Press release
Wednesday, November 13th, 2024
ENGIE and Carmeuse have decided to stop the Columbus project, an industrial carbon capture and utilization (CCU) facility in Amercœur, Wallonia. The project’s aim was to concentrate the CO₂ captured from an innovative type of lime kiln, and to combine it with green hydrogen to produce synthetic methane, a renewable gas that can be injected into the gas grid or used in the transport or industry sectors.
After an in-depth evaluation and several years of collaboration, the project partners, in close collaboration with John Cockerill, believe that the current market does not guarantee the viability of the Columbus project, despite the significant advances made in the research, which could be valorised on an industrial scale in the medium term.
The termination of this project comes at a time where the European market for hydrogen and its derivatives is still emerging. Its development and structuring are slower than initially envisaged, notably due to a regulatory framework and a market for synthetic fuels that are not sufficiently mature.
This decision does not alter ENGIE's and Carmeuse's decarbonization strategies. ENGIE remains convinced of the importance of decarbonized molecules in the future energy mix, and will continue to develop promising projects in the geographical areas where the Group operates. Carmeuse is currently developing and building several innovative CO2 capture and concentration projects in Wallonia and continues to focus on decarbonizing its own operations and its customers through product and technology innovation.
About ENGIE in Belgium
As a major actor on the Belgian market, ENGIE is leading the transition to tomorrow’s low-carbon, affordable and reliable energy system. Through renewable energy projects, investments in flexible generation and storage capacity, and tailor-made solutions for private, professional and industrial customers, ENGIE's 7,000 employees in Belgium work every day towards achieving the Group's commitment: to be Net Zero Carbon by 2045.
About Carmeuse
Carmeuse is a world leader in the production of lime, limestone and mineral products, founded in Belgium in 1860. The products are used in a variety of industrial applications, from construction to steel production, from agriculture to environmental applications. Carmeuse employs approximately 5,300 people and serves more than 13,000 customers annually through a global network of 59 plants and 55 quarries & mines. Carmeuse is headquartered in Wallonia (in Louvain-la-Neuve).
Press Contact:
Frédéric Lennerts - Group Head of Communications
frederic.lennerts [at] carmeuse.be (frederic[dot]lennerts[at]carmeuse[dot]be)