A new collaboration between the University of Regina and the Thai Cement Manufacturers Association is moving carbon capture technology from laboratory development into field deployment, targeting one of the world’s most emissions-intensive industrial value chains.
The initiative centers on a carbon capture pilot unit designed by the University of Regina’s Clean Energy Technologies Research Institute and funded through Environment and Climate Change Canada with support from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. The system is being prepared for shipment to Thailand, where it will be deployed with the Thai Cement Manufacturers Association to test carbon capture, utilization, and storage performance under operational conditions in cement production environments.
The cement industry’s emissions profile is structurally challenging. Unlike power generation, where fuel switching and renewables can reduce emissions intensity relatively quickly, cement manufacturing generates carbon dioxide through both energy use and the chemical process of clinker production. This dual-source emissions structure limits the effectiveness of conventional decarbonization approaches.
As a result, CCUS has emerged as one of the few scalable technological pathways capable of addressing process emissions. However, deployment remains limited by high capital costs, energy penalties associated with capture processes, and uncertainty around long-term storage infrastructure and utilization markets.
Thailand’s cement sector, which is targeting net zero emissions by 2050, represents a relevant test environment given its industrial scale and growth trajectory in Southeast Asia. The pilot aims to generate operational data that can inform whether CCUS systems can be integrated into existing production lines without significantly undermining plant efficiency or cost competitiveness.
The carbon capture unit was developed at the University of Regina’s Clean Energy Technologies Research Institute, which was selected by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization based on its prior work in advanced capture technologies. According to CETRI director Dr. Hussameldin Ibrahim, the project reflects an effort to move beyond controlled testing environments toward industrial-scale validation.
While laboratory systems can demonstrate capture efficiency under optimized conditions, industrial deployment introduces variability in flue gas composition, operating temperatures, and load fluctuations. These factors often reduce real-world performance relative to benchmark results, making field validation a critical step in assessing technology readiness levels.
The pilot deployment in Thailand is intended to evaluate carbon capture, utilization, and storage performance in this more complex operational context, particularly within cement production processes that are difficult to modify without affecting output consistency.
The project is financed through Environment and Climate Change Canada and implemented under a broader framework coordinated by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. This structure reflects a growing trend in climate technology deployment where development funding is tied to cross-border demonstration projects rather than domestic pilot programs alone.
A memorandum of understanding between the Government of Saskatchewan and the Thai Cement Manufacturers Association adds another layer of institutional cooperation, focusing on technical capacity building and knowledge exchange. While such agreements do not guarantee commercial scaling, they are increasingly used to facilitate early-stage technology transfer in sectors where private investment remains constrained by risk exposure.
Dr. Jeff Keshen, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Regina, emphasized that the collaboration reflects the institution’s role in exporting applied clean energy technologies. The emphasis on “exportable solutions” aligns with a broader policy shift toward positioning academic research institutions as intermediaries in industrial decarbonization rather than purely theoretical contributors.
Despite growing policy attention, global CCUS deployment remains below levels required to meet mid-century climate targets. Key constraints include high per-ton capture costs, energy requirements for solvent regeneration or sorbent systems, and limited infrastructure for transporting and storing captured CO₂.
Cement-specific deployment faces additional hurdles. Plant integration requires retrofitting existing kilns and exhaust systems, often with limited physical space and minimal tolerance for process disruption. In many cases, partial capture systems are considered more feasible than full-stream decarbonization, although this reduces overall emissions reduction potential.
The Thailand pilot will therefore serve as a test of modular integration rather than full-system redesign, providing data on whether incremental retrofits can deliver meaningful emissions reductions without requiring full plant replacement.
