In Sweden, biomass gasification technology developer Meva Energy AB has announced that it has entered into a groundbreaking 15-year agreement with Elcowire Group AB, a leading European copper wire manufacturer, to supply 9 MW of renewable biosyngas to Elcowire’s Helsingborg facility.
Valued at SEK 500 million, this deal represents Meva Energy’s largest contract to date and marks a historic milestone for the industry.
Through this collaboration, Elcowire becomes the world’s first copper wire producer to fully replace fossil gas with fossil-free energy in its production process.
This partnership with Meva Energy is a game-changer for us. By being the first in the world to adopt fossil-free biogas for copper melting, Elcowire is not only advancing our own sustainability efforts but also setting a new benchmark for the entire metallurgy sector. We are proud to lead this transformation toward a greener, more sustainable future, commented Paul Gustavsson, CEO of Elcowire.
High temperatures needed
Copper melting has long been one of the last processes in metal production reliant on fossil fuels to reach the temperatures needed for metal melting.
Historically, the industry has depended on fossil-based fuels such as natural gas to achieve the necessary heat, often exceeding 1,000°C.
Meva Energy’s innovative solution now replaces fossil fuels with renewable hot biosyngas generated from industrial biomass residues. This unique biosyngas technology enables Elcowire to melt copper without the use of any fossil-based fuels.
Copper melting is one of the last processes in metal production that has not been able to be made fossil-free, until now. The metal industry has long awaited a solution for fossil-free melting, and we are extremely proud to be the first in the world to commercialize this technology in partnership with Elcowire, said Niclas Davidsson, CEO of Meva Energy.
This partnership is a crucial step toward achieving sustainable transformation in the metallurgy industry, which accounts for about 10 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Major milestone
By transitioning to renewable biogas, Elcowire is setting a new global standard for energy-efficient and environmentally responsible production methods.
The agreement builds on a successful feasibility study and specifies that Meva Energy will design, own, and operate an on-site energy plant capable of producing 9 MW of renewable biogas for Elcowire’s Helsingborg facility over 15 years.
At a value of SEK 500 million, this is not only Meva Energy’s largest deal to date but also marks the first implementation of its biomass gasification technology in the metal industry.
This partnership is a major milestone for both companies, demonstrating that fossil-free production is not only possible but scalable, even in energy-intensive industries like copper manufacturing, ended Niclas Davidsson.
