Holcim UAE, together with carbon storage innovator 44.01, has commissioned UAE’s first live-condition carbon capture and underground mineralisation (CCM) pilot for the cement industry. Opened at the Holcim Emirates Cement Plant in Fujairah, the pilot brings together carbon capture technology and permanent mineralisation to demonstrate a new pathway for industrial decarbonisation.

Unlike certain carbon storage concepts that rely on lengthy transportation or temporary sequestration, the captured carbon is injected deep underground into Fujairah’s naturally occurring ultramafic rock formations, where it mineralises into solid rock within months to years, permanently locking it away. The pilot is designed to capture 4 to 4.5 tonnes of CO2 daily from the active flue gas of the plant.

Beyond its current daily capacity, the facility represents a breakthrough for industrial decarbonisation across the region. Having operated under live industrial conditions since July 2026, the plant has successfully proven that carbon capture and mineralisation can run seamlessly alongside heavy manufacturing without compromising production efficiency or product quality.

Immense potential

This success opens immense potential to scale up carbon removal infrastructure across the UAE's industrial base. Serving as a repeatable, world-first operational template, the facility establishes a blueprint not only for the cement sector, but other sectors including heavy manufacturing across the wider GCC, demonstrating how regional geology and industrial innovation can unite to decarbonise sectors at scale.

Ali Qasim, Guest of Honor, said: "The commissioning of this facility in Fujairah marks a vital step toward sustainable industrial leadership in the UAE. By turning carbon emissions into permanent rock, this partnership proves how local geology, technology, and innovation can unite to decarbonise sectors and advance our Net Zero 2050 vision."

Ali Said, CEO of Holcim UAE & Oman, said: "Today’s ceremony is more than a celebration, it is confirmation that industrial decarbonisation works in practice, not just on paper. Since reaching full-time capture and mineralisation in July, this facility has proven that permanent carbon storage can run alongside live cement production without compromise. 

“Commissioning it officially today reflects the scale of ambition behind Holcim’s NextGen Growth 2030 strategy: to lead industrial decarbonisation in the UAE with solutions that are scalable, sustainable, and ready today. This milestone belongs to every partner who helped get us here, and it strengthens our resolve to keep scaling toward the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 target."

Real-world solution

Talal Hasan, Founder and CEO of 44.01, said: "This project demonstrates mineralisation as a real-world solution to address industrial emissions from sectors such as cement. Together with Holcim, we have built a working, repeatable project that positions Fujairah as a leading manufacturing hub for low-carbon products. This is a blueprint, proving how local geology and industrial infrastructure can unite to deliver permanent carbon storage across the region”.

Beyond marking operational execution, the commissioning served as a strategic platform to convene government ministries, environmental authorities, diplomatic delegates, and industry leaders on the policy tools, market mechanisms, and infrastructure frameworks needed to scale carbon capture and mineralisation nationwide.

The project’s ongoing success is underpinned by strong public-private collaboration, supported by the Fujairah Natural Resources Corporation (FNRC) and the Fujairah Environment Authority (FEA), NT Energies, and Gulf Cryo.—TradeArabia News Service