Kanthal wins prestigious energy prize for electrification of industrial heating
Kanthal, a global leader in industrial heating technology, has won the prestigious industry award ‘E-prize’ in the category energy optimization for its technology that helps companies and industries to transform to a fossil-free production. Organized by Sweden's largest business newspaper, Dagens Industri and the newspaper Aktuell Hållbarhet together with the energy group E.ON, the prize is awarded to the sharpest innovations for the 16th year in a row.
The jury's motivation read: With a 90-year-old invention combined with a modern and innovative approach, this year’s winner is paving the way for a fossil-free industry through the electrification of high-temperature processes. Natural gas is replaced with efficient electric heating in industrial applications, enabling fossil-free production processes that improve both the environment and working conditions. The company is a global pioneer and a key player in sustainable industrial electrification, contributing to the production of fossil-free steel and the sustainable manufacturing of solar cells and batteries.
”We are very proud that the jury chose us and our technology for this prize. With our technology, industries around the world such as steel, battery, semiconductor and glass can use electricity instead of fossil fuels for their industrial heating processes, which can contribute to major emission savings in global industry. The technology has a 100-year legacy of innovative development and is more relevant than ever. There is a large potential, and more and more industries are making use of it,” says Robert Ståhl, President of Kanthal.
"The greatest opportunities of the energy transition are still ahead of us. It is necessary to level up in both temperature and scale and find completely new solutions for industries such as steel and cement. In addition, our products themselves have become a huge lever for this transition: Not only do they reduce the emissions of the customers – they also contribute to the expansion and improved management of fossil-free electricity,” says Nicolai Schaaf, sustainability manager at Kanthal.
Kanthal's products enable the electrification of various industrial processes that require high temperatures. By replacing fossil fuels with electricity, companies can increase efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions – or eliminate them entirely if fossil-free electricity is used. The technology has its roots in a 93-year-old innovation, but with the world's focus on climate change and the need to phase out fossil fuels the solutions can now reach their full potential.
Industrial heating processes are found in all manufacturing industries such as steel, aluminum, glass and cement and today are mostly powered by burning fossil fuels. These processes are invisible to the consumers but account for around 10% of the world's total CO2 emissions and 75% of Europe's industrial CO2 emissions. In addition to reducing emissions in various industries, Kanthal's heating solutions are also crucial components in the manufacture of advanced solar cells, semiconductors and batteries.
About E-prize:
E-prize is Sweden's largest energy award and aims to encourage the development of Swedish companies that contribute to, invent for, and enable the energy and climate transition. The companies are awarded in three categories: Renewable energy, Energy optimization and Sustainable transport.
For more information, contact:
Yvonne Edenholm, Press- and Media Manager, yvonne.edenholm@alleima.com
+46 72 145 23 42
About Kanthal
Kanthal is an Alleima company and a world-leading brand for products and services in industrial heating and resistance materials and manufactures ultra-thin wire for medical products. Its customers are in all manufacturing industries where high-temperature processes are used. The company develops innovative solutions in creative partnerships with its customers, and with a strong commitment to reduce the environmental impact. With skilled people and pioneering technology, Kanthal supports some of the world’s biggest and most exciting projects.
The company has a fully integrated production chain, meaning it manufactures both metallic and ceramic resistance materials from raw material to finished product.
The materials and solutions are used in heating processes up to 1,850°C and help industries such as steel, lithium-ion battery, semiconductor, and glass transition from fossil fuels to electricity, thereby reducing emissions while increasing efficiency. The materials are also used in applications where energy needs to be controlled, such as braking resistors for wind turbines or resistors and shunts in electric vehicles.
Kanthal has approximately 1,400 employees, 12 sales offices, and 12 production units spread across 11 countries globally, as well as 5,000 customers in 77 countries. For more information, visit www.kanthal.com.
