The Swiss cement group Holcim, together with Enagás and Saggas, has launched the innovative CO₂necta project, which will contribute to decarbonising strategic industries that cannot be electrified. This is a circular economy initiative that aims to transform the industry by reducing the emission of over 560,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

The CO₂necta project, which will be developed jointly by the three parties, aims to create a comprehensive carbon dioxide capture, transport and storage value chain. A CO₂ capture plant will in fact be installed at the Holcim factory in Sagunto (Valencia), being transferred through Enagás' infrastructure to the Saggas terminal (the Sagunto regasification plant in which Enagás holds a 72.5% stake). There it will undergo a liquefaction process and, once in a liquid state, it will be transported in ships to its final geological storage.

Circular economy project
This pioneering and innovative circular economy project provides a solution for strategic industries that cannot rely on renewable energy sources to avoid CO₂ emissions. Through this initiative, the biogenic portion of the captured gas can also be used to produce green methanol and other biofuels.

Talking about the collaboration model, the CEO of Holcim Spain, Ricardo de Pablos, emphasised that “industrial decarbonisation requires intersectoral partnerships and projects that enable the CO₂value chain to be developed, with transport infrastructure and logistics hubs to promote economies of scale, thus making the transformation of industry possible”.

Innovative solutions
The CEO of Enagás, Arturo Gonzalo, said that “CO₂necta contributes with innovative solutions to jointly advance with our decarbonisation commitments, which are especially relevant in strategic industries that cannot be decarbonised”.Furthermore, he explained that “this pioneering project promotes sustainable management of CO₂ in Spain and Europe, and highlights the role of strategic infrastructure, such as Saggas, in leading decarbonisation in industry, and boosting the competitiveness of the industry”.

Holcim España, a subsidiary of the Swiss Holcim Group, has over 1,000 employees across five cement factories, 23 concrete plants, two cement grinding plants, two mortar plants, a precast concrete factory, a waste management and treatment plant, four loading terminals, two distribution centres and three innovation and research laboratories.

^{Photo: Holcim}