Calix Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a global aluminium producer to jointly develop its Zero Emissions Alumina (ZEAL) technology, alongside an agreement to carry out pilot-scale material testing and a pre-Front-End Engineering Design (pre-FEED) study.
The Australian environmental technology company said the testing and engineering study will be conducted at its Technology Centre in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, with the work expected to generate more than AUD 1 million in revenue.
According to Calix, the program aims to demonstrate the feasibility of using its electric calcination process to produce smelter grade alumina from feedstock supplied by the aluminium partner, whose identity remains confidential.
The ZEAL technology is designed to replace fossil fuel use in alumina refining with electric calcination, with the goal of reducing emissions and production costs while improving product quality.
“We are delighted to begin materials testing and technology development with a major global alumina company for near zero emissions smelter grade alumina,” Calix CEO and Managing Director Phil Hodgson said.
“This announcement marks a few important milestones for Calix. It will deliver our first revenues in alumina and build on commercial traction in the lithium market with a new engagement in a second application of the same core technology.”
Hodgson added that the agreement supports the company’s broader commercialisation strategy.
“It also further validates our commercialisation strategy – developing partnerships with global industry leaders and creating self-funded projects that generate immediate revenues on a pathway to commercial demonstration in extremely large addressable markets,” he said.
Calix said it will retain intellectual property rights for its core technology and the option to deploy ZEAL as an industry-wide solution for alumina calcination. The MOU outlines plans to jointly design scalable electric calcination systems suitable for commercial alumina refining.
The aluminium industry accounts for about 2 per cent of global CO2 emissions due to its highly energy-intensive processes.
Calix noted that alumina production, the intermediate step in aluminium making, relies heavily on fossil fuels to reach calcination temperatures of around 1000°C. By replacing this step with electrically powered calcination, the company said ZEAL is intended to deliver both environmental and efficiency gains.
The content of this article is based on information supplied by Calix Limited. For more information, please refer to the official company announcement and communications from Calix. Please consult a licensed and/or registered professional in this area before making any decisions based on the content of this article.
