8 industrial pilots across Europe
The Carbon4Minerals project is moving from concept to industrial demonstration. Across Europe, the project will operate a total of 8 industrial pilots covering different stages of the process value chain – from CO₂ capture to the production of low-carbon cement alternatives and construction products.
The pilots are designed to demonstrate how CO₂ from industrial flue gases can be captured and used in combination with secondary raw materials to support more sustainable construction value chains. Together, they connect four key application areas: CO₂ capture, CO₂-negative clinker, supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), and carbonation curing.
In the CO₂ capture pilots, advanced capture technologies using liquid and solid amines will be tested to extract CO₂ from industrial flue gases. These activities will take place at the ArcelorMittal steel plant in Ghent, Belgium, and at the Vandersanden brick plant in Lanklaar, Belgium. The captured CO₂ streams will then support downstream material production.
The project will also pilot low-CO₂ cement alternatives using by-products such as steel slags and recycled concrete fines. These activities include the production of carbonation clinker and supplementary cementitious materials, supporting alternatives to conventional Portland cement with much lower carbon emissions. Industrial partners involved in this part of the value chain include ArcelorMittal, ETEX and Heidelberg Materials.
Another key pilot area focuses on carbonation curing. This process uses captured CO₂ to cure construction products, supporting the development of bricks, pavers, tiles, façade panels and fibre cement products. Pilot activities will take place at the Vandersanden brick and paver plant and the ETEX fibre cement plant.
By connecting CO₂ capture, low-carbon cement innovation and construction products in one integrated process value chain, Carbon4Minerals demonstrates how industrial CO₂ can become part of added-value construction materials.
