Bellona seminar 2022: Charcoal - an important climate solution
News
February 7th 2022, the Norwegian Ferroalloy Producers Research Association (FFF), together with NTNU and SINTEF, participated in Bellona's mini-seminar «Charcoal - an important climate solution».
Invited guests were Minister of Climate and Environment Espen Barth Eide and representatives of Stortinget’s energy and environment committee, as well as the industry committee. Bellona presented the report "Biocarbon as a climate solution in industry" to the Minister of Climate and Environment.
The companies associated with FFF currently account for 2,400 man-years and an annual turnover of NOK 16 billion and include 12 smelters. The smelters in Norway have had joint research activities for over 30 years. The members of FFF are Elkem, Eramet Norway, Wacker and Finnfjord in collaboration with SINTEF and NTNU for coordination and project management. FFF's vision is Ferroalloy research for a sustainable development. Focus research areas for FFF are linked to the overall goal of carbon-neutral production of ferroalloys in 2050. The activities are well rooted in Process 21 and the The Norwegian Process Industries’ Roadmap. Process21 clearly shows that measures in this industry will pay off. A large portion of the emissions in Norway come from this industry, together with the oil industry.
Two representatives from the FFF companies participated with input at the seminar, Eramet Norway's strategy and communications director Kåre Bjarte Bjelland with "Necessary framework conditions for green change in industry" and Operations Manager Erlend Dårflot Olsen from Finnfjord «Research and development of green solutions for industry» (Olsen's presentations is available online here.)
Bjelland says, “The green shift also requires a shift in our framework conditions. This event under the auspices of FFF and Bellona gave Eramet Norway and the ferro-alloy industry a great opportunity to promote our view of how the industry and the authorities should work together to ensure conditions that allow us to further develop our companies in Norway.
“I am sure that the society at large wants the many ferro-alloy companies around Norway to be a driving force for the development of attractive local communities and robust industrial regions also in the decades to come. Then we are dependent on a common understanding of what is required. It is clear in the Hurdal platform that renewable and cheap energy will be an advantage for both residents and industrial development also in the future. The Norwegian process industry refines renewable energy into products that the world needs to succeed with the green shift, and we have more to give. We will create a new history, because this is about what kind of society we want in the future."
Olsen says: «Elkem and Eramet, both part of large international groups, have their main research activities in Norway. This verifies the level of knowledge and quality of the research environments in Norway. It also confirms the fact that we have strong support schemes for research and emphasizes the importance of predictable programs and conditions for maintaining continuity from the Research Council of Norway, also in the future”.
“The ferro-alloy industry has achieved good results based on long-term research in many areas. Examples of this are reductions in NOx and CO2 emissions, the latter based on the use of, among other things, biocarbon. The use of biocarbon as a reducing agent has been a research topic since 1996, both through FFF and in the individual companies. Some of the member companies in FFF have now replaced about 20% fossil carbon with biocarbon and will continue towards the goals of carbon-neutral processes in 2050.
“What do we need in the future? The recognition that this industry will continue to produce ferro-alloys in Norway, as our country is very well suited for a sustainable development towards climate-neutral metal production”.
“It is important to ensure predictable framework conditions for companies, for research and educational institutions, for research and innovation activities, and at least for "first movers" when new technology is to be implemented”.
(This text was first published at SINTEFs website (in Norwegian)).
Tizir receives 261 mill NOK from ENOVA to substitute fossile reductants with hydrogen
Congratulations to Tizir and KPN Reduced CO2 with the ENOVA funding to this important and ambitious project!
KPN Reduced CO2 is investigating the possibility to substitute fossile reductants with hydrogen in metallurgical processes including ilmenite production. This is now one step closer to industrialisation. The Norwegian ilmenite upgrader, TiZir ,one of the partners i KPN Reduced CO2 have now received 261 mill. NOK in support from ENOVA to build a pilot and demonstration plant for pretreatment of ilmenite by hydrogen.
Funding from RCN to strategically important infrastructure
SINTEF and NTNU have received funding from the Research Council for laboratory equipment related to Metal Production and Recycling. The equipment will enable advanced research in both pyro-, hydro- and electrochemical production.
The primary objective of the investment is to provide laboratory equipment supporting research in the transition to green, circular and sustainable metallurgy. SINTEF, with Dr Arne Petter Ratvik is the project owner and Professor Gabriella Tranell, co-director at SFI Metal Production, is leading the project from the NTNU side.
-We are very pleased with the awards from the Research Council. With this funding we are one step closer to transition to green, circular and sustainable metallurgy! The proposed infrastructure will expand upon existing infrastructure at NTNU and SINTEF.
New book: Principles of Metal Refining and Recycling
Congratulations to SFI research area leader Anne Kvithyld with the publication of the book Principles of Metal Refining and Recycling. The book provides a self-contained introduction to the field of purification and recycling of metals.
The scientific principles in the treatment of the various metals are the same. The importance of using a clean and properly alloyed metal is described in detail. The text covers thermodynamics, physical and transport properties, mixing, mass transfer and numerical models. It describes methods for removal of dissolved impurity elements, particles, and inclusions. It considers important aspects of the solidification process, remelting and adding of alloys. Recycling, future challenges and specific processes for each metal are discussed in detail.
Authors are Thorvald Abel Engh (NTNU), Geoffrey Sigworth (GKS engineering) and Anne Kvithyld (SINTEF), and the work has been partly funded by SFI Metal Production. The book is a greatly extended update of the 1992 book Principles of Metal Refining by T. A. Engh. It includes in particular the subjects of metal recycling, ferrous and non-ferrous metal refining, and metalloids like silicon.
New Elkem project aims to eliminate CO2 emissions from silicon production
The Research Council of Norway has granted Elkem NOK 16 million to develop a new concept for silicon production where all direct CO2 emissions are eliminated. This may become a game changer for the global silicon industry. Elkem already uses 83% renewable electricity in its operations and aims to be part of the solution to combat climate change. Silicon is a critical material for digital technologies and the green transition.
The project will run from 2022-2024. Elkem is project owner and Aasgeir Valderhaug is project manager. The Norwegian R&D institutes SINTEF and NORCE, and the pilot test centre Future Materials, will be research partners. Senior research scientist Eli Ringdalen participates in the project from SFI Metal Production.
Successful SFI Autumn Meeting November 2nd-3rd
The SFI Metal Production autumn meeting was held in Trondheim November 2-3. Due to the corona virus situation, we have not been able to organize physical consortium meetings the last two years. This time we could invite to a hybrid meeting, and about 50 participants from industry and academia met physically at Royal Garden Hotel. In addition 40 participants attended the meeting online.
Successful INFACON Conference
The 16th International Ferro-alloy Congress – INFACON XVI - was arranged as a digital conference on the 27th to 29th September from Trondheim. The intention of INFACON is to stimulate technical interchange on all aspects of silicon/ferroalloy production. The vision for the three-day conference was "CO2 free ferroalloy production". The presentations reflected the vision with a major focus on decreasing CO2 emissions, clean technologies, recycling including energy efficiency, modelling, emissions (reduce the PAH exposure risk etc.) and Markets.
Elkem Award to Professor Gabriella Tranell
Congratulations to Professor Gabriella Tranell for receiving the special award from Elkems Research Fund. The winner of the award was presented 28 September, 2021 at the opening of the INFACON XVI conference. Tranell receives the award because of her broad research and contribution to the Ferrosilicon/Silicon industry.
Congratulations Dr. Lunnan Bjørnstad
Dr. Erlend Lunnan Bjørnstad successfully defended his thesis August 18th. Erlend did an excellent presentation at the trial lecture: “Electrolytic production and refining of silicon, fundamentals and state of the art " followed by the presentation of his PhD thesis “Oxidative Ladle Refining of Metallurgical Grade Silicon: Refining of Ca and Al Impurities”.
Unwanted material on solid surfaces
Daniel Clos at SFI Metal Production defended his thesis in May 2021. In this blog he presents the main results from his important research on "Formation of Hard Grey Scale (HGS) on the Surface of a Cold-finger in the Aluminium Production Industry".
Congratulations Dr. Clos!
Dr. Daniel Perez Clos successfully defended his thesis May 26th. Daniel did an excellent presentation of the trial lecture: “Mechanisms of ash transport and adhesion on cylindrical tubes in crossflow" followed by the presentation of his PhD thesis “Formation of Hard Grey Scale (HGS) on the Surface of a Cold-finger in the Aluminium Production Industry”.
