September 4, 2025
Fäth Group supports climate project “catch4climate” for climate-neutral cement!
Fäth Group supports climate project “catch4climate” for climate-neutral cement!
Klipphausen/Mergelstetten, September 4, 2025 – The Fäth Group, a renowned supplier of plant technology for high-purity media and recycling, is making a decisive contribution to the pioneering research project “catch4climate” in Baden-Württemberg. This project aims to make cement production climate-neutral through the capture and utilization of carbon dioxide (CO2). The Fäth Group supplied, installed, and qualified the distribution system for the industrial pilot plant, meeting high requirements for material and pressure resistance as well as fire protection.
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The “catch4climate” project was launched in 2019 by four leading European cement manufacturers – Buzzi SpA – Dyckerhoff GmbH, Heidelberg Materials AG, SCHWENK Zement GmbH & Co. KG, and Vicat S.A. – in the research company CI4C GmbH & Co. KG. The aim is to capture the CO2 that is inevitably released during the deacidification of limestone and use it as a raw material or store it in order to enable climate-neutral cement production in the long term. The investment for the construction and operation of the plant in Mergelstetten amounts to over €120 million.
The pilot plant uses the innovative Pure Oxyfuel process developed by thyssenkrupp Polysius. Instead of ambient air, pure oxygen is fed into the kiln. This increases the CO2 content in the flue gas from a maximum of 25% in conventional kilns to around 90%, which makes CO2 capture much more efficient. The plant, which has a clinker production capacity of 450 tons per day for research and development purposes, is intended to create the conditions for the large-scale use of CO2 capture technologies (CCU and CCS) in the cement industry. The captured CO2 can then be used for the food industry, fertilizers, synthetic fuels, or the decarbonization of recycled concrete (CCU), or stored safely in geological formations (CCS).
The construction site installation by the Fäth team from the Leverkusen branch was completed on schedule in August 2025, enabling the end customer to commission the plant in the fall. This achievement underscores the Fäth Group’s expertise in handling high-purity, explosive, or toxic media, such as those used in the semiconductor, life sciences, and chemical industries. For the operation of the oxyfuel furnace, the oxygen is delivered cryogenically cold and in liquid form and stored in six storage tanks.
Due to the planned storage volume of oxygen, the plant falls within the scope of the 12th Federal Immission Control Ordinance (BImSchV), which stipulates special safety precautions to protect people and the environment from accidents. Other accident-relevant substances such as ammonia and heating oil are also taken into account.
Die Fäth Group ist stolz darauf, mit ihrer Expertise einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Forschung an klimafreundlichem Zement und somit zu einer lebenswerteren Zukunft zu leisten.
About Fäth GmbH
The Fäth Group is a globally renowned supplier of plant technology for ultra-pure media supply and wastewater recycling, employing around 600 people worldwide. With locations in Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, and China, the company is represented in key regions. The Fäth Group’s solutions are used in the semiconductor and life sciences industries, in research laboratories, and in the hydrogen economy, gas and chemical industries, battery industry, and photovoltaics. Its range of services includes chemical support systems (PURAS®), gas support systems (AERION®), OEM contract manufacturing, plant modernization, and testing and qualification. From planning to turnkey handover.
