Recent progress within MECALO is strengthening the project’s capacity to design an integrated, low-carbon process for silicon and silicomanganese production. PDC has developed a suite of steady‑state process simulation models in AspenPlus and MS Excel based on the work and input provided by the MECALO consortium, including methanation unit flowsheets developed by JM, feed definitions provided by ELKEM and ERAMET, and process specifications by SAKOWIN and SINTEF/SINTEF-E. The simulations cover three complete carbon-looping configurations for silicon (Si) and one for silicomanganese (SiMn). These simulations represent a key step in quantifying how MECALO’s innovative carbon recycling concept performs under industrially relevant conditions.

To benchmark the benefits of the carbon-looping pathway, alternative reference cases, where CO₂ is captured using amine-based absorption rather than being reconverted using the carbon-loop and fed back to the furnace, were also analysed. This dual approach allows a clearer comparison between conventional carbon management strategies and MECALO’s circular model.

A preliminary steam-based energy integration study, carried out with Pinch Analysis and including power generation assessment, has been completed for two of the simulated scenarios. The resulting datasets were consolidated in user-friendly Excel formats and shared with partners working on life cycle assessment, process dynamics and advanced energy integration, enabling coordinated cross-disciplinary evaluation.

The next phase will focus on assessing the role of impurities and side products in the process and identifying the most suitable separation technologies. This work is essential to refine the industrial feasibility of MECALO’s carbon-looping system and support its transition toward greener, more efficient metallurgical operations.