US firm’s brick battery can discharge energy at 3,275°F for industrial heat

Holcim, a global building materials and solutions company, has agreed to deploy two Joule Hive Thermal Battery units developed by Boston-based Electrified Thermal Solutions as part of its industrial electrification roadmap. Announced on September 15, the agreement will allow the building materials company to evaluate electric heating technology for its high-temperature cement operations. The batteries will store clean electricity as heat inside electrically and thermally conductive bricks. That energy can then be discharged on demand at temperatures reaching 3,275°F, offering Holcim a potential route to reduce its reliance on combustion for industrial heat. Electrifying one of industry’s hardest processes Cement production requires process temperatures that regularly exceed the capabilities of conventional electric heating systems. As a result, combustion has remained the default means of generating heat across much of the sector. Electrified Thermal’s technology is designed to address this limitation by converting electricity into heat and retaining it inside specially developed bricks. The stored thermal energy can later be supplied to an industrial process when required. The initial deployment will include two Joule Hive Thermal Battery units. However, the companies did not disclose where the systems will be installed or when they are expected to begin operating. “Electrifying high-temperature industrial heat is one of the advanced technologies we are incorporating in our decarbonization strategy, and this deployment allows us to evaluate its potential,” said Ram Muthu, Head of Operational Excellence at Holcim. “Working with Electrified Thermal gives us a path to accelerate decarbonization as part of our industry-shaping sustainability roadmap,” he added. From clean electricity to extreme heat Industrial heat accounts for roughly one-fifth of global energy consumption. The processes requiring the highest temperatures, including those used in cement, steel and chemical production, have largely remained beyond the reach of existing electric alternatives. By delivering temperatures of up to 3,275°F, the Joule Hive system is intended to bring electrification into this particularly difficult segment. The Holcim agreement also gives Electrified Thermal its third global industrial partner across the cement, steel and chemical sectors. “Holcim’s decision to deploy our technology validates years of work to bring electrified heat to high-temperature industrial-scale applications that no other technology or company can achieve,” said Daniel Stack, CEO and co-founder of Electrified Thermal Solutions. “This agreement follows the recent turn-on and successful 1,000+ hours of operation of our commercial demonstration system and shows that global industrial producers are ready to move this technology from demonstration to deployment. We look forward to expanding this relationship with Holcim over time,” he added. Moving beyond the demonstration stage The agreement builds on an existing relationship between the companies, with Holcim also participating as an investor in Electrified Thermal Solutions. It follows the commissioning of Electrified Thermal’s commercial demonstration system in San Antonio, Texas, earlier in 2026. The megawatt-scale installation has completed more than 1,000 hours of operation, according to the company. The Holcim deployment will now take the technology from demonstration toward use by a major industrial producer. Both companies are also evaluating further opportunities to deploy the thermal battery across Holcim’s operations.Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Atharva is a full-time content writer with a post-graduate degree in media & amp; entertainment and a graduate degree in electronics & telecommunications. He has written in the sports and technology domains respectively. In his leisure time, Atharva loves learning about digital marketing and watching soccer matches. His main goal behind joining Interesting Engineering is to learn more about how the recent technological advancements are helping human beings on both societal and individual levels in their daily lives.