Policy Roundtable on Advancing CCU: Defossilising the Heavy Industry for a Competitive and Sustainable Europe

Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) technologies play a crucial role in the heavy industry by capturing CO₂ emissions from production processes and converting them into valuable carbon-based products. This can help significantly reduce the sector’s carbon footprint by transforming captured CO₂ for applications such as e-chemicals, synthetic fuels, and construction materials.

The EU has consolidated in the last years crucial EU legislations to drive companies towards reducing emissions through carbon pricing and exemptions (e.g. ETS, CBAM), through mandates on renewable energy (e.g. Renewable Energy Directive), or through carbon removals to make up for residual emissions and reach net-zero targets (e.g. Carbon Removals Certification Framework).

Looking ahead, the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal, published on 26 February 2025, set the agenda, priorities, and new initiatives proposed by the European institutions to accelerate the transition to a net-zero industry while aiming to strengthen its competitiveness and sovereignty. The core question is whether, through this Clean Industrial Deal and in the next five years, the EU can create the right incentives and rules to address both climate and economic challenges for European sectors that are both critical and strategic and facing unprecedented difficulties with global competition.

To tackle these challenges and ensure a sustainable, competitive future for heavy industry, it is crucial for policymakers, iron and steel producers, and CCU technology providers to come together. The EU-funded INITIATE project is organising a roundtable discussion on Advancing CCU on 24 April from 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM at the Press Club Brussels (BE).

Please find the draft agenda here. For registration, please email Antonio La Mantia at antonio.lamantia@co2value.eu.