Resource Optimization and recovery in the MAterials industry

One objective in ROMA is to recover as much heat as possible from off-gases from Al-industry. A technology for electricity production from low temperature waste has been developed and tested in a test rig developed in the project. The results are promisin g, but with some challenges. Larger pilot scale tests are needed to test the technology further. Such tests are too large to be included in ROMA and the Al-partners in the project are looking into establishing a separate project where this can be done. C omposition of off-gas from the smelters are one of the challenges in energy recovery from off-gases. Methods for off-gas measurements have been developed in the project and in total 16 industrial measurement campaigns have been done, 3 of these in 2013. Several characterisations methods have been developed to determine the effect of different Manganese source and the effect of different agglomeration methods on production of Manganese alloys. The main focus in 2012 and 2013 has been to determine how sma ll particle sizes of different raw materials that can be used in production of manganese alloys. ROMA works towards recruitment to the Material Industry. As a part of this students with summer jobs at the industrial partners are each year invited to a su mmer excursion to visit an industrial plant. Hydro Sunndalsøra, Wacker Holla, Eramet Kvinesdal, Alcoa Lista, Elkem Solar, SørAl aluminium and TiZir ilmenite has been visited. To make knowledge about the material industry easier available for both the proj ect partners, decision makers and public, a report with overview over the industry was made in 2008, updated in 2010 and updated and extended and made also as presentation in 2012. A book about Norwegian metal industry has been published in 2013. In 2011 ROMA took part in organisation of and presented the project at an Energy seminar in Oslo where FFF was the main organiser. In 2012 ROMA organised an Energy seminar were all results from ROMA and other projects working with Energy for the partners i ROMA consortium were presented. In November 2013 a finalising 2 day seminar presenting all ROMA results for the industry were organised. 4 PhD students have until now been educated in the ROMA program.

The proposed competence project with user support is a cross-industry initiative on resource (raw materials and energy) optimisation and recovery in the Norwegian metals- and industry mineral production sector. The project sketch lodging number is 290. A ctive partners in the competence project are Hydro Aluminium, Elkem Aluminium, Søral ,the Norwegian Ferroalloy Producers Research Organisation (FFF), TTI and Titania, together with SINTEF and NTNU. One of the current challenges faced by the Norwegian me tals industry is staying economically competitive on an international level, while at the same time meeting stringent national environmental requirements in terms of energy utilization, emissions to air, and solid waste deposition. In order to stay compet itive, the three most important factors (apart from minimising cost of labour and energy) are: Utilising raw materials to their maximum i.e. using all valuable elements in both ores, reduction materials, etc., with as little as possible processing or re-p rocessing of the materials whilst minimising waste materials or unwanted products, thereby increasing the economic potential of the raw materials. Minimising net energy usage, e.g. in terms of new raw materials choices in existing processes and energy-in tensive raw materials preparation processes. In addition, recovery of low- and high-temperature waste energy from the processes is required for obtaining lean energy usage. A focus on competence for transforming low-temperature waste energy to electric en ergy is proposed. Production of stable quality, i.e develop knowledge for implementing robust new or modified production lines capable of adopting quality fluctuations in present and future raw materials, yet producing a stable, high quality product.