"Where to go with the geogened C02?" - Minister of Finance and Mining visiting RHI Magnesita

2023-05-14 11:15:30

Vienna/Breitenau (OTS) – In order to significantly advance the achievement of the Paris climate goals and actually implement the long-term goal of climate neutrality by 2050, RHI Magnesita is turning many screws by means of recycling and alternative energies and technologies. Nevertheless, those emissions that cannot be avoided also require a rethink in Austria. RHI Magnesita has the topic relevant to the future Carbon Capture and Storage – “CCS” for short – as an opportunity to invite Finance and Mining Minister Magnus Brunner to the Breitenau raw materials plant.

RHI Magnesita, the world market leader for refractory products and solutions, invited Finance and Mining Minister Magnus Brunner to visit the 170-man raw materials plant in Breitenau. In this traditional plant, more than 400,000 tons of raw magnesite are mined every year and exported all over the world to provide global industry with this critical material. The reasons for the Minister’s visit:

1) To assess the current CO₂ saving measures on site

2) and the possibilities of further and reuse of CO₂, such as Carbon Capture and Storage sowie Carbon Capture and Utilisationto discuss with experts from RHI Magnesita.

In Austria, the CO₂ emissions of RHI Magnesita are around 550,000 tons per year. With intensive recycling and energy efficiency measures, such as switching to alternative energies, CO₂ emissions are already being reduced. Nevertheless, part of the CO₂ remains, which is becoming an increasing threat from both an environmental and cost point of view. For RHI Magnesita, one thing is certain: there is no alternative to the complete decarbonization of the company, and that as quickly as possible.

„Breitenau is one of the most important raw material locations in Europe,” explains Rajah Jayendran, CTO RHI Magnesita. “If we take the achievement of the Paris climate goals seriously, we have to learn not to emit CO2 at all, or to make it harmless, transportable and, above all, usable again.”

In the Breitenau plant, the valuable magnesite is burned in the rotary kilns at over 1,200 degrees. This creates CO₂ emissions that cannot be prevented (so-called geogenic process emissions). “We can already reduce part of our CO₂. However, we must be able to store the rest as an interim solution until the industrial utilization of CO₂ (so-called Carbon Capture and Utilization, “CCU” for short) is successful. The climate goals cannot be achieved otherwise.“, warnt CTO Jayendran.

Austria’s industry is still confronted with peak values when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. The fact is, the costs that RHI Magnesita – and probably other “Hard to Abate” industries – will have to bear for CO₂ certificates in the future will skyrocket by 2030. In order to maintain the Austrian location, the company is willing to use all technologies that make continued existence possible in the long term.

As the world market leader in the refractory industry, with headquarters in Austria, RHI Magnesita would like to be part of the solution and make a significant contribution to decarbonization. The underground storage of carbon dioxide (carbon capture and storage) – either in Germany or abroad – is a future-oriented interim solution. However, in contrast to many other European countries, this option is not yet possible in Austria. This prohibition law will be re-evaluated in the National Council this year. A momentum that RHI Magnesita would like to use from the perspective of climate protection and site security.

In addition to lifting the ban on CCS, RHI Magnesita believes that politicians have a duty to quickly provide domestic industry with the necessary infrastructure to temporarily store carbon dioxide.

“Climate protection is one of the central tasks of our generation. In order to achieve our climate goals, we need investments, innovations and cooperation. In any case, we must not concentrate on just a few technologies, but must remain open to new technologies. RHI Magnesita is not only a global pioneer in its core business, but also in innovative technologies such as CCU. The two processes CCS and CCU will be important components in achieving the climate goals and at the same time maintaining the competitiveness of our location‘ said Finance Minister Magnus Brunner.

“This year we have already invested several millions in an Australian start-up that is working on mineralizing CO₂ so that it can be used again in industry. However, this technology – as one of several solutions – is not yet ready for the market to be an effective solution for CO₂ reduction immediately. Until the technologies are ready, we need CO₂ storage as an interim solution, either in Germany or via pipelines abroad‘, Europe President Constantin Beelitz agrees with CTO Rajah Jayendran’s analysis. “Climate change has already progressed too far for us to leave a tried and tested interim solution – such as CCS – for the geogenic CO₂ problem in Austria unused. If Austria wants to continue to be an industrial country and at the same time climate-neutral, a rethink must take place now and rapid action must be taken“, conclude the RHI Magnesita managers.

* “Hard to abate” industries are those industries that emit CO2 as a fixed part of their industrial process or whose CO2 emissions cannot be prevented. These include the refractory, cement, waste incineration, aluminum and other industries.

About RHI Magnesita

RHI Magnesita is the world leader in high-quality refractory products, systems and services that are essential for industrial high-temperature processes above 1,200°C in a variety of industries including steel, cement, non-ferrous metals and glass. Served by the vertically integrated value chain, which ranges from raw materials to refractory products and performance-oriented total solutions
RHI Magnesita customers in almost every country worldwide. The company employs around 13,500 people at 33 main production sites and more than 70 sales locations. RHI Magnesita aims to expand its leading position in terms of sales, size, product portfolio and geographic presence – especially in those regions that promise economic growth prospects.

The company’s stock has a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: RHIM) and is part of the FTSE 250 Index, with a secondary listing on the prime market of the Vienna Stock Exchange. For more information, see:www.rhimagnesita.com