The 30th of June marked the kick-off of our member’s Carmeuse Butterfly project as Willy Borus, Walloon Minister of Economy, Foreign Trade and Research Innovation, laid the foundation stone of the new demonstrator site.
The project aims to revolutionise lime production and combat the pressing issue of CO₂ emissions. With financial backing from the Walloon Government and the European Union, this ambitious goal seeks to develop an industrial-scale demonstrator: a new type of kiln designed to effectively capture and concentrate CO₂ released during lime production. By achieving a highly concentrated CO₂ stream (close to 100%) at the end of the kiln stack, the project seeks to enable efficient capturing of CO₂ for subsequent utilisation (CCU).
This pioneering technology represents a significant leap forward in addressing the two primary sources of CO₂ emissions in lime production: approximately 30% from necessary combustion to generate high heat levels (around 1000 °C) and roughly 70% from the inherent “process CO₂” which is unavoidable as this CO₂ is an inherent part of the decarbonisation of the limestone.
While renewable energy sources can mitigate combustion-related emissions, tackling process-related CO₂ emissions remains imperative. Carmeuse’s efforts, demonstrated through the Butterfly project, offer a promising solution to produce carbon neutral lime.
The Butterfly project is a collaboration between Carmeuse, CRM Group, the University of Liège, CTI, EBC, CORETEC, VOC Sens, and the University of Mons. The industrial demonstrator is expected to be operational in 2024, serving as a platform for technological testing. If successful, the technology will be implemented in Carmeuse lime production plants worldwide, enabling the production of carbon-neutral lime.
Please find the full PR here.
