EnergyProSafe

Bioenergy is important in Norway and the current national bioenergy strategy is influenced by e.g. Klimakur 2030, Klimameldingen, Bioøkonomistrategien, Energi21 and Skog22. The metallurgical industry in Norway seeks to substitute large amounts of biobased materials for fossil reductants and materials (packing coke and coal tar pitch) in their processes. The Norwegian Process Industry Roadmap - Combining growth and zero emissions by 2050, Industrimeldingen and Prosess21 lay the foundation for an accelerated utilization of Norwegian biomass resources that would reduce the CO₂ footprint of the metallurgical industry. The roadmap targets a 43% reduction of CO₂ by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. For achieving net zero emission goals, the European Commission set up the Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) in 2022 for leverage of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) in EU. Permanent storage of carbon (i.e., biochar/biocarbon) has been categorized as a key area to realize high-quality carbon removals.

Use of biocarbon as reductants and materials in the metallurgical industry will displace the use of the fossil counterparts, as well as contribute to CDR in combination with CO₂ capture and storage.

However, there is a need to improve energy production, including energy efficiency, and safety in the biocarbon value chains, and the main objective of EnergyProSafe is to contribute to this through knowledge-building.