Towards Net Zero Pyrometallurgical Processing with the ISASMELT™ and ISACYCLE™

With the growing global focus on reducing the environmental and social impacts of modern society, many smelters and recyclers are moving rapidly to decarbonise their processes. While existing and new solutions are required to optimise for reduced emissions across all reporting greenhouse gas (GHG) emission scopes, advancement of existing solutions can hold greater emissions-reduction potential. With a 37-year operating history and 25 global installations, across both primary and secondary (recycling) applications, ISASMELT™ and ISACYCLE™ technology is a mature, modern, and efficient smelting solution. The technology is well situated as it currently stands to achieve Net Zero status. The ability to decarbonise existing and new ISASMELT™ and ISACYCLE™ operations follows an emerging ‘Emissions Optimisation’ approach, which builds on significant energy-saving and emissions-reduction advancements derived from traditional profit-driven innovations. Scope 1 onsite direct emissions, and Scope 2 indirect emissions associated with electricity, heating, and cooling, can be minimised through the goal of attaining a low energy-use smelting operation. This can be achieved via aspects of the smelting process itself, including proprietary refractory design, advanced temperature control, waste heat capture, feed profile modifications, and oxygen enrichment. Further, scope 1 emissions can be eliminated through improvements such as alternative fuel substitution (i.e., hydrogen and sulphides) and off-gas processing. Finally, scope 3 emissions can be minimised through reduced maintenance, reduced consumables, and reduced equipment wear—by advancements including refractory design, lance design, and furnace control (for long campaign life and consistent production of high-quality products).