SaltX Technology has confirmed it has successfully produced Portland-quality clinker cement via a fully electrified process, marking a milestone in its partnership with Holcim.
The first successful results have now emerged at SaltX’s test and research centre in Horfors, Sweden. Holcim provided cement raw meal that was calcined at an industrial scale and then sintered using SaltX’s newly developed clinker-electrification technology, the Electric Clinker Reactor.
SaltX Technology chief executive officer Lina Jorheden said the process demonstrated a fundamentally new approach to cement production.
“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,” she said.
“Electrifying both calcination and sintering is key to enabling this shift, and the results demonstrate a new approach to cement production.”
SaltX Technology described the sintering step as “one of the most technically demanding parts of cement production”, and a key challenge to creating fossil-free cement. This test has shown that the process can be fully electrified
The milestone builds on the previous work between the two companies through their strategic partnership with a goal of developing a pilot plant together. Holcim welcomed the progress made and confirmed that the produced cement clinker meets industrial standards.
“SaltX demonstrated that their electrification solution is able to produce clinker of Portland quality. This is a strong validation of their technology and an important step on the industrial scale-up roadmap for future cement production,” Holcim MAQER Ventures’ Bengt Steinbrecher said.
