Developing low emissions lime

Leilac is pleased to announce Calix has been awarded an A$11m grant from the Australian Government’s Carbon Capture, Use and Storage (CCUS) Hubs and Technologies Program to develop the world’s first commercial-scale process for the manufacture of low emissions lime using the Leilac technology with Adbri.

Highlights:

  • Calix to receive $11m to develop a low emissions lime kiln with key project partner Adbri, as well as CarbonTP and the Heavy Industry Low Emissions Technology Co-Operative Research Centre (HILT CRC).
  • The project will be located at Kwinana, Western Australia and provide low emissions lime for alumina, gold, and other industries across Western Australia.
  • The plant will use Calix’s Low Emissions Intensity Lime and Cement (Leilac) technology to demonstrate the use of renewable power and grid load balancing, assess alternative energy sources such as hydrogen, and the efficient capture of CO2 process emissions.
  • Captured CO2 is planned to be provided to the proposed South West Hub Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project.

The project, undertaken by Calix in collaboration with key partner Adbri, will help accelerate Calix’s Leilac technology by building and operating the world’s first commercial-scale process for the manufacture of low emissions lime. The proposed plant, at Kwinana, WA, will;

  • produce lime using renewable power,
  • demonstrate grid load balancing by flexibly operating only during peak renewable electricity production / low electricity cost periods,
  • assess alternative energy sources such as hydrogen and alternative fuels, and
  • capture the CO2 emitted from the process.

Once the proposed South West Hub CCS project is operational, CO2 can be fed into the system for permanent storage, creating truly zero emissions lime.

The project objectives are aligned with the Government’s Technology Roadmap to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and to lower the cost of CCS to less than $20/tonne. The use of low emissions lime will be directed to the trade-exposed alumina, nickel, rare-earth and gold producers to reduce the embodied emissions of their products.

With the $11m in funding secured from the Australian Government, Calix and Adbri will now proceed with the next stages of the project under the Heads of Agreement announced in March 2021, including the finalisation of commercial terms and further technical work.

Calix and Adbri anticipate undertaking a feasibility study for the project followed by a front-end engineering and design phase. The plant construction and demonstration is expected to include raw material feedstock contributed by Adbri and would test multiple fuel and energy options including natural gas, hydrogen and renewable electricity with load switching.

Phil Hodgson

A few years ago, I doubted a world-first commercial scale application of our technology would have been built in Australia, and as a result our efforts were concentrated offshore. However, with the support of the Federal Government and the Technology Investment Roadmap, the HILT-CRC, and companies such as Adbri, who are now starting to lead low emissions efforts, it is now a reality. I am proud our first commercial scale lime kiln is being developed here in Australia, creating local jobs, utilising and developing local talent, and helping to future-proof our vital local manufacturing sector.”

Calix Managing Director, Phil Hodgson

Nick Miller

“We welcome the Federal Government’s support as part of its Technology Investment Roadmap. The funding commitment represents a significant milestone in our collaboration with Calix to develop carbon capture and storage technology to reduce emissions from lime production.

“As a leading Australian producer of lime aspiring to be net zero by 2050, we recognise it is a difficult manufacturing process to abate. Transformative technology-led partnerships like this one with Calix form a key part of our own pathway to net zero by 2050, reducing our emissions profile while supporting the decarbonisation of our end-market customers in the alumina, gold and rare-earths sector.”

Adbri Managing Director and CEO, Nick Miller 

Felicity Lloyd

“This project is an important step in demonstrating pathways to reduce the emissions of CO2 from heavy industry for lime, and then cement. The major sectors of aluminium and steel are users of lime, and the project will be of direct interest to them in better understanding how to reduce the emissions intensity of their products.  Calix technology is also applicable to the green alumina and steel manufacturing process, so this project will build capacity and know-how to support such future opportunities.”          

HILT-CRC CEO, Felicity Lloyd 

UPDATE: On 25 October 2022, the Australian Government announced that the former Government’s Carbon Capture, Use and Storage (CCUS) Hubs and Technologies Program had been cancelled, and that a new program focused on hard-to-abate industries, such as cement, would be introduced. Please click here for more information.