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HåBiMet – Safe management

HåBiMet – Hållbart Biokol för Metallurgisk användning
Sustainable Biocarbon for Metallurgical use

Kontakt

Tova Jarnerud Örell

tova.jarnerud@swerim.se +46 (0)76 113 83 71

HåBiMet – Safe management

Vinnova Reference number: 2025-03081
Project duration: 2025.11.03 — 2029.11.01
Coordinator: Swerim.

The project focuses on ensuring safe handling, transport, and storage of metallurgical biocarbon, addressing key safety risks that currently limit its industrial adoption. Biocarbon is a promising substitute for fossil carbon in the metal industry but it introduces new hazards, including self-heating, spontaneous combustion, mold growth, toxic gas emissions, dust explosions, and fire risks. These risks occur throughout the value chain—from production and storage to transport and use. 

Main objectives

The project aims to:

  • Identify key factors driving self-heating, ignition, and mold formation.
  • Develop mitigation strategies, including optimized briquette recipes and additives.
  • Create reaction kinetics models and a digital twin for predicting spontaneous combustion.
  • Conduct industrial-scale trials, especially for bulk transport and storage.
  • Perform risk and occupational safety analysis across the value chain.
  • Develop and disseminate best practice guidelines for safe management.

Key challenges addressed

  • Biocarbon is more reactive and porous than fossil carbon, increasing fire risk.
  • Moisture content and storage conditions strongly influence ignition and mold growth.
  • Bulk transport is not well understood and currently restricted due to self‑heating risks.
  • Briquetting introduces new risks through binders and microbial activity.
  • Lack of knowledge and models makes risk prediction difficult. 

Approach

The project combines:

  • Laboratory experiments on mold growth, moisture effects, and self-heating.
  • Numerical modelling (CFD and DEM) to simulate combustion and transport conditions.
  • Industrial trials (e.g., bulk transport and storage tests).
  • Risk mapping and safety analysis, including fire behaviour testing.
  • Cross-sector collaboration across industry, research institutes, and academia.

Expected outcomes

  • Improved understanding of self-heating and combustion mechanisms.
  • Tools to predict unsafe conditions (e.g. digital twin models).
  • Identification of safe operating conditions and material properties.
  • Best practice guidelines for the full value chain.
  • Enhanced occupational safety and reduced fire risks.
  • Support for industrial-scale deployment of biocarbon.

Overall conclusion

The project addresses a critical barrier to scaling metallurgical biocarbon: safety. By combining experiments, modeling, and industrial validation, it aims to enable safe, efficient, and large-scale use of biocarbon as a sustainable alternative to fossil carbon in the metal industry.

Project partners:
Swerim
Höganäs
Envigas
Vargön Alloys 
Luleå tekniska universitet (LTU)
Eramet
Kvasir Technology
Meva Energy
RISE
Arbion Industries