Origen has successfully completed the first deployment and tests of its novel zero-emissions lime kiln at the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) in North Dakota.
As shared by the company, the demonstration marked the first large-scale deployment of this technology, and it delivered results that surpassed the initially set performance targets, signaling strong potential for future industrial-scale growth.
Lime is one of the most widely used industrial materials that has the capacity to act as a sponge for CO2 by reacting with atmospheric carbon and turning it into limestone. Its production, however, is notoriously emissions-intensive, estimated to release nearly one tonne of carbon dioxide for every tonne of lime produced.
Powered by Origen’s proprietary oxyfuel kiln, the novel technology deployed at the EERC site produces lime in a process that also captures and permanently stores all operational emissions, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional production approaches.
The first-of-its-kind kiln consistently achieved a limestone-to-lime conversion rate greater than 99%, operating reliably, with a 97% uptime, in a carbon-rich environment without burning or ‘sintering’ the material as many conventional systems commonly do.
This system also produced a high-purity CO2 stream, validating a pathway to over 98% purity carbon in commercial configurations and eliminating the costly and energy-demanding postprocessing of captured carbon dioxide before it can be compressed, transported, and permanently stored.
Simultaneously, Origen validated its integrated direct air capture (DAC) innovation that also includes lime processing with the company’s largest air contractors. The lime produced by the novel kiln was formed into highly reactive granules that were inserted into the air contactor units, where it carbonated over time while absorbing atmospheric CO2.
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In this test, Origen was able to match the results of the air contracting system achieved in lab evaluations and pilots to those reached at the EERC site, confirming the performance of the integrated direct air capture system at the larges scale to date.
Following these milestones, Origen is collaborating with Hatch on advancing engineering and project development, and in early 2026, the company aims to complete a pre-FEED study that will lay the groundwork for its first commercial facility.
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