Lengfurt cement plant: Plant components for
the Cap2U plant stand on floor slabs made of
R-concrete
Under the name “Capture-to-Use” (Cap2U), Heidelberg Materials and Linde have established a joint venture for the construction and operation of a carbon dioxide capture and liquefaction plant, which is currently being built on the site of the Lengfurt cement plant. The plant is being planned and built by Linde Engineering. Around 70 000 t of CO2 are to be captured and processed here every year. Based on an amine scrubber specially developed for flue gases, the carbon dioxide will be separated directly from part of the exhaust gas stream from the cement clinker kiln. Plants for cleaning and liquefaction, tanks for intermediate storage of the product and loading facilities are also part of the project scope.
Absorption column delivered and installed
The first major plant components were erected in November 2024. Three important columns, which are at the heart of the carbon dioxide separation and liquefaction plant, were delivered to Lengfurt by ship in mid-August. In the weeks that followed, they were initially completed with all attachments such as platforms, ladders, piping and insulation until they were finally ready for installation. The crane lift for the largest column was particularly spectacular: the 54 m long and 100 t absorption column was erected on the factory premises using a heavy-duty crane and fitted with pinpoint accuracy.
Floor slabs made of R-concrete - regional cooperation with the Reithelshöfer Group
The floor slabs for the plant were cast using around 1000 m3 of R-concrete. This was made possible by a cooperation between Heidelberg Materials Mineralik and the Reithelshöfer Group, which was able to supply the Heidelberg Materials Beton plant with the corresponding quantity of recycled aggregate. Overall, the CO2 reduction in the concrete types for the floor slabs is almost 60%. The Cap2U project is therefore also a fine example of holistic building material recycling and a circular economy in action.
Start of the plant planned for 2025
The new plant in Lengfurt is scheduled to go into operation in 2025 and will enable the CO₂ captured from cement production to be used as a raw material for industrial applications for the first time. Thanks to its purity, the processed gas can be used in both the chemical and food industries, for example as carbon dioxide in mineral water.
In addition to the joint venture‘s investments, funding from the “Decarbonization in Industry” funding programme on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) is also being provided for the implementation of the project in Lengfurt.
