InterCal Austria: Our Expertise in the Field of Lime

Lime has been calcined and refined for thousands of years, however today’s process in the 21st century has little in common with the original one. We combine decades of experience with state-of-the-art technology to provide our customers with the excellent raw materials they need: Schöckl limestone from our quarry.

The Focal Point of our Activities

Every day, we are committed to delivering the best possible product quality whilst continually researching how to improve our products and find new applications that offer our customers additional opportunities and benefits. The environment is also a focal point of all our activities. We are well aware that ALL resources are limited and great care must be taken when using them. This is the basis for sustainability. Our work is fuelled by the desire to do better.
Operating with due consideration for our environment is the only successful long-term course of action that will secure our location and take us into a successful future.

The History of Lime Begins with the Extraction of Raw Materials

Mining is the first step on the road to the final product.
Sedimentary rock limestone is the basis of our products. The Peggau area features Devonian Schöckl limestone, around 400 million years old, with a high proportion of clay inclusions. Both very large grains and an overly large proportion of fine particles have a negative effect on the end product, which is why particular attention is paid to this process. When processing the raw materials, particular attention is paid to the purity of the material and the required grain size. The impurities are removed from the transported material in a state-of-the-art high-pressure water cleaning system. The limestone then passes through a roll crusher and a screening plant to supply the pre-defined raw materials for the production of lime, building materials and cement.

Lime Production

A state-of-the-art Maerz PFR kiln (parallel flow regenerative shaft kiln) went into operation in Peggau in 2009. Several types of quicklime are calcined here at temperatures ranging from 950°C to 1,220°C, depending on the type. Starting in late 2019, wood dust will also be used as an alternative fuel in addition to the primary energy sources gas and lignite dust. Residual materials from the wood and sawmill industries are used as energy sources in the calcination process, in keeping with the principles of a circular economy. Using wood as a biogenic alternative fuel leads to an overall reduction in CO2 emissions, as wood consumes atmospheric CO2, which it needs to grow.