Under the terms of the MOU, Calix and RHI Magnesita have agreed to undertake studies up to and including basic Front-End Engineering and Design for a commercial-scale demonstration facility at an RHI Magnesita site.

RHI Magnesita and Calix commenced first discussions around the potential for reducing the CO2 footprint of the refractory production process in early 2019. Calix has been processing magnesite, the main raw material in the production of refractories, since 2013 in its Bacchus Marsh facility for water treatment products. The application of Calix’s technology to refractory products has been the subject of pilot scale test work during 2020, with larger scale test work currently underway.

Separation and storage or reuse of CO2 released from carbonate minerals is a crucial step in decarbonising the refractory industry and thus the production processes of materials such as steel, cement and lime.

Luis Bittencourt, Chief Technology Officer, RHI Magnesita, said “We are pleased to be working with Calix on this project, which is a key part of the research and development programme on CO2 emissions reduction that we are carrying out over the next five years. Together with our partners at Calix, we are seeking to develop new technologies for the capture, storage and utilisation of CO2 that would otherwise be emitted during the refractory production process.”

Phil Hodgson, Managing Director of Calix, said “We are delighted to be working with RHI Magnesita, the world’s leading refractory company, on this important opportunity to help decarbonise the refractory industry, as well as looking at strategic opportunities in our high reactivity magnesium oxide businesses.”