Holcim has taken a stake in 44.01, a company whose technology locks captured CO₂ into stable rock, in a move that builds on an existing pilot at Holcim’s cement plant in the United Arab Emirates.
44.01 has developed a mineralization method in which captured CO₂ is injected into naturally reactive ultramafic rock formations. There, it is converted into stable carbonate rock. The investment will support the company’s scaling and international expansion.
Building on a working partnership
The deal is the next step in an established commercial relationship. Since July, Holcim and 44.01 have been running a pilot under live industrial conditions at Holcim’s Fujairah cement plant in the UAE. CO₂ is now being stored underground there and mineralized into solid rock.
Other investors in 44.01 include Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Equinor Ventures, Air Liquide Venture Capital and Siemens Financial Services.
Ram Muthu, Head of Operational Excellence at Holcim, said the investment builds on the existing UAE project, where the two companies are already storing captured carbon in rock formations near the Fujairah plant. He explained that the technology allows storage close to the point of production, provided the geological conditions are right, and supports decarbonization in line with Holcim’s NextGen Growth 2030 strategy.
According to Muthu, this approach could help Holcim manage captured carbon at inland sites across its operations, where access to offshore storage may be limited.
The stake adds to Holcim’s growing portfolio of digital and decarbonization technologies within its open innovation ecosystem. To date, Holcim has made 22 investments through Holcim MAQER Ventures, its corporate venture capital and open innovation unit, and says it continues to work on scaling technologies for the built environment.
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Sustainability Conference and Exhibition to include Industry 5.0 – Smart Solutions for Cement and Construction Conference and Exhibition 2026 in São Paulo (World Trade Center)- will convene leading voices from across the global construction, engineering, and infrastructure sectors to address the urgent challenges of decarbonization, embodied carbon reduction, and climate resilience. As the sector undergoes a massive digital shift, this event also focuses on the technologies defining the next generation of building: AI-driven operations, advanced manufacturing, robotics, and human-centric industrial transformation.
Speakers include:
Luciana Arouca – Head of Sustainability Services Brazil & LATAM, JLL
Ana Lúcia Grizzi – Senior Independent Consultant; Coordinator of the Sustainability and Innovation Committee, Votorantim Cimentos
Josilene T. V. Ferrer – Senior Analyst of International Cooperation and Climate Change, CETESB – Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo
Carla Leal – CDP Market Director for LATAM | Board Members
Michal Zuk, Research Hydrogen Specialist, London Stock Exchange Group
Juan Padial – Managing Partner, Digital Supply Chain, KPMG
Felipe Salgado – Managing Partner of Decarbonization, KPMG
Rejane Afonso – Technical and Commercial Director, Monitore
Túlio Henrique de Oliveira Silva, EMBRAPII
Camila Ramos – CEO, CELA – Clean Energy Latin America
Alberto Lima Santos – Digital Technologies Manager, SENAI-SP
Larissa Mello – Sustainability Specialist, Supremo Secil Cimentos
Rodrigo Ramos Tosta – Environmental division, BNDES
8–9 December, Morocco, Radisson Blu Hotel
The premier MEA event for cementitious materials, innovation, and regional trade opportunities.
Speakers include:
- Hicham Safi – Novacim
- Dr.-Ing. Hanane Yaagoubi – Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
- Dr. Shashank Bishnoi – Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
- Medhat Mostafa – CEMEX Egypt
- Dr. Mahmoud Abu Elenien – Royal Cement
- Hejji Aljuraysh – Yamama Cement
- Mohammed Elhaddad – LafargeHolcim Maroc
- Rachid Hakkou, Professor Université Cadi Ayyad
- Dr. Hanane Yaagoubi,PhD laureate of Mohammed V University in Rabat, former Resident Researcher at IAS, UM6P.
- American Concrete Institute (ACI)
- Arabian Cement Company Egypt
- Ciments du Maroc
- Sara Dallasta, CEO, Dallasta Consulting
- A³&Co.
- Meta Group of Companies
- NRMCA
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