EU project aims to cut CO2 emissions in refractory sector drastically
A research project, funded by the European Union, is targeting the recycling process in the refractory industry. The international initiative, which is part of the Horizon program, could help decrease CO2 emissions in the refractory industry by up to 800,000 tonnes per year.
The eight research partners have taken on the challenge under the lead of global refractory giant RHI Magnesita. With high-end technologies and the combined knowledge from geology, laser technology, and hyperspectral imaging, amongst others - the researchers from five countries are seeking to solve one of the bigger issues in regard to Europe’s carbon footprint. And they do so by focusing on the recycling of fire-resistant industrial products.
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"On average, 60% of all spent refractories, generated by refractory-consuming industries, go to landfill, while only 30% is recycled. With the ReSoURCE project, we aim to increase it up to 75%. This means we can achieve significant savings of CO2 emissions per annum. With this research project, we have the chance to make a difference in the world," said Stefan Borgas, the CEO of RHI Magnesita.
It is the first time for the company with its 12,000 employees to lead a research project funded by the European Union.
The aim of the ReSoURCE project is to develop a working sensor-based system for refractory waste sorting and powder handling. If successful,
"We are very much aware that we cannot reach our goal without our partners in Austria, Germany, England, Ireland and Norway," said Saranya Azhaarudeen, the project manager who is coordinating the international workflow from RHI Magnesita’s headquarters in Vienna.
"Currently we are working on preparing samples of the used fire-resistant material from steel and cement production."
The process was designed at the Montanuniversität in Leoben by Karl Friedrich, an expert in waste management and recycling. From Leoben, the prepared samples will be shipped to Germany and Norway, where specialists at the Innolas Laser GmbH and the Norsk Elektro Optik AS will start their first experiments. Other partners in this groundbreaking project for recycling in the refractory industry include LSA GmbH and the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany as well as SINTEF in Norway, CPI in England and Crowdhelix in Ireland.
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“I am confident that we will reach our goal in time and am grateful that we were given the financial support that we needed by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA),” added Azhaarudeen.
In order to create the most transparent access, the public can follow the progress of the endeavors up close through a science weblog, that can be found on the project’s website: https://www.project-resource.eu.
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