France-based pipe manufacturer Vallourec has announced that it has started developing a new industrial plant for the production of biomass charcoal, originating from its forests, using Carboval technology at its Florestal unit in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The process, which allows the company to expand its sustainable raw material use for production, reduces the raw material transformation cycle from 16 days to 16 hours, without releasing methane and using approximately 95 percent of the energy contained in wood.
Carboval is contributing to the company’s goal of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the statement. This technology carbonizes the wood through a vertical reactor, transforming it into biomass charcoal. “As a renewable carbon source and potential substitute for petcoke, the potential applications of Carboval go far beyond its current use in blast furnaces, including applications in pelletizing, sintering and other steelmaking processes,” the statement said.