Green light for LEILAC 2 carbon capture project at HeidelbergCement's Hanover plant

Together with the Australian technology company Calix and a European consortium, HeidelbergCement will proceed to build a demonstration facility integrated into HeidelbergCement's plant in Hanover, Germany. The installation will capture 20% of the cement plant's CO2 emissions, corresponding to around 100,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

"LEILAC 2 is one of several carbon capture projects we are currently pursuing at HeidelbergCement," says 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 utilisation and/or transport to offshore storage of the captured CO2." The company targets CO2 reductions of up to 10 million tonnes, with several CCUS projects already underway 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 had been 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 now enters the detailed design phase through 2022, followed by procurement and construction of the plant itself. Construction is expected in 2023, dependent on flag points over the coming months. The project scope for LEILAC 2 also includes a thorough analysis of the potential destination of the captured CO2, either for utilisation purposes or for safe geological offshore storage.

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 especially cost-efficiently. The technology can also be retrofitted in a modular form at any scale and use any fuel or energy source, including biomass, hydrogen, or electricity – providing a 'future proof' solution.

Phil Hodgson, Calix MD and CEO and chairman of the LEILAC executive board, said: "This announcement marks a significant milestone and further demonstrates the momentum building around the LEILAC project. It is testament to the strong level of collaboration cultivated between the consortium partners, who have all worked together to make significant progress on this breakthrough project."

The LEILAC consortium is led by the LEILAC Group (technology provider Calix) and comprises HeidelbergCement, CEMEX, Cimpor, IKN, Lhoist, Port of Rotterdam, BGR, RBINS-GSB, CERTH, POLIMI, LEAP, and Engie. It is supported by GCCA, GCCSI, CEMBUREAU, ECRA, University of Clausthal and EuLA. The project aims to apply and demonstrate a breakthrough technology that will enable Europe's cement and lime industries to reduce their carbon footprint significantly.