Vicat has set a clear decarbonization trajectory for its cement business to achieve its goal of carbon neutrality across the entire value chain by 2050, based on four key areas of action, the last of which is to launch two CCU/CCS (Carbon Capture Utilization/Storage) projects.
What is carbon capture?
Carbon capture and storage represents a critical and essential technological breakthrough for addressing the unavoidable CO2 emissions resulting from the process of decarbonating limestone. It is an essential lever for reaching Vicat group’s 2050 decarbonization goal: contribute to carbon neutrality across our entire value chain by implementing a strategy to decarbonize our products, services and industrial processes.
Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) technology can capture up to nearly 100% of the residual emissions from our cement plants that cannot be reduced through other measures. Within this context, we are rolling out a major project: the VAIA (Vicat Advanced Industrial Alliance) project.
The VAIA project, a major CCS project by Vicat group
The Montalieu cement plant, the largest cement plant in France, at the heart of the project
The Montalieu site in Isère is the largest in France in terms of production capacity, with annual production of over 2 million tons of cement.
Located in the heart of the department, in the municipalities of Montalieu-Vercieu and Bouvesse-Quirieu, the Montalieu cement plant is one of Vicat group’s historic and strategic industrial sites. Commissioned in the early 20th century, it has been upgraded continuously and is now one of the Group’s most efficient and innovative cement production facilities.
Located close to the raw material quarries of Enieu and Mépieu, the cement plant benefits from a local and reliable supply of limestone and clay, ensuring consistency and quality in serving our customers in the local market. Equipped with a large-capacity kiln and equivalent cement-griding capacity, it produces several types of cement, including low-carbon cement for the building, civil engineering and infrastructure markets within a 200-km radius.
With around one hundred employees and ‑recognized expertise, the Montalieu cement plant is fully in line with Vicat group’s low-carbon trajectory and plays a key role in supplying cement in the Auvergne‑Rhône‑Alpes region.
Committed to a sustainable industrial approach, the Montalieu cement plant is a reference site for:
- reducing carbon footprint, with increasing use of alternative fuels. The plant uses nearly 80% of alternative fuels today;
- innovation in materials, particularly via “low-carbon” formulations with the CARAT binder incorporating biochar;
- the circular economy through the reuse of excavated soil from local brownfield sites;
- local presence thanks to a strong partnership with local authorities, residents, schools and local businesses.
VAIA project, spearheading decarbonization in the Rhône valley
“With its VAIA project, Vicat is driving decarbonization of the industry throughout the Rhône region.”
Eric Bourdon, Deputy CEO Industrial and Innovation of Vicat group
The VAIA decarbonization strategy aims to eradicate all CO2 emissions at the site and make Montalieu the first carbon-neutral cement plant by 2050. This equates to being able to capture a total of 1.2 million tons of unavoidable CO2 per year on this site, i.e. the total amount of unavoidable CO2 emissions that cannot be reduced through other measures.
In addition, the Activat project will avoid the emission of 200,000 tons of additional CO2 thanks to the electrification of a process for activating local materials. The material activation process refers to the set of techniques used to make a material more reactive, more functional or more effective.
VAIA also facilitates the creation of a carbon value chain and is the anchor point for a comprehensive CO2 capture, transport and storage network in the entire Rhône valley to Fos-sur-Mer.
The captured CO2 will be transported using an existing pipeline, converted into a “carbonduct” to Fos-sur-Mer, where it will be liquefied before being transported by sea to the geo-storage site for permanent sequestration. Some of this CO2 could be captured from the “carbonduct” and used, for example, to produce e-SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel or synthetic kerosene), in the production of tomorrow's low-carbon kerosene. The VAIA project marks the beginning of the decarbonization of a major industrial region in France.
VAIA is part of the broader Rhône Décarbonation project, which received a positive assessment during the preliminary consultation and has been subject to ongoing consultation since the end of 2025.
The six expected outcomes of the VAIA project
1 - Massive reduction of CO₂ emissions: over 20 million metric tons of CO₂ avoided in the first 15 years,
2 - Industrialization of storage technologies to move toward widespread adoption across the entire heavy industry sector,
3 - Creation of an economic value chain and jobs,
4 - Support for European energy and industrial sovereignty,
5 - Optimization of costs and performance by connecting CO₂ capture infrastructure throughout the Rhône valley,
6 - Reduced environmental impact thanks to a circular approach to water and resources and through reusing existing infrastructure.
How is CO2 captured?
The project should capture all CO2 emissions from the Montalieu cement plant, i.e. 1.2 million tons of CO2 emissions per year. The CO2 capture process selected for the VAIA project is a cryogenic process.
The gases emitted from the production of clinker, the main and essential component of cement, are treated to reduce the levels of solid particles, sulfur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), which are harmful to the downstream capture facility. The gases are then pre-concentrated into CO2 and compressed before entering a cryogenic unit (extreme cooling). The compressed gases are thus cooled to nearly -55°C. The CO2 nears its condensation point, it is collected and then purified to meet the specific requirements for its transport via “carbonduct” and for its use or permanent geological sequestration.
Two main technologies to reach our decarbonization goals:
1/ ELECTRIFICATION OF LOCAL MATERIAL ACTIVATION PROCESSES
- To reduce the clinker factor by using local materials
- An electrified heat-free process that uses locally-sourced materials
2/ CRYOGENIC CAPTURE OF CO2
- 100% electrified cold-distillation process to isolate and capture CO2
- Clean process: no polluting emissions and no additional water consumption
From capture to storage: a complete decarbonization chain
Once captured at the Montalieu site, the CO2 is routed in gaseous form to the converted Elengy terminal in Fos-Tonkin via the "carbonduct” operated by SPSE.
The CO2 is then processed through pre-treatment units to remove traces of water and certain impurities to reach the specifications required for transport and sequestration. The liquefied CO2 is temporarily stored at the Fos-sur-Mer site before being loaded onto ships designed to transport liquefied CO2 (LCO2). These ships, designed for CCS chains, will transport the CO2 to the geological sequestration site, where it will be stored in underground rock formations. Storage zones can be of various types, such as deep saline aquifers or depleted (end-of-life) oil and gas fields.
For the VAIA project, the operators in the CCS value chain downstream of the Fos-sur-Mer liquefaction terminal, i.e. the operators of the ships for maritime transport and the operator for the permanent sequestration of CO2 have not been selected at this stage.
Complete chain from capture to storage
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Our partners
VAIA brings together the know-how and expertise of French stakeholders (Vicat, SPSE, Elengy, RTE, etc.) in a key strategic area in the Rhône valley.
The project is based on high-level industrial collaboration:
- Vicat for CO2 capture at the Montalieu cement plant
- SPSE for the land transport of CO₂ and conversion of an existing pipeline into a “carbonduct”.
- Elengy for CO₂ liquefaction and loading ships,
- RTE for the supply of power at the capture and liquefaction sites.
VAIA will contribute to the maintenance, expertise and momentum of the industry in the areas concerned while making use of the existing infrastructure.
Commissioning scheduled for 2030
2023:
Preliminary technical studies
2024 :
AMI Rhône CO2
2024 :
IF and GPID application
2025 - 2027 :
Basic engineering studies
2027 :
Investment decision
2028 - 2030 :
Construction
2030 :
Commissioning (Goal: 1.2 Mt captured/stored) with ramp-up in synergy with other industrial players
2035 - 2040 :
Widespread adoption of CCUS and use of infrastructure along the Rhône valley (capacity in excess of 4Mt/year)
VAIA will mark the beginning of decarbonization of the entire Rhône valley and beyond: once this CCUS chain has been launched by VICAT (by 2030), it could be extended into Europe via the same existing SPSE “carbonduct”, but running northward, with the connection of new emitters and new users paving the way for the maintenance and creation of new industries in a wide geographical area of France.
Find out more about CO2 capture
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Storing CO2 safely and permanently
Offshore geological fields already exist:
- Depth greater than 800 meters below the sea
- Geological formation composed of porous and permeable rock (sandstone, limestone)
Regulatory framework for storage safety
- European regulation (European Directive 2009/31/EC)
- In France, guidelines on storage site safety (Environmental Code)
- ISO 27914/2017 on the Capture, Transport and Storage of CO₂
- Storage sites are required to closely monitor the spread of the CO2 stream within the reservoir and ensure there are no leaks
Initial financing obtained
The VAIA project is co-funded by the European Union and also supported by the French government via the GPID (Grands Projets Industriels de Décarbonation - Major Industrial Decarbonization Projects) allocated on 12 February 2026.
Vicat received a subsidy of €149,998,000 following its application to the European Innovation Fund 2024 program, as well as the French GPID scheme providing access, under certain conditions, to a total amount of €340 million in public aid for a total investment estimated at between €700 and 900 million, and significantly high operating costs.
The GPID subsidy is part of the Major Investment Plans launched by the French government to accelerate the country’s ecological and industrial transition. This scheme aims to support innovative and developmental projects, in particular those that contribute to decarbonizing industry, modernizing infrastructure and the competitiveness of strategic sectors.
Questions fréquentes
Yes. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) identifies CCUS as an essential technology for achieving carbon neutrality in heavy industry. The captured CO2 is stored permanently in stable geological reservoirs, ensuring safe storage for thousands of years.
VAIA is an industrial project on a scale never seen before: capturing 1.2 million tons of CO2 per year (nearly 100% of emissions) requires cryogenic capture, 20 km of pipeline, liquefaction infrastructure and a maritime transport network. The €700-900 million invested will create 1,000 jobs during the construction work and 30 permanent jobs, at the same time as establishing Montalieu as France's first zero-emission cement plant. Without this investment, it would be impossible to reach our 2050 targets.
Argilor (in operation since 2024) combines the substitution of clinker with activated clay and emissions reductions (-20% on the Xeuilley site). VAIA goes further: it captures residual emissions after all other decarbonization measures, aiming for nearly 100% capture at Montalieu. Argilor optimizes the process, as does VAIA, but it also treats unavoidable emissions. The two approaches complement each other.
The project is contingent upon securing significant public aid (European Innovation Fund, French GPID), a favorable environment for the decarbonization of a sovereign industry and local acceptance through the CNDP public consultation process (www.rhône-décarbonation.fr). The final investment decision will be made in 2027 after all of these criteria have been approved. We are proceeding cautiously and transparently, in keeping with our commitment “say what we do, then do what we say”.
Our aim is to start two major CCU/CCS projects by 2030, including VAIA which creates a carbon value chain. In parallel to VAIA, Vicat is a stakeholder in the partnership project Catch4Climate, which groups together Schwenk, Heidelberg Materials and Dyckerhoff in Mergelstetten in Germany, with Ci4C (Cement Innovation for Climate). It concerns the construction of a “semi-industrial” pilot facility to produce a smaller volume of gas at the facility's outlet, highly-concentrated in CO2, making near-complete capture both simpler and more efficient thanks to breakthrough technology “the Pure Oxyfuel process”. Deployment on other Group sites will depend on the success of these initiatives, the availability of storage infrastructure and public financial support. Our approach is gradual, but determined.
Download the documents related to the project