PyroGenesis secures US$1.2 million cement industry contract

The client’s name is being withheld for competitive and confidentiality reasons at the request of the customer.

Project highlights

• Purpose: using plasma torches instead of fossil fuel-based heating sources for a cleaner, more sustainable, and more efficient method for high-temperature calcination.
• Scope: supply of proprietary plasma technology for integration into a calcination furnace, used as part of the cement production process.
• Timeline: delivery to client is targeted for Q1 2026.
• Strategic impact: supports end customer and cement industry goals to reduce GHG emissions and produce cleaner, 'greener' cement.

As outlined in the outlook section of PyroGenesis’ Q1 2025 earnings report. PyroGenesis was in negotiations with a European entity to use plasma torches in a calcination process related to cement production. A calcination furnace (also known as a calciner), can be used for various steps in the cement process, including for high temperature processing of limestone, quicklime, and trona, to produce lime, clinker, and soda ash, all of which are key components of cement, contributing to its binding properties, strength and durability. Fossil fuel combustion and CO₂ released during the calcination process are major sources of emissions in the cement industry. Approximately 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in cement production comes from the combustion of fuel needed to generate the heat required in the calcination process.

“The cement industry faces a critical need to transition to lower-emission energy sources,” said Mr. P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis. “Transforming production methods and energy sources is not only a logical step for improving efficiency across operations, but also essential for meeting the cement industry’s long-standing emission reduction and net-zero commitments. Replacing fossil fuels in calcination furnaces – a process responsible for 40% of the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions – with PyroGenesis’ plasma torches could drive substantial decarbonisation and efficiency gains across the industry.”

Industry and market context

Cement production is one of the most energy intensive of all manufacturing industries, accounting for nearly 5% of total global energy consumption.

• Cement production accounts for 7% of total GHG emissions and up to 9% of human-caused CO₂ emissions.
• 40% of cement industry emissions come from fossil-fuel combustion to power calcination.
• The Global Cement and Concrete Association targets 20% reduction of CO₂ per metric t of cement and 25% reduction of CO₂ per cubic metre of concrete by 2030 compared to 2020. The GCCA also calls for complete decarbonisation by 2050.
• Plasma-based furnace heating offers a cleaner, scalable, emission-free and more efficient alternative to traditional fossil fuel-based process heating, aligning with energy transition and decarbonisation mandates across multiple heavy industries.
• Continuing power advances in PyroGenesis plasma torches, from 900 kW in 2020 to 20 MW in 2024, opens doors to more intensive industrial applications and higher heat industries.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/04092025/pyrogenesis-secures-us12-million-cement-industry-contract/