15. December 2025

CALORIC receives order to supply pilot plant for CO2 capture from flue gases

The Technical University of Darmstadt has initiated a public tender for the construction of a mobile carbonate looping plant for CO₂ capture from industrial flue gas streams as part of the BMWK-funded CARMEN project. CALORIC has been awarded the contract for this pilot project and is delighted to be part of this innovative process application as a cooperation partner.

The carbonate looping process is based on two fluidized bed reactors. In the first fluidized bed (carbonator), the CO₂ reacts with the injected calcium oxide (CaO) at exhaust gas temperatures of around 650 °C to form calcium carbonate (CaCO₃). The CO₂ separation rate from the flue gas is over 90%. The CaCO₃ is then decomposed again in a downstream second fluidized bed reactor (calciner) at around 900 °C with the addition of heat, producing CaO and CO₂. The CaO is then returned to the carbonator and the CO2 is removed from the process. The CO₂ can then either be stored long-term or reused as a by-product.

The aim of the project is to demonstrate the technological maturity of the process and prove its economic viability. To this end, the plant is designed to be mobile so that it can be used at various industrial facilities.