Revolutionizing Foundries with Sustainable Biocarbon Briquettes

22 September, 2023

We are happy to announce that we have achieved remarkable success in mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Bio4Cupola project. The success brings us closer to a greener, more sustainable future. Together, we can make a positive impact on our environment and contribute to a circular economy. The project has been led by Swerim in collaboration with Volvo Powertrain, Envigas, and Carbomax.

“The project achieved a remarkable milestone by replacing up to 35% of foundry coke with biocarbon briquettes, resulting in substantial reductions in fossil CO2 emissions and energy derived from fossil coke”, says the projects coordinator Elsayed Mousa, Swerim.

Significant milestone

Bio4Cupola

The outcomes of the Bio4Cupola project serve as a significant milestone in advancing the utilization of biocarbon briquettes in Cupola furnaces, paving the way for a profoundly sustainable and eco-friendly operation. The knowledge gained, from lab-scale to industrial-scale, provides valuable insights and data to support the ongoing development of sustainable alternatives for the cupola furnace process.

In line with Sweden's national climate goals of achieving net zero GHG emissions by 2045, the Volvo foundry in Skövde has been actively working on a strategic plan to reduce fossil CO2 emissions. The main focus has been on finding short-term solutions to gradually reduce emissions. The primary source of emissions at the foundry is foundry coke, used as both an energy source and carbon supplier in the cupola furnace melting process.

Addressing this challenge, the Bio4Cupola project aimed to expand knowledge, develop innovative approaches, and validate the feasibility of partially substituting foundry coke with renewable biocarbon. The project started with small-scale laboratory experiments and progressed to industrial-scale implementation, involving comprehensive investigations into various carbon sources and compaction techniques.

The project successfully developed biocarbon briquettes which were specifically designed and utilized in an industrial campaign conducted at Volvo's Cupola furnace - A campaign that replaced up to 35% of foundry coke with biocarbon briquettes. Which is an enormous environmental win and success.

Successful collaboration

The three-year project has been financed by the Swedish Energy Agency. Swedish partners have been Swerim, Volvo Powertrain, Envigas and Carbomax. External partners have been HERP (Germany), Verdes (Spain), Händle (Germany) and Kemira (Finland).