European cement producers Buzzi Unicem – Dyckerhoff, HeidelbergCement AG, SCHWENK Zement KG, and Vicat, have jointly founded an oxyfuel research corporation, named CI4C – Cement Innovation for Climate. Investigating the practicability of oxyfuel carbon capture technology applied to cement manufacture – where pure oxygen is used in the kiln rather than air, so that combustion is complete and produces a highly concentrated CO₂ flue gas that is cost-effective to capture – is the aim of the venture. A test facility at the premises of the Mergelstetten cement plant in Southern Germany will be constructed and operated as part of the project. If it does prove possible to be applied commercially, it will be a huge step in making the cement industry, until now a significant source of CO₂ emissions worldwide, a low-carbon part of the economy. CI4C must still gain antitrust approval, but it is difficult to see regulators objecting to the venture, which is scheduled to formally launch next year.