Who provides carbon capture technology for retrofitting cement plants?

Yes. There are several companies developing or supplying carbon-capture systems that can be integrated with existing cement plants, rather than requiring an entirely new kiln.

Major technology providers

• Aker Carbon Capture — Develops modular amine-based post-combustion capture systems. This is particularly relevant for retrofit applications, because the capture unit can be installed downstream of an existing kiln/preheater system.
• Svante — Uses solid sorbent-based capture technology. Svante has specifically worked on cement applications, including a commercial-scale study with Holcim/LafargeHolcim for capturing up to 725,000 tonnes of CO₂/year from a cement plant in Colorado.
• Air Liquide — Developing and testing capture technology for cement. In 2026, Air Liquide became the first pilot partner at Holcim's cement-industry CaptureLab, where technologies are connected to actual cement-plant flue gas.
• thyssenkrupp Polysius — Particularly important for oxyfuel capture and integrated cement-process solutions. Its Pure Oxyfuel technology is being demonstrated at Heidelberg Materials' Mergelstetten facility in Germany.
• Calix — Its LEILAC/direct-separation technology targets the process CO₂ released during limestone calcination. Heidelberg Materials is scaling the technology at its Ennigerloh cement plant.
• CarboClearTech — Developing an end-of-pipe PSA/cryogenic capture system for Holcim's Martres-Tolosane cement plant in France, targeting roughly 0.7 MtCO₂/year.

Which technologies are most suitable for retrofitting?

For an existing conventional cement plant, I'd divide the market roughly like this:

A review of cement CCS technologies identifies amine scrubbing, calcium looping and partial oxyfuel as among the more mature approaches for cement applications, while full oxyfuel and direct-separation approaches require more extensive process changes.

The important distinction

If you're asking because you're evaluating a specific existing cement plant for retrofit, I would focus first on Aker Carbon Capture, Svante, Air Liquide, CarboClearTech and similar end-of-pipe technologies. If you're willing to modify the kiln/precalciner, then thyssenkrupp Polysius' oxyfuel and Calix's LEILAC/direct separation become particularly interesting.

There are also EPC/integration companies—such as FLSmidth, thyssenkrupp Polysius and engineering firms—that can integrate the capture technology with the kiln, rather than simply supplying the capture equipment.

If you tell me the plant size (e.g. 1 Mt cement/year), kiln type, country, and whether you're looking for a commercially available system today, I can narrow this down to the 5–10 most credible retrofit suppliers and compare capture rate, energy penalty, TRL, footprint, and known cement references.

Retrofitting cement plants—which are notoriously difficult to decarbonize because C O 2 cap C cap O sub 2𝐶𝑂2 is released both from burning fossil fuels and the chemical breakdown of limestone—requires specialized carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) solutions.

Several key technology providers and engineering firms specialize in retrofitting cement manufacturing operations:

• Calix Limited (LEILAC Technology): Calix developed the LEILAC (Low Emissions Intensity Lime And Cement) technology, specifically designed to capture process C O 2 cap C cap O sub 2𝐶𝑂2 directly from cement and lime production. It uses a novel indirect heating approach that separates C O 2 cap C cap O sub 2𝐶𝑂2 without extra chemicals and is easily adaptable as a modular retrofit. They partner heavily with major cement producers like Heidelberg Materials and Cemex.
• thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions / Decarbon Technologies: thyssenkrupp provides "pure oxyfuel" technology for cement plants. By replacing ambient air in the kiln with pure oxygen, the exhaust gas becomes highly concentrated with C O 2 cap C cap O sub 2𝐶𝑂2 , making it much easier and cheaper to capture downstream. They are deployed on major European net-zero cement retrofit projects.
• Aker Carbon Capture: A recognized leader in modular and customizable amine-based carbon capture units. They provide scalable post-combustion capture technology designed to integrate with heavy industrial sites, including cement flue gases.
• Cool Planet Technologies: Focuses on advanced, energy-efficient membrane-based carbon capture systems. Their modular and compact design is specifically aimed at hard-to-abate sectors like cement and lime, reducing the traditional energy penalty associated with capturing C O 2 cap C cap O sub 2𝐶𝑂2.
• Fortera & CarbonBuilt (Mineralization Alternatives): While not traditional smokestack retrofits, these innovators provide alternative pathways—Fortera uses a recarbonation/mineralization process to capture C O 2 cap C cap O sub 2𝐶𝑂2 directly inside cement facilities, effectively turning emissions into supplementary cementitious materials.

If you're working on a specific project, tell me:

• Is your focus on post-combustion capture (flue gas) or process emissions (calcination)?
• What is your target capture capacity or region?

I can provide a more tailored breakdown of vendors or ongoing retrofit case studies.

Retrofitting cement plants with carbon capture is a critical step because a large portion of cement emissions (C O 2 cap C cap O sub 2𝐶𝑂2 ) comes directly from the chemical limestone calcination process itself, rather than just fuel combustion.

Several prominent technology providers, engineering firms, and specialized innovators actively supply and pilot carbon capture solutions tailored or adaptable for cement plant retrofits:

• SLB Capturi (Formed via a joint venture between SLB and Aker Carbon Capture ) provides modular and scalable industrial carbon capture tech (such as the "Just Catch" series) designed for hard-to-abate sectors like cement. Aker technology has notably been utilized for industrial-scale cement tracking like the Norcem Brevik project in Norway.
• Calix Limited features the LEILAC (Low Emissions Intensity Lime And Cement) technology, developed alongside major cement producers (like CEMEX and Heidelberg Materials). Leilac's unique approach captures C O 2 cap C cap O sub 2𝐶𝑂2 directly from the process (the precalciner) separate from other gasses, making it an efficient candidate for retrofitting existing kilns.
• Capsol Technologies provides energy-efficient hot potassium carbonate-based capture technology (Capsol iv Capsol raised to the iv power C a p s o l i v ). They have run demonstration and engineering validation campaigns directly with cement makers such as SCHWENK (Akmenė cement plant).
• Carbon Clean offers modular, compact solvent-based capture technology (including its CycloneCC design) which heavily reduces the physical footprint required—a major advantage for older cement plants constrained by tight spatial layouts.
• Chart Industries has developed Cryogenic Carbon Capture (CCC) , an alternative method using refrigeration/cryogenic separation to isolate C O 2 cap C cap O sub 2𝐶𝑂2 from flue gases, which has received backing from the U.S. Department of Energy for industrial evaluations.
• Svante specializes in solid-sorbent based carbon capture using structured filter beds ("rotary adsorbent beds") designed for modular post-combustion retrofits across heavy industries, including cement and steel.

Note: Large global cement manufacturers like Heidelberg Materials and Holcim frequently spearhead these implementations by partnering directly with these technology vendors to engineer commercial-scale retrofits.

If you are researching a specific project, let me know:

• Are you looking for post-combustion solvents or process-integrated separation (like Leilac)?
• Do you need information on a particular region or plant scale?

I can narrow down the most fitting provider or case study.

Yes. There are several technology providers targeting carbon-capture retrofits for existing cement plants. The most relevant ones are:

The two main retrofit approaches

1. Post-combustion capture — bolt onto the existing kiln

This is probably the most straightforward retrofit concept. The cement plant continues operating its conventional kiln, while a capture unit treats the exhaust gas downstream.

Typical technologies include:

• Amines/solvents — Aker Carbon Capture, Carbon Clean, C-Capture
• Solid sorbents — Svante
• Membranes and adsorption
• Cryogenic separation — increasingly being explored for cement

The advantage is that you don't fundamentally replace the kiln. The downside is substantial energy consumption, particularly for solvent regeneration.

2. Direct separation / integrated capture — modify the calciner

This is where Calix/LEILAC is particularly interesting. Its process uses a special reactor to separate the CO₂ released from limestone during calcination from the combustion gases. That is important because roughly two-thirds of cement's process CO₂ comes directly from calcining limestone, rather than from fuel combustion.

LEILAC specifically says its system is scalable, modular and designed to be retrofitted with low-impact integration into an operating cement plant.

If you're evaluating suppliers for an actual retrofit

I'd put the market into roughly three groups:

• Most mature cement-specific retrofit: Calix/LEILAC
• Most conventional "bolt-on" approach: Aker Carbon Capture, Carbon Clean, Svante
• Emerging/highly integrated approaches: Air Liquide and other cryogenic, oxyfuel and novel-separation providers

It's worth noting that cement producers themselves are increasingly acting as technology integrators rather than simply buying an off-the-shelf capture unit. Heidelberg Materials, for example, is pursuing multiple capture technologies—including amine, oxyfuel and direct separation—and its Brevik plant in Norway became the first industrial-scale cement CCS facility. Heidelberg Materials Holcim has likewise established a dedicated CaptureLab at a cement plant in France where third-party capture technologies can be tested against real kiln emissions.

If you're looking at this from an investment/project-development perspective, I can also map out 10–15 cement carbon-capture technology providers, their technology, TRL, demonstrated plant size, capture cost, energy penalty, and current commercial projects.

Several specialized engineering firms, technology developers, and equipment providers supply or pilot carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) solutions designed for cement plant retrofits. Because cement manufacturing produces hard-to-abate emissions from both fuel combustion and the chemical calcination of limestone , providers use various approaches—including post-combustion solvent scrubbing, modular units, and direct separation technologies.

Key technology providers and engineering groups active in retrofitting cement plants include:

• Carbon Clean Provides the modular CycloneCC system, an "in-a-box" rotating packed bed technology featuring a significantly smaller physical footprint than traditional solvent-based setups, aimed at scaling down capture costs for cement producers.
• Capsol Technologies Offers scalable, solvent-based end-of-pipe capture solutions (CapsolEoP and mobile demonstration units like CapsolGo ) with integrated waste heat recovery that minimize disruption when retrofitting existing cement kilns.
• Calix Limited Developed the LEILAC (Low Emissions Lime and Cement) technology, which utilizes indirect heating to separate process CO 2 CO sub 2 C O 2 from limestone decomposition before it mixes with combustion gases, making the capture process cleaner and more efficient.
• Linde Engineering Partners with major building material groups (such as Heidelberg Materials) to deploy commercial carbon capture and liquefaction systems utilizing advanced amine scrubbing technology (like OASE® blue ) directly on cement flue gas.
• SLB Capturi Delivers customized industrial carbon capture solutions tailored for heavy emitters like cement, steel, and power generation plants.
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Offers advanced post-combustion amine-based capture technology systems that are increasingly evaluated and adapted for large-scale industrial cement decarbonization.
• GEA Group Designs gas pre-treatment, waste heat recovery, and custom carbon capture portfolios specifically tested and optimized for cement kiln emissions.

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

• Are you interested in end-of-pipe retrofits (like amine scrubbing) or process-integrated tech (like indirect calcination)?
• Are you looking for pilot data , or commercial-scale availability?

I can provide more targeted details or project examples.

Yes. There are several technology providers pursuing carbon-capture retrofits for existing cement plants, but they use quite different approaches.

The most interesting retrofit approaches

1. Leilac/Calix — direct separation

This is arguably the most specifically designed-for-retrofit technology. Instead of capturing CO₂ from the entire kiln exhaust, Leilac's indirectly heated calciner separates the CO₂ released by limestone calcination before it mixes with combustion gases. The company says its modular system is designed to integrate into existing plants with minimal downtime.

The LEILAC-2 demonstration is particularly relevant: it's being integrated into an operating Heidelberg Materials plant and is designed for approximately 100,000 tonnes/year of CO₂ capture.

2. MHI — conventional post-combustion capture

MHI's amine system is closer to a conventional industrial CCS retrofit: keep the existing cement process and install a capture plant downstream to separate CO₂ from flue gas. Heidelberg Materials is among the U.S. projects being evaluated with this approach.

3. Svante — solid sorbents

Svante uses solid sorbent technology to capture CO₂ from industrial flue gases. It's another approach that can be added downstream of an existing cement kiln, making it potentially attractive where replacing the calciner isn't desirable. The DOE specifically lists cement retrofit work involving Svante.

4. thyssenkrupp Polysius — oxyfuel

Oxyfuel changes the combustion environment so that the resulting exhaust is much richer in CO₂, simplifying capture. Heidelberg Materials says it is evaluating oxyfuel alongside amine and direct-separation technologies. Its Pure Oxyfuel demonstration began operations at Mergelstetten in July 2026.

One important distinction

There are really two markets here:

• Capture technology vendors — e.g., Leilac/Calix, MHI, Svante, RTI, Air Liquide.
• Cement companies/engineering firms implementing integrated CCS projects — e.g., Heidelberg Materials, Holcim, CEMEX, thyssenkrupp Polysius and others.

Heidelberg Materials is particularly useful as a benchmark because its Brevik CCS facility in Norway has been operating since 2025 and captures about 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually from an existing cement plant. The capture facility was integrated without stopping normal cement production.

If you're evaluating this as a technology/vendor opportunity for a specific cement plant, I would narrow the field to Leilac/Calix, MHI, Svante, thyssenkrupp Polysius, and Air Liquide, then compare them on CAPEX per tonne captured, energy penalty, retrofit complexity, capture rate, kiln availability requirements, and CO₂ purity/compression requirements.

Yes. There are several companies developing or supplying carbon-capture systems specifically applicable to retrofit of existing cement plants. The main approaches differ substantially, so the right vendor depends on whether you want a bolt-on post-combustion system, oxyfuel conversion, or a process-integrated solution.

The most relevant retrofit categories

1. Post-combustion capture — easiest conceptual retrofit

The cement kiln continues operating conventionally and a capture plant is added downstream of the kiln/preheater exhaust. This includes MHI, Air Liquide, Svante, RTI, MTR, SES and Capsol. The U.S. DOE's cement-industry guide identifies solvent, sorbent, membrane and cryogenic approaches among current cement retrofit projects.

This is probably the first category I'd investigate if you have an existing kiln that you don't want to fundamentally rebuild.

2. Direct separation — particularly attractive for cement

Calix's LEILAC approach is different: it separates the CO₂ released from limestone during calcination rather than trying to extract dilute CO₂ from the entire kiln exhaust stream. The LEILAC-2 demonstration is explicitly designed as a retrofit module with minimal downtime.

3. Oxyfuel

Oxyfuel replaces combustion air with oxygen, producing a much more CO₂-rich exhaust stream. It can be highly attractive for cement but requires more substantial modification to the kiln system than a conventional end-of-pipe capture system. Heidelberg Materials is currently demonstrating oxyfuel-related technology at Mergelstetten, Germany.

One important distinction

The cement manufacturers themselves aren't necessarily the technology vendors. For example, Heidelberg Materials, Holcim and CEMEX are developing and demonstrating capture projects, but they frequently partner with specialist technology companies.

For example, Heidelberg's Mitchell project is a particularly useful real-world benchmark: the planned retrofit is designed for ~2 million tonnes/year of CO₂ capture, or about 95% of the plant's emissions, using MHI's solvent technology.

If you're evaluating this for an actual cement plant retrofit, I can also give you a shortlist of 10–15 vendors ranked by technology readiness, expected capture cost, energy penalty, retrofit complexity, and commercial references—including which ones are actually capable of a 1–2 MtCO₂/year installation.

Retrofitting existing cement plants with carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is a major focus for industrial decarbonization . Because cement manufacturing generates "unavoidable" process emissions from limestone calcination (about 60% of total emissions) alongside fuel combustion, specialized technology providers partner with major building material groups to deploy custom post-combustion, oxyfuel, or direct separation retrofits.

Key technology providers and engineering firms active in retrofitting cement plants include:

• Capsol Technologies Provides scalable, energy-efficient, and cost-competitive solvent-based carbon capture systems (such as CapsolEoP and mobile demonstration units like CapsolGo) designed for easy industrial and cement plant integration.
• Linde Engineering Offers advanced carbon capture processes like the OASE blue amine-based technology, partnering with manufacturers for commercial-scale capture and liquefaction at European cement facilities.
• Calix Limited Developed the LEILAC (Low Emissions Lime and Cement) direct separation technology, which uses indirect heating to isolate pure process CO 2 CO sub 2 C O 2 from limestone before it mixes with combustion gases, making retrofitting and separation much simpler.
• Carbon Clean Specializes in modular, compact chemical absorption technologies designed to drop into existing industrial footprints, including trials and projects for major cement producers like Holcim.
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) A prominent global provider of post-combustion amine scrubbing technology (the KM CDR Process) being evaluated and integrated for heavy industries.
• SLB Capturi Offers customizable industrial carbon capture solutions tailored for hard-to-abate sectors like cement, steel, and power generation.
• Chart Industries Provides cryogenic carbon capture and small-scale CO 2 CO sub 2 C O 2 liquefaction/storage equipment, often partnering with kiln engineering firms like FLSmidth.

These technology providers typically collaborate directly with cement giants—such as Heidelberg Materials, Holcim, Cemex , and TITAN Group —via pilot projects, front-end engineering design (FEED) studies, and full-scale commercial installations.

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

• Are you looking for post-combustion chemical solvents or innovative direct-separation/oxyfuel designs?
• Are you interested in a particular geographic region (North America vs. Europe)?

I can provide more detailed case studies or engineering breakdowns.

Retrofitting cement plants with carbon capture technology is an active area of development, with several engineering firms and technology providers scaling up solutions tailored to the industry's unique high-temperature and process-emission challenges.

Key providers and technology developers active in retrofitting cement plants include:

• SLB Capturi – Specializes in industrial carbon capture solutions and notably completed work on large-scale cement carbon capture integration (such as the landmark project at Heidelberg Materials' plant in Brevik, Norway).
• Carbon Clean – Provides compact, modular amine-based post-combustion capture technology (such as CycloneCC) aimed at significantly lowering the cost and footprint of capturing carbon at cement facilities. Partnered with major cement producers like CEMEX.
• Calix Limited (LEILAC Project) – Offers an innovative "direct separation" flash calcination technology designed to capture pure process CO 2 CO sub 2 C O 2 emissions directly from limestone decomposition without mixing them with combustion gases.
• Capsol Technologies – Delivers flexible hot potassium carbonate-based carbon capture technology (CapsolEo(n)) with a growing project pipeline targeting cement emissions and running demonstration campaigns across European plants.
• Chart Industries – Provides Cryogenic Carbon Capture (CCC CCC C C C ) technology, which has been pilot-tested and scaled for cement exhaust gas streams to capture high-purity CO 2 CO sub 2 C O 2.
• Aker Solutions / Aker Group – Long-standing engineering and construction firm offering robust experience in implementing customized post-combustion capture and integration for heavy industrial sites like cement plants.

Are you looking into a specific region, budget scale, or capture methodology (such as post-combustion vs. direct separation) for a cement plant retrofit project?

Yes. There are several companies developing carbon-capture systems specifically suitable for retrofitting existing cement plants. The main approaches are post-combustion capture, oxyfuel/calciner redesign, and modular capture systems.

The most interesting retrofit technologies

1. Leilac — probably the most purpose-built retrofit option.
Rather than capturing CO₂ from the entire kiln exhaust, Leilac changes the calcination arrangement so that the CO₂ released from limestone is separated inherently. Its technology is explicitly designed for modular retrofit with minimal downtime.

2. Svante — strong conventional retrofit candidate.
Svante uses solid sorbents in structured filters and rotary contactors. Its systems are designed for dilute industrial flue gas, including cement and lime, and the company offers modular equipment and project-development support.

3. Carbon Clean — strong modular post-combustion option.
Its CycloneCC system is particularly interesting where space is constrained around an existing kiln. Carbon Clean says the system is modular/prefabricated and designed for hard-to-abate industries including cement. It has also worked directly with CEMEX on adapting the technology to cement production.

If you're evaluating a real cement-plant retrofit

I'd divide the supplier landscape into:

• Capture technology: Leilac, Svante, Carbon Clean, Aker Solutions and other capture licensors.
• EPC/integration: companies such as KBR, Technip Energies, Fluor, Worley, etc.
• CO₂ conditioning/transport: separate suppliers and infrastructure developers.
• Permanent storage: often a completely separate project from the capture plant.

The distinction matters because "who provides carbon capture?" and "who delivers a turnkey retrofit?" are usually different questions. For example, Carbon Clean supplied the capture technology for the CEMEX Rüdersdorf concept while KBR provided FEED engineering.

If you tell me the cement plant size (e.g., 1 Mt clinker/year), country, and whether you want capture of 90%+ of emissions, I can narrow this down to the 5–10 companies actually capable of supplying a commercial retrofit today, including approximate capture costs, technology maturity, and reference plants.