In a first, cement giant to tap thermal batteries for cleaner heat

Cement making is one of the most carbon-heavy industries around, mostly because kilns need extreme heat, usually from burning natural gas or coal. A startup called Electrified Thermal Solutions is testing a way to supply that heat with stored-up electricity instead. The company will install two "thermal batteries" at a cement plant run by Holcim, one of the world's largest cement makers. These units heat up stacks of firebrick using electricity, ideally drawn from the grid during cheaper off-peak hours when wind and solar power are plentiful, then release that stored heat later to run the plant's high-temperature equipment. The batteries are expected to start operating in early 2026 and can reach temperatures up to 1,800 degrees Celsius, enough to cover the 900 to 1,500 degree range cement production typically needs.

This is the first time this kind of heat battery has been used specifically for cement manufacturing, and it's part of a broader push by companies to cut emissions from heavy industry using electricity rather than fossil fuels. Other companies, including Rondo Energy and Antora Energy, are building similar systems for factories and steel plants.

None of this changes anything about home energy upgrades directly. It's industrial-scale technology aimed at cleaning up how cement and other materials are produced, not something that shows up in home heating or rebate programs. But it's a sign that the same basic idea behind home heat pumps and electrification, using clean electricity instead of fossil fuels for heat, is also being tested at a much larger industrial scale.