John Cockerill proudly announces the successful commissioning of its e-NesaCore™, a fully electrically heated Multiple Hearth Furnace (MHF) designed to revolutionise thermal processing across global industries. This breakthrough is the result of two years of collaborative research and development with CRM Group and aligns directly with the EU Recovery Plan, which identifies the electrification of industrial furnaces as a strategic pathway to a low-carbon future.
The newly commissioned e-NesaCore™ replaces traditional fossil-fuel-based heating with a 100% electric system, offering significant environmental and operational advantages. The technology eliminates thermo-mechanical interaction between feedstock and combustion gases, dramatically lowers CO₂ emissions, and reduces the need for flue-gas treatment—while ensuring uncompromised product quality. The furnace has demonstrated exceptional performance on a wide range of organic and mineral materials.
For more than four decades, John Cockerill’s pilot station in Liège, Belgium, has conducted hundreds of test campaigns using both batch and continuous multi-hearth furnaces. These tests have covered diverse applications—from mineral calcination and carbon activation to regeneration of spent activated carbon, pyrolysis of special waste, roasting of metal ore concentrates, and biomass torrefaction. This deep technical foundation underpins the successful transition to fully electric heating.
With the commissioning of e-NesaCore™, John Cockerill now invites industrial partners to validate and optimise their thermal processes using its advanced pilot furnaces in both conventional and fully electric modes. The company also plans to deploy the e-NesaCore™ at customer sites worldwide—whether as an upgrade to existing MHFs or as part of new greenfield installations—to support decarbonisation goals and leverage opportunities created by electricity market dynamics.
John Cockerill is a global leader in industrial engineering, providing technological solutions that support energy transition, sustainable manufacturing and environmental performance. Through continuous innovation and strategic collaboration, the company delivers high-efficiency systems that help industries transform for a cleaner and more competitive future.
