» Roadmap Decarbonisation » Modern Kilns and Energy Management Systems
Kiln group Hahnstätten plant

Modern Kilns and Energy Management Systems

To reduce fuel emissions, we have already made substantial investments in modern kilns, which, with a thermal efficiency of around 85%, currently represent the state of the art.

In the area of electricity consumption, we are also continuously investing in efficient machinery and equipment in order to further optimise our energy use.

As part of a certified energy management system, we are continuously working to reduce our electricity and fuel consumption.

From Vision to Reality - Our Milestones

We have begun implementing initial projects on our path to climate neutrality. 
Initial successes are measurable and concrete further steps are planned. 
However, future approaches must also be further developed and specified. 
We are working intensively on this, together with associations, research institutions, partner companies and service providers.

Glossary

FAQ

  • The use of lime is at the beginning of a large number of industrial value chains in Germany and Europe.
  • Regional lime production with high quality standards secures our customers' supply chains and contributes to local value creation.  
  • Supplying our plants with raw materials from our own quarries and our regional proximity to our customers are also important factors in reducing emissions. This avoids long-distance truck transports and reduces CO2 emissions.
    Where possible, we deliver large quantities by rail.

  • In a few applications, lime can be replaced by other less CO2-intensive products, while in others, the amount of lime required can be reduced through process optimisation. Customers are already working on these issues.
  • However, many customers cannot do without lime. That is why we are working to gradually reduce CO2 emissions.

  • The production of quicklime is an energy-intensive process in which, in addition to emissions from the fuels required for this purpose, CO2 is also released from the conversion of natural limestone into quicklime. These process emissions are chemically induced and cannot be reduced at this stage.
  • The production of one tonne of lime emits around one tonne of CO2. Around 30% of this comes from the combustion of fuels and around 70% is released during the conversion of limestone (CaCO3) to quicklime (CaO).  

  • The process CO₂ arised during lime production must be captured and transported for reuse or storage, which requires pipelines and storage facilities. The necessary legal framework must also be created for this purpose.
  • Decarbonisation increases the demand for renewable energy, especially green electricity, but also biomass. A competitive and secure supply of green electricity is crucial for the transformation.
  • In the long term, green hydrogen could be a solution for emissions from fossil fuels. This requires, on the one hand, that sufficient green hydrogen is available at economic conditions and, on the other hand, that a transport infrastructure is established by means of pipelines.
  • The necessary technical renewal requires high investments in new technologies and leads to higher operating costs for companies. These additional costs exceed the savings achieved through reduced emissions, which is why support programmes for investment and research are necessary to maintain the competitiveness of the industry.

This roadmap contains both, concrete projects that can be implemented in the near future and projects that are further in the future for which no concrete plans are yet available. Particularly for future projects, the calculations presented are based in part on initial 
estimates and still contain considerable uncertainties. Assumptions regarding energy and CO₂ costs were made on the basis of current values, which may change significantly in future. Possible projects to promote investment or financing have also not yet been taken into account.

This roadmap therefore initially represents a rough concept that serves as a guideline for the ongoing decarbonisation process. We will regularly review the assumptions and adapt them to new findings. We will further develop and, if necessary, adapt technically feasible projects.

However, the roadmap shows in its initial approach that the decarbonisation of our processes is fundamentally possible. 
A key prerequisite for this will be the provision of sufficient green electricity and the creation of the necessary infrastructure for CO₂ transport and storage – factors over which we have no direct influence.

The energy requirements of each household vary depending on the size of the household, the type of heating and the 
electrical appliances.
However, an average value helps to classify other energy requirements, e.g. in the lime industry.

Energy is used in a household for electricity, heating and hot water.
In a single-family home (approx. 150 m², gas heating, 4 people), this amounts to approx. 30,000-40,000 kWh per year.
In the comparative examples in our roadmap, we have calculated 30,000 kWh per year.