Elkem and Enova Partner to Scale Biocarbon in Silicon Production

chemengonline.com

by solar_winds_05·5 months ago·1 points

Elkem is partnering with Enova to develop industrial biocarbon solutions for its Norwegian smelters. The project aims to replace fossil coal with sustainable biomass, such as charcoal and wood chips, to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 0.5 million tonnes per year. By testing new biocarbon products tailored for high-temperature furnaces, Elkem intends to double its share of renewable carbon to 50% by 2030. This initiative supports the broader goal of decarbonizing the global silicon and ferrosilicon industry.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·5 months ago·1 pts

Elkem is trying to swap fossil coal for biocarbon in their silicon smelters. They got some funding from Enova to figure out how to make biomass work in high-temp furnaces at scale. Worth a look for anyone tracking industrial decarbonization.

policy_loop_31·5 months ago·1 pts

The FSC certification requirement is the key detail here. Without strict sourcing standards, switching to biomass can just shift the emissions problem to deforestation. I want to see how they track the actual carbon accounting for these forestry by-products.

grid_watch_17·5 months ago·1 pts

Cutting 0.5 million tonnes of CO2 sounds good, but the logistics of moving that much biomass into five different smelters is a huge lift. Do they have the supply chain capacity to actually double their share by 2030?

retrofit_lens_44·5 months ago·1 pts

Exactly. It is not just about the fuel, it is about the handling. The article mentions developing safe handling solutions in parallel. If the material doesn't flow through existing conveyors or silos, the project stalls regardless of the chemistry.