Construction solutions firm, Tarmac, on Tuesday (July 5) announced that the project led by its Tunstead quarry site, near Buxton, UK, culminated in a 100% replacement of natural gas in its lime manufacturing process.

Lime is produced in high temperature kilns heating calcium carbonate from limestone to approximately 1,000oC. The replacement of natural gas with hydrogen ensures no carbon dioxide is produced from fuel combustion, H2 View understands.

Graham Cooper, Lime Director at Tarmac, explained the replacement of fuel for the process could clean up a wide range of essential products, “High purity limes are essential for our way of life and are used in a diverse range of sectors, from wastewater treatment through to the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.  

“Lime has been manufactured in the Peak District for centuries and this forward-thinking project aims to ensure the future of this nationally significant industry as the UK transitions to Net Zero.”   

The project, which received £2.8m ($3.3m) funding from the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), builds on Tarmac’s sustainability programme and offers further hope to the decarbonisation of industry in the UK.

Dr. Diana Casey, Director of Energy and Climate Change at the Mineral Products Association, said, “Our sector is committed to ground-breaking collaborative research and innovation to meet the industry’s Net Zero objectives.  

“This trial has shown that lime manufacture can and will be part of a future Net Zero society. What is needed now is investment and infrastructure development to enable the roll out of this technology at a commercial scale at sites across the country.”