Holcim Beckum carbon capture project reaches first test phase

Holcim Germany, thyssenkrupp Uhde and the Technical University of Berlin have started the first test phase of latest amine scrubbing technology to separate the process exhaust gas CO₂ at the Holcim cement plant in Beckum, Germany.

The project cooperation was announced about a year ago and the installation of the first system module in the factory is ready. The aim is to significantly reduce the CO₂ emissions of existing cement plants and at the same time make the separated CO₂ usable for other applications. Until the end of 2025, the partners will test the promising technology on a small scale, which can make an important contribution to the decarbonisation of the cement industry in Germany. If the tests go as planned, the separation and processing will produce highly pure CO₂, which can then be used as a raw material for other industries or processed into other energy sources such as methanol.

In the course of the test phase, continuous adjustments will be made and the test capacities expanded with the construction of a second system module with new, innovative processes. The performance and efficiency of these devices are being tested with real exhaust gas at the Holcim cement plant in Beckum. With this process, the partners want to make a contribution to reducing greenhouse gases, especially in existing cement production plants. The aim is to retrofit the plants with devices for separating the CO₂ from the process exhaust gas without having to make any further adjustments to the production process. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection under the funding number 03EE5103A.