Thursday 10 September 2020

Elkem to develop £15m biocarbon pilot plant in Canada

Chemical industry group Elkem has announced plans to develop a new NOK180 million (£15m) biocarbon pilot plant in Canada.

It aims to secure industrial verification of its technology for renewable biocarbon, with a long term goal of contributing to climate-neutral metal production.

Elkem says the technology has the potential for application in other industry sectors, contributing to reduced carbon emissions.

The plant, which will be built near Elkem's production site in Chicoutimi in Quebec, will be tailor-made for silicone and ferrosilicon production and will source raw materials from local sawmills in Canada, including recycled bark, wood chips, sawdust and wood shaves.

Elkem uses nearly 20% biocarbon in its production in Norway and is now working towards increasing it to 40% by 2030.

It currently sources 83% of its electricity consumption from renewable energy.

The project has received financial support from the Government of Canada, the Québec Government and the city of Saguenay, reducing Elkem's net investment to NOK 60 million (£5m).

Michael Koenig, CEO of Elkem said: "Elkem is one of the world's leading companies in environmentally responsible manufacturing of metals and materials and we believe that sustainable production is increasingly a competitive advantage with our customers.

“With this new biocarbon pilot plant in Canada, we aim to secure long term access to low cost, high-quality renewable biocarbon to replace fossil coal and further improve our competitive position for a sustainable future. In addition, we see a potential for scaling up this technology to other industries – helping reduce emissions.”