Industry in Poland emits 40.6 million tonnes of CO₂ annually, with 15 per cent of the emissions coming from the metallurgical, cement, chemical and fuel sectors. "In order to decarbonise the industrial sectors where process emissions cannot be reduced by other technologies, the only realistic solution is carbon capture and storage," said Maciej Sypek, President of Holcim Polska S.A., during the CCS & CCU CONGRESS.
According to experts, CCS and CCU technologies are crucial for the decarbonisation of the economy and, in the next 10 years, will be critical if Poland wants to remain competitive due to the phasing out of free emission allowances in 2034. Today, CCS is the only technology that eliminates CO₂ from process emissions in sectors such as the cement industry. The potential of this technology and the challenges associated with its implementation were discussed by experts during the CCS & CCU CONGRESS, which took place on 2-3 December in Warsaw.
The CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) technology involves capturing carbon dioxide emitted by industry, transporting liquefied CO₂ to a storage site and injecting it into deep geological layers. CCU (Carbon Capture and Utilisation), on the other hand, enables the subsequent use of CO₂ as a raw material in industrial processes.
"The CCS technology is a solution enabling our industry to level the playing field in terms of energy prices, which are already unfavourable for Poland compared to other European Union countries and our neighbours. Most importantly no company, however large, is capable of carrying out this transformation, this technological leap, on its own. We need close cooperation between the state, business and local governments," emphasised Maciej Sypek, President of Holcim Polska S.A.
Mr Sypek pointed out that the effective implementation of the CCS and CCU technologies in emission-intensive sectors of industry requires urgent resolution of three key issues.
"We need a clear legal and regulatory framework to make CCS possible in Poland. I am also referring to green public procurement and the possibility of storage in Poland. The second issue is differential mechanisms that will minimise the unpredictability of emission allowance prices. And thirdly, it is necessary to provide support for strategic projects in order to make the technology popular in Poland," emphasised Maciej Sypek.
According to Krzysztof Galos, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Climate and Environment, and Chief Geologist of Poland, the implementation of carbon capture, transport and storage technologies, as well as the use of carbon dioxide in Poland, is a very big challenge that must be addressed comprehensively as part of a national strategy.
"The new act on the management of the CCS system, which is being drafted by the Ministry of Climate and Environment, will be very important. Another crucial component is the new ‘location regulation’, which will define the areas of Poland, including offshore, where we can look for geological sites to eventually store CO₂," said Krzysztof Galos.
According to experts, Poland has one of the greatest geological potentials for CO₂ storage in Europe. Another advantage of Poland is the geographical distribution of industrial plants, scattered across the national energy and transport infrastructure.
An example of CCS technology implementation in the cement sector is the Kujawy Go4ECOPlanet project, carried out by Holcim Polska – the first such initiative in Central and Eastern Europe. The project plans to capture up to one million tonnes of CO₂ per year.
"Go4ECOPlanet is our flagship project, which aims to capture CO₂ from our technological processes at the Kujawy Cement Plant. I hope that after our discussions and Minister Galos's declaration, we will receive the location regulation for consultation within a few days, which will allow us to move forward towards our goals," said Radosław Gnutek, Carbon Capture & Storage Project Director, Holcim Polska S.A.
Marek Michalski, member of the management board and industrial director at Holcim Polska S.A., added that the Kujawy Cement Plant, which had begun production in 1971 with three kilns producing 3,600 tonnes per day using the wet process, had undergone a thorough modernisation under the management of Holcim Polska.
"Today, we have a very modern plant that produces 5,000 tonnes of clinker per day, and the decarbonisation installations significantly reduce our carbon footprint.”
The expert pointed out that Holcim Polska has been implementing a strategy of decarbonisation of the cement industry for 30 years.
"Much has already been achieved in reducing the carbon footprint and fuel-related emissions. However, a problem we continue to face is process emissions related to the chemical decomposition in clinker kilns, which cannot be reduced to zero. The Go4ECOPlanet project, which involves CO₂ capture, is the right solution for us," emphasised Marek Michalski.
The CCS & CCU CONGRESS conference, during which representatives of key ministries, businesses, industry organisations and industrial associations shared their experiences and ideas for strengthening Poland's potential in the context of CCS and CCU technology development, took place on 2-3 December in Warsaw. Holcim Polska S.A. was a strategic partner of the event, which was organised by powermeetings.eu.
Source: pap.pl
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The carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology provides new development opportunities for heavy industry, which, due to the nature of its production processes, is unable to completely eliminate CO₂ emissions. The implementation of CCS is a real opportunity for the Polish industry to remain competitive amid climate change. Radosław Gnutek, CCS Project Director at Holcim Poland, talks about the first facility of this type in Poland, which could enable the production of nearly zero-emission cement.
Holcim Polska, a leader in sustainable building solutions, has selected the consultancy firm Hill International as its strategic engineering partner for the carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at the Kujawy Cement Plant. This flagship project is part of Holcim’s decarbonisation strategy and ranks among the most ambitious initiatives in the Polish cement industry.
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To support the development of the CCS/U ecosystem in Poland, the Ministry of Climate and Environment and the World Bank organised a workshop with stakeholders on 27 May 2025. The aim of the meeting was to identify opportunities and barriers to the development of the new industry, define the necessary milestones and harmonise knowledge on the requirements necessary for the creation of a CCS/U ecosystem in Poland. Holcim, as a pioneer in the implementation of modern technologies, took part in the discussion and presented a full-scale CCS project - Kujawy Go4ECOPlanet.
Inearly April this year, experts from Holcim Poland participated in a series ofevents dedicated to CO2 capture and storage technologies, which are becoming ahot topic in energy-intensive industries. The events included the 2nd CarbonCapture Congress in Poznań. Radosław Gnutek, Carbon Capture and StorageProject Director, took part in the expert debate Leaders’ Forum I – TheFuture of CCUS in Poland, where he shared his insights on theimplementation of Go4ECOPlanet and practical tips on solutions that will enablea large-scale rollout of this technology.
Polish industry generates approximately 22% of the country's GDP and is responsible for 25% of all domestic CO2 emissions. The rising prices of fossil fuel energy and the carbon footprint costs are forcing an urgent modernisation of industry. CCS/U technologies are coming to the rescue, enabling the elimination of process emissions in energy-intensive industries. How to overcome regulatory and financial barriers by entering into partnerships and searching for new ways of using these technologies was the topic of discussion during the Ministerial Session in Poznań on 9 April 2025 as part of Net Zero Energy, a conference and exhibition event dedicated to energy transition.
CCS is an opportunity to increase the competitiveness of the cement industry in Poland in the light of the phase-out of the free emission rights under the ETS system, and Poland is currently the third largest cement producer in Europe. That is why Holcim (formerly Lafarge) has undertaken a unique global project to create an infrastructure capable of capturing 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year from the kiln flue gases during clinker production.
Holcim is currently implementing a unique project on a global scale – a zero-emission cement plant. Using CCS technology, the cement plant in Kujawy will soon capture 100% of carbon dioxide emissions. Maciej Sypek, President of Holcim Polska, talks about the investment worth over 300 million euros in an interview for ESG Trends.
During a meeting with stakeholders from the Świętokrzyskie and Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodships that was held on 12 September, Holcim Polska summarised its environmental activities and investment projects. The Environment Day was also attended by a representative of the Marshal's Office in Kielce from the Department of Agriculture, Climate and the Environment, who touched on the development of circular economy in the region.
