- 08 Sep 2025
On 8 September 2025, the INCITE team represented by Vanessa Ferreira de Almeida and Nicolas Bellomo together with JRC‑Petten colleague, Chiara Coffano visited Yara International’s Herøya complex in Porsgrunn. The agenda centred on the newly commissioned 24 MW proton‑exchange‑membrane (PEM) electrolyser that began operation in September 2023. The plant produces roughly 10 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per day, which is fed into the Haber‑Bosch loop to generate about 20 000 tonnes of low‑carbon ammonia each year. By replacing a share of steam‑methane‑reforming hydrogen, the facility avoids an estimated 41 000 tonnes of CO₂ annually. The tour included the nitrogen‑separation unit, the electrolyser stacks, the water‑treatment train (reverse‑osmosis and electrodeionisation) and the downstream ammonia synthesis, nitric‑acid and fertiliser‑pelleting lines.
The following day, 9 September 2025, the delegation was joined by Guillermo Martinez Castilla (JRC‑Petten) and travelled to the Heidelberg Materials cement plant in Brevik, a subsidiary of NORCEM that produces 1.3 Mt of cement per year. Since June 2025 the site has operated the world’s first commercial carbon‑capture unit for cement, using an amine‑absorption tower that treats both flue‑gas and process emissions. The system captures about 400 kt of CO₂ annually – roughly 50 % of the plant’s total emissions – with heat for amine regeneration recovered from the kiln’s flue gases. Captured CO₂ is stored in harbour‑side buffer tanks before being loaded onto ships and transported via a 100‑km subsea pipeline to the Aurora offshore reservoir, 2 600 m beneath the North Sea. Phase 1 of the offshore storage project (capacity 1.5 Mt yr⁻¹) is fully booked, and a Phase 2 expansion aims at a minimum of 5 Mt yr⁻¹ 1.
Both visits underscored practical pathways for decarbonising hard‑to‑abate sectors: CCS for cement and renewable‑hydrogen integration for fertiliser production. The meetings opened discussions on joint research, data‑sharing frameworks and pilot projects that could accelerate Europe’s industrial climate targets.