Research Program

In manufacturing industries, natural gas is used to power the Bayer process, which refines bauxite to produce alumina (aluminium oxide). Gas is used in combined heat and power systems to generate electricity and steam, and in combustion systems during the calcination phase.聽

But the cost of natural gas is rising, and industries and government are looking for low carbon replacements.聽

Programs

Program 1: Low temperature process heat

Program 1: Low temperature process heat

Under what conditions can CST be integrated into low temperature process heat for digestion, evaporation and pre-heating?

Program 2: Solar reforming of natural gas

Program 2: Solar reforming of natural gas

Is generating syngas through solar reforming economically feasible for the Bayer alumina process?

Program 3: High temperature calcination

Program 3: High temperature calcination

Can CST be introduced economically to the calcination stage of the Bayer process, directly to the reactor or indirectly by heating particles?

  • Aim

    This project is establishing a path to progressively integrate three CST energy technologies into the Bayer alumina process at the refinery plants of project industry partner .聽Our target is to achieve 50% CST into the commercial Bayer process.

    CST technologies are very new. While they are technically proven for all temperatures of industrial use (), their application to industrial settings is the next key challenge and the focus of this project.

    The three programs below are linked, as we are carrying out modelling and assessments relevant to all of them but are also independent. Each could be introduced into the Bayer alumina process separately.

  • Why use CST in the Bayer Alumina Process?

    CST offers the potential to lower the alumina sector鈥檚 exposure to anticipated increases in the price of natural gas (see ).

    CST is perfect for generating heat, such as for generating steam with commercially available technology, and technologies are under development to drive other high temperature processes.聽In contrast, most other forms of renewable energy such as wind and solar PV generate electricity. It would not be attractive to supply heat via electricity, as it is simply uneconomical to generate electrical power and then turn it into heat.

  • Applications outside of Alumina

    The three programs could be applied to any other industry with a process heat requirement, such as magnesia, boron and iron ore.

    Alumina is our priority because of its significance to Australia and because the calcination process is well suited to CST. If CST can be successfully implemented in alumina processing, the CST sector could potentially open a new market to provide process heat to other large industrial users in Australia and globally.

    Solar reforming is applicable to any industry where gas is used. For example, solar reforming is extremely applicable to ammonia plants, where the reduction reaction of solar reforming is already happening at very large scales.

    Syngas has a high proportion of hydrogen in it, which could be a fuel in future. Australia is well-positioned to export solar fuels to other parts of the world in the future.

    See our announcing the awarding of the ARENA funding to The 成人大片.