Chemical company launches program to turn waste into fuel

In the usual course of operations, manufacturers convert raw materials into finished goods and then dispose of any byproducts or waste created by the process. Now, the Norwegian chemical supply company Elkem is looking to turn that model on its ear. The company recently announced it was working on a project that would rearrange the traditional "value chain" by reclaiming certain byproducts and selling them into brand-new markets.

Oslo-based Elkem recently won a $490,000 grant to develop technology to capture unused hydrogen from the company's silicon production facility in Bremanger, Norway. The chemical supplier will then dry and compress the gas so it can be used as fuel in the passenger and heavy-duty transport market as well as in maritime operations. The company says its preliminary calculations indicate it could extract close to 130 tons of hydrogen a year, converting it into enough fuel to power 800 to 1,000 hydrogen passenger cars or a single hydrogen ferry.

"Elkem Bremanger's main products are silicon and ferrosilicon, but we also have a long tradition of developing new value chains and we have a strong focus on sustainability and circular economy," Arne Werge-Olsen, plant manager at Elkem Bremanger, said in a release. "In the mid-1980s, we started selling Microsilica, a former surplus product that today contributes to significant sales as additive powder in concrete and mortar. Now we're investigating the opportunities to do the same with the surplus of hydrogen, to reduce emissions and provide increased revenue. In the longer term, it is also possible that transport to and from Bremanger can use hydrogen as fuel."

Elkem is collaborating with the independent research institute SINTEF on the project. The grant funding was provided by Enova, a business entity owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment that supports the development of energy and climate technology.