For any industrial entity that processes limestone into lime, an important distinction has to be made between:
• Combustion emissions are produced when burning fuel to generate heat for the calcination process. These can be significantly reduced by switching to more efficient installations and using low-carbon or carbon-neutral fuels (e.g. sustainable biomass), and even renewable electricity in the future. Fuel combustion contributes to one-third of the CO2 emissions from the entire lime and dolime production cycle.
• Process emissions come from the chemical conversion of limestone into lime. The lime manufacturing process requires a substantial amount of energy to decompose limestone to calcium oxide thermally, generating CO2 emissions as a by-product. As process CO2 is an inherent part of the production of lime, these emissions are irreducible and represent two-thirds of the CO2 emissions.
At Lhoist, we are continuously developing and implementing various solutions across our sites to reduce our CO2 emissions, as we work towards a low-carbon production process.
Our short-term priority is to address combustion emissions emitted when burning fuel in the calcination process. We upgrade our kilns to be more efficient and enhance our ability to use a diversity of fuels wherever feasible.
By prioritizing focusing fuel flexibility, energy efficiency, and low-carbon intensity, we can reduce our fuel footprint. This greater flexibility enables us to use sustainable biomass and alternative fuels in our kilns, lowering consequently our CO2 emissions and decreasing the carbon intensity of our operations wherever possible.