The HERACLES Group, a member of Holcim, announces that the ORION project has been selected by the European Commission for funding from the European Union Innovation Fund (EU Innovation Fund), under the call for the deployment of net-zero technologies.
According to the announcement, ORION is one of 77 projects selected from a total of 358 across 23 European countries, reaffirming Holcim’s leading role in the global effort to decarbonise and transition to net zero (Net Zero).
ORION places Thessaly, and Volos in particular, at the heart of climate action, putting local and national industry at the forefront of Europe’s decarbonisation efforts. A pioneering, fully electrified calcined clay production line will be installed at the Volos cement plant, fully aligned with Holcim’s vision for building solutions with a minimal carbon footprint.
Calcination will take place without combustion: high-temperature electrification will fully replace fossil fuels, with energy supplied by a hybrid renewable energy system featuring solar power plants and BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) storage systems. This will harness domestic clean energy production, reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels and strengthen the country’s energy resilience.
Unlike incremental efficiency improvements, ORION will dramatically reduce the carbon intensity of the end product (clinker) itself. The project will put Greece at the forefront of industrial decarbonisation and establish it as a hub for developing innovative technologies with European reach, providing a replicable model for the cement industry and other energy-intensive sectors worldwide.
ORION marks another decisive step in the decarbonisation strategy of the HERACLES Group and Holcim in Greece. Following the path of technological innovation opened up by other company initiatives, such as the strategic investment of national importance OLYMPUS, it adds a new pillar in the drive towards a lower-carbon built environment.
The development of this project confirms Holcim’s commitment to strategic investment in Greece’s regions, creating new opportunities for expertise in green industry and skilled employment in the country.
With ORION, Greece is demonstrating that it can host the most advanced climate-neutral technologies, safeguarding its competitiveness in the European context of the Zero-Emissions Economy, as defined in the European Climate Law.