Aalborg Portland’s CO2 capture project, ACCSION, has now been granted a special status that will make it faster for the company to realise its major climate project and thereby capture 1.4 million tonnes of CO₂ per year from cement production. As the first project in Denmark, ACCSION receives a special endorsement intended to help realise one of the world’s first CO2-neutral cement productions and a greener future for Denmark. At the same time, ACCSION is the first CCS project in the EU to receive this national recognition.
Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs Morten Bødskov has recognised Aalborg Portland’s work to establish a CO2 capture plant as a “strategic net-zero project”, because the plant, which will capture 1.4 million tonnes of CO2 annually, is expected to contribute significantly to the EU’s climate neutrality goal and to Denmark’s climate targets, including the government’s goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 70 percent in 2030.
“Industry is an engine for Danish growth and, at the same time, the key to achieving our climate goals. With the special status granted to Aalborg Portland’s green project, we ensure that CO2 capture can pick up speed. It is a step in the right direction for our climate and business community. I hope that more companies will come on board, so that together we can accelerate the green transition,” says Minister for Industry Morten Bødskov.
Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities Lars Aagaard says about the designation of Aalborg Portland’s CO2 capture project as a strategic net-zero project:
”"It must be easier and faster to get CO2 capture, transport and storage projects off the ground in Denmark. That is why it is good news that the red carpet can now also be rolled out for the projects that will help us reach our climate goals. The first project has already been approved, and I hope that more will follow. This is green action that works."
The recognition means, among other things, that Aalborg Portland will get a clearer and more coordinated permitting process, which can help ensure the project is handled efficiently. In addition, the project gains access to advice on financing through the Net-Zero Europe Platform, and the company can apply for access to the Danish Business Authority’s One Stop Shop for establishing production facilities.
“We are naturally pleased that Aalborg Portland’s CO2 capture project has been recognised as a strategic net-zero project. The status helps us move faster through the necessary permitting processes and brings us closer to realising a plant that can capture 1.4 million tonnes of CO2 per year from 2030. We see it as a clear recognition and endorsement of the project’s importance – for Aalborg Portland, for Denmark and for the European transition,” says CEO Søren Holm Christensen of Aalborg Portland.
The ACCSION CO2 capture project is expected to reduce Aalborg Portland’s CO2 emissions by a total of 1.5 million tonnes of CO2. Of this, 1.4 million tonnes of CO2 will be captured by the plant, while the remaining 100,000 tonnes will be reduced through the use of surplus heat. The plant will enable Aalborg Portland to become CO2-neutral in its own direct emissions in 2030.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
