Holcim & Magment cooperate on inductive charging

Building materials producer Holcim has entered into a strategic partnership with German startup Magment. The aim of the cooperation is to improve Magment’s magnetisable concrete technology for road surfaces, which can be used to wirelessly charge electric vehicles while driving.

Magment had first presented this approach in 2018 and entered into a cooperation with development service provider EDAG a year later. Magment is magnetisable concrete made from cement and magnetic particles from recycled electronic waste.

Swiss building materials group Holcim now calls the technology a “groundbreaking concrete-based solution” that is expected to reduce the need for charging stations and also save users time. Although the strategic partnership has only just been announced, the two companies have apparently already been working together in the background. The announcement says: “It is made possible by a unique concrete with high magnetic permeability jointly developed by Holcim and Magment’s Research & Development teams.”

The release also identifies the next steps: The technology is currently being tested by researchers at Purdue University in the US state of Indiana – including on US highways. Other applications under development include the electrification of industrial floors to charge robots and forklifts while they work.

“At Holcim we are innovating to put concrete at the center of our world’s transition to net-zero,” says Edelio Bermejo, head of Holcim’s Global Innovation Centre. “With Magment, we are excited to be developing concrete solutions to accelerate electric mobility. Partnering with start-ups all over the world we are constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation to lead the way in sustainability.”

Mauricio Esguerra, co-founder and CEO of Magment GmbH, adds: “By developing superior grades of our magnetizable concrete technology we will be a key enabler for the sustainable, electric transportation of the future.”

holcim.com, in.gov (Indiana)