One ton of cement produces up to 400 kilograms of process-related carbon dioxide emissions. Technologies such as CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage), which capture and store the CO₂ produced during manufacturing, are a key component of strategies for decarbonizing the cement industry. The EU project “Eastern Lights” is initiating the development of a large-scale CCUS cluster in Bulgaria to implement solutions for CO₂ storage from the cement sector.

The Eastern Lights project is launching the first phase of constructing a CCUS cluster in northern Bulgaria. At the heart of the project is the construction of a short pipeline for the commercial storage of CO₂ from cement production. The CO₂ will be stored in saline aquifers – subsurface rock formations containing saltwater. This step lays the foundation for a safe and efficient CO₂ transport infrastructure that will serve as a model for large-scale CO₂ storage and utilization in the region over the long term. The project focuses on validating the technical, economic, and regulatory aspects of building a CCUS cluster through a combination of industrial-scale demonstrations, comprehensive studies, and close collaboration with local stakeholders.

Fraunhofer SCAI’s software MYNTS is used to plan and optimize CO₂ pipelines. The software, which supports real-time simulation of pipelines carrying both liquid and gaseous CO₂, is designed for the optimization and planning of energy networks. MYNTS enables efficient modeling of CO₂ transport and storage through steady-state and dynamic network simulations. These capabilities allow the project team to test different scenarios and optimally design the transport and storage infrastructure. By using MYNTS, transport costs for liquid CO₂ are minimized, and storage systems can be modeled with high precision.

The project is funded by the European Commission's Horizon Europe programme for four years.

Project duration: 09/2024 to 08/2028

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