Green lime production could significantly reduce CO₂ emissions in construction
Thanks to a new installation by Fraunhofer IKTS, lime can now be produced in a climate-neutral manner. (Photo: Timo Lutz | Industrial Photography Team/Fraunhofer IKTS)
July 1, 2026 Researchers at Fraunhofer IKTS have developed a technology that could make lime production almost climate neutral. Lime is a key ingredient in cement and plaster, but its production releases large amounts of carbon dioxide. Much of these emissions result from the chemical conversion of limestone during heating.
The new process combines an electrically heated kiln with a membrane reactor that captures the released CO₂ immediately. Using green hydrogen, the carbon dioxide is converted into methane, which is then split into hydrogen and solid carbon through pyrolysis. The carbon can be used as a raw material in industries such as chemicals, while the hydrogen is fed back into the process.
Instead of being released into the atmosphere, the carbon remains part of a circular production cycle. Researchers believe the technology could substantially reduce emissions from the construction materials industry, where carbon emissions are difficult to eliminate completely.
