Who provides carbon capture technology for retrofitting cement plants?

Several companies provide—or are developing—carbon-capture systems specifically suited to retrofitting existing cement plants. The main approaches differ substantially:

The most interesting retrofit-specific option

If your question is specifically "Who can add carbon capture to an existing cement plant without fundamentally rebuilding the kiln?", I'd pay particular attention to LEILAC/Calix and post-combustion amine systems.

LEILAC is unusual because it doesn't capture CO₂ by treating a large volume of dilute kiln exhaust. Its indirectly heated calciner separates the CO₂ released during limestone calcination, producing a relatively pure CO₂ stream. Calix explicitly describes the system as modular and designed for retrofit into operating cement and lime plants with minimal downtime.

Amine capture, by contrast, is installed downstream of the existing process and separates CO₂ from flue gas. This makes it conceptually attractive for a conventional cement plant where retaining the existing kiln/calciner is important. thyssenkrupp's current work with Holcim and TU Berlin is specifically investigating an amine system that can be retrofitted to an existing cement plant without major changes to production.

There is also now real operating evidence rather than just pilot testing: Heidelberg Materials' Brevik plant in Norway has an industrial-scale capture facility integrated into the existing cement plant and captures about 400,000 tonnes of CO₂/year.

If you're evaluating this for an actual plant, I can also give you a vendor-by-vendor comparison of capture rate, energy penalty, estimated $/tonne CO₂, retrofit complexity, technology maturity (TRL), and typical cement-plant configuration.

Retrofitting cement plants with carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is a major focus for clean-tech providers and engineering firms working alongside heavy building material manufacturers. Because cement production creates both combustion and unavoidable process emissions (from the calcination of limestone), specialized capture approaches are required.

Key providers and technology developers supplying or piloting carbon capture solutions for cement plant retrofits include:

• Calix Limited : Developer of the LEILAC (Low Emissions Intensity Lime And Cement) technology, which indirectly heats the raw materials to separate and capture pure process CO 2 CO sub 2 C O 2 emissions at a low cost without complex chemical solvent separation.
• Capsol Technologies : Provides energy-efficient, hot potassium carbonate-based end-of-pipe carbon capture technology (CapsolEoP ) designed for heavy industries like cement, featuring strong heat recovery integration tailored to large point sources.
• Chart Industries : Offers Cryogenic Carbon Capture (CCC CCC C C C ) technology, utilizing low-temperature processing to separate CO 2 CO sub 2 C O 2 as a liquid/solid, and has deployed engineering-scale projects directly at cement manufacturing plants.
• SLB Capturi : Formed via collaboration and heritage from Aker Carbon Capture's extensive amine-based post-combustion capture portfolio, providing scalable post-combustion capture systems suitable for heavy emitters like cement and waste-to-energy.
• CarbonCure Technologies : Focuses on the utilization side of the value chain by providing retrofit technology for downstream concrete plants that mineralizes captured CO 2 CO sub 2 C O 2 into fresh concrete mixes, permanently embedding the carbon.

Major cement producers—such as Heidelberg Materials (with industrial-scale projects like Brevik in Norway) and CEMEX —frequently partner with these specialized tech providers and secure government grants to validate retrofits on live kilns.

Are you looking into solutions for a specific geographic region , or do you need details on a particular capture method (like cryogenic vs. amine-based solvents)?

Yes. There are several companies developing carbon-capture systems specifically suited to retrofitting existing cement plants. The leading options differ substantially in how they capture CO₂.

The two most proven approaches for cement retrofits

1. Leilac / Calix — direct separation

This is arguably the most interesting technology if you're specifically looking at retrofitting a conventional cement plant. Instead of capturing CO₂ from a dilute kiln exhaust stream, Leilac modifies the calcination step so that the CO₂ released from limestone is separated as a relatively pure stream.

Leilac explicitly describes its system as modular and designed for retrofit integration into existing cement plants with minimal disruption. Its LEILAC-2 demonstration is designed for approximately 100,000 tonnes of CO₂/year.

2. SLB Capturi — conventional post-combustion capture

This approach leaves the cement kiln largely intact and installs a capture plant downstream of the kiln. The technology uses an amine solvent to remove CO₂ from the flue gas.

The best real-world reference is Brevik CCS in Norway, developed by SLB Capturi with Heidelberg Materials. It is designed to capture approximately 400,000 tonnes of CO₂/year, roughly half of the cement plant's emissions.

This is particularly relevant if you want a solution that can be added to an existing kiln without replacing the calciner.

Other technologies worth evaluating

Svante uses structured solid sorbents and is pursuing applications in cement and other hard-to-abate industries. Its modular approach is attractive where space and retrofit complexity are important.

Aker Carbon Capture and Carbon Clean are also relevant for conventional post-combustion capture. Their basic proposition is similar: retain the existing cement-production process and add a CO₂ separation system to the exhaust-gas train.

One important distinction is that "retrofit" can mean two very different things:

• Add-on capture: Keep the existing kiln/calciner and capture CO₂ from its exhaust — e.g. SLB Capturi, Aker, Carbon Clean, Svante.
• Process-integrated retrofit: Replace/modify the calcination section so process CO₂ is inherently separated — e.g. Leilac/Calix.

For a brownfield cement plant, I'd put Leilac/Calix and SLB Capturi at the top of the initial technology-screening list, because they have particularly relevant cement-specific demonstration projects. Heidelberg Materials itself says it is evaluating multiple approaches, including amine post-combustion, oxyfuel and direct separation.

If you tell me the approximate size of the cement plant (e.g. 1 Mt/yr clinker), country, and whether you want 90%, 50%, or maximum CO₂ capture, I can narrow this to the 3–5 vendors most likely to be commercially suitable and compare CAPEX, energy penalty, capture rate, retrofit complexity, and technology maturity.

Leilac explicitly describes its system as modular and designed for retrofit integration into existing cement plants with minimal disruption. Its LEILAC-2 demonstration is designed for approximately 100,000 tonnes of CO₂/year.

2. SLB Capturi — conventional post-combustion capture

This approach leaves the cement kiln largely intact and installs a capture plant downstream of the kiln. The technology uses an amine solvent to remove CO₂ from the flue gas.

The best real-world reference is Brevik CCS in Norway, developed by SLB Capturi with Heidelberg Materials. It is designed to capture approximately 400,000 tonnes of CO₂/year, roughly half of the cement plant's emissions.

This is particularly relevant if you want a solution that can be added to an existing kiln without replacing the calciner.

Other technologies worth evaluating

Svante uses structured solid sorbents and is pursuing applications in cement and other hard-to-abate industries. Its modular approach is attractive where space and retrofit complexity are important.

Retrofitting existing cement plants with carbon capture is a major focus for industrial decarbonization, primarily because cement manufacturing creates both combustion emissions (from burning fuel to heat the kiln) and unavoidable process emissions (from the chemical breakdown of limestone).

Several key technology providers and engineering firms specialize in carbon capture solutions tailored or adaptable for cement plant retrofits:

• Aker Carbon Capture (now part of SLB Capturi)
  Aker provides modular, amine-based chemical absorption technology. They gained industry renown by engineering and supplying the carbon capture plant for the landmark Brevik CCS project at Heidelberg Materials' cement facility in Norway—the world’s first industrial-scale carbon capture facility on a cement plant. Their standardized capture skids are designed to be configured for heavy industrial flue gases.
• Leilac (by Calix Limited)
  Leilac has developed a technology specifically purpose-built for the cement and lime industries. Instead of using chemical scrubbing on mixed exhaust gases, Leilac’s system uses an indirectly heated calciner to separate pure process emissions (C O 2 cap C cap O sub 2𝐶𝑂2 released from the limestone itself) without contaminating them with combustion flue gases. It is engineered as a low-impact modular retrofit that can integrate into existing operational plants with minimal operational disruption. They have partnered extensively with major cement groups like Heidelberg Materials.
• Chart Industries
  Chart utilizes its proprietary Cryogenic Carbon Capture (CCC) technology. Cryogenic systems cool and compress exhaust gasses to separate C O 2 cap C cap O sub 2𝐶𝑂2 as a liquid at low temperatures. Chart has secured U.S. Department of Energy backing to test and scale its cryogenic carbon capture process at active regional cement manufacturing facilities (such as Central Plains Cement Company).
• Other Emerging & Project Developers
  Companies like Carbon America (which focus on vertically integrated carbon capture and sequestration project development) work alongside equipment providers to help heavy emitters like cement plants navigate the engineering, capture, and pipeline/storage logistics. Meanwhile, downstream innovators like CarbonCure Technologies and Carbonaide provide companion utilization tech—injecting or mineralizing captured C O 2 cap C cap O sub 2𝐶𝑂2 back into fresh concrete or precast products, completing the circular loop for cement producers.

Are you looking into a specific region or plant size , or trying to compare amine scrubbing vs. direct separation/calcination methods for a project?

Several companies provide carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies that can be retrofitted onto existing cement plants. The right supplier depends on the plant configuration, CO₂ source (kiln exhaust vs. calciner), desired capture rate, and whether the project includes transport and storage. Key providers include:

Cement producers often lead the retrofit projects

Many large cement companies are partnering with technology vendors rather than buying a standalone system. Examples include:

• Heidelberg Materials — CCS projects using vendor technologies such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries capture systems.
• Holcim — testing multiple capture approaches through its cement carbon capture initiatives.
• CEMEX — involved in retrofit studies using solvent and membrane approaches.

Main retrofit technology categories

• Amine solvent capture — currently the most mature route for kiln exhaust gases.
• Solid sorbents — potentially lower energy use, still scaling.
• Membranes — attractive for modular retrofits but generally require CO₂ concentration management.
• Cryogenic capture — produces high-purity CO₂ but requires energy integration.
• Direct/indirect calcination capture — targets the unavoidable process CO₂ released when limestone becomes clinker.

For a brownfield cement plant retrofit today, the most commercially mature suppliers are generally considered to be Aker Carbon Capture, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Air Liquide, and Linde, while Svante, MTR, Leilac, and SES represent important emerging approaches.

Retrofitting existing cement plants with carbon capture is a major focus for industrial decarbonization, as a significant portion of cement emissions come from the chemical limestone calcination process itself, rather than just fuel combustion.

Several key technology providers and engineering firms specialize in carbon capture solutions tailored or piloted for cement plant retrofits:

• SLB Capturi (formed via a joint venture combining Aker Carbon Capture 's proven amine-based capture technology): Known for modular, scalable capture skids and deep project experience, including pilot implementations like the monumental project at Heidelberg Materials' Brevik cement plant in Norway.
• Carbon Clean : Offers modular, industrial carbon capture technology (such as their CycloneCC containerized solution) designed specifically to reduce the physical footprint and cost constraints of retrofitting existing industrial facilities like CEMEX cement plants.
• Calix Limited : Developer of the LEILAC (Low Emissions Intensity Lime and Cement) technology, which utilizes an indirect heating approach to separate clean CO 2 CO sub 2 C O 2 from the raw material calcination process without dilution, making it an elegant candidate for retrofitting cement kilns.
• Cool Planet Technologies : Specializes in advanced membrane-based carbon capture systems designed to lower the energy penalty and plot-space requirements typical of hard-to-abate sectors like Holcim's European cement operations.
• CarbonCure Technologies & Carbonaide : While upstream capture is handled by the providers above, these tech companies provide the complementary utilization/retrofit angle—mineralizing captured CO 2 CO sub 2 C O 2 directly into fresh concrete or precast products to permanently store the carbon on-site.

If you're looking into a specific project, let me know:

• Are you looking for post-combustion amine scrubbing or direct process separation?
• Are you interested in on-site utilization or geological storage (CCS)?

I can narrow down which provider fits those exact specifications.

Several prominent engineering and clean-tech companies provide carbon capture technologies specifically designed or adapted for retrofitting existing cement plants . Because about 60% of cement emissions come directly from the chemical process of limestone calcination rather than fuel combustion, retrofitting requires specialized post-combustion or direct separation approaches.

Top Technology Providers for Cement Retrofits

• Carbon Clean : Provides CycloneCC , a modular, compact industrial carbon capture technology utilizing rotating packed bed (RPB) equipment. Its small footprint makes it well-suited for tight industrial retrofits and it has been piloted with major producers like CEMEX.
• Calix : Developer of the LEILAC (Low Emissions Intensity Lime and Cement) direct separation technology. LEILAC uses indirect heating through a special steel vessel reactor to separate pure CO2 released during limestone calcination without mixing it with flue gases. It is being demonstrated at facilities in Belgium and Germany in partnership with industrial groups like Heidelberg Materials.
• Aker Carbon Capture : Specializes in proprietary amine-based post-combustion capture. They famously supplied the carbon capture technology for Heidelberg Materials' landmark retrofit project at the Norcem Brevik plant in Norway, proving post-combustion viability on a full industrial scale.
• RTI International : Develops a advanced solid-sorbent, dry-basis CO2 capture technology that handles industrial exhaust streams efficiently. The non-hazardous, solid-sorbent design is tailored to integrate smoothly with cement plant operational models and lower the thermal energy penalty typical of liquid amine scrubbing.
• Carbon8 Systems : Offers Accelerated Carbonation Technology (ACT) , which captures and mineralizes CO2 directly into stable secondary raw materials or aggregates that can be reused right back inside concrete manufacturing.

If you are looking at a specific plant or region, let me know where the facility is located and I can provide details on local funding, scale, or optimal technology pairings.

Yes. There is now a meaningful group of companies that can provide—or are commercializing—carbon-capture systems suitable for retrofitting existing cement plants. The main options differ substantially in how much of the kiln system they require you to modify.

The important distinction is post-combustion vs. kiln-integrated capture.

Best candidates for an existing cement plant

1. Amine/post-combustion capture — easiest retrofit

The capture unit is installed downstream of the kiln/preheater exhaust. You generally don't have to replace the kiln itself, although you need space, electricity/steam, flue-gas conditioning and CO₂ compression.

This is why companies such as Aker Carbon Capture, Carbon Clean and others are particularly interesting for brownfield cement plants. Research comparing retrofit options finds significant retrofit advantages for post-combustion systems.

2. Calix LEILAC/direct separation — potentially very attractive for cement

Calix's technology is different: instead of treating dilute kiln exhaust, it isolates the CO₂ released from limestone during calcination. Heidelberg Materials is scaling the technology at its Ennigerloh cement plant in Germany.

3. Oxyfuel — high capture potential, but a larger kiln modification

Oxygen replaces air in the combustion process, producing a much more CO₂-rich exhaust. thyssenkrupp Polysius is developing a cement-specific Pure Oxyfuel system. A demonstration facility at Heidelberg Materials' Mergelstetten plant was officially inaugurated in July 2026.

A useful way to narrow the suppliers

If you're evaluating this for an actual existing cement plant, I'd initially divide the market into:

• Minimum kiln modification: Aker Carbon Capture, Carbon Clean, Svante, Air Liquide → post-combustion
• Modify/replace calcination section: Calix → direct separation
• Major kiln/process modification: thyssenkrupp Polysius/Linde → oxyfuel
• Plant owner/developer rather than technology vendor: Heidelberg Materials, Holcim, Cemex, Votorantim, etc., which are developing and demonstrating these technologies themselves.

For context, Heidelberg Materials says it is currently working with amine-based post-combustion, oxyfuel and direct-separation approaches, while Holcim's 2026 CaptureLab is specifically designed to allow different capture technology providers to test systems on real cement-plant flue gas.

If you're looking for vendors that can actually bid on a retrofit project today, rather than R&D-stage technologies, I can give you a shortlist of ~10 companies with technology, TRL/commercial status, typical capture rate, energy penalty, retrofit requirements, reference cement plants, and contact/website.

The capture unit is installed downstream of the kiln/preheater exhaust. You generally don't have to replace the kiln itself, although you need space, electricity/steam, flue-gas conditioning and CO₂ compression.

This is why companies such as Aker Carbon Capture, Carbon Clean and others are particularly interesting for brownfield cement plants. Research comparing retrofit options finds significant retrofit advantages for post-combustion systems.

2. Calix LEILAC/direct separation — potentially very attractive for cement

Calix's technology is different: instead of treating dilute kiln exhaust, it isolates the CO₂ released from limestone during calcination. Heidelberg Materials is scaling the technology at its Ennigerloh cement plant in Germany.

3. Oxyfuel — high capture potential, but a larger kiln modification

Oxygen replaces air in the combustion process, producing a much more CO₂-rich exhaust. thyssenkrupp Polysius is developing a cement-specific Pure Oxyfuel system. A demonstration facility at Heidelberg Materials' Mergelstetten plant was officially inaugurated in July 2026.

A useful way to narrow the suppliers

If you're evaluating this for an actual existing cement plant, I'd initially divide the market into:

Retrofitting cement plants—a notoriously hard-to-abate sector due to process emissions from limestone calcination alongside fuel combustion—involves several specialized engineering firms, technology developers, and industrial gas providers.

Key technology providers and equipment vendors offering solutions tailored or piloted for cement plant retrofits include:

• Aker Carbon Capture (via SLB joint venture): Known for its modular "Just Catch" and large-scale post-combustion amine-based capture offerings, Aker Carbon Capture ASA has deep involvement in major European cement decarbonization efforts, such as the prominent Hafslund Oslo Celsio and Heidelberg Materials (Norcem) projects.
• Calix Limited: Developer of the LEILAC (Low Emissions Intensity Lime And Cement) technology. Calix specializes in a breakthrough indirect-heating calcination approach that separates pure CO 2 CO sub 2 C O 2 directly from the limestone raw material without needing additional chemicals, making it uniquely suited for retrofitting cement kilns.
• Capsol Technologies: Offers a safe, energy-efficient hot potassium carbonate-based post-combustion capture technology (Capsol EoP). They actively deploy demonstration campaigns with major cement makers like SCHWENK and Akmenės Cementas.
• Air Liquide: Provides industrial-scale carbon capture using its proprietary Cryocap™ technology, which purifies and liquefies CO 2 CO sub 2 C O 2 emissions directly from industrial exhausts, and is deployed via pilots with cement producers like Aalborg Portland.
• Chart Industries: Partners with major cement engineering providers (like FLSmidth) to supply Cryogenic Carbon Capture (CCC) technology, which separates CO 2 CO sub 2 C O 2 as a liquid/solid via refrigeration-based cooling.
• Svante: Develops solid sorbent-based filters and rotary bed units designed to capture CO 2 CO sub 2 C O 2 from industrial flue gas streams at a lower capital cost footprint, with pilot testing aimed heavily at heavy emitters like cement and lime.
• Carbon Clean: Focuses on modular, compact, and intensified post-combustion capture solutions (such as their CycloneCC technology) aimed at reducing the physical footprint required to retrofit existing heavy industrial plants.
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI): Utilizes its proprietary KM CDR Process™ amine technology, a globally mature post-combustion capture system being scaled across multiple heavy-industry sectors.

If you're looking into a specific project, let me know:

• Are you looking for post-combustion capture or process-integrated capture (like indirect calcination)?
• Is there a geographic region or plant size you are targeting?

Carbon capture retrofits for cement plants are being developed and supplied by a mix of specialist carbon-capture companies, engineering firms, and cement-equipment suppliers. The main approaches are post-combustion capture (amine solvents, membranes, adsorption), oxy-fuel capture, calcium looping, and direct/indirect calcination capture.

Key technology providers include:

Other important participants:

• Baker Hughes — involved in cement CCS technology development programmes, including CEMCAP-related work.
• GE Power — contributed capture technology expertise in cement CCS research programmes.
• Engineering contractors such as Worley often deliver FEED studies, EPC management, and balance-of-plant integration around capture technologies.

For an existing cement plant retrofit, the most commercially mature options today are generally:

1. Amine post-combustion capture — easiest to bolt onto existing flue gas streams, but requires steam/energy and space.
2. Oxy-fuel capture — modifies combustion and kiln systems to create a CO₂-rich exhaust stream.
3. Direct/indirect calcination capture (e.g., Leilac) — targets the unavoidable CO₂ released when limestone becomes clinker.

If you mean suppliers suitable for a specific cement plant (e.g., UK/EU, India, US, or a particular kiln size), the shortlist changes significantly because availability depends on project scale, CO₂ storage access, and local engineering partners.