Elkem has secured NOK 87 million in funding from Enova to accelerate the development of industrial biocarbon solutions aimed at cutting emissions from Norwegian smelters.
The project carries a total budget of NOK 242 million and will run through 2028, with the potential to reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 0.5 million tonnes.
“Biocarbon is one of the most important levers available for reducing emissions from silicon production,” says Grim Terje Øberg, project manager at Elkem. “To increase its use at scale, we need biocarbon products that are tailored for our large, high-temperature furnaces.”
At the core of silicon production, carbon is used to convert quartz into silicon. Elkem has been steadily replacing fossil coal with biocarbon sourced from charcoal, wood chips, and residues from the forestry and wood industries.
Today, biocarbon already makes up about 25 per cent of carbon use at Elkem’s Norwegian smelters. The company now aims to double that share by 2030, a target that depends on developing new, more efficient biocarbon materials for industrial use.
The Enova-backed initiative will test and refine solutions across the entire value chain. From 2026 to 2028, Elkem will evaluate different biomass types from multiple suppliers—including Norwegian start-ups—through laboratory studies, pilot testing, and full-scale trials at its five Norwegian smelters.
Parallel work will focus on improving safe and efficient handling systems for biocarbon in industrial environments.
If the project succeeds, Elkem expects to cut fossil CO₂ emissions by up to 0.5 million tonnes annually and help strengthen a more mature global biocarbon value chain for heavy industry.
“We greatly appreciate Enova’s support, which enables us to advance our climate efforts while developing competitive solutions needed by both Elkem and the wider process industry,” Øberg concludes.
On a broader scale, replacing just half of fossil carbon used in global silicon and ferrosilicon production with biocarbon could slash more than 20 million tonnes of fossil CO₂ emissions each year.
Biocarbon remains central to Elkem’s long-term climate strategy and its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
The company says all sourcing follows strict sustainability standards, requiring FSC certification or full traceability to responsible forestry. Elkem also holds a CDP A rating for Forests, underscoring its focus on supply chain transparency and environmental accountability.
