PyroGenesis signs 815,000-euro plasma torch contract

Executive Summary

• PyroGenesis Inc. has signed a contract valued at 815,000 euros ($1,324,000 CAD) with a major European cement industry customer for the supply of a proprietary plasma torch system.
• The system is intended for the electrification of a calcination furnace, aiming to replace fossil fuel combustion with electric plasma heating to reduce emissions and improve efficiency in cement production.
• The project involves a nine-month testing phase of a CO2-powered plasma torch within a closed-loop system, representing a scale-up from low-kilowatt tests to megawatt-power tests for industrial-scale calcination.

Key Details

• Contract Value: 815,000 euros, equivalent to $1,324,000 (Canadian).
• Customer: A global leader in mining and minerals within the cement industry (name withheld for confidentiality).
• Product: Proprietary plasma torch system for integration into a calcination furnace.
• Technology Focus: Use of a CO2-powered plasma torch where CO2 is captured from other processes and redirected in a closed-loop system to heat the furnace.
• Timeline: Delivery to the client is targeted for early Q3 2026.
• Testing Phase: The client will test the plasma system for nine months as part of an existing multiyear initiative to demonstrate electric heating substitution for fossil fuel combustion.
• Strategic Context: The project supports the cement industry's goal to reduce emissions, with approximately 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in cement production derived from fuel combustion for calcination.
• Industry Targets: Reference to Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) targets of a 20% reduction in CO2 per metric tonne of cement by 2030 and complete decarbonization by 2050.

Notable Quotes

• "The cement industry is under mounting pressure to shift toward cleaner technology for their high-temperature process steps," said P. Peter Pascali, president and chief executive officer of PyroGenesis. "Transitioning production methods, using plasma as a heating source, is not just a way to boost operational efficiency, but a vital way to achieve the sector's long-standing net-zero emission reduction goals."
• "Since fossil fuel combustion accounts for roughly 40 per cent of the industry's greenhouse gas emissions, replacing fossil fuel burners with plasma torches offers a powerful pathway to deep decarbonization and efficiency gains."