Green light for LEILAC 2 carbon capture project
Carbon capture project to be integrated into HeidelbergCement plant in Hanover, Germany
THE LEILAC 2 (Low Emissions Intensity Lime And Cement) carbon capture project has successfully passed its financial investment decision milestone, confirming that the project can now enter the implementation phase.
Together with the Australian technology company Calix and a European consortium, HeidelbergCement will proceed to build a demonstration facility integrated into their cement plant in Hanover (pictured).
‘LEILAC 2 is one of several carbon capture projects we are currently pursuing at HeidelbergCement,’ said Dr Dominik von Achten, chairman of the managing board.
‘We are very pleased to advance this key technology at industrial scale at our plant in Hanover, Germany. The location is ideally suited for further utilization and/or transport to offshore storage of the captured CO2.’
The company is targeting CO2 reductions of up to 10 million tonnes with several CCUS projects set to be under way by 2030.
As part of the prior LEILAC 1 project, a CO2 capture pilot installation with a capture capacity of 25,000 tonnes of CO2 per year was developed at HeidelbergCement's Lixhe plant in Belgium.
With LEILAC 2, an installation around four times as large will be operated in Hanover. The project will now enter the detailed design phase, with procurement and construction of the plant itself expected in 2023. By 2025 the installation should be capable of capturing 20% (around 100,000 tonnes) of the plant’s carbon emissions annually.
With the patented LEILAC technology, the CO2 released during cement production can be captured in a highly pure form via a separate waste gas stream and used in other processes. As minimal additional energy is needed and no chemicals are required, this happens in an especially cost-efficient way.
The technology can also be retrofitted in a modular form at any scale and can use any fuel or energy source, including biomass, hydrogen, or electricity – providing a ‘future-proof’ solution.
The project scope for LEILAC 2 also includes a thorough analysis of the potential destination of the captured CO2, either for utilization purposes or for safe geological offshore storage.
Phil Hodgson, managing director of Calix and chief executive officer and chairman of the LEILAC executive board, said: ‘This announcement marks a significant milestone and further demonstrates the momentum which is building around the LEILAC project.
‘It is testament to the strong level of collaboration which has been cultivated between the consortium partners, who have all worked together to make significant progress on this breakthrough project.’
