INSTABRIQ · Resource-efficient Machine for the Recycling of coal dust into High-calorie Briquettes

Coke, a highly-calorific low-sulphur fuel obtained from bituminous coal, is vital in the production of steel by steelworks. During this process, up to 0.5 kg of coke dust/tonne of coke is expelled. The release of coke dust can present respiratory health hazards to humans, whilst accumulating in the environment due to minimal recycling, often as a consequence of the presence of metal contaminants. Un-contaminated coke dust can currently be turned into coke briquettes with the aid of binding agents or adhesives. Binding agents and adhesives, however, contribute to inefficient combustion and release of environmentally-harmful SO2 and NOx gases, which decrease the efficiency of CCS technologies (i.e. CCS technology can be up to 99 % efficient in the absence of SO2 and NOx). Thus, minimising the amounts of sulphur and nitrogen in coal can dramatically reduce the percentage of CO2 emitted into the environment. We, the C.A. Group, have developed INSTABRIQ, a new type of briquetting machine, which can compress any type of coal dust to create low-sulphur (as low as 0.65 %) “clean coal” briquettes, without using adhesives, thus also affording a high heat capacity. INSTABRIQ briquettes have the same structural integrity as adhesive-containing solutions. As an experienced metals recycling company, we are also uniquely positioned to remove metal contaminants from coke dust, thus increasing the portion of coal, which can be recycled to produce briquettes. INSTABRIQ is a unique and value-added tool for coal-reliant industries, facilitating virgin-raw-material- and CCS-technology-efficiency. Following this project, we expect to commercialise our machine by 2021 to create briquettes primarily for reuse in the steel industry and secondarily for households. INSTABRIQ represents the first coal-based venture for the C.A. Group and will allow us to further diversify our revenue streams in addition to new intellectual property generation.