Leilac licenses low-emission cement tech to Heidelberg Materials

Australian cement and lime decarbonisation technology company Leilac has announced a perpetual global licence agreement for the use of its decarbonisation technology with German company Heidelberg Materials, one of the world’s largest cement producers and building materials companies.

The licence agreement for Leilac’s technology applies to any Heidelberg Materials facility where the Leilac decarbonisation technology is installed. Heidelberg Materials operates 149 cement plants across five continents.

Leilac CEO Daniel Renniem described the agreement with Heidelberg Materials as a key milestone in the development and commercialisation of the Leilac technology.

“It forms the basis for the technology’s use throughout Heidelberg Materials, providing a model for the commercialisation of the technology at a global scale,” he said. “Together, Leilac and Heidelberg Materials continue to de-risk, prove and scale Leilac’s decarbonisation technology.

“The agreement is an important step in our journey towards providing cement and lime producers with access to a low-cost carbon abatement solution, allowing them to take urgent action against climate change and protect their industries’ jobs and prosperity.”

“Heidelberg Materials and Leilac have been successfully collaborating since 2014, further expanding our options to decarbonise the cement production process,” said Heidelberg Materials Chairman of the Managing Board Dr Dominik von Achten. “Now we can implement this groundbreaking technology at a larger scale.

“Adding it to our portfolio of carbon capture technologies, we will be even better positioned to make custom-fit technology decisions at each site. The licence agreement enables us to scale up the Leilac technology at very good commercial terms and based on a trusted partnership.”

Cement production is the world’s single biggest industrial cause of carbon pollution, responsible for up to 8% of global emissions and producing more than 4 billion tonnes of CO₂ per year. Cement is the primary ingredient in concrete, the second-most used material in the world after water. Meanwhile, the global production volume of lime was approximately 330 million tonnes in 2020, with myriad applications beyond cement including the manufacture of aluminium, asphalt, copper, glass, gold, lithium, plasterboard, silver, solar-grade silica, steel, table salt and toothpaste. Lime is also used in agriculture and for water and sewage treatment.

Leilac, a 93%-owned Calix subsidiary, is a collaborative technology partner enabling sustainable decarbonisation of cement and lime.

The patented Leilac kiln design separates CO₂ emissions arising during lime and cement production without significant energy penalty. The Leilac kiln is being developed to use a variety of input fuels and is also easily electrified, enabling complete decarbonisation of production by switching to renewable energy.