Cement giant underwrites material drying specialist Coomtech

Sources: Holcim Ltd., Zug, Switzerland; CMCM staff 

The parent company of the North American Holcim and Lafarge Canada businesses has taken a stake in United Kingdom-based Coomtech, whose kinetic drying technology for harvested fly ash and other raw cement kiln feeds results in up to 75 percent lower carbon emissions than conventional methods. Coomtech dryers remove surface moisture by shearing the water from particle surfaces, the dried particles then conveyed to storage, transport or directly into processing. Kinetic dryers equip cement producers to use recycled materials that would otherwise require a high amount of energy to dry. 

“We are continuously working to implement greener operations for a net-zero future, and to increase the use of recycled materials in our products to drive circular construction,” says Holcim Ltd. Head of Global Research & Development Edelio Bermejo. “Coomtech’s low-emission drying technology helps us meet both these goals. I look forward to working with them as a key partner in our journey to decarbonize building.” 

Holcim’s investment will help scale the low-emission drying technology in the construction industry by applying it to a wider range of materials, such as sand, clay and pozzolan, he adds. It builds on the companies’ current collaboration aimed at developing a new low-carbon cement product with fly ash subjected to kinetic drying, their work partially funded by the UK government.