France: Vicat’s VAIA (Vicat Advanced Industrial Alliance) carbon capture project has been selected for funding under the EU Innovation Fund 2024 programme, receiving a grant of €150m. The project will be developed at the Montalieu-Vercieu cement plant in Isère and aims to capture and store ‘nearly all’ CO₂ emissions from the facility, equivalent to around 1.2Mt/yr of CO₂. According to Vicat, the plant is the largest cement production site in France by capacity. The VAIA project also includes the development of a broader CO₂ value chain in the Rhône Valley capable of handling up to 4Mt/yr of CO₂, covering capture, transport, utilisation, liquefaction and storage.
Studies for the project are currently ongoing and a final investment decision is expected in 2027. The project is also supported by the French government under the Major Industrial Decarbonisation Projects initiative announced in February 2026.