Germany: HeidelbergCement and Aachen University of Applied Sciences (RWTH Aachen) have started a three-year research project ‘CO2MIN’ that started on 1 June 2017 examining the absorption of CO₂ from flue gas by olivine and basalt. The intention is that the carbonised minerals could be used as a value-added additive in the production of building materials. HeidelbergCement and RWTH are supported by the Potsdam Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) and the Dutch start-up Green Minerals. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the project with Euro3m.

"We are already reducing the CO₂ emissions of our plants very successfully by using alternative fuels and raw materials and by optimising the efficiency of our kilns," said Jan Theulen, Director of Alternative Resources at HeidelbergCement. He added that binding CO₂ in minerals was one approach the company was exploring to reduce its emissions further.

In the first year the research project will focus on the investigation of different minerals in small-scale experiments. The carbonation of the most suitable minerals will then be tested under process conditions in the second year. The experiments will be conducted by the institute of Process Metallurgy and Metal Recycling (IME), which is the coordinator of the RWTH group. Life-cycle assessments (RWTH) as well as analyses of economic aspects and social acceptance (IASS) complete this project phase. In the third year, marketability and acceptance will be further optimised through intensive cooperation with customers.