Highlights
The Cement and Lime industries play a vital role in our society
Cement is used in our roads, buildings, homes, offices and almost all our infrastructure. Lime is used in a variety of applications including in the iron & steel, chemical, paper, pharmaceutical, drinking water, food, and farming industries. EU recognised these sectors as being ‘indispensable’ to the economy. Responsible for 8% of global CO2 emissions, global cement and lime demand will increase due to the global population growth and the trend of further urbanisation. They play a vital part of our society and
economy.
The Cement and Lime industries are dedicated to decarbonising
Cement and lime industries, both through their associations and individual corporate pledges, have made clear commitments to carbon neutral emissions production by 2050.
The LEILAC process (Direct Separation) represents a low cost, eco-efficient means of capturing process CO2, and can be run on renewable energy
A variety of approaches and technologies are being developed to capture the CO2 emissions from the cement industry, and they all need to be urgently developed and scaled up. Supported by industry and the EU, the proven LEILAC technology captures unavoidable process CO2 emissions for minimal expense, as it as it does not need additional processes or chemicals. It can work in synergy with other technologies and approaches. It can also be fully powered by renewable energy and/or hydrogen, and all units will be ‘electrification’ ready.
These industries recognise that reaching carbon neutrality requires the use of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS)
Two-thirds of emissions from the production of cement and lime are unavoidable ‘process emissions’. While several approaches can be taken to reduce the volumes of CO2 generated – and these should be pursued strongly – the most viable means of ensuring process emissions do not reach the atmosphere is by capturing and permanently safely storing the CO2 typically in minerals or by sequestration. Using the CO2, for example in the chemical industry and for creating synthetic fuels, may be an important enabler for capturing CO2 from the cement and lime industry.
The LEILAC process is being designed for efficient, global roll out
A LEILAC module addressing 20% of a cement plant’s emission will begin constructed in 2022. The intent behind the commercial, global rollout of the technology is for the modular, scalable design to capture the process emissions from a plant of any size. The designs will eventually be ‘blueprinted’ and applied by engineering firms on a global basis to cement and lime plants, enabling localised expertise to be developed and used.
Appropriate long-term incentive frameworks and public financing for early movers are critical
Effective policy environments and incentive mechanisms are required globally to ensure that vital industries can continue to operate, while taking necessary decarbonisation steps. Public subsidies and investments are required to allow these technologies to continue to be quickly developed and installed globally. Support is required to enable and widely deploy transport and storage infrastructure, ensuring the captured CO2 does not reach the atmosphere.
CO2 transport and storage availability is vital to enable industrial decarbonisation, and without it the ability for our society to reach it climate change ambitions will be limited
The consortium considers the development and availability of transport and storage infrastructure to be vital for decarbonising the cement and lime industries. Unlike examples in the power and refining sector, the volume of CO2 to be stored per plant is less. This opens local storage opportunities and industries. Given the very small size of most of the cement and lime players, steps must be taken to quickly develop storage sites of all sizes; ensure larger storage developments are appropriately sized for 2050 (particularly if using public money and only facilitating bigger players); and enable fair access.
Societal acceptance and Government support are essential
While pursuing every option available to decarbonise, the cement and lime sector needs the help and assistance of our society (as both project stakeholders and product consumers)as it decarbonises. On a local level, that can range from small increases in prices of cement, through to active support of decarbonisation projects so they remain competitive.
LEILAC is a high potential cost-effective path to zero and negative carbon emissions lime and cement production
There has been a demonstrable global commitment to respond to the threat of climate change. To achieve the ambitious target of minimising global heating to 1.5°C, fundamental changes are needed to reduce the CO2 that our society emits. Once tested and scaled up, the LEILAC technology should provide an option for reducing the costs of carbon capture and accelerate the deployment in both industries using this new type of pre-calciner. The techno-economic forecast for the technology is very promising.
Read the LEILAC Roadmap (2021)
Executive Summary
The international community recognises that CO2 emissions contribute to climate change. The cement and lime industries serve an extremely important part in the functioning of our global society and economies. They are longstanding industries, highly optimised – providing low-cost products that underpin our daily lives. However, our societies, scientists, governments, and the industry have all acknowledged that the previous means of production cannot be sustained.
There is an enormous drive, and support, for addressing unavoidable process emissions derived from the production of cement and lime. Until very recently, there were not the technologies nor policy mechanism available to support wholesale decarbonisation efforts globally – but that has changed. Today the global cement and lime industries are both committed, and are developing the tools, to take dramatic steps in achieving net zero production.
LEILAC (Low Emissions Intensity Lime and Cement) projects aim to apply a breakthrough in low-cost carbon capture technology that will enable Europe’s cement and lime industries to reduce their emissions dramatically, while retaining their international competitiveness.
Focused on addressing these industries’ unavoidable process emissions using Calix’s novel carbon capture technology – and supported by leading industrial players – the LEILAC projects are on track to deliver commercially relevant solutions by 2024.
The international community recognises that CO2 emissions contribute to climate change. The cement and lime industries serve an extremely important part in the functioning of our global society and economies. They are longstanding industries, highly optimised – providing low-cost products that underpin our daily lives. However, our societies, scientists, governments, and the industry have all acknowledged that the previous means of production cannot be sustained.
There is an enormous drive, and support, for addressing unavoidable process emissions derived from the production of cement and lime. Until very recently, there were not the technologies nor policy mechanism available to support wholesale decarbonisation efforts globally – but that has changed. Today the global cement and lime industries are both committed, and are developing the tools, to take dramatic steps in achieving net zero production.
LEILAC (Low Emissions Intensity Lime and Cement) projects aim to apply a breakthrough in low-cost carbon capture technology that will enable Europe’s cement and lime industries to reduce their emissions dramatically, while retaining their international competitiveness.
Focused on addressing these industries’ unavoidable process emissions using Calix’s novel carbon capture technology – and supported by leading industrial players – the LEILAC projects are on track to deliver commercially relevant solutions by 2024.
