Holcim and Sweden-based SaltX Technology have signed a joint development agreement to advance electrified cement manufacturing, targeting fossil-free clinker production.
The agreement builds on an existing partnership between the two companies and focuses on the joint development and validation of a fully electrified process for clinker production, the most carbon-intensive stage of cement manufacturing.
The technology combines SaltX’s Electric Arc Calciner (EAC), which enables electrified calcination, with electrified sintering processes. Together, these aim to replace fossil fuel-based heat in cement production.
Initial work will focus on pilot-scale testing and validation, including trials at SaltX’s Electric Calcination Research Center in Sweden during 2026, before progressing towards potential industrial deployment.
Holcim, which has previously invested in SaltX, said the partnership strengthens its portfolio of decarbonisation technologies as it seeks to scale up near-zero cement production.
The companies added that the electrified calcination and sintering technologies could be deployed either independently or in combination, offering flexibility for both new-build plants and retrofits of existing facilities.
The agreement reflects increasing industry interest in electrification as a pathway to reduce emissions from cement production, alongside approaches such as carbon capture and the use of supplementary cementitious materials.
