Green Hydrogen in Cement, Cemex and Hiiroc Trial, €60 M TITAN H 2 CEM Project, and 10 Commercial Pilots (2021 to 2026)

Hydrogen Adoption in Cement, Cemex and Holcim Pilots Signal Shift

Activity in the cement sector has progressed from isolated, proof-of-concept trials between 2021-2024 to more strategically funded, policy-driven projects from 2025, yet large-scale commercial deployment remains constrained by prohibitive costs and the priority of Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) for process emissions.

• Between 2021 and 2024, the focus was on technical validation. Landmark events included Heidelberg Cement’s (now Heidelberg Materials) successful October 2021 trial using a 100% net-zero fuel mix with hydrogen at its Ribblesdale plant and Cemex’s December 2022 decision to roll out hydrogen injection at four plants in Mexico. These early projects proved hydrogen could work in a kiln but were limited in scale.
• The period from 2025 to today is defined by larger, more integrated, and policy-backed initiatives. In May 2025, TITAN Cement Group’s H 2 CEM project in Greece was designated an ‘Important Project of Common European Interest’ (IPCEI), signaling direct government support for scaling. Simultaneously, projects began integrating hydrogen into a broader decarbonization system, as seen with Holcim’s e Capt-Rhône project, which combines green hydrogen with CCUS to produce e-methanol.
• Despite this progress, hydrogen adoption is bifurcated. While cement producers are partnering to test fuel mixes, such as the November 2024 pilot between Limak Cement and Air Liquide, the industry’s primary investment remains in CCUS. Hydrogen addresses the 33% of emissions from fuel, but CCUS is non-negotiable for the 67% from calcination, making it the more urgent near-term priority.

Calcination and Heat Cause 85% of Cement Emissions

This chart provides the fundamental context for the section by illustrating that the majority of emissions in cement production come from calcination and heat, areas where hydrogen can serve as a clean fuel alternative, signaling the shift mentioned in the heading.

(Source: Project Drawdown®)

€60 M TITAN Project, EU Innovation Fund Backs Heidelberg Materials

Direct investment in hydrogen for cement production is almost entirely dependent on public funding mechanisms that de-risk the high capital costs for first-of-a-kind projects, with corporate capital still overwhelmingly directed at more mature decarbonization technologies.

• The most significant recent investment is TITAN Cement Group’s H 2 CEM project in Greece, which received approval for EUR 60 million in funding in May 2025 under the IPCEI framework. This government backing is critical for establishing green hydrogen production and use at an industrial scale within a cement plant.
• The European Union’s Innovation Fund has been a consistent catalyst for enabling technologies. In July 2023, Heidelberg Materials’ IFESTOS project, a large-scale carbon capture facility, secured a grant. While a CCUS project, it is a key enabler for blue hydrogen production and managing emissions from hydrogen-fueled kilns.
• Investment is also flowing into the enabling supply chain. In October 2025, Topsoe inaugurated Europe’s largest Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) factory in Denmark, a project also supported by the EU Innovation Fund. This facility is essential for producing the efficient electrolyzers needed to lower the cost of green hydrogen for industrial users like cement manufacturers.

Hydrogen System Overview and Decarbonization Goals

This chart offers a high-level strategic overview, positioning the specific TITAN project within the broader hydrogen ecosystem and the overarching decarbonization goals that drive large-scale funding from bodies like the EU Innovation Fund.

(Source: ScienceDirect.com)

Table: Key Investments in Hydrogen for Cement & Enabling Technologies

Cemex 2 Key Hydrogen Partnerships, Hiiroc and Air Liquide (2021 to 2026)

Strategic partnerships are split between cement producers collaborating with established industrial gas firms for reliable fuel supply and with specialized technology startups to pilot novel, potentially lower-cost hydrogen production and application methods.

• Cemex is pursuing a dual-track partnership strategy. In November 2024, it announced a world-first trial with technology startup Hiiroc at its Rugby, UK plant to test a plasma-based process for producing “turquoise” hydrogen from natural gas without direct CO₂ emissions.
• At the same time, cement producers are working with industrial gas giants to validate the use of hydrogen in existing infrastructure. In November 2024, Limak Cement and Air Liquide successfully completed tests using a hydrogen-blended fuel mix at a plant in Ankara, Turkey, confirming the viability of co-firing.
• Technology enablers are also forming critical alliances. In November 2021, Genvia, a joint venture involving Schlumberger, signed pilot agreements with partners in the cement sector to deploy its high-efficiency SOEC technology, aiming to lower the cost of on-site green hydrogen generation.

Hydrogen Generation Market to Reach $226B by 2030

This chart provides broad market context for the partnerships discussed, indicating the significant growth in the hydrogen generation market that underpins the strategic rationale for companies like Cemex to secure their supply chain through partnerships.

(Source: MarketsandMarkets)

Table: Hydrogen in Cement Partnership Analysis

Europe vs. Global, Cemex and Holcim Drive EU and UK Hydrogen Projects

Europe is the clear center of gravity for hydrogen-in-cement development, a direct result of stringent regulations like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and substantial public funding, while pilot activities in other regions like India and Turkey are just beginning to emerge.

• Early-stage trials between 2021 and 2024 were geographically diverse but small in scale, with notable projects in the UK (Heidelberg Materials, Cemex), Mexico (Cemex), and Egypt (Arabian Cement). These projects served primarily as technical proofs of concept.
• Since 2025, the focus has sharpened intensely on the European Union. This is evidenced by TITAN Cement’s IPCEI project in Greece, Holcim’s integrated e-methanol project in France, and Cimpor’s plan to install 10 MW of PV for green hydrogen in Portugal.
• The primary driver for this regional concentration is the EU’s regulatory environment. The CBAM, which begins its financial implementation on January 1, 2026, forces a direct cost comparison between unabated emissions and decarbonization technologies, making hydrogen economically relevant in the EU before other regions.
• Outside of Europe, policy-led initiatives are starting to take shape. The India-Sweden Industrial Transition Partnership, announced in December 2025, includes projects to use hydrogen in cement kilns. Additionally, Canada released its roadmap for net-zero concrete in May 2026, which identifies low-carbon fuels like hydrogen as a key action area.

Green Hydrogen Market Forecast Shows Major Growth

This chart’s focus on green hydrogen growth directly supports the section’s theme, as European and UK projects are heavily reliant on the development and availability of green hydrogen, which this forecast illustrates.

(Source: Market Research Future)

Technology Readiness, Low TRL for Hydrogen vs. Commercial CCUS

Hydrogen combustion in cement kilns remains at a low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and is confined to pilot phases, whereas Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) is a more commercially advanced and non-negotiable technology for addressing the industry’s largest emission source.

• The 2021–2024 period confirmed the technical feasibility of using hydrogen as a fuel. Demonstrations like Heidelberg Materials’ 100% net-zero fuel trial in 2021 were crucial, but they also exposed challenges related to managing different flame properties, heat transfer, and potential NOx formation that require significant kiln modifications.
• Projects launched from 2025, such as TITAN’s H 2 CEM, are designed to solve these operational challenges at a larger, more integrated scale. However, the technology is not yet an “off-the-shelf” solution and is far from being commercially standard.
• The fundamental constraint is that hydrogen can only address the approximate 33% of emissions from fuel combustion. The majority, around 67%, comes from the chemical process of calcination and must be captured. This makes CCUS, a more mature technology, an essential and unavoidable investment for any plant targeting deep decarbonization.
• The primary technological barrier is not just the kiln burner but the entire value chain. A November 2025 Mc Kinsey report highlighted the “chicken-and-egg” problem: a severe deficit in infrastructure for producing and transporting low-carbon hydrogen, with developers struggling to secure the long-term offtake agreements needed to finance production assets.

Calcination and Fuel Use Drive Cement Emissions

This chart supports the technology readiness comparison by visually separating emissions from fuel use (addressable by hydrogen) and calcination (addressable by CCUS), clarifying the different problems each technology solves.

(Source: Nature)

SWOT Analysis, Strengths of Hydrogen in Cement vs. High Costs

Hydrogen offers the cement industry a clear pathway to eliminate fuel combustion emissions, a significant strength, but its widespread adoption is severely threatened by prohibitive costs, a massive infrastructure deficit, and its inability to solve the larger problem of process emissions without complementary CCUS technology.

• Strengths: As the only viable zero-carbon fuel for high-temperature kilns, hydrogen offers a complete solution for combustion emissions, a feat demonstrated in early trials.
• Weaknesses: The current cost of green hydrogen ($4-6/kg) is not competitive with fossil fuels or even blue hydrogen ($2.1/kg), making it economically unviable without heavy subsidies or high carbon pricing.
• Opportunities: Aggressive climate policies, particularly the EU CBAM, create a powerful market pull. This is amplified by substantial public funding mechanisms like the EU Innovation Fund, which are de-risking first-mover projects.
• Threats: Hydrogen directly competes for capital with CCUS, which is more mature and addresses the larger share of emissions. A global count from May 2026 shows that while hydrogen pilots are notable, active CCUS projects in the cement industry are far more numerous and advanced.

Chemicals and Refining Dominate Global Hydrogen Demand

This chart supports the SWOT analysis by highlighting a key ‘Threat’ or ‘Weakness’ for cement producers: they face significant competition for hydrogen supply from established, large-scale industrial users.

(Source: Bellona)

Table: SWOT Analysis for Hydrogen Adoption in the Cement Industry

Scenario Modelling, Cemex and TITAN Pilots Hinge on CBAM Impact

The success and replication of current hydrogen pilot projects beyond 2026 are critically dependent on the financial impact of carbon pricing mechanisms like the EU CBAM, which must be high enough to close the significant cost gap between hydrogen and conventional fuels.

• If EU ETS carbon prices reach the projected range of €130–€160 per tonne of CO₂ by 2030, then the economics of fuel switching to green or blue hydrogen become significantly more attractive, providing the incentive needed to replicate and scale projects like TITAN’s H 2 CEM.
• Watch for an increase in long-term hydrogen offtake agreements signed by cement producers. With only 10-15% of planned low-carbon hydrogen output currently contracted, a lack of guaranteed buyers is a major obstacle for scaling production. A rise in these agreements would be a leading indicator that the industry is committing capital beyond pilot stages.
• These could be happening: A regional divergence in decarbonization strategies may accelerate. Post-2026, EU-based producers will likely fast-track hydrogen blending and CCUS integration due to CBAM pressure. Meanwhile, producers in regions without equivalent carbon pricing may focus exclusively on less capital-intensive CCUS projects or alternative fuels, delaying significant hydrogen investment.

Chart Shows Incentive Needed for Hydrogen in Cement

This chart is a perfect match, as it quantifies the economic gap that policies like the CBAM must bridge. This data is a critical input for the scenario modeling discussed in the section.

(Source: RFF.org)

The questions your competitors are already asking

This report covers one angle of hydrogen’s commercial deployment in the cement sector. The questions that matter most depend on your work.

• Which cement companies like Heidelberg Materials, Cemex, and Holcim are gaining ground in hydrogen adoption versus those prioritizing CCUS?
• TITAN Cement Group investments and funding. Is the H2CEM project on track for its 2025 IPCEI targets?
• What is the outlook for green hydrogen deployment in cement kilns by 2026?
• What are the opportunities for hydrogen producers like Air Liquide in the cement decarbonization market?

This report does not answer these. Enki Brief Pro does.

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