ANTHEMIS - Integrated carbon capture for the cement industry

ANTHEMIS is a large-scale carbon capture project at the Heidelberg Materials cement plant in Antoing, Belgium. The project focuses on the capture, conditioning, and transport of CO₂ from the cement production process and contributes to the development of a European CCS value chain.

ANTHEMIS is supported by the EU Innovation Fund and started on 1 July 2025.

CO₂ capture in the cement industry

Within ANTHEMIS, an existing cement installation is equipped with an optimised oxyfuel combustion process. This creates a flue gas stream with a high CO₂ concentration, enabling efficient capture. Combined with an advanced purification system, capture rates of up to 98% can be achieved.

The design focuses on:

• energy efficiency
• minimal use of resources
• integration into existing industrial processes

Water use is limited through a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) approach.

From capture to storage

The captured CO₂ is conditioned on site and transported via pipeline for permanent geological storage beneath the North Sea. In this way, ANTHEMIS forms a direct link between industrial emission sources and safe CO₂ storage, while supporting the build-out of CCS infrastructure in North-West Europe.

Efficiency and impact

In addition to reducing emissions, ANTHEMIS improves the plant’s operational efficiency. Through measures including improved cryogenic separation, production capacity increases from 1.010 to 1.200 kilotonnes of clinker per year. The project also integrates renewable electricity and a Waste Heat Recovery system.

Over a period of ten years, ANTHEMIS avoids approximately 9.4 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions. Compared with the reference scenario, this results in a total emissions reduction of 114.2%, including 14.2% negative emissions through the storage of biogenic CO₂. This makes the production of net-zero cement possible.

Planning and collaboration

• Project start: 1 July 2025
• Financial close: 31 December 2026
• Commissioning: 31 December 2030

ANTHEMIS is being delivered by Heidelberg Materials Benelux, in collaboration with Linde GmbH and Linde Gas Belgium.