SCHWENK Northern Europe announces commitment to decarbonize cement production in Latvia

One of the largest industrial investments in Latvia will significantly reduce the environmental and climate impact of the construction and building materials value chain

Extensive feasibility studies carried out over several years have culminated in the first carbon capture pilot project in Latvia. In 2025 SCHWENK Latvija will install test equipment at the Brocēni cement plant – a reduced-scale carbon capture plant. From spring to December 2025 it will operate in test mode, capturing around 2 tonnes of CO2 per day.

Based on the gathered information and feasibility studies, the final investment decision is planned to be made in 2027 with full-scale carbon capture at the Brocēni cement plant starting around 2030. It will capture around 800 000 tonnes of CO2 annually, aiming to reach net zero in the cement production. Estimated investment amount needed for a full scale carbon capture cement plant is around 500 million euros.

“Cement is the base of the whole construction and building materials value chain. At the same time, it accounts for around 8% of Latvia’s CO2 emissions, which is a significant share. We are aware of our impact and responsibility, both in terms of industry and climate change, so the transition to green production is an absolute priority for us. We see it as the only possible way to operate in the future, a prerequisite for our and our customers’ competitiveness in Latvia and in export markets,” says Reinhold Schneider, Chairman of the Board of SCHWENK Latvija and Managing Director of SCHWENK Northern Europe.

SCHWENK Latvija is the first industrial manufacturer in Latvia to start testing carbon capture technology and equipment. Work on the decarbonization of the Brocēni cement plant has been ongoing since 2020, with feasibility studies and comparisons of potentially available technologies carried out under the guidance of various international experts. Hot potassium carbonate (HPC) technology was found to be the most suitable. It captures CO2 in one of the production steps without changing the cement production technology and the main process, and therefore without affecting the properties, technical parameters and quality of the product. Compared to other technologies available worldwide, it has a comparably low electricity consumption combined with a good CO2 capture capacity. The test plant with CapsolGo HPC technology from Capsol Technologies, Norway, will be commissioned and operational in the second quarter of 2025. The purpose of the test phase is to verify the suitability of the technology in real-life conditions, analyse the operational specificities and the impact on other processes.

“What we experience today is the biggest change not only in cement, but in the entire manufacturing sector since the Industrial Revolution. It is clear that a transformation of this magnitude cannot take place in isolation, within a single company,” says R. Schneider. “The development of carbon capture creates a whole new industry and value chain, a new level in the circular economy – carbon goes from being a residual product that harms the atmosphere to a raw material – a resource that can be used to produce other products or stored in a safe way. There is a long way to go and a lot of work to be done on the legislative framework, technological and supply chain developments. Building the associated infrastructure to transport and store the captured CO2 is therefore critical. We are witnessing how countries in our region, particularly in Northern Europe, see the carbon value chain as an economic development potential to strengthen national competitiveness. By developing storage in the geological structures of their territories, they gain a strong competitive advantage for the development of green economies”.

“For industries that are currently technologically unable to avoid CO2 emissions, CO2 storage is one of the most promising ways to become greener and remain competitive. It is important for these companies and for the Latvian economy as a whole. Therefore Ministry of Climate and Energy is currently working to launch a study on the possibilities of CO2 storage in Latvia, as well as on future changes to the regulatory framework. This would provide an effective decarbonization solution for a number of domestic industrial companies, as well as creating a new, promising economic sector,” said Kaspars Melnis, Climate and Energy Minister, Latvia.

“We have talked a lot about the fact that waste and residual products have long ceased to be waste, but raw materials, and this affects all kinds of areas. I am very pleased that SCHWENK – a company that is important for the Latvian economy – is investing to develop this area according to its specialization and I believe that this will inspire other companies to do the same,” said Viktors Valainis, Minister of Economy, Latvia.

Broceni cement plant is already one of the most environmentally friendly and modern in Europe. Over the last 14 years, CO2 emissions from cement production in Latvia have been reduced by 37%, and investments to further reduce the impact and improve efficiency over the last five years amount to €71 million. Around 70% of Broceni’s production is exported to Estonia, Sweden and Finland. In the Nordic countries, there is already a strong demand for cement with a reduced CO2 footprint, so market conditions are also an important driver for change. This is also confirmed by other building material manufacturers in Latvia who use SCHWENK Latvija cement in their export products.

“SCHWENK cement products have so far led to significant CO₂ reductions in precast concrete structures in the Nordic markets. However, in order to meet the rapidly increasing demands for climate neutrality and to remain competitive abroad, it is crucial for our domestic cement producer to develop and implement carbon capture technologies,” says Artur Lukashenok, Member of the Board of Dzelzsbetons MB.

“In preparation for the growing market demand for greener building materials, we have already developed Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for our products. Given that cement is the most important component of concrete, the environmental impact of its production has a direct impact on us,” says Jānis Mētra, Chairman of the Board of Transportbetons MB.

About SCHWENK Latvija
SCHWENK Latvija is the leading building materials producer in Latvia, providing its customers with high quality cement, ready-mix and aggregates. Production is carried out in the only Latvian cement plant, which is also among most modern in Europe, five ready-mix plants and several aggregates quarries in Latvia. SCHWENK Latvija capacity of concrete deliveries are among the highest in Riga, providing stable deliveries also in challenging conditions. Company is a part of German SCHWENK Building Materials Group, has approximately 350 employees in Latvia. www.schwenk.lv

For more information please contact:
Antra Savleviča
Communication manager SCHWENK Latvija
+ 371 26422891, antra.savlevica@schwenk.com