15 Nov 2019 / News

Towards a greener mineral and metal industry thanks to the AlSiCal project

Last week the AlSiCal project officially kicked off. The project aims at developing an innovative technology to reduce the environmental impact of producing alumina, silica and calcium carbonate by using alternative mineral resources in one single process.

In September 2020 the AlSiCal project officially kicked off in Kjeller, Norway. This was done at the premises of its coordinator, the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE). This project is funded by Horizon 2020.

AlSiCal is an ambitious research and innovation project to make the mineral and metal industry more sustainable and environmentally sound. The core of the project is the already patented and ground-breaking AlSiCal technology. It enables the sustainable production of alumina, silica and precipitated calcium carbonate. This is done by using currently unexploited resources whilst generating ZERO Bauxite Residue and ZERO carbon dioxide (CO₂) from production.

These are high-demand raw materials with expected demand growth worldwide. Securing domestic access to these basic raw materials is of high priority for the European Union. Currently they are obtained through traditional processes that generate considerable CO₂ emissions, and bauxite residue in the case of alumina. It clashes with an increased demand for more sustainable production.

Contributing to European Union’s goals

AlSiCal will contribute to reach the European Union´s goals by further researching, developing and de-risking a new technology, which will allow for:

• The green co-production of the three essential raw materials, in a single process and from one source;
• The efficient use of anorthosite, a mineral abundant in Europe and worldwide;
• Integrated CO₂ use and capture to achieve ZERO CO₂ emissions from production;
• ZERO Bauxite Residue generation from alumina production.

In four years AlSiCal aims to develop this European innovation, which enables domestic access to high-demand raw materials under sustainability principles. This will contribure to European economic growth through low carbon and low environmental footprint technologies.  

The AlSiCal consortium comprises 16 international partners from 9 countries. They represent the whole value chain in the minerals and metals industry. The project benefits from the participation of research and technology organizations, mining and mineral exploration companies, technology developers, end users, business developers and international interests organizations. Jointly they aim at an effective and efficient innovation towards a more sustainable future.

The AlSiCal project in short

Project acronym: AlSiCal

Full title: Towards sustainable mineral and metal industry: ZERO Bauxite Residue and ZERO CO₂ from co-production of Alumina, Silica and precipitated Calcium carbonate by the AlSiCal technology
Project Coordinator: Dr. Asunción (Suni) Aranda, at Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), Norway

Project start: 1^st Sept. 2019

Duration: 4 years

Fund: 5,9 M€ from the H2020 programme

Number of partners: 16, from 9 different countries

For further details and information requests, please contact Suni Aranda at suni.aranda@ife.no

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