The University of Adelaide is hosting experts from around the world to discuss strategies to tackle ongoing challenges in order to decarbonise energy intensive industries like iron, steel, cement, and aluminium.
The annual High Temperature Minerals Processing Forum, which is being held from 21 to 23 October 2024, will be chaired by University of Adelaide Professor Gus Nathan, who specialises in thermal energy engineering in systems supplied by solar and geothermal sources, and the combustion of fossil and biofuels.
Nathan says the forum is the go-to forum for industry, researchers, and government agencies at the forefront of implementing the transition to net zero CO2 emissions for high temperature industrial processes.
“We will be discussing the latest developments about the technologies, policies, and finance to address barriers and identify the enablers to further decarbonise energy-intensive, high temperature process industries, which are the hard-to-abate parts of heavy industry,” he says.
“The challenge is complex as there is no one size fits all solution that can be applied to different industries using large amounts of energy — each has its own requirements which must be catered for if they are to successfully transition away from using fossil fuels.”
The forum marks the fourth time experts from around the world have met to discuss ways energy-intensive industries can contribute to meeting the target to reduce emissions by 2050.
It will feature the latest research, aimed at finding technology-driven solutions to help industry make the transition to a net zero future, while also minimising the costs and risks associated with new technology, and enabling companies to remain competitive.
Nathan says the goal is to make sure that Australian companies are at the forefront of emerging opportunities.
“Australia has the potential to have lower cost net zero energy sources than many other countries,” he says.
“Hydrogen is expected to be in this mix, either generated from renewables or natural gas, but both carbon capture and reuse or storage and electrification with net zero electricity are also important.
“In the world of the future, neither renewable energy nor hydrogen are cheap to transport, so it’s easier to use them to decarbonise ore where they are co-located, and then ship that product which is a higher value product than is currently being exported.”
Nathan adds that Australia has the potential to change from exporting ore to green value-added materials for other countries to turn into green products.
Other presenters at the forum include Professor Greg Metha, who is also undertaking research with the aim to create a more sustainable future alongside Professor Alfonso Chinnici and Dr Woei Saw.
Metha is focused on perfecting hydrogen production technology which is a key driver for achieving net zero emission targets, while Chinnici’s expertise lies in sustainable heat and mass transfer, as well as reaction engineering, combustion science, and solar thermal energy.
The University of Adelaide says by integrating renewable energy sources with existing industrial processes, Saw’s work will enable more sustainable operations and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Nathan notes that the low-carbon transition will impact on global supply chains, and generate new opportunities for Australia and other nations that possesses net zero energy sources and mineral resources.
“Currently, Australia exports its ore to be processed overseas into raw materials, but we are ideally placed to be a major player in the next 20 to 30 years as a manufacturer of green raw materials such as green iron and alumina by processing ore using our abundant locally-generated renewable energy,” he says.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: The University of Adelaide
