The international consortium will develop and demonstrate an integrated sustainable process to produce manganese (Mn) and Mn alloys from Mn ores and Mn-containing waste by using hydrogen and secondary aluminium sources as reductants. This development will be implemented under the European Union-funded project HAlMan that will be a game changer in the metallurgical industry in view sof developing sustainable processes with a low carbon footprint, low energy consumption, no solid waste generation as well as valorisation of secondary raw materials from the mining and metallurgical industries.
About 1.4 million tons of manganese ferroalloys were produced in Europe in 2020, relying on about 1.3 million tons of manganese ore that were imported and 0.6 million tons of manganese ores produced, leading to more than 1.8 million tons of CO2 emissions, which is about 2.5% of the EU metallurgical industries total CO2 emissions.
In 2020, Europe imported about 111.000 tons of are electrolytic manganese and 38.000 tons of electrolytic manganese dioxide. The latter is critical in the years to come for the battery industry, which expects significant growth. In addition, for the next few decades, the EU metallurgy industry will have to deal with a requirement to remain sustainable while maintaining economic competitiveness and maintaining the green course.
In this context European Union’s funded project HAlMan aims to develop and test a unique process that will ensure more effective and sustainable production of Mn and Mn alloys with various potential applications. For example, a new feedstock for the aluminium industry (Al-Mnalloys); a greener Mn metal product that can replace electrolytic Mn in different industry, new products for the FeMn industries, manganese dioxide for the battery industry, and finally extraction of critical raw materials (CRM) from raw materials.
The coordinator team Prof. Jafar Safarian and Dr, Maria Wallin Researcher at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU): “One of the most important outcomes of this project is the strategic foundation for increasing the production of valuable metals via sustainable and resource efficient processes in a European framework. The technology developed in HAlMan will benefit mining, ferroalloys, iron foundry, steel, alumina refinery, aluminum, hydrogen, cement making, battery, and chemical industries through one single initiative.”
About the HAlMan project:
The HAlMan project is Co-funded by the European Union. The project’s consortium is composed of 14 partners and 3 associated partners (AP), representing 10 countries. The project coordinator is Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norway). Consortium partners are OFZ AS (Slovakia), Mintek (South Africa), SINTEF AS (Norway), WIT Berry (Latvia), National Technical University of Athens (Greece), Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH (Germany), Advanced Minerals and Recycling Industrial Solutions (Greece), Centre for Research and Technology Hellas – CERTH (Greece), Mytilineos Anonimi Etaireia (Greece), CALIX Europe (France), CALIX LTD (Australia, AP), Spolka Akcyjna Odlewnie Polskie (Poland), Imperial College of Science and Technology and Medicine (United Kingdom, AP), MET4 (Greece), Transalloy PTY LTD (South Africa), Assmang (South Africa, AP). Project has started in January, 2023 and its duration is 4 years. Grant agreement ID: 101091936.
More information:
Maria Wallin and Jafar Safarian, Project coordinator, E-mail maria.wallin@ntnu.no, jafar.safarian@ntnu.no
