NEWS

Advanced pyrolysis technology is about to change the way metals are being produced and processed. As pyrolysis reactors are moving from pilot facilities into industry scale plants, the metal industry will have the opportunity to prevent large quantities of fossil carbon from entering the atmosphere.

And, as a much welcome side effect, the metallurgical and energy giants will get large volumes of renewable pyrogas, which will replace fossil natural gas in industrial plants an in the gas grids. A true win-win opportunity.

With its ongoing deliveries to Vow Green Metals’ BioCarbon plant in Norway, the recent award of a large scale biocarbon production system in the US, and the decision to build a large scale and record-breaking continuous pyrolysis reactor for production of biocarbon, Vow is taking decisive steps towards scaling up and commercialising pyrolysis technology.

Originally a provider of clean ship solutions primarily for the cruise industry, Vow’s has built a strong position as provider of key environmental technology and solutions for landbased industries. In 2019, Vow acquired the French environmental technology company ETIA, and in March this year, the company announced the acquisition of C.H. Evensen Industriovner, a specialist in thermal processes for energy intensive industries.

“Today, we can offer the most complete toolbox of technologies and solutions for thermal processes and pyrolysis in the industry, and we are pleased and proud to develop our solutions in close co-operation and partnership with visionary blue-chip companies in a broad range of industry verticals,” said Henrik Badin, CEO of Vow ASA.

“Moreover, and as can be seen in our decades-long history in the cruise industry, our track record demonstrates that we are delivering solutions that offer near 100 percent uptime, a crucial feature for all processing industries,” added Badin.

The metallurgical industry is one such industry, and it is consuming many hundred thousand tonnes of carbon every year. For this industry to fulfil its own ambitions and climate targets, as much as possible of this fossil carbon must be replaced by renewable biocarbon.

Such advances are accelerated by global trends within the circular economy, geo-political circumstances, regulation, and economic realities, including the cost of energy and carbon emission.

“Our task in Vow is to scale up the pyrolysis technology and make it available to industries at commercially attractive terms. With our recent acquisitions and investments in R&D, and our role as founders of Vow Green Metals in 2021, we have already shown our commitment, and we will continue to lead. The technology is available. Now we all need to step up to scale up,” said Henrik Badin.

On 1 June 2022, representatives from leading industrials and other strong voices in renewables are coming together in Oslo for Vow Green Metals BioCarbon and BioEnergy Day. Among the speakers are advanced materials production company Elkem which is determined to replace fossil carbon with biocarbon in its plants, and Europe’s second largest gas distributor GRTgaz, which together with Vow recently marked production start of a demo plant built to confirm that CO2 neutral pyrolysis gas can replace fossil gas in the European gas grid.

“It is great to see the industry coming together for an event such as this. I am looking forward to be presenting our contribution at the conference and meeting other people with passion and desire to develop impact technologies and drive change,” said Henrik Badin.