Modular Carbon Capture Tested at Cement Plant

A European pilot will deploy CapsolGo® in a live cement plant to cut risk, lower costs, and guide staged CCS investment decisions

11 Feb 2026

A modular carbon capture unit will be deployed at a European cement plant in the first quarter of 2026, as part of a six-month pilot aimed at testing emissions reductions under live operating conditions.

Capsol Technologies will install its mobile CapsolGo® system inside the facility to gather verified performance data without interrupting production. The trial is intended to assess whether carbon capture can be introduced in stages, limiting upfront capital commitments while providing operational evidence for future investment decisions.

Cement production accounts for an estimated 7 to 8 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions. Much of this stems from the chemical process that converts limestone into clinker, releasing so-called process emissions that cannot be avoided through renewable electricity alone. As a result, carbon capture is widely seen as one of the few viable routes to deep emissions cuts in the sector.

Large-scale projects, however, have been slowed by high capital costs and uncertainty over long-term efficiency and integration. The CapsolGo® pilot has been structured to address those concerns.

The transportable unit captures carbon dioxide from flue gases and converts it into liquid form for transport and storage. By using waste heat from the host plant, the system is designed to reduce additional energy demand, a key factor in operating costs. Because the unit is offered on a temporary basis, producers can evaluate performance before committing to permanent infrastructure.

Plant operators and investors have increasingly sought clear benchmarks before advancing multimillion-euro carbon capture projects. Data from the demonstration campaign are expected to inform decisions on scale-up and integration within existing production lines.

The broader policy backdrop is supportive. European cement producers face mounting pressure from regulators, customers and investors to cut emissions, while shared transport and storage networks for captured carbon are gradually expanding across the region.

Whether such modular approaches can be scaled cost effectively will depend on integration complexity, energy performance and long-term economics. The outcome of the pilot is likely to shape how quickly the industry moves from demonstration to wider deployment.