Swedish impact company cracks the code for fossil-free cement production

The Stockholm-based company has successfully combined three different technologies – hydrogen, plasma and resistive heating – to produce cement without fossil fuels, a breakthrough that could help decarbonise one of the world's most polluting industries.

"With a 100 percent electrically made clinker, we show that industry-leading performance is possible with a minimal carbon footprint. This marks a fundamental shift toward truly sustainable building materials," says Oscar Hållén, CEO of Cemvision.

Cutting energy use in half

The cement industry currently accounts for about eight percent of global CO2 emissions, with energy costs making up 50-60 percent of production costs, according to Cemvision. The company now claim that their new process more than halves energy consumption compared to traditional Portland cement production.

"We prioritise versatility in electrical technologies, believing in a combination for energy utilization and energy storage," says Claes Kollberg, CTO of Cemvision. "Hydrogen, resistive heating and plasma combined can offer a versatile and feasible zero-carbon pathway across various production sites."

The company has already supplied major European industrials with its products. Their first market product focuses on massive castings with slower hardening properties, while they're also developing quick-hardening cement that can bear heavy traffic within 10 hours.