Enagás and Calcinor Collaborate to Cut 900,000 Tonnes of CO₂ Emissions Annually

Spanish utility Enagás has collaborated with lime production specialist Calcinor to slash collectively 900,000 tonnes per year of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. Its partnership is focusing on the industrial sector—most notably at the manufacturing of lime—and it's among the sectors that are the most challenging to decarbonize as it contains significant emissions as well as substantial energy usage.

The alliance focuses on the capture, transportation, storage, and possible reuse of CO₂ released from Calcinor's lime manufacturing units. In terms of the deal, Calcinor will be responsible for on-site CO₂ capture, while Enagás will handle the rest of the carbon value chain like liquefaction, temporary storage, and loading the CO₂ onto vessels. The vessels will transport the captured carbon to specific plants for long-term storage or use in industry.

This transaction forms part of broader global initiatives to decarbonize historically hard-to-abate industries. The industry of lime production emits significant volumes of CO₂ due to the chemical reactions inherent in the process of transforming limestone into lime. This collaboration marks an important step toward industrial carbon management by proposing a source-to-end solution for emissions storage or reuse.

The two companies also plan to collaborate to seek European funding towards the aim of scaling their programs. They are going to conduct a series of technical, financial, and legal feasibility studies in an effort to determine how to establish infrastructure that supports the whole CO₂ value chain. Their joint objective is to come up with an integrated model that supports the viability and sustainability of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in this field.

Such industrial partnerships are becoming more necessary as the EU intensifies its carbon neutrality and climate resilience pledge. Together, firms like Enagás and Calcinor aim to spur the commercialization of CO₂ management technologies while being competitive and compliant with evolving regulations.

Aside from the emission reductions, the project can also generate CO₂ logistics innovation, storage methodology, and shipping protocols across borders. It creates a blueprint for energy suppliers and industry producers to work together to generate scalable, significant carbon reduction outcomes.

As the European carbon market evolves, projects such as this are critical in building the infrastructure needed to meet national and EU-wide decarbonisation goals. They also show how traditional industry can transform ahead of time by embracing technology and collective effort.

The partnership finally reflects growing recognition that there needs to be an international and integrated approach in addressing emissions from industries that can't be quickly electrified or transitioned to renewables. With this scheme, Enagás and Calcinor aim to create an replicable business model for CO₂ transport and capture that can be scaled up to other heavy industries.

Source/Credits: Enagás, KnowESG