Page 164 - CW E-Magazine (10-12-2024)

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GOVT. SUPPORT SOUGHT GREENER PROCESS
Worker union unhappy with Ineos Styrolution’s Elkem gets EU grant to explore CO -free silicon
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decision to shutter Sarnia site production

Ineos Styrolution’s decision to ac- down since April 2024 due to orders Norwegian silicone specialist, tive production methods without CO
celerate the closure of its Sarnia facility from regulatory authorities that forced Elkem, has secured €1.8-mn in fund- emissions. 2
in Canada to the end of December 2025 the site to declare force majeure. ing from the European Union (EU) for
has prompted Canada’s largest private its ‘Elkem Sicalo’ (Silicon production The MECALO project will research
sector worker union, Unifor, to call on Unifor said the site is an important with carbon looping) project, which and develop a new production method
the federal and provincial governments part of Canada’s chemical and plastics aims to eliminate all CO emissions that involves capturing carbon oxides
to intervene. supply chain and its proposed closure from silicon production. 2 from process off-gases, converting
“threatens the security of supply for them to solid carbon using low-car-
“The expedited closure of the Sar- it will not restart its styrene monomer Canadian manufacturing.” Elkem, SINTEF and NORCE are bon hydrogen, and reusing the recove-
nia plant is a devastating blow to our production site in Sarnia, Ontario, completing the fi rst pilot phase of red carbon as a reduction material to
members and the local community. We which has been shut down since April “Our members have dedicated years ‘Elkem Sicalo’ at Elkem’s technology produce critical metals and materials.
urge the governments and the company 2024. This announcement follows the of service to this facility. Ineos must park in Kristiansand, Norway. The pro- While this method is showing promis-
to work together to secure a new inves- company’s prior announcement on fulfi l its responsibility to these workers ject entails capturing the carbon emit- ing results, it also presents challenges
tor,” stated Unifor National President, June 11, 2024 to permanently close and the Sarnia community by explor- ted from the silicon furnace and reusing that need to be resolved, such as
Ms. Lana Payne. the Sarnia site by June 2026 based on ing all avenues to keep the site oper- it as a reductant in the silicon produc- increased energy use.
the economics of the facility within the ating safely under new ownership,” tion process.
Ineos Styrolution, the UK-based wider industry context. The company’s said Unifor Ontario Regional Director, The overall budget for MECALO
supplier of styrenics, had confi rmed operations in Sarnia have been shut Ms. Samia Hashi. The EU has now granted €9.9-mn in is €9.9-mn, with Elkem’s budget and
funding for the Horizon Europe project requested grant amounting to €1.8-mn.
DIVESTMENT MECALO, which builds on ‘Elkem
Honeywell to sell PPE business for $1.3-bn Sicalo’. MECALO will develop the Elkem has been working on ‘Elkem
concept of carbon looping further for Sicalo’ with SINTEF as its research
American conglomerate, Honeywell, portfolio within the Industrial Automa- general metal production, with demon- partner since 2021, with support from
has announced that it has agreed to tion segment. stration of zero CO silicon and man- Some metals, such as steel, can be pro- The Research Council of Norway from
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sell its Personal Protective Equipment ganese alloys. duced with hydrogen as a reductant. 2022-2024. The research partners are
(PPE) business to Protective Industrial The sale of the PPE business builds This is not possible for silicon, man- now initiating the second phase of the
Products, Inc. (PIP), a portfolio company on Honeywell’s completion of four The manganese alloys producer ganese and several other metals. That’s project with extensive pilot testing
of Odyssey Investment Partners, for acquisitions over the past 12 months as Eramet, with its six smelters in Norway, why pioneering projects such as MEC- of various stages of the production
$1.325-bn in an all-cash transaction. part of its capital deployment strategy. France, the US and Gabon, is the other ALO are needed, to develop innova- process, with support from Enova.
In addition, Honeywell announced a metallurgical company in the consortium
Honeywell said the divestment will titure of Honeywell’s Lifestyle and plan recently to spin off its Advanced aiming to develop and use the tech- KBR licenses ammonia technology
help further simplify its portfolio to Performance Footwear Business to Materials business into an independent, nology from MECALO. If successful
cater to megatrends of automation, the Rocky Brands for $230-mn in 2021 and US publicly traded company, which is and fully implemented in all European to Angola’s Amufert
future of aviation and energy transition. completes Honeywell’s exit from PPE. targeted to be completed by the end of production of silicon and manganese,
Honeywell’s PPE business, part of the Honeywell will retain its gas detection 2025 or early 2026. MECALO could save 33-mtpa of CO
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Industrial Automation (IA) business emissions in 2050. American engineering major, KBR, Amufert’s 2,300-tpd (tonnes per day)
portfolio, is a global provider of PPE Kraton to hike prices for SIS polymer has signed an agreement with Amufert, ammonia plant. The planned facility
for industrial workers. The business has “Our research into carbon looping a fertiliser production and marketing will assist Angola and its neighbouring
approximately 5,000 employees and products has the potential to be a game changer fi rm, for the development of a new countries move towards greater food
currently operates 20 manufacturing for the metal alloys industry to achieve ammonia plant in Soyo, Angola. security and self-suffi ciency.
sites and 17 distribution sites across Kraton Corporation, a US-based for all its Styrene-Isoprene-Styrene(SIS) net zero emissions,” said Elkem’s CEO,
the US, Mexico, Europe, North Africa, producer of specialty polymers and bio- polymer products with effect from Janu- Mr. Helge Aasen. Under the terms of the contract, KBR is a world leader in ammonia
Asia Pacifi c and China. based products derived from pine wood ary 1, 2025. “This action is driven by the KBR will provide a technology technology and has licensed, engineered
pulping co-products, has announced a continued increase in raw materials and The production of silicon requires license, proprietary engineering design, or constructed over 260 grassroot
The announcement follows dives- general price increase of $330 + per tonne process chemicals,” the company said. carbon to reduce quartz into silicon. equipment and catalyst solutions for ammonia plants worldwide since 1943.

164 Chemical Weekly December 10, 2024 Chemical Weekly December 10, 2024 165

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