Nappies and sneakers made from CO₂
That sounds promising! But what happens to the captured CO₂? Sven Weidner knows the answer: ‘We won't compress and store the greenhouse gas that is unavoidably released during cement production, but instead make it usable in a process known as carbon capture and utilisation. It is hard to imagine, but CO₂ will become a valuable raw material in the future, for example for the chemical industry. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research currently estimates the demand for carbon-based raw materials at 21 million tonnes per year. Around 90 per cent of these are currently still covered by fossil sources such as natural gas, crude oil or coal. These are then used to make nappies, sports shoes, car tyres and even medicines.’ 

There can be no ‘business as usual’
The trip to Lägerdorf was worthwhile, I can still learn a lot here!‘ So you're using the processed CO₂ from your climate-neutral cement plant to help meet this demand in the fossil-free age?’ I ask. ‘That's exactly the case,’ confirms Sven Weidner. ‘Carbon dioxide becomes the basis for new value chains. Our motivation is the deep conviction that we need to decarbonise ourselves, coupled with the vision of making commercial use of this commitment.’ At this point, I have to interject: ‘But HOLCIM has been producing cement in Lägerdorf for 160 years. What made you pull the ripcord just now and want to gradually make all three plants in Germany climate-neutral?’ Now Sven Weidner really gets going: ‘Mrs Voss, there can be no 'business as usual' - we can see that in the consequences of global warming! On the other hand, the financial pressure is also increasing, as the price of certificates in CO₂ emissions trading will rise rapidly in the coming years. The importance of climate friendliness is also growing at least as fast on the part of investors and building owners.’

That sounds plausible, but I'm still a little sceptical: ‘But it's also a fact that oxyfuel technology is much more energy-intensive than the previous technology at the Lägerdorf cement plant. However, the plant can only be truly sustainable if it runs on green energy. Do you already run your site in Lägerdorf entirely on green electricity? And how will this be possible from 2028 in the new plant, whose energy requirements will be much higher?’ I ask. Mr Weidner nods his head thoughtfully: ‘That's a good objection, which I can dispel. We already cover 80 per cent of our electricity requirements in Lägerdorf from renewable energy, and we are aiming for 100 per cent for the climate neutrality of the new plant. It is true that the oxyfuel technology requires more energy than the existing plant. The location on the Energieküste is so well suited precisely because large amounts of green electricity are reliably available here, especially from offshore wind power. For example, we are shareholders in a wind farm in the immediate neighbourhood of the plant. HOLCIM has also secured long-term green electricity supplies via power purchase agreements, for example in an energy partnership with Iberdrola.’