Fossil free technology from SaltX is transforming the cement and lime industry
With support from the Industrial Leap, SaltX has taken important steps toward commercialisation. Now, the next major milestone awaits: a full-scale demo plant in Norway.
Photo: the Swedish Energy Agency
SaltX Technology aims to revolutionise the lime and cement industry with an electrified and carbon free process.
Lina Jorheden, CEO of SaltX Technology, leads a tech company with big ambitions for climate transition. With a background in the mining industry, she brings an industrial perspective to the development of groundbreaking technology to electrify and decarbonize the lime and cement sectors – while also enabling carbon capture.
“We are a small company with big goals. Over the past three years, we’ve worked intensively to develop a solution that can transform some of the most emission-intensive areas of industry,” says Lina Jorheden.
The Industrial Leap enables development
SaltX has received support from the Industrial Leap, which has been crucial for scaling up the technology. The test facility is located in Hofors, where the company collaborates with Scanarc and uses their plasma technology within Ovako’s industrial area. Here, both materials and systems are tested in a megawatt scale installation that simulates full scale operations.
The technology is based on replacing fossil fuels with green electricity in the production of lime and cement. This not only enables fossil free production, but also efficient capture of the carbon dioxide released from the raw materials. Altogether, SaltX’s technology enables completely emission-free production.
“The support from the Industrial Leap has been essential for us to continue developing and testing our technology. We are not yet in full commercialisation phase, so external funding is important to drive development forward,” Jorheden explains.
The journey has been both challenging and educational. SaltX has encountered technical obstacles and scaling challenges but has also built strong partnerships that have been key to success. Focus, prioritisation, and clear goals have been critical factors.
Next step: full-scale plant in Norway
Looking ahead, SaltX plans to build a full-scale lime plant in northern Norway together with customer and co-owner SMA Mineral. In parallel, development is ongoing in the cement industry and in Direct Air Capture.
“It’s an amazing feeling to see our technology work in practice. We’ve built a 20-meter-high facility in record time where we’ve conducted successful tests regarding both material quality and operating times. We’ve also carried out real-world tests where our electrically produced lime has been used in regular steel production with good results. Now we look forward to taking the next step toward commercialisation,” concludes Lina Jorheden.
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