The initiative represents the first industrial-scale, onshore Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project of its kind in the region.

The project is designed to capture carbon emissions from cement and lime production at the company's Câmpulung facility and store it permanently underground in Romania. As a fully integrated onshore CCS initiative, it is unique in the region for simultaneously capturing from both cement and lime production, positioning Romania at the forefront of climate innovation.

Bogdan Dobre, CEO, Holcim Romania, said: “This funding represents a vote of confidence in cutting-edge technologies and makes our carbon capture project more viable and scalable. At the same time, it is essential that we continue to have the support of Romanian and European authorities to turn this project into reality. We thank the European Union, Carmeuse, and all our partners for the trust and collaboration that makes this historic step possible.”

Operating as a public-private partnership, the project includes Carmeuse as a key industrial partner, whose expertise in lime and limestone solutions is crucial to building a robust CCS value chain. The approval will accelerate Holcim's NextGen Growth strategy, which features the EU's most diverse portfolio of mature carbon capture projects.

The consortium will now advance the design and permitting phases, with the aim of starting construction before the end of the decade and achieving the first capture and storage of carbon by 2032. The project aligns with Holcim Group's global ambition to supply net-zero cement by 2032.