{"id":463598,"date":"2023-11-13T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-13T05:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovationorigins.com\/?p=463598"},"modified":"2023-11-13T06:30:00","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T05:30:00","slug":"critical-yet-pollutant-can-silicon-be-produced-in-a-greener-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/critical-yet-pollutant-can-silicon-be-produced-in-a-greener-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Critical yet pollutant: can silicon be produced in a greener way?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Chips, transistors, and solar panels are all made with silicon. The demand, and thus the production, of this mineral spiked over the past few decades, driven by the increase in the production of solar cells and computing power. Yet, silicon production comes at high environmental costs. Per every kilogram of silicon produced, 7.5 kilograms of CO<sub>2<\/sub> are discharged into the atmosphere.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"io-block io-block__summary\"><ul><li>Silicon can help us transition to a greener future, but its production is highly polluting. <\/li><li>In different projects, aluminum and hydrogen reduce the coal used in silicon-making. <\/li><li>The EU launched its project to improve the resilience of the silicon supply chain. <\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Nowadays, around eight thousand tons of silicon are produced worldwide. China is by far the world production leader \u2013 with approximately six thousand tons. Russia ranks second, with less than ten percent of Chinese supplies \u2013 around 580 thousand tons. Norway is the European country producing the most of it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the near future, demand for silicon is forecasted to soar further amid the growth of solar power installations and the expansion of computing power driven by AI models. The EU has classified silicon as a critical raw material (CRM) <a href=\"https:\/\/rmis.jrc.ec.europa.eu\/eu-critical-raw-materials\">since 2014<\/a>. Europe\u2019s willingness to decouple from the Asian superpower also applies to silicon, yet the road to self-sufficiency is long \u2013 and tortuous. With climate targets looming over, achieving self-sufficiency goals in a green way is the path Europe wants to walk on. Some European projects to decarbonize silicon production exist; how do they plan to reduce the footprint of this industry?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"io-block io-block__box\"><h2>So common, so rare<\/h2><p>Although it is the second most common element on the Earth\u2019s crust, pure silicon is hardly ever found in nature. It is primarily found in rocks or sands as silicon dioxide, often combined with oxygen. Quartz \u2013 consisting of one silicon atom and two hydrogen ones \u2013 is one of the most used rocks for producing pure silicon.\u00a0<br><br>In the traditional smelting process, quartz and carbon are used to get pure silicon. In high-temperature furnaces, the bond between quartz\u2019s silicon atom and the hydrogen ones is dissolved using solid carbon, such as coal or coke. The outputs of this process are pure silicon, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide, making silicon production highly pollutant. Norway, Europe\u2019s largest producer of aluminum and silicon,\u00a0 generates ten percent of its emissions from the metal industry. Therefore, new technologies are emerging to decarbonize the process and make green silicon, replacing carbon with green alternatives.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Aluminum scrap\u00a0to replace coal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ntnu.edu\/\">NTNU<\/a>) developed an industrial process that can remove all direct carbon dioxide and nitrogen emissions from the silicon production process. This new method, called SisAl, uses aluminum instead of carbon to break the bonds inside quartz atoms. Thanks to this method, \u201cgreen silicon production is just around the corner,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/norwegianscitechnews.com\/2023\/02\/green-production-of-silicon-is-just-around-the-corner\/\">told<\/a> Norwegian SciTech News Maria Wallin, a materials researcher at NTNU.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whereas the conventional silicon smelting process is endothermic, meaning that it uses energy to reduce the quartz, SisAl is exothermic, as the reaction between quartz and aluminum releases power. \u201cSisAl uses only one-third the energy consumption per tonne of finished silicon,\u201d said Wallin. In addition, SisAl uses nearly all the quartz put in the furnace &#8211; the conventional method takes up 85 to 92 percent of it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Besides, the process can use slag and scrap from the aluminum industry, as well as thin aluminum coming from the food industry. The SisAl process also generates calcium oxide and aluminum oxide as scrap, substances demanded by the steel industry. In a way, the model aims to close the loop and create a circular business model. Wallin also believes that current smelters wouldn\u2019t have to invest large sums of money to complement or replace current production. NTNU got a patent for the SisAl process, and it is building a pilot plant in South Africa to test it further.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"vlp-link-container vlp-layout-basic wp-block-visual-link-preview-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/bendable-silicon-solar-panels-make-solar-everywhere-possible\/\" class=\"vlp-link\" title=\"Bendable silicon solar panels make solar everywhere possible\"><\/a><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-side\"><div class=\"vlp-block-2 vlp-link-image\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-main\"><div class=\"vlp-block-0 vlp-link-title\">Bendable silicon solar panels make solar everywhere possible<\/div><div class=\"vlp-block-1 vlp-link-summary\">Researchers from China, Germany, and Saudi Arabia have developed flexible silicon solar cells that can bend like paper and retain 96.03% of their 24% power conversion efficiency after 20 minutes of simulated wind exposure.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The role of hydrogen\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>From neighboring Sweden comes another technology. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.green14.com\/\">Green14<\/a> is building a new reactor to produce green silicon. The facility aims to manufacture silicon in an innovative and environmentally friendly way. The startup\u2019s furnace will use 3000 degrees Celsius hydrogen plasma to convert silicon dioxide into pure silicon. After conducting successful experiments, the company decided to scale up its process, thus building the kiln inside the furnace hall of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kth.se\/en\">KTH<\/a> Royal Institute of Technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of using solid carbon \u2013 namely coal or coke \u2013 the company plans to employ hydrogen plasma, a state of matter in which hydrogen has been ionized into plasma. Plasma is one of the four fundamental states of matter \u2013 the most abundant one \u2013 and is characterized by the presence of a portion of charged particles in any combination of ions and electrons. Therefore, hydrogen plasma consists of free electrons and protons that conduct electricity and that can be manipulated by magnetic fields.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The byproduct of the process developed by Green14 is water vapor. Another generated sidestream is silicate, a compound used in electric car batteries. However promising, the process poses relevant challenges, such as safety. \u201cThe combination of high temperature and hydrogen gas is always a risk,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kth.se\/en\/om\/nyheter\/centrala-nyheter\/har-utmanas-kinas-kiseldominans-1.1290832\">said Bj\u00f6rn Glaser<\/a>, project manager at the Swedish startup. The pilot plant will help Green14 refine its technology.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"vlp-link-container vlp-layout-basic wp-block-visual-link-preview-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/green-tide-rising-siemens-opens-berlin-electrolyzer-factory\/\" class=\"vlp-link\" title=\"Green tide rising: Siemens opens Berlin electrolyzer factory\"><\/a><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-side\"><div class=\"vlp-block-2 vlp-link-image\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-main\"><div class=\"vlp-block-0 vlp-link-title\">Green tide rising: Siemens opens Berlin electrolyzer factory<\/div><div class=\"vlp-block-1 vlp-link-summary\">Siemens Energy, in partnership with Air Liquide, has unveiled a new electrolyzer factory in Berlin, marking a significant milestone in the escalation of the hydrogen economy.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Value chain\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In an effort to reduce dependency on external suppliers, the EU launched the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.resilex-project.eu\/\">RESiLEX <\/a>project. Part of Horizon Europe \u2013 EU\u2019s flagship research fund \u2013 the initiative targets to increase the resilience and the sustainability of the entire silicon value chain. Started in mid 2022, RESiLEX covers raw materials extraction and transformation, as well as the optimization and recycling of photovoltaic (PV) modules.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Developing innovative solutions to recover mining wastes is one of the initiatives undertaken by the project, led by Cetaqua \u2013 a water research company and one of the members of the consortium comprising 21 European partners. NTNU also joined the program with its aluminum refining initiative. Up until 2026, RESiLEX will have time and funding to dig deeper into the topic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With different roles, chips, and solar panels will help society transition towards greener standards. As things stand, we are yet to have fully green solar modules and computing units. Still, as research progresses, green silicon might soon be a reality, possibly impacting the geopolitical landscape.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chips, transistors, and solar panels are all made with silicon. The demand, and thus the production, of this mineral spiked over the past few decades, driven by the increase in the production of solar cells and computing power. Yet, silicon production comes at high environmental costs. Per every kilogram of silicon produced, 7.5 kilograms of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2084,"featured_media":493427,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[82137,54580,50651,53026],"location":[66582],"article_type":[60595],"serie":[],"archives":[],"internal_archives":[],"reboot-archive":[],"class_list":["post-463598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sustainability-nl","tag-green-silicon-2","tag-kth-royal-institute-of-technology","tag-ntnu","tag-silicon","location-europe","article_type-analysis"],"blocksy_meta":[],"acf":{"subtitle":"Silicon\u2019s importance for the green transition is undisputed, yet its production comes with high environmental costs. ","text_display_homepage":false},"author_meta":{"display_name":"Mauro Mereu","author_link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/author\/mauro-mereu\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/innovationorigins_a_worker_working_inside_a_silicon_production__be3f354d-bab0-4499-a7b3-4f907cac38b7.png","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/sustainability-nl\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Sustainability<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Sustainability<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/sustainability-nl\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">green silicon<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/sustainability-nl\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">KTH Royal Institute of Technology<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/sustainability-nl\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">NTNU<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/sustainability-nl\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">silicon<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">green silicon<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">KTH Royal Institute of Technology<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">NTNU<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">silicon<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 2 years ago","modified":"Updated 2 years ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on November 13, 2023","modified":"Updated on November 13, 2023"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on November 13, 2023 6:30 am","modified":"Updated on November 13, 2023 6:30 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2084"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=463598"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463598\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/493427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=463598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=463598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=463598"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=463598"},{"taxonomy":"article_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_type?post=463598"},{"taxonomy":"serie","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/serie?post=463598"},{"taxonomy":"archives","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/archives?post=463598"},{"taxonomy":"internal_archives","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal_archives?post=463598"},{"taxonomy":"reboot-archive","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reboot-archive?post=463598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}