Some Carbon-Free Technologies for Manganese Ferroalloy Production

To secure a future with the development of solar and wind energy, weather-safe roads and cities around the world, we must be able to produce metals in a safe, climate-neutral and responsible way. Obviously, we must prolong the lifespan of our materials, increase the efficiency of current processes, reuse and recycle what is already available, but that may not be enough. If we are to reach the global development goals, the world will most likely need new materials, including metals. There are many possible technologies that can help cut greenhouse gas emissions from the metallurgical industry, such as biocarbon and hydrogen as reducing agents but also electrolytic and metallothermic reduction routes and combinations of these solutions. Within each of these different themes, there are many technological possibilities. The current article gives an overview of the different alternatives to carbothermic reduction, i.e., describes the solutions which could potentially remove the need for carbon entirely. The discussion focuses on the possibilities, challenges, and the current technological barriers for these technologies to be applied to ferroalloy production.