Fives and NOC Energy reach two major milestones in the electrification of clay calcination
Just a few months after announcing their technology partnership, Fives FCB and NOC Energy have successfully achieved two major milestones in their joint program aimed at accelerating the decarbonization of cement manufacturing processes through electrified clay calcination.
Learn more about he partnership announcement and press release
Conducted at Fives FCB's pilot calcination facility near Lille, the test campaign has demonstrated both the ability of NOC Energy's NOC Cell™ technology to continuously generate a stable hot gas stream above 1,000°C using 100% electrical energy and the successful production of high-quality calcined clay comparable to material obtained through conventional natural gas firing.
These achievements represent an important step toward the large-scale electrification and decarbonization of calcined clay production, a key route for reducing the carbon footprint of cement.
Stable hot gas generation above 1,000°C using 100% electrical energy
The first milestone achieved this summer was the successful demonstration of a stable hot gas stream exceeding 1,000°C, generated entirely by the NOC Cell™.
The result confirms the potential of high-temperature electrical heat generation as a viable alternative to fossil-fuel-based thermal processes and marks another step toward the electrification of cement production technologies.
High-quality calcined clay produced using predominantly electrical energy
The second major achievement was the successful production campaign of activated calcined clay using the NOC Cell™ on Fives FCB pilot installation.
During the trials, approximately 70 to 80% of the thermal energy required for the calcination process was supplied electrically by the NOC Cell™, while the remaining energy was provided by natural gas in dual operation.
Quality analyses confirmed that the resulting activated clay met the targeted requirements in terms of both pozzolanic reactivity and color. The material produced through this largely electrified process demonstrated a quality level comparable to that obtained on the same equipment operating with conventional 100% natural gas firing.
These results mark a major step in the validation of the ability of electrified calcination technologies to produce SCMs that meet the demanding performance standards of the cement industry.
A promising pathway toward low-carbon cement production
Calcined clay is increasingly recognized as a key component in the development of low-clinker cements, helping reduce the carbon footprint of cement manufacturing. Electrifying the calcination process represents a further opportunity to reduce emissions associated with SCM production.
The results achieved jointly by Fives FCB and NOC Energy demonstrate the strong potential of electric hot gas generation for large-scale industrial applications and reinforce the relevance of the partnership announced earlier this year.
"I am delighted by these significant milestones achieved on our pilot facility. Demonstrating stable operation above 1,000°C and producing high-quality calcined clay using predominantly electrical energy confirms the technical relevance of this approach. These results bring us one step closer to the large-scale electrification and decarbonization of clay calcination processes."
Jean-Michel CHARMET, Deputy Technical Director in charge of Decarbonization, Fives FCB
Next step: fully electrified clay calcination
Building on these encouraging results, Fives FCB and NOC Energy are now preparing the next phase of the program: the demonstration of 100% electrified clay calcination, currently targeted for the first quarter of 2027.
By combining Fives FCB's expertise in calcination technologies with NOC Energy's innovative electric heat generation solution, the two partners continue to explore practical and scalable solutions supporting the cement industry's transition toward more sustainable and lower-carbon manufacturing processes.
This latest achievement further demonstrates how collaboration between technology developers and industrial process and technologies experts can help accelerate the deployment of innovative decarbonization solutions for the cement industry and beyond.