Zero Emission QuickLime.

ZEQL [sequel] is an industrial partnership between SMA Mineral and SaltX Technology. We enable a zero-emission quicklime industry based on new innovative electrification technology and CO2 separation. Our first factory will be ready in 2025 - setting the standard for climate-neutral quicklime.

100%


Electrified Production

2025


First Factory Opens

0%


CO2 Emissions from Production

250 000 tons


CO2 Eliminated*

*Between base year 2022 and 2027

The Kiln – Realizing the Fossil-Free Industrial Transition

Our groundbreaking kiln uses renewable energy and creates clean quicklime while capturing the byproduct, CO2. One thing that makes this possible is the cyclone-shape of the kiln, which optimizes the process where limestone is heated up.  

We call the technology Electric Arc Calciner (EAC), and it is here to revolutionize the industry.

Innovative Technology

Our Factories – Done With Dust

The EAC technology allows for a clean product, a clean production process and – clean factories. We are entering a new era where quicklime factories are no longer filled with dust and smoke but instead consciously planned with safety and hygiene at the core. At the moment we are building a demonstration plant at an industrial scale with a capacity of 10 000 t per year. In parallel we are planning for the first commercial factories.

The factories’ EAC technology is also much more efficient and allows us to use different types and sizes of quarried limestone. This way, our supplies last longer, and we can run our ZEQL factories in a resource-efficient manner.

News and Press

Quicklime

The EAC technology allows for a clean product, a clean production process and – clean factories. We are entering a new era where quicklime factories are no longer filled with dust and smoke but instead consciously planned with safety and hygiene at the core. At the moment we are building a demonstration plant at an industrial scale with a capacity of 10 000 t per year. In parallel we are planning for the first commercial factories.

The factories’ EAC technology is also much more efficient and allows us to use different types and sizes of quarried limestone. This way, our supplies last longer, and we can run our ZEQL factories in a resource-efficient manner.

About Us

The lime industry is one of Sweden’s largest CO2 emitters. The industry faces an inevitable transition, where production must be more energy efficient and take full responsibility for the emissions. That’s why ZEQL is here.

SMA Mineral is one of the largest limestone producers in the Nordic region. SaltX Technology develops and sells patented electrification solutions. When we found each other, it was a match made in heaven. Our respective skills and competencies and our combined vision of contributing to the green transition link together perfectly. Through this collaboration, we take several crucial steps toward realizing a green transition.

Keep the fire burning.

But let's keep it clean.

  • No, it is not. ZEQL is the name of an electrified, zero-emission manufacturing method for climate-neutral quicklime, co-owned by SMA Mineral and SaltX Technology. We have created a new factory concept based on SaltX innovation Electric Arc Calciner (EAC). The EAC technology makes it possible to manufacture quick lime in a new electrical and emission-free method. ZEQL is setting a new standard for the manufacturing of climate-neutral quick-lime.

  • ZEQL is a registered trademark jointly owned by the respective parties. Over time, the ZEQL concept will replace the fossil-fueled plants that SMA Mineral operates today. The electrification technology used in this concept may be used in other industrial processes but not under the name ZEQL.

  • ZEQL is an acronym for the words: Zero Emission Quicklime. It is pronounced like the English word sequel, which means continuation, consequence, and aftermath.

  • No, the factory and production method, called ZEQL, will primarily be placed on SMA:s existing quarries. Currently, SMA Mineral operates around ten existing limestone and dolomite quarries; over time, these plants will be replaced with brand-new electrified factories. With the new electrified process, opportunities are created to make use of all the limestone quarried - this means higher resource efficiency and a reduced need to extract new limestone.

  • Lime is a raw material on which society and many industries are completely dependent. Lime is needed to purify our drinking water for steel, cement, and paper production. quicklime is also used in the chemical industry and in agriculture.

 FAQs