The French company Vicat has received a second grant for the implementation of the VAIA (Vicat Advanced Industrial Alliance) carbon capture and storage project at the cement plant in Montalieu-Versier, the largest in France.
The French Government has approved funding under the Grand Projets Industriels de Carbonation (GPID) program. Earlier, in November 2025, the project was already selected for support from the Innovation Fund.
The project provides for the capture and storage of up to 1.2 million tons of CO₂ annually. It is planned to create an integrated infrastructure in the Rhone Valley at the plant site, including the capture of emissions, their transportation, liquefaction and injection into underground storage facilities.
Engineering and feasibility studies are currently underway. The final investment decision is expected in 2027. The implementation of VAIA may become one of the largest decarbonization projects in the French cement industry.
