- The project will accelerate the decarbonization of the Alcanar factory to be one of the first cement plants in southern Europe to achieve carbon neutrality, also allowing its scalability and replicability in the industry.
- With an initial objective of capturing more than 500 000 tpy of CO2, SOMZERO will position Spain as a European reference in carbon capture and storage technologies.
- SOMZERO will also contribute to the development of a CO2 hub in Catalonia, facilitating the incorporation of different public and private entities.
Cemex España Operaciones, S.L.U. has been a beneficiary of an aid of €200 million within the framework of the PERTE of Industrial Decarbonization (Line 1), intended for the development of SOMZERO, the carbon capture project that the company promotes in its factory in Alcanar (Terres de l´Ebre, Tarragona). The project contemplates an initial investment of more than €450 million and will accelerate the decarbonization of the Alcanar plant to be one of the first cement factories in southern Europe to achieve carbon neutrality and produce cement without CO2 emissions.
The granting of this aid represents an important institutional support for a strategic initiative for the transformation of the cement industry and for the progress of Spain and Catalonia in meeting their climate neutrality objectives. Given the scope and technological ambition of SOMZERO, the project will need to continue to have institutional support, additional financing mechanisms and an adequate regulatory framework to ensure its development and entry into operation within the period provided for in the call.
Thanks to the implementation of advanced carbon capture technologies and innovative solutions for the transport and permanent storage of CO2, SOMZERO has an initial objective of capturing more than 500 000 tpy of CO2, thus addressing the emissions inherent in the cement manufacturing process that cannot be reduced by other initiatives and technologies.
"This grant of European public funds represents a milestone for Cemex and a recognition of the role that industry can play in the transition to a low-carbon economy. SOMZERO shows that it is possible to combine sustainability, innovation and industrial competitiveness," said Fernando Enríquez, Vice President of Operations of Cemex EMEA. “The decarbonisation of essential industrial sectors requires a long-term vision, a facilitating regulatory framework, public-private collaboration and adequate technological proposals to address ambitious objectives. This project places Spain and Catalonia in a European leading position in the development of carbon capture and storage solutions applied to industry.
SOMZERO will be developed at the Alcanar factory, a key facility for Cemex's activity in Spain and which already represents an engine for the economic and social development of Terres de l'Ebre. The project will contribute to strengthening competitiveness, promoting new value chains linked to the decarbonised economy, and generating specialised employment. SOMZERO is part of Futuro en Acción, Cemex's global sustainability strategy, and reinforces the public-private collaboration and the integrative vocation necessary to move towards a more competitive, resilient and climate-neutral economy.
This project has received funding within the framework of the Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE) of Industrial Decarbonisation, promoted by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism and financed by the European Union through the NextGenerationEU mechanism. The aid is channeled through SEPIDES, E.P.E.
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