Oct. 2021 - Vale and Rio Tinto ... plasma torches From Vale (Client A): Vale may treble emissions reduction investment to US$6B - Mining Journal (mining-journal.com) The company said 57% of its scope 1 and 2 emissions came from its pelletizing and metallurgy processes, mainly due to fossil fuel consumption in the furnaces.
Its main decarbonisation solutions were increased use of bioenergy, electrification through the use of plasma to substitute fossil fuels, and energy efficiency gains, adding it had been piloting substitutions and would test the use of biocarbon and bio-oil in 2021.
@Cargo on CEO.CA:
I also find it interesting that the 4-6 billion will be spent on scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions. Plasma torches fall under that scope. Green Briquette falls under scope 3. Couldn't be clearer than that. Both Client A (Vale) and Client B (Rio Tinto) clearly mention the use of plasma torches in their most recent reports.
Pelletizing and metallurgy are responsible for more than half of Vale’s emissions and the main decarbonization solutions are: increased use of bioenergy, electrification through the use of plasma to substitute fossil fuels, and energy efficiency gains
From Rio Tinto (Client B): Oct. 20, 2021 Rio Tinto - Investor Seminar - Performance, strategic direction and shareholder returns page 24
"- Plasma torches trials"
I also found this other Rio Tinto presentation, but this time dated of April 2020, where they were already mentioning about piloting plasma torches technology, so everything fits with the recent RFQ (Request for Quote) received this June 3rd for 36 plasma torches.
Climate and water seminar – Script 21
Page 17 of 28
Technologies like hydrogen or plasma torches, which can use renewable energy, may provide a pathway to replacement of fossil fuels for heat and steam. This technology is at an early stage of development and deployment and our focus is on understanding development and deployment timelines and looking for opportunities to pilot some of these technologies in our operations in the coming years.