CEMEX receives €200m for SOMZERO and CO2 capture in Spain
CEMEX receives €200m for SOMZERO in Alcanar; the project targets more than 500 000 t/yr of CO2 capture with initial investment above €450m and PERTE support.
Fuente: World Cement
CEMEX received €200m in PERTE support for SOMZERO, its CO2 capture project in Alcanar, with planned initial investment of more than €450m.
According to World Cement, the support was published on 17 Jul 26 and falls under the PERTE for Industrial Decarbonisation, Line 1. The project has an initial objective of capturing more than 500 000 t/yr of CO2 at the Alcanar plant.
SOMZERO targets more than 500 000 t/yr of CO2
World Cement reported that CEMEX España Operaciones, S.L.U. was awarded €200m to develop SOMZERO in Alcanar, Terres de l'Ebre, Tarragona ([source](https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/17072026/cemex-receive-200-million-to-promote-carbon-capture-capture-project-in-alcanar/amp/)). The source says the project includes advanced technologies for CO2 capture, transport and permanent storage.
The central operating figure is the capture of more than 500 000 t/yr of CO2. World Cement says SOMZERO will address emissions inherent to the cement process that cannot be reduced by other initiatives and technologies.
€450m in initial investment and public support
The article reports initial investment of more than €450m, in addition to €200m in public support. World Cement attributes to CEMEX that the project will need institutional support, additional financing mechanisms and an adequate regulatory framework for its development and entry into operation within the period set by the call.
Fernando Enríquez, Vice President of Operations of CEMEX EMEA, said the grant recognises the role industry can play in the transition to a low-carbon economy. He also said SOMZERO combines sustainability, innovation and industrial competitiveness.
The Knergy Angle
Capturing more than 500 000 t/yr of CO2 addresses a part of the problem that kiln combustion cannot remove: process emissions from calcination. H2/O2 injection operates in another decision zone inside pyroprocessing: it improves combustion kinetics, supplies reactive oxygen at the flame front and can help stabilise blends with AFR when moisture, particle size or sulphur narrow the operating window. In a plant preparing capture and storage, that stability matters because every tonne of clinker still needs a controlled flame before CO2 reaches the capture system. World Cement does not report H2/O2, thermal consumption or thermal substitution at Alcanar. The data that would complete the industrial case are target TSR, base fuel, excess oxygen, CO, clinker quality and compatibility between kiln operation and continuous capture.
Alcanar has not reported operating results yet
World Cement says SOMZERO will contribute to a CO2 hub in Catalonia and received funding from the NextGenerationEU mechanism. The source does not publish an exact start-up date, capture supplier, specific energy consumption or before/after operating results for Alcanar.