Origen Complete First Large-Scale Test of Zero-Emission Lime Kiln at EERC

Origen Power Limited announced the successful deployment and testing of its first-of-a-kind (FOAK) zero-emission lime platform at the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) in North Dakota.

Anchored by Origen’s proprietary oxyfuel kiln technology, the platform operated at large scale for the first time, significantly exceeding performance targets and validating a clear pathway to industrial-scale deployment.

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Lime is one of the most widely used industrial materials in the world, yet its production is extremely carbon-intensive, typically releasing nearly one tonne of carbon dioxide for every tonne of lime produced. With over 420 million tpy of lime manufactured globally, this high carbon intensity represents a major and largely unaddressed climate challenge. At the same time, lime is a highly alkaline material that naturally reacts with CO2 to return to its original form as limestone, making it a powerful carbon sponge. Origen’s technology produces lime while capturing and permanently storing all process emissions, unlocking a massive climate and market opportunity.

Origen worked with the EERC to deliver the North Dakota demonstration facility following the close of its Series A financing in January 2025, which was raised to advance the company’s technology from pilot validation to commercial readiness, a milestone achieved through the demonstration announced today.

“This milestone confirms that Origen’s proprietary technology not only works, but is ready for commercial deployment,” said Ben Riddle-Turner, CEO of Origen. “Exceeding our performance targets at this scale de-risks the core of our platform and establishes zero-emission lime as a foundation for both industrial decarbonisation and carbon removal.”

Origen’s kiln at the EERC consistently achieved greater than 99% conversion of limestone to lime in a CO2-rich operating environment without burning or 'sintering' the material, a common industry challenge. This result exceeded both Origen’s original targets and what is typically achieved in conventional kilns today, which is generally closer to 90%, representing a major technical breakthrough for zero-emission lime manufacturing.

The system produced a high-purity CO2 stream, validating a pathway to more than 98% purity in commercial configurations. Enabled by Origen’s oxyfuel kiln design, this system avoids the need for costly and energy-intensive post-processing to separate CO2 from other gases and impurities prior to compression, transport, and permanent storage. The kiln also operated reliably, achieving 97% uptime, comparable to established industrial kilns and a key indicator of operational readiness.

In parallel, Origen validated its integrated direct air capture system, including lime processing and the company’s largest air contactor units to date. Lime produced by the kiln was formed into highly reactive granules and loaded into air contactor units, where it carbonated over time by absorbing CO2 directly from the atmosphere. Performance of the air contacting system at the EERC matched results demonstrated in laboratory- and pilot-scale testing, validating Origen’s integrated direct air capture system at its largest scale to date.

“This project is exactly what the EERC was designed to enable: rigorous testing at scale, taking technologies from the lab to commercial readiness, and seamless teamwork across partner organisations,” said Charlie Gorecki, CEO of EERC.

Building on this milestone, Origen is advancing engineering and project development with EPCM partner Hatch. Performance data from the EERC is a critical input to their pre-FEED (front-end engineering design), expected to conclude in early 2026. This work will provide refined process and facility design, along with a budgetary-quote-based cost estimate, for a first commercial facility designed to produce up to 300 000 tpy of limer. In 2026, Origen plans to down-select a site and progress into detailed engineering, establishing a clear pathway to commercial deployment.

“Hatch has been proud to support Origen through testing and scale-up of their unique technology platform,” said Gino de Villa, Climate Tech Lead at Hatch. “With performance data now in hand, the focus shifts to optimising the system for commercial scale, constructability, and long-term operation. We are excited to support Origen in bringing commercial facilities to life as a continued partner.”

Zero-emission lime offers a rare opportunity to address industrial emissions reduction and carbon removal through a single, scalable platform. As carbon removal expands toward a projected US$1 trillion market, lime-enabled decarbonisation could materially reshape cement, steel, and other hard-to-abate sectors while enabling new carbon capture pathways.

“Meeting the climate challenge will require new solutions that can scale now, using the infrastructure and resources available today,” Riddle-Turner added. “This milestone demonstrates that Origen’s technology can do exactly that.”