ZURICH, Switzerland — ABB and Sweden-based greentech company Salt X have signed an agreement to enable the further development of technologies in the Electric Arc Calcination (EAC) process. ABB will also become a minority shareholder in Salt X.
The two companies are known for their expertise in electrifying emission-intensive industries, including in the production of cement and quicklime, highly sought-after materials in modern construction and process industries. Today, manufacturers are dependent on fossil fuels for high-temperature heating, up to 900 degrees Celsius, and have no realistic alternative.
Under the new agreement, Salt X will further develop its innovative Electric Arc Calciner (EAC), a technology that makes it possible to reach several thousand degrees Celsius. The electric plasma solution reinvents industrial calcination – the process used to heat materials to high temperatures – and replaces fossil-driven heating with renewable electricity while capturing the CO₂ emissions released. ABB will contribute with control and electrical systems for the EAC, creating a strong joint offering to the market. The collaboration aims to accelerate the commercialization of Salt X’s electrification and carbon separation technology.
“Salt X gains an optimal industrial partner with extensive experience in scaling up and implementing new industrial technologies on a global scale, together with a substantial capital injection,” said Carl-Johan Linér, CEO of Salt X. “This strengthens us as a company and enables us to progress with our growth plans. With ABB and our other partners, we can significantly improve our capability to take a leading role in the electrification wave sweeping through the industrial sector.”
“At ABB, we are at the core of accelerating decarbonization in the cement and other emission-intensive industries whilst providing world-class solutions to our customers,” said Michael Marti, Global Growth Industries Business Line Manager, ABB Process Industries. “Our collaboration with Salt X marks a significant milestone in this journey. The technology benefits are two-fold; replacing the use of fossil fuels through renewable electricity in the calcination process and enabling cost efficient capture of the carbon emissions at the same time. It will be a highly effective way of curbing lime production emissions.”
The companies first initiated a collaboration for electrifying the industrial process of calcination in 2022. This intensified in 2023 with the construction of Salt X’s research and test facility (ECRC).
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