Periodic Reporting for period 2 - HARARE (Hydrogen As the Reducing Agent in the REcovery of metals and minerals from metallurgical waste)
Reporting period: 2022-12-01 to 2024-05-31
The HARARE project is a consortium aiming to demonstrate sustainable methods for producing non-ferrous metals by using hydrogen to remove waste and valorise materials in carbon-free processes. The metallurgical sector is vital to a sustainable future as vast amounts of metals, such as steel, aluminum, and copper are required for solar panels, wind turbines, electrification of transport and upgrading of the electricity grid. However, the metallurgical industry is also one of the largest CO2 emitting sectors, and Europe imports a significant amount of metal produced with carbon-based processes.
To tackle these challenges, HARARE aims to make the metallurgical industry more sustainable by implementing a circular concept based on two strategies. The first strategy involves recovering waste materials such as flash smelter slag from primary copper production and bauxite residue from aluminum production, which are typically disposed of as waste, creating environmental issues. By using hydrogen instead of carbon as a reductant, the industry can become free of CO2-emissions and decrease its dependence on hard coal imports.
HARARE's initiative is important for creating a less carbon-dependent metallurgical industry necessary for a sustainable future. The use of hydrogen-based processes offers a promising avenue for decarbonizing the sector, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and increasing energy efficiency, thereby contributing to sustainable development goals. Additionally, HARARE's approach can have a significant impact on the economy, as the metallurgical sector is a significant contributor to Europe's economy, with over 300,000 people employed in the EU alone. By reducing energy costs and becoming more sustainable, the sector can increase its competitiveness in the face of intense competition from low-cost producers outside Europe.
To tackle these challenges, HARARE aims to make the metallurgical industry more sustainable by implementing a circular concept based on two strategies. The first strategy involves recovering waste materials such as flash smelter slag from primary copper production and bauxite residue from aluminum production, which are typically disposed of as waste, creating environmental issues. By using hydrogen instead of carbon as a reductant, the industry can become free of CO2-emissions and decrease its dependence on hard coal imports.
HARARE's initiative is important for creating a less carbon-dependent metallurgical industry necessary for a sustainable future. The use of hydrogen-based processes offers a promising avenue for decarbonizing the sector, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and increasing energy efficiency, thereby contributing to sustainable development goals. Additionally, HARARE's approach can have a significant impact on the economy, as the metallurgical sector is a significant contributor to Europe's economy, with over 300,000 people employed in the EU alone. By reducing energy costs and becoming more sustainable, the sector can increase its competitiveness in the face of intense competition from low-cost producers outside Europe.
The project has achieved notable progress in achieving its goals, with multiple tasks and experiments either completed or in progress. Work package 1 and 2 have delivered according to plan and are close to completion.
A lot of effort has been done on piloting and demonstration in work package 3. The work on the Ca-route pilot at SINTEF is almost finished. The pilot for the Na-route at KU Leuven is in the test phase. For the work on the copper slag, the tests at RWTH with the TBRC have been finished and reported. But the pilot at Aurbis has been seriously delayed.
Work package 4 is progressing well, although some tasks started later because of the delay in the delivery of materials from work package 3. A concern is the efficiency of the magnetic separation of iron from the bauxite residue.
Work package 5 is showing good progress, although some there are delays due to the delays in work package 3.
Work package 6 is almost finished.
Work package 7 has made a lot of progress but needs more data from the pilot trials to be completed.
Work package 8 is going according to plan.
Work package 9 is producing more publications and social media content than originally anticipated.
A lot of effort has been done on piloting and demonstration in work package 3. The work on the Ca-route pilot at SINTEF is almost finished. The pilot for the Na-route at KU Leuven is in the test phase. For the work on the copper slag, the tests at RWTH with the TBRC have been finished and reported. But the pilot at Aurbis has been seriously delayed.
Work package 4 is progressing well, although some tasks started later because of the delay in the delivery of materials from work package 3. A concern is the efficiency of the magnetic separation of iron from the bauxite residue.
Work package 5 is showing good progress, although some there are delays due to the delays in work package 3.
Work package 6 is almost finished.
Work package 7 has made a lot of progress but needs more data from the pilot trials to be completed.
Work package 8 is going according to plan.
Work package 9 is producing more publications and social media content than originally anticipated.
It is expected that the project can show in pilot scale that the recovery of iron and alumina from bauxite residue using hydrogen is commercially viable. Moreover that copper, cobalt, nickel and molybdenum can be retrieved form copper slag using hydrogen.
HARARE is providing open data to the Raw Materials Information system about the sources of bauxite residue and copper slag and their integration into new processing routes. The data from the project is fed into SREMAT which is the "EU Raw Materials Knowledge Base (EURMKB)", This is in line with the Circular Economy Action Plan and the objectives of the Strategic Implementation Plan of the EIP on Raw Materials.
HARARE is also boosting it's impact through technology transfer, e.g. workshops organised jointly with other related projects (Sisal, Halman, RemovAl, Prema). Such a workshop on hydrogen in the metallurgical industry will be organised in Trondheim on the 15th of February 2023. The project has published 2 journal articles and has been presented at 9 conferences/seminars.
In WP8, the business cases for the technologies are being set-up. This is done in close cooperation with WP7 which sets up the mass and energy balances for the different routes. It is too early in the project to make estimations on the CAPEX and OPEX of the processes.
Mytilineos produces about 750.000 tons of BR each year. While the current BR production in the EU is about 6.8 Mtpa (million tons per year). Processing this BR with the HARARE technology can give up to 2 Mtpa of iron and 1 Mtpa of alumina produced in Europe. 2.2 tonnes of slag is generated as a by-product for every tonne of copper metal produced. The EU production of copper slag is around 4 Mtpa. The Harare method can recover up to 0.9 Mtpa of iron and 48 000 tons of Copper in Europe.
Health and safety: Linde has published an open report (deliverable 6.1) about "Safe use of hydrogen for lab and pilot scale" which can be used by anyone who has an interest in using hydrogen in industrial processes.
Environmental impact: The implementation of the technology will give a reduction in waste generation. WP7 works on the LCA for the different processes. The mass and energy balances for the different routes have now been put together.
HARARE is providing open data to the Raw Materials Information system about the sources of bauxite residue and copper slag and their integration into new processing routes. The data from the project is fed into SREMAT which is the "EU Raw Materials Knowledge Base (EURMKB)", This is in line with the Circular Economy Action Plan and the objectives of the Strategic Implementation Plan of the EIP on Raw Materials.
HARARE is also boosting it's impact through technology transfer, e.g. workshops organised jointly with other related projects (Sisal, Halman, RemovAl, Prema). Such a workshop on hydrogen in the metallurgical industry will be organised in Trondheim on the 15th of February 2023. The project has published 2 journal articles and has been presented at 9 conferences/seminars.
In WP8, the business cases for the technologies are being set-up. This is done in close cooperation with WP7 which sets up the mass and energy balances for the different routes. It is too early in the project to make estimations on the CAPEX and OPEX of the processes.
Mytilineos produces about 750.000 tons of BR each year. While the current BR production in the EU is about 6.8 Mtpa (million tons per year). Processing this BR with the HARARE technology can give up to 2 Mtpa of iron and 1 Mtpa of alumina produced in Europe. 2.2 tonnes of slag is generated as a by-product for every tonne of copper metal produced. The EU production of copper slag is around 4 Mtpa. The Harare method can recover up to 0.9 Mtpa of iron and 48 000 tons of Copper in Europe.
Health and safety: Linde has published an open report (deliverable 6.1) about "Safe use of hydrogen for lab and pilot scale" which can be used by anyone who has an interest in using hydrogen in industrial processes.
Environmental impact: The implementation of the technology will give a reduction in waste generation. WP7 works on the LCA for the different processes. The mass and energy balances for the different routes have now been put together.