Just Transition Fund: subsidies in perspective for the Anthemis project at the Heidelberg Materials cement plant in Antoing
Antoing, December 21, 2023 – Thanks to its Anthemis carbon capture project, Heidelberg Materials' clinker plant at Antoing has been selected by the Walloon government for the Just Transition Fund (FTJ), a fund financed by the Walloon Region and Europe. These subsidies will be awarded to Walloon manufacturers implementing solutions to limit their environmental footprint.
With the implementation of Anthemis, Heidelberg Materials Antoing will make a major contribution to the Region's carbon neutrality objectives.
The Anthemis project
To achieve a net-zero carbon footprint for its production process through carbon sequestration, Heidelberg Materials intends to build a unique and innovative hybrid carbon capture unit at its Antoing site. Once operational, the Anthemis project will reduce Antoing's CO₂ emissions by more than 97%.
By 2029, Heidelberg Materials Antoing will be producing clinker (the raw material used to make cement) with a net zero carbon footprint through carbon sequestration. The Antoing plant will thus become the first step in a large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain in Europe.
Christoph Streicher, General Manager Heidelberg Materials Benelux: "We are thrilled that our project, enabling our production process to reach a net-zero carbon footprint, has attracted the full interest of the Walloon government. The facilities to be built at our Antoing site will enable the capture of 800,000 tons of CO₂ annually. Consequently, Anthemis will play a significant role in implementing the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal, with the aim of making the Union climate-neutral by 2050. Our efforts will contribute to the objectives set by the Just Transition Fund, reaching up to 50%. Therefore, our project is critical and essential for Wallonia."
Bruno Lefèbvre, Chairman of IDETA, the Wallonia Picardy Territorial Development Agency: "Picardy Wallonia's contribution to the collective effort to reduce greenhouse gases is considerable. The strong involvement of our cement industries is essential to achieving these objectives. This is a real environmental challenge, but also a socio-economic one, in terms of maintaining and developing employment, given the importance of these players in our region. In this respect, the project undertaken by the Heidelberg Materials Antoing plant meets all our sustainable development objectives. Its technological and operational maturity is a guarantee of real added value for our region. The major investment planned by the Heidelberg Materials Group is also recognition of the sustainable dynamism of Wallonia-Picardy and the expertise of our local human resources."
A plant in line with the objectives of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Heidelberg Materials Antoing is a state-of-the-art facility with one of the most efficient kilns in the world in terms of specific CO₂ emissions. Today, 70% of the thermal energy used in the recently modernized kiln comes from alternative sources. The plant's facilities align perfectly with the perspective of the agreements resulting from the COP28 negotiations, one of the major objectives being a gradual transition away from fossil fuels
Press contact
Fredericq Peigneux: Fredericq.peigneux@heidelbergmaterials.com - +32 475 87 23 81
Heidelberg Materials Antoing’s kiln.