- ABB and Salt X sign agreement for technology development to help decarbonize cement and other hard-to-abate industries
- Salt X’s Electric Arc Calciner reinvents industrial calcination with renewable electricity and carbon capture during heating process
- ABB becomes minority shareholder in Salt X, as well as contributing with automation and electrification technology and expertise
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.
ABB will contribute with control and electrical systems with Salt X. Image ABB 
Salt X runs a test and research center in Hofors, Sweden. Image SaltX 
Salt X employee working at the plant in Hofors. Image Salt X
“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).
ABB’s Process Automation business automates, electrifies and digitalizes industrial operations that address a wide range of essential needs – from supplying energy, water and materials, to producing goods and transporting them to market. With its ~20,000 employees, leading technology and service expertise, ABB Process Automation helps customers in process, hybrid and maritime industries improve performance and safety of operations, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. go.abb/processautomation
ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered and operated. Building on more than 140 years of excellence, ABB’s more than 105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation.www.abb.com
