Powering sustainability in battery production via precision dosing

Batteries play a crucial role in the transition away from fossil fuels, particularly in the realm of transport. Even when the emissions from extracting minerals and metals needed for battery production are taken into account, fuel-powered vehicles generate roughly two times more emissions than battery-powered vehicles. As the electricity sector decarbonizes and battery manufacturing becomes more efficient, this disparity will increase even further.

The EU Commission is preparing to adopt new measures needed to reach the greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for 2030. These will include tighter CO2 norms for cars, revised legislation on alternative fuels infrastructure and new rules on energy taxation – pushing demand for the creation of sustainable and competitive energy storage solutions and technologies that use them.

Businesses and consumers are already making a shift away from fossil fuels: in 2022, 21.6 % of new car registrations in the EU were electric vehicles – close to 2 million electric car registrations in one year, up from 1.74 million in 2021. The number of electric vans on European roads also grew, reaching a share of 5.5 % of new registrations in 2022. Experts predict that by 2030 the difference in the purchase price of a new electric car and a new gasoline-powered car will disappear and BEVs (battery electric vehicles) and PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) will comprise a 50 % share of all passenger vehicle sales in Europe.

And it’s not only the rise of electric cars that’s supercharging the battery market. In Europe, the growing use of lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes as well as a wide range of mobile electronics applications – both industrial and consumer – are also fueling sales.

At Qlar, we want to help accelerate the transition to more sustainable energy sources. We understand the challenges inherent in battery manufacturing, and we’re developing solutions for more precise, quality-enhancing large-scale battery production.

Development of demand in Europe

Forecast development of demand for LIB in Europe until 2040 in the Passenger Car (PC), Commercial Vehicle (CV), Energy Storage Systems (ESS), “Computing, Communication, Consumer Electronics” (3C) and Other segments, showing minimum, maximum and baseline scenarios (bars show the baseline scenario).

Optimal performance, by every measure

Battery manufacturing is a complex, multi-step process, involving highly toxic and highly flammable materials. Safety, dust-tightness, and precision dosing are critical to both secure plant conditions and the safety and quality of the finished product. The smallest variations in material ratios or feed rates as well as any contamination can impair battery functionality, potentially causing fire or explosions. And precise raw material dosing is not only fundamental to battery quality – it’s also one of Qlar’s core competencies. With a wide range of high-precision weighing and feeding solutions, developed over 140+ years handling mission-critical operations, Qlar can provide battery producers accuracy where it really matters: preparing the raw materials mixture for the cathodes and anodes.

Yet even while precise and accurate dosing in the production process is essential, producers are confronted with various conflicting objectives that need to be resolved. To prevent moisture from entering the system, for example, positive pressure is required. However, at the same time, it is essential to ensure that there are no leaks that could lead to measurement inaccuracies.

Qlar can work closely with battery manufacturers to identify the best dosing processes to meet their needs, designing powerful solutions tailored to different plant set ups, different regulatory requirements and different types of batteries.

• ConiSteel+: The power of precision dosing

  With the rising demand for efficient large-scale battery production solutions, Qlar has put its efforts towards addressing the challenges specific to lithium-ion battery electrode manufacturing – developing an unparalleled solution.

  The new, state-of-the-art ConiSteel+ feeder, has been designed to meet the needs of large-scale lithium-ion battery electrode manufacturing, providing:

  • Highest and constant accuracy
  • Feeding range from 30 to 3000 liters per hour
  • Excellent dust tightness
  • Risk minimization for users in production
  • No product contamination due to metallic abrasion
  • Flexibility due to modular design
  • ess integration into plant concepts with a continuous containment concept to limit dust emission
  • Quick Closure Flaps for highly accurate batching
  • Optional PTFE/ceramic coating

  The CS+ is suitable for both continuous and batch processes for the production of battery mass. Batching is currently the battery industry’s preferred process type, with any malfunctions easily traceable.

• Digital solutions

  Digital material handling and feeding solutions offer further potential for manufacturers to enjoy enhanced stability, accuracy, efficiency, and precision in their battery dosing processes.

  Supported by historic live trending and process data, Qlar’s CONiQ Control allows operators to assess and adjust the control speeds of critical materials, optimizing feeder performance in real time. This can offer a real advantage in battery cell production, where control of the filling and refilling processes impacts all other quality factors and requirements.

Batteries are driving the future

Batteries are the beating heart of contemporary life – vital in the shift to cleaner energy and transportation, powering advancement towards a zero-carbon future.

According to NASDAQ, the lithium-ion battery market was estimated at $ 54.4 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach total revenues of $ 182.5 billion in 2030, with an expected compound annual growth rate of 20.3 %. In parallel, demand for battery power, as measured in gigawatt hours, is expected to grow from 185 in 2020 to 2,035 by 2030 – an 11-fold increase with nearly 90 % of demand coming from the transportation sector.

At Qlar, our mission is to help battery producers scale up sustainably to meet the increased demand as the world transitions away from fossil fuels. We do this by applying our long-standing expertise in precise, quality-enhancing production processes to the optimization of battery manufacturing processes.

In our ongoing research and development, we are also investigating processing and material transformation solutions that could be compatible with new rising battery technologies, such as solid-state batteries and sodium ion batteries.

With increased battery production and the accompanying strain on resources, closing the loop with dedicated recycling solutions will also become significantly more important in the years to come. The latest developments in battery recycling processes resulting from the new EU Batteries Regulation are highly encouraging, helping to ensure that in the future batteries require the extraction of fewer raw materials and can be reused and recycled to a high degree. Several new recycling plants are now in planning across the EU. In tandem, we are exploring the potential for adapting our highly efficient plastics recycling process technologies to battery recycling.

The European market for battery cell production is experiencing rapid growth. We recognize that China is currently and will continue to be the dominant market, and although we have customers there, who are reporting excellent results using our Loss-In-Weight feeder and hopper scales for cathode production, for now our energy will be predominantly focused on upcoming projects in Europe. We will concentrate on meeting the specific requirements of our customers in the industry – for example by prioritizing state-of-the-art containment solutions, high-precision raw material dosing, modern plant control and support beyond commissioning. Above all, supporting the urgent transition away from fossil fuels.

A powerful portfolio

Already proven across a number of industries, Qlar is applying its precision technologies towards quality-enhancing battery production.

• Discover how Qlar technologies are supporting more resource- and cost-efficient plastic recycling systems, which may be applicable to some aspects of battery recycling in future here.

• Sources

  1) The ConiSteel+ is a new feeder specially adapted to the requirements of electrode production and suitable for both continuous and batch processes for the production of battery mass. Learn more.

  2) CONiQ Control is a highly flexible control and automation system that enables operators to assess and adjust set speeds of materials optimizing feeder performance in real time for total control over weighing and feeding processes. Learn more here.

Paving the way for zero-carbon cement production

The cement industry is facing big hurdles in its immediate future. To meet the commitments stipulated in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), carbon emissions from the industry must be reduced by at least 30 % by 2030. Failure to meet that target could result in financial penalties for both governments and corporations. The message is clear: cement production must become sustainable, and quickly. But it’s no small task. Cement production is currently responsible for at least 7 % of global CO₂ emissions. In 2022 alone, industry emissions amounted to 9.0 gigatons of CO₂, the equivalent of the emissions produced by 2 billion cars.

Fortunately, demand for green cement around the world continues to grow, spurred on by both environmentally conscious buyers and increasing pressure from investors and governments. In 2022, the global green cement market size was valued at $ 32.3 billion. By 2026, it’s expected to reach $ 42.27 billion with a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 11.06 %.

At Qlar, we have a mission to empower makers to meet their most ambitious environmental goals. Decarbonizing cement requires a large-scale roll-out of innovative technologies that support cleaner, more sustainable operations by reducing fuel and process emissions. We’ve got the necessary solutions to face this challenge head on.

Qlar has 80+ years of experience delivering engineering expertise to the cement industry. As a market leader in weighing and feeding equipment for cement processes, nearly every cement plant in the world uses its solutions. For these customers, substantial reductions in carbon emissions can be achieved by integrating the appropriate Qlar technologies into their systems. Given this strong existing customer base, sales of the company’s carbon-reducing technologies are expected to climb steadily in the coming years as more plants around the globe strive to meet the new environmental requirements.

Adding more sustainability to the mix

There are four ways to lower CO₂ emissions during cement production:

1. Reducing usage of fossil fuels via alternative fuels
2. Reducing usage of coal dust
3. Using pure oxygen during calcination to help capture CO₂
4. Reducing clinker content via substitute materials

How Qlar's solutions enable greener cement production

CO2 reductions can be achieved over several process steps with Qlar technologies enabling optimized alternative fuels handling and feeding, precision dosing of coal dust, highly accurate metering and blending of clinker substitute materials, and intelligent logistics.

• Solution 1: Reducing usage of fossil fuels via alternative fuels

  The firing of the kiln using fossil fuels accounts for around 35 % of the process emissions released in cement production.

  Qlar’s market-leading solutions for alternative fuel handling empower plants to significantly reduce their consumption of fossil fuels during cement production. And alternative fuels – often made up of various types of waste – can even offer further emissions reductions by diverting waste from landfills, where decomposition processes release CO₂. However, these fuels often also present process challenges, given their wide spectrum of material properties, which can range from bone meal and biomass to tire chips and paper industry waste. Qlar has developed robust weighing and conveying solutions to address this – supplying plants with the necessary equipment from material reception to kiln feeding.

  The MultiFlex Feeder for alternative fuel handling, for example, is specially designed to meet the unique demands associated with alternative fuels. A complete feed system, the screw-weighfeeder, fulfills the requirements for different feed rates and bulk solids characteristics, such as RDFs (Refuse Derived Fuel), biomass, sludge or granulates, offering customers a modular system that ensures a high degree of accuracy and feeding consistency to maintain stable conditions within the kiln. The MultiFlex even won the SHAPA 2022 Award in the Sustainability category for its innovative and environmentally focused design. Since its inception, it has converted more than 2.6 million tons of plastic into energy.

  Other Qlar technologies built to ensure optimized handling of alternative fuels include the range of IntraBulk reception units, MoveMaster E incline and chain conveyers, MULTIDOS weighfeeders and the MultiCell AF blow-through rotary valve.

• Solution 2: Reducing usage of coal dust

  Burning alternative fuels to heat the kiln comes with the added advantage of enabling plants to reduce their coal dust-feeding rates, further lowering carbon emissions. While coal dust is still essential to the process – to fire the kiln and compensate for fluctuations in the calorific value of alternative fuels –, reduced emissions can be achieved by integrating a system that makes the precise and highly flexible dosing of coal dust possible. Used in combination, Qlar’s MultiCell MIN and MULTICOR K for pulverized coal feeding offer an excellent solution.

  Qlar’s rotary valve feeder, MultiCell MIN ensures the continuous feeding of pulverized fuels at low feed rates, while its mass flow meter, MULTICOR K, works in tandem to meter out the precise amount of coal dust needed, feeding it variably to ensure process optimization.

• Solution 3: Using pure oxygen during calcination to help capture CO₂

  The calcination of clinker by burning fossil fuels using pure oxygen – a process known as oxyfuel combustion – enables the carbon dioxide produced through the calcination process and the burning of fuels to be captured and stored. When firing with pure oxygen, the required kiln temperature is achieved using less fuel, so the process also has the further advantage of cost savings for plants.

  Although still in the early phases of development, going forward, Qlar’s engineers will continue testing out and advancing technologies that support the oxyfuel process.

• Solution 4: Reducing clinker content via substitute materials

  Most processes for improving cement production’s carbon footprint are aimed at reducing fossil fuels, however, the emissions released during calcination – the chemical reaction that occurs during the conversion of limestone into clinker – are responsible for the greater proportion of CO₂ emissions, accounting for around 50 % of the CO₂ emitted during the cement production process.

  Worldwide, various materials are being tested as clinker substitute materials, with studies showing that cement produced with 30 % substitutes (either Alternative Raw Materials or Supplementary Cementitious Materials) uses as much as 230 kg or 27 % less CO₂ than conventional cement without additives. Clinker substitutes being investigated for use include extra-fine ground limestone, small-grind concrete, fly ash, granulated blast furnace slag, sewage sludge, glass shards, and different types of waste. Naturally, it’s critical that cement’s central properties of cohesiveness, strength and hardness are not compromised in any way by a reduction in clinker content. And this comes down to process: the mixing systems in cement production must meter and combine the different raw materials in an exact ratio, so that high-quality concrete is produced. In both areas – the testing out of new materials and blending of them – Qlar has already extensively supported customers around the world. MULTICOR mass flow rate feeding devices for dosing and blending processes and the LIW (Loss-in-Weight) Feeder MET have been installed and implemented in a wide range of systems to enable lower carbon production processes.

Qlar’s Test and Innovation Centers

When it comes to handling alternative fuels, identifying potential clinker substitutes, or testing out process variables, Qlar’s Test and Innovation Centers in Jenec (Czech Republic) and Darmstadt (Germany) are industry leaders.

Having specific data on the materials they want to process provides cement manufacturers with a clearer vision of how different equipment would contribute to achieving their overall objectives, particularly when it comes to carbon reduction. The Test and Innovation Centers simulate diverse process steps via state-of-the-art equipment, including unloading, conveying, and the feeding of any kind of waste up to a volume of 150,000 liters per hour. Plus, mixing systems can even meter and combine the different raw materials in an exact ratio.

• Digital solutions

  Digital processes offer yet another means to make cement production more energy efficient and carbon reduced. With an intelligently-interlinked ecosystem that covers nearly all phases of the production process – from feeding and weighing to condition monitoring to logistics – Qlar provides cement manufacturers with digital solutions unmatched in the industry.

  CONiQ Control

  The CONiQ Control is an innovative industrial control and automation system with five different applications, covering loss-in-weight feeders as well as static crane, cargo, truck, and hopper scales. Both hardware and software are modular and can be combined to meet the demands of the relevant process and/or environment.

  Efficient, economical, and reliable at every stage of the process, CONiQ Control’s integrated intelligent algorithms monitor and effectively respond to any disturbances during operations, allowing for real-time assessment and adjustment in the control of critical materials, optimizing plant performance in real time.

  LOGiQ no-touch yard management

  In cement production, the flow of goods must be efficiently organized to ensure material is available at the right time, the right place, and the right quality. In recent years, the introduction of alternative fuels and other raw materials have increased the complexity of logistical processes on cement yards.

  In response to these challenges, Qlar developed the zero-touch LOGiQ solution. Offering automated, optimized logistics processes tailored to any cement plant’s operations, this smart system takes care of every individual step in the process from order to delivery, automating the entire end-to-end shipping process on premises for smooth loading and unloading operations – seven days a week, 24 hours a day – including autonomous, precise loading of transport vehicles, control of the flow of goods, and comprehensive documentation of all processes with no-touch traffic and access management. Fully integrated into existing systems and processes and continuously updated with data, LOGiQ also provides a complete, real-time overview of onsite operations.

  Already a proven solution at a number of cement plants and steelworks, LOGiQ is ideally suited to meet the ever-growing needs of these rapidly transforming industries.

A concrete commitment to change

As the world's population continues to grow and with it the demand for infrastructure built using this crucial material, the cement industry must keep working to reduce its emissions through lower-carbon processes.

Many cement plants in Europe have already invested in and installed low-emissions technologies, often reaping both economic and ecological advantages. Nevertheless, there is a major modernization backlog in plants around the world. With this backlog comes enormous opportunities for business growth – also on the digital front.

Qlar is paving the way for the cement industry’s zero-carbon future. Green cement demand is on a path to keep on growing – the key lies in keeping sustainable production flowing.

The cement industry is undergoing a huge transformation, and Qlar is the best partner to support plants in this. We have the right products to make a valuable impact on sustainable cement production, from providing logistics for the new material streams, to reducing coal dust, to increasing alternative fuels and reducing clinker by using new additives. All in all, we are helping to transform all major emission-producing processes – from gray to green.

Qlar is cementing the industry’s sustainability potential

Qlar has proven its capabilities for supporting the transition to green cement production processes in multiple collaborations, with successful projects ranging from the designing of a new compact and flexible alternative fuel concept at a Hungarian plant to increasing the kiln feed rate at a leading production plant in the Czech Republic.

• Case Study: LAFARGE Cement Hungary
  Qlar was approached to engineer a new compact, economical, highly sustainable and flexible alternative fuel concept at a Királyegyháza cement plant. Qlar supplied and installed an array of integrated equipment, ranging from the MultiFlex NG Feeder to the MultiCell AF Blow Through Rotary Valve – both of which contribute towards improved handling of alternative fuels. Learn more.
• Case Study: Českomoravský Cement
  Českomoravský Cement, part of Heidelberg Materials CZ, is the largest cement producer in the Czech Republic. They supply a wide range of high-quality bulk and packaged cement. When one of its production plants required a new conveyor to transport alternative fuels to their main burner, Qlar’s MoveMaster C offered a unique solution. Learn more.
• Case Study: Anonymous
  A leading producer of building materials wanted to update their Alternative Fuel feeding system, installed over a decade earlier, to increase performance. Qlar took a design-led approach to ensure all criteria were achieved, also working with the client at the Qlar Test and Innovation Center. Learn more.

• Sources

  1) The MultiCell AF Blow-through rotary valve from Qlar is used as a feeding device to directly feed non-homogeneous alternative fuels into pneumatic conveying lines at conveying pressures of up to 350 mbar Learn more.

  2) Qlar’s pulverized coal feed system comprises the horizontal rotary valve feeder MultiCell as a silo dispensing system and the mass flow meter MULTICOR® K. It is ideal for the continuous feeding of pulverized fuels (hard coal, lignite, petroleum coke, alternative fuels, fly ash and any mixtures of these substances) for the production of cement. Learn more.

  3) Born out of a desire to provide a sustainable kiln-feeding solution within the cement industry by using alternative fuels, the MultiFlex system is designed as speed-controlled screw-weighfeeder for continuous feeding of bulk solids. Learn more.

  4) Bulk materials such as alternative fuels, can be conveyed smoothly, gently and economically via Schenck Process’ range of MoveMaster® Eleveyors. Learn more.

  5) CONiQ Control allows operators to diagnose and tune control speeds of materials, optimizing feeder performance in real time for 100 % control over weighing and feeding processes. Learn more.

  6) Qlar’s LOGiQ yard management solution is central to digital logistics services and is already well established in green cement production processes. Learn more.

  7) CONiQ Monitor is the new IoT edge system and add-on hardware for Schenck Process equipment. The system contains a variety of sensors for real-time monitoring of critical variables. Learn more.

  8) Learn more about Qlar’s solutions for sustainable cement manufacturing, offering manufacturers reduced environmental impact alongside reduced operational costs. Learn more.

  9) Precise, economical, and reliable, the MULTIDOS series of weighfeeders are specialized for many applications and bulk materials with medium to high feed rates, including the feeding of chunky, granular bulk materials (clinker, gypsum, lump coal, etc.), kiln charging and the charging of raw and cement mills. Learn more.

  10) Capable of receiving bulk materials from a range of material handling vehicles, IntraBulk reception units offer complete material handling and reception unit solutions for all needs. Learn more.

Supporting the steel industry in meeting its zero emissions targets

Traditional steel manufacturing is responsible for 22 % of industrial CO2 emissions in the EU and 8 % of emissions worldwide. With the EU’s deadline for reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 looming, the steel industry is under intense pressure to make the transition to green steel.

Automakers, consumer goods, and equipment providers are facing tough targets to decarbonize their supply chains as well, resulting in higher demand for green steel than current production levels in Europe can meet.

Tracked supply agreements for green steel

Green steel demand was estimated at 3.68 million tons in 2023, however supply came in at just 1.51 million tons – less than half.

One of the main issues facing the industry is that most of the technologies needed to manufacture green steel are not yet sufficiently available on a commercial scale. A long-standing partner to the steel industry, at Qlar we are already working closely with customers to fill this gap. And this goes far beyond mere retrofitting: the design and operating parameters of many coking-coal-fueled blast mills have to be re-engineered from scratch, requiring rigorous on-site testing. With over 130 years delivering steel process solutions across all stages of production, Qlar is not only ideally qualified to meet these challenges, we enjoy a unique competitive advantage.

Throughout 2024 Qlar will focus on meeting the urgent process demands of green steel production in Europe. From 2025, we’ll extend our efforts further afield to support the Middle Eastern and North African markets as they make their transition.

New production processes. New technologies.

Electric arc furnaces (EAF) powered via green energy offer the industry the most technically proven, quickest to realize and least risky investment for verifiable CO2 reduction on a large industrial scale.

Until recently, EAF were merely the complement to much larger integrated steel mills, where powerful blast furnaces were used to extract oxygen from iron ore. In these contexts, EAF were primarily employed for local recycling of steel scrap and other ferrous input materials.

EAF-driven steel mills now look set to replace coking-coal-fueled steel production, bringing two key changes to the process with them:

1. The extraction of oxygen from iron ore will be accomplished via a hydrogen reaction which yields solid “direct reduced iron” (DRI or sponge iron).
2. Since they have smaller maximum volumes than blast furnaces, EAF will be put under much higher demand than previously as the industry works to maintain current production levels.

Qlar will spearhead expert solutions to support the integration of the new green steel production processes while ensuring the smooth ongoing operation of existing downstream mill systems.

The path to green steel

• DRI

  Solid DRI and/or HBI (Hot Briquetted Iron) are essential to the seamless running of next generation electric steel mills. They are used as new additional charge materials in electric arc furnaces to ensure the continuous quality of the melt and the meeting of steel product quality standards and quotas, even when there is an insufficient quantity or quality of steel scrap to meet order specifications. However, this new diversity of ferrous input materials with very different origins as well as mechanical and chemical compositions places new and significantly higher demands on EAF operation than in the past.

  Qlar’s weighing technologies and evaluation electronics offer plant manufacturers and end customers a multitude of important measured values to optimize furnace operation and material processing, allowing for consistently high product quality even with a variable mix of input materials and additives.

  Currently accounting for only 3 % of steel production, DRI technology looks set to see an investment boom: more than ten green steel plants are reported to have been commissioned to be built in the EU over the next 5 years.

• Electric arc furnaces

  Since the unveiling of the EU's Green Deal in 2020, there has been a boom in sales of EAF worldwide. But while EAF-powered steel mills open up significant market potential, they also present fresh technical challenges.

  Previously, there was little operational need to invest in EAF weighing and condition monitoring due to the lower demands on EAF operation. However, as many new and larger direct reduction plants are built, these will require appropriate weighing scales and condition monitoring technologies. Today, all such products from Qlar – like Weighdisc SENSiQ WD 200t, the DISOBOX Plus and the DISOMAT Tersus – are experiencing much higher demand.

  Our scales measure up to the new demands perfectly

  Having weighed for EAF in the past, the Weighdisc WD 200t product series load cells and the latest CONiQ Control family of evaluation electronics enjoy the advantage of having already been rigorously tested in highly demanding contexts, characterized by total oven weights of up to 1,000 tons. As such, we are optimally prepared to meet the new process demands on furnaces, while also working on a scale nearly impossible for new or existing competitors to replicate at speed.

  Condition monitoring for the next generation of EAF

  The new EAF systems are very expensive to operate and there will be a learning curve while plant technicians become familiar with them. All the more reason for plants to invest in greater efficiency through digital condition monitoring.

  Here, classic weight value determination can be taken a step further with condition monitoring accomplished via digital electronic measurement evaluation. Monitoring in real time, with high accuracy and reliability as well as minimal maintenance, HeavyLoad load cells and evaluation electronics provide plant manufacturers and end customers with a wide range of important measured values to optimize furnace operation. The digital monitoring controller platform communicates any deviation in the specified values to the responsible plant technician immediately, minimizing the effort required for active on-site monitoring and ensuring the necessary measures can be taken quickly, avoiding production downtimes.

  Benefits include:

  • High production volumes for the larger furnace vessels, thanks to monitoring for maximized filling volume and minimized furnace sump
  • Optimized setpoint specification for the electrical power energy supply based on the mix of input materials
  • Continuous monitoring of filling limits, steel structure and foundation loads, averting accidents
• Digital solutions

  The CONiQ Control and CONiQ Monitoring solutions are central to Schenck Process’ digital services and are already well established in green steel production processes.

  In EAF-powered steel mills the CONiQ Control and CONiQ Monitor solutions can be used for:

  • Optimization of the melting, refining, and logistics processes
  • Precise measurement as well as optimal adjustment and maintenance of required oven parameters such as energy infeed and tapping times
  • Ensuring cost efficiency and process quality in limestone-management-processes via precise injection using Qlar’s proven pneumatic solutions
  • Automation of the entire end-to-end shipping process via the LOGiQ platform. Learn more about LOGiQ here.

  At Qlar, we take an integrated, customer-centric approach across our entire digital services portfolio – continuously optimizing solutions to align with clients’ evolving needs.

From Green Deal to green steel

In order to meet the terms of the 2015 Paris Agreement steel emissions in the EU must be cut by 30 percent by 2030. And to meet Europe's 2050 zero-emissions goals the new primary route technologies, that can produce carbon-neutral steel at a commercial scale, must be developed and implemented – now. With increasing demand from end consumers and the sectors that require steel to deliver their products and services, it’s clear that green steel’s time has come. In 2022, the global green steel market size was valued at $ 200 million, and it’s projected to reach $ 364.5 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 113.6 % from 2023 to 2032. Furthermore, the next five to ten years represent a crucial window of investment opportunity for green steel machinery and process suppliers: according to experts, more than 70 % of steelworks globally are in need of repairs and reinvestment.

The industry is also clearly ready to embrace the challenges necessary. In 2021, the German Steel Association announced their commitment to producing completely carbon-neutral steel by 2045. The pledge from this major body alone will cut total industrial greenhouse gas emissions in Germany by one third. In parallel, German national and regional governments are investing massive subsidies in green steelmaking, representing “the largest instance of individual assistance ever paid out in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany”, to ensure the transition happens. And this is being echoed in waves of green steel investment from governments and financial institutions across the EU and beyond.

In October 2023, CBAM, The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, started imposing tariffs on steel products entering the EU. This will further boost the competitiveness of green steel produced in the EU in the years to come by putting a fair price on greenhouse-gas-intensive steel production.

Martin Brauer:

Our 140+ years of industrial experience in the product areas of weighing and dosing technology, as well as pneumatic transport and injection, are the foundation of our comprehensive engineering solutions to support green steel production processes. We understand the demanding new measurement requirements and are aligning and upgrading our business activities on an ongoing basis – always with an eye to the future.

With Qlar, we are actively engaged in transforming the industry’s new challenges into reliable and exciting new products and solutions that are deeply aligned with the principles of circular material transformation.

Engineering the future of green steel with Qlar

Qlar is drawing on its expertise, ingenuity and digital solutions developed over more than a century to make steel production more resource-efficient, sustainable and carbon-neutral.

• Sources

  1) Discover the original Weighdisc WD200, extensively tested via more than 10 years of wide-ranging, on-site applications and continuously optimized to reflect the latest technological advances: Download product information sheet here. Learn more here.

  2) The DISOBOX Plus is a multi-channel, on-site analog-digital converter unit, that enables the measuring voltage of individual load cells to be accessed at any time – an invaluable advantage for many applications. Learn more here.

  3) Qlar’s compact DISOMAT® Tersus weighing terminal is ideal for use across a wide range of weighing applications. Learn more about its functionality and diverse applications here.

  4) CONiQ Control will provide a single, comprehensive platform through which steel plant technicians can control Schenck Process weighing and dosing – allowing operators to assess and adjust the control speeds of materials to optimize feeder performance in real time, for 100 % control over weighing and feeding processes here.

  5) Designed to meet the unique challenges of all major industry applications, Schenck’s comprehensive portfolio of solutions and design systems for precise, dust-free pneumatic conveying deliver efficiency from start to finish here.

  6) Schenck Process’ customer-centric innovation flywheel method supports the ongoing optimization of its digital solutions to meet clients’ evolving needs. Learn more here.

From waste to wealth: closing the loop on plastic recycling

Every year, Europe produces more than 53 million metric tons of plastic waste. Current trends predict that this number will double by 2060. Yet the amount of plastic waste being returned to the production cycle is relatively small in comparison, with only 30 % being recycled. Worldwide that amount is even smaller: less than 10 % of plastic gets recycled. In the worst case, the plastic ends up in forests, on beaches, in rivers or in the sea.

Low plastic recycling levels are due in part to the fact that processed plastics can present substantial challenges for the recycling process. Plastic materials vary greatly in quality, which complicates matters, and plastic waste must meet strict specifications to be considered suitable for reprocessing and handling in the large quantities needed for recycling systems.

In response to the growing public concern over plastic pollution, the EU Parliament adopted a resolution in 2021 calling for measures to create a carbon-neutral, environmentally sustainable, non-toxic, and fully circular economy by 2050. These measures include stricter recycling rules in the EU and binding targets for the use and consumption of materials by 2030. In short: plastic producers are now required to find new, effective ways to return a broad range of different plastic materials to the production cycle.

True to our name, Qlar is committed to helping power this essential shift away from the throw-away society towards a circular economy that seeks to minimize waste and maximize resource utilization.

With longstanding experience as a partner to some of the world’s biggest recycling facilities, Qlar has already put substantial time and effort into supporting efficient plastic recycling processes.

Sustainable solutions for even the most hard-to-handle materials

In plastic recycling, the feedstock and raw materials handled often have variable characteristics, demanding a high level of flexibility and robustness from the equipment in place. Accuracy in weighing, feeding and processing is key to success – and it’s one of Qlar’s core competencies, thanks to a comprehensive portfolio of powerful solutions, specifically in the area of gravimetric feeding.

Plastic materials are also often lightweight and fluffy, making them more difficult to handle. Here, Qlar’s customers can benefit from a range of purpose-built technologies, such as its Simplex FB, which can even feed recycled materials with heterogeneous characteristics, including particle shape or bulk densities. Furthermore, solutions have been devised to optimally handle preconditioned regrind, such as Qlar’s Loss-In-Weight Feeder MET and ProFlex C feeders.

Aligned with our mission to drive smarter material processing and bring it full circle, Qlar’s precision feeding technology addresses the entire polymer product lifecycle – from metering virgin polymer, to adding stabilizers, pigments and fillers, to accurately and reliably metering plastic regrinds during the recycling process, closing the loop.

Expert consultations

Solving recycling challenges often means working with customers from start to finish to find the best solutions to meet their needs. With decades of experience optimizing mission-critical process steps, Qlar works closely with plant operators to understand their production requirements and specific bulk material challenges. For plastic recycling businesses in particular, Qlar offers reliable, tailored and highly accurate weighing and feeding solutions. Our engineers can even perform a complete evaluation of these process-critical steps and provide comprehensive recommendations on how to improve them.

• Qlar Test and Innovation Centers

  Process solutions must be thoroughly tested and validated to ensure their ideal performance when handling post-consumer waste. Qlar’s Test and Innovation Centers in Jenec (Czech Republic) and Darmstadt (Germany) play a decisive role in this.

  Originally dedicated exclusively to servicing alternative fuels for the cement industry, the experts at the Jenec Test and Innovation Center possess exhaustive process knowledge regarding the handling of post-consumer material – knowledge that can easily be applied to the unique requirements of the plastics-processing industry. And when it comes to expertise in post-industrial and preconditioned post-consumer plastic, the Qlar Test and Innovation Center in Darmstadt is ideally equipped to simulate diverse process steps with its state-of-the-art systems.

• Digital solutions

  Intelligent recycling processes offer huge potential for optimizing recycling processes.

  Qlar has created a highly adaptable digital ecosystem which intelligently monitors and manages gravimetric feeding and pneumatic conveying solutions to prevent unplanned downtimes and ensure on-spec product compositions, in line with customers’ recipes.

  Already proven in other industries, the ecosystem offers promising opportunities for application in plastics recycling – in particular by making Qlar’s feeding solutions smarter and data driven.

  Intelligent feeders

  Intelligent and connected material-feeding solutions can provide greater stability, accuracy, and precision in dosing processes, alerting operators in real time of material bridging and build-up, insufficient material flow, clogging of filter bags, issues with the process setup, and machine maintenance needs.

  In the future, these core intelligent functions could also be supplemented by material recognition, which would work via a built-in camera and trained AI to recognize which feeder or feeder settings are required for optimum processing of the bulk material at hand.

  At Qlar, we take an integrated, customer-centric approach across our entire digital services portfolio – continuously optimizing solutions to align with clients’ evolving needs.

Towards a fully circular economy

Empowering the transformation of plastics processing for increased circularity is central to Qlar’s mission. Lightweight, versatile, durable and inherently resource-efficient, we understand that plastic is a valuable material that must be brought into the circular economy.

In 2023, the global recycled plastics market size was valued at $ 69.4 billion. The market is projected to be worth $ 120 billion by 2030, offering attractive opportunities for investors in this rapidly growing industry.

Recycled plastics market – global forecast

The global recycled plastics market is expected to be worth $ 120.0 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.1 % during the forecast period.

The European Commission’s “A European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy” calls for an increase in the recycling target to 55 % by 2025. Recycling plants are already actively seeking out and investing in solutions and technologies that deliver on these goals, ensuring more optimized, sustainable processes.

Qlar’s extensive know-how in waste-to-energy handling allows for the development of new engineering solutions that enable plastic processors to drive circularity in their operations. Energy-efficient solutions and digital technologies offer possibilities to further empower processors to lower energy consumption, extract maximum value from raw materials, and minimize in-process waste.

Qlar is excited to be leading the way in the establishment of a circular material flow for plastics, supported by our long-standing engineering expertise in bulk material handling.

With our products and in-depth expertise, we offer unique weighing and feeding solutions for recycling processes which ensure a highly accurate and reliable metering of feedstock with fluctuating and challenging properties. We size our equipment based on the breadth of experience we have acquired over thousands of trials in our Test and Innovation Centers, using different plastic regrinds in a range of projects.

Qlar provides plastics processors with solutions to handle their bulk materials with accuracy and precision. Thanks to continuous innovation, material know-how, and a commitment to transforming processing, Qlar is ideally placed to be the preferred solution provider in this industry.

• Learn more about Qlar’s specialist expertise in recycling, with market-leading handling and feeding solutions for a wide range of materials here.
• Learn more about our range of feeding solutions optimally designed for handling plastics here.

• Sources

  1) A first in the industry, the SIMPLEX Flat Bottom (FB) feeder is the first feeding solution specifically tailored to the requirements of low-density bulk solids, such as shredded plastic film, fibers or post-consumer waste. Learn more.

  2) ProFlex C feeders allow for accurate, continuous volumetric, and gravimetric feeding of bulk materials such as powders and granulate materials. Learn more.

  3) The Loss-in-Weight MET vibratory feeder offers volumetric and gravimetric feeding with maintenance-free vibratory discharge, providing optimal mechanical conditions for high feeding quality of bulk solids. Learn more.

  4) Felix Jakob, Director of Sales Weighing Technology at Qlar in Europe, discusses the Circular Economy and the potential of digitalization. Learn more.