechanisms for clean technology deployment, aimed at supporting first-of-a-kind projects across energy-intensive industries.
By backing Carbon Hub CPT01, the program extends its reach into Eastern Europe, a region where large-scale CCS deployment has so far been limited.
For Holcim, the project aligns with its broader strategy to scale low-carbon construction materials and move toward net-zero production. More broadly, the development highlights growing momentum behind industrial carbon capture hubs, which are expected to play a central role in Europe’s decarbonization pathway.
Read more: Air Liquide And Holcim To Decarbonize Cement With Carbon Capture In Belgium
