SaltX and Holcim produce cement clinker using only electricity

Swedish green technology company SaltX and Switzerland-headquartered Holcim have produced Portland-quality cement clinker using only electricity, demonstrating a potential pathway to decarbonize one of the industrial sector's largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, the companies said in a statement.

SaltX Technology and Holcim said April 29 that they have produced clinker that meets established quality standards through a fully electrified, scalable process that eliminates the need for fossil-fuel-fired rotary kilns.

"This marks a major step forward in demonstrating that a fully electrified cement process is not only possible, but can be implemented in an industrial setting," SaltX CEO Lina Jorheden said. "Electrifying both calcination and sintering is key to enabling this shift, and the results demonstrate a new approach to cement production."

The calcination was performed at SaltX's test and research center in Hofors, Sweden, the companies said. The calcined material from the ongoing industrial test program was then processed in SaltX's newly developed electric clinker reactor, eliminating the need for a conventional, fossil-fueled rotary kiln.

The sintering stage, which requires higher temperatures than calcination, represents one of the most technically demanding aspects of cement production, and a critical challenge in eliminating fossil fuels from the manufacturing process, according to the companies.

"SaltX demonstrated that their electrification solution is able to produce clinker of Portland quality," said Bengt Steinbrecher, head of Holcim MAQER Ventures. "This is a strong validation of their technology and an important step on the industrial scale-up roadmap for future cement production."