Main objectives of the work was to study the influence of degree of roasting of lime contained in the charge on the sintering process and sinter quality, as well as comparing the impact of changes in the mass fraction of active CaO in the charge by varying degrees of burning lime, and by varying the content of lime in the charge. It is shown that the intensifying effect of lime on the sintering process occurs as a result of a decrease in the content of small classes in the charge. When the lime content in the charge is equal to 3 %, an increase in the degree of lime firing from 5 to 96 % led to an increase in the specific productivity of the plant from 0.96 to 1.87 t/(m 2 · hour). The independence of sintering parameters from the content of active CaO in lime with its constant content in the sinter charge and the decisive role of the content of active CaO in the sinter charge with its constant content in lime are confirmed. A new approach to the production of lime for agglomeration processes is proposed: it should have the lowest cost of the active CaO contained in it.