Descripción del proyecto
Procesos basados en el hidrógeno para una industria metalúrgica ecológica
Las formas renovables de energía requieren cantidades considerables de aluminio, acero y cobre. Por consiguiente, el sector metalúrgico podría contribuir significativamente a alcanzar un futuro sostenible, aunque genera unas emisiones de CO2 sustanciales. Como reductor, el hidrógeno puede llegar a sustituir al carbono y propiciar la transición hacia una industria más ecológica. El proyecto HARARE, financiado con fondos europeos, pondrá a prueba métodos sostenibles de producir metales utilizando el hidrógeno como elemento propiciador. Propone un concepto circular basado en un doble razonamiento: por un lado, recuperar los residuos con hidrógeno, en particular los generados por los procesos de producción de aluminio y cobre; por otro, aplicar procesos basados en hidrógeno para lograr una industria metalúrgica europea más respetuosa con el medio ambiente y menos dependiente de las importaciones.
Objetivo
HARARE will demonstrate sustainable pathways to produce metals using hydrogen as an enabler, for removing waste and valorising materials in carbon free processes. The consortium’s concern and thus the drive to build this initiative, starts with an industry that is key contributor to a sustainable future: the metallurgical sector. The switch to renewable energies requires vast amounts of metals, such as steel and aluminium for solar panels and wind turbines, and copper for bolstering the electricity grid necessary for transport and industry. However, the metallurgical industry amounted to 70 million tons direct CO2 emitted in 2017. Moreover, carbon-based processes make the European metallurgical industry dependent on imports.
Using hydrogen as a reductant to substitute carbon is one of the few ways metallurgical industry can potentially become truly free of CO2-emissions, utilizing raw materials that can be produced in Europe. HARARE’s vision is to tackle these challenges and become part of the solution, making the metallurgical industry more sustainable by presenting a circular concept that is based on a two-fold reasoning:
1) Recover wastes with hydrogen. choosing two representative wastes from the copper and aluminium production processes, namely: flash smelter slag from primary copper production and Bauxite residue (BR) from aluminium production.
2) Hydrogen-based processes will allow for an environmentally friendly metal industry while decreasing dependence from hard coal imports and being cost competitive.
HARARE will thus eliminate waste from the metallurgical industry while recovering valuable materials, and increasing the use of hydrogen in the industry, thereby increasing its circularity, the utilization of raw materials and the profitability, lessening the negative side-effects on the community, and making steps toward the less carbon-dependent metallurgical industry necessary for a sustainable future.
Ámbito científico
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Convocatoria de propuestas
H2020-LOW-CARBON-CIRCULAR-INDUSTRIES-2020
Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoriaConvocatoria de subcontratación
H2020-LCCI-2020-EASME-twostage
Régimen de financiación
IA - Innovation actionCoordinador
7034 Trondheim
Noruega