CIMPOR-INDUSTRIA DE CIMENTOS SA

Their core work

CIMPOR is one of Portugal's major cement and lime producers, part of the global building materials industry. In the H2020 context, they serve as an industrial end-user testing decarbonization technologies for cement manufacturing — specifically carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and industrial waste heat recovery. Their participation brings real-world cement plant infrastructure and operational data to EU research consortia, enabling demonstration-scale validation of low-carbon technologies in one of the hardest-to-abate industrial sectors.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

CIMPOR's H2020 involvement is concentrated in a narrow 2019-2020 window, so evolution is limited but still visible. Early projects focused on strategic CCUS planning — mapping clusters, storage sites, and infrastructure scenarios across Southern and Eastern Europe. Their later involvement shifted toward hands-on demonstration: low-cost carbon capture at plant scale (LEILAC2) and practical tools for excess heat valorization (EMB3Rs), signaling a move from strategy to implementation.

CIMPOR is moving from CCUS roadmapping to actual demonstration deployment, suggesting they are preparing for industrial-scale decarbonization of their cement plants.

How they like to work

CIMPOR participates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as an industrial end-user providing real-world infrastructure for testing rather than leading research. With 48 unique partners across just 3 projects, they operate in large, multi-country consortia typical of EU energy demonstration initiatives. This makes them an accessible partner: they are accustomed to working in diverse teams and contributing industrial assets without demanding project leadership.

Despite only 3 projects, CIMPOR has built connections with 48 partners across 19 countries, reflecting the large-consortium nature of CCUS and energy demonstration projects. Their network spans most of the EU with no narrow geographic bias.

What sets them apart

CIMPOR brings something most research consortia struggle to find: access to operational cement production facilities for real-world testing of decarbonization technologies. Cement is responsible for roughly 8% of global CO2 emissions, making industrial partners like CIMPOR essential for any credible CCUS demonstration. Their involvement in LEILAC2 — one of the EU's flagship direct separation projects — positions them as a proven industrial host site for carbon capture pilots.

Highlights from their portfolio

• LEILAC2
  Flagship EU demonstration project for Direct Separation carbon capture technology applied to cement and lime, with the largest single EC contribution to CIMPOR (EUR 200,000) and running through 2026.
• EMB3Rs
  Open-source energy matching tool for industrial excess heat recovery — notable for its cross-sector applicability connecting heavy industry with district heating communities.
• STRATEGY CCUS
  Strategic CCUS cluster planning across Southern and Eastern Europe, directly relevant to CIMPOR's geographic position as a Portuguese cement producer in an underserved CCUS region.