News
Anferra’s Recycling Solution Recognized with Renova Environmental Scholarship
Solving the Grinding Sludge Challenge
Each year, the Swedish steel industry generates thousands of tonnes of grinding sludge. This fine, metal-rich residue is often classified as hazardous waste. Without a viable recycling pathway, it typically ends up in landfill or is incinerated, resulting in resource loss and environmental harm.
Anferra’s solution addresses this issue through a combination of chemical-mechanical separation and microfiltration. The process recovers valuable metal oxides and removes harmful residues, converting the sludge into a usable, high-value material that can re-enter industrial use.
Anferra co-founder Thomas Ottink has been awarded the Renova Environmental Scholarship 2024, for his work in developing Anferra’s patent-pending solution for recycling grinding sludge from the steel industry. The award highlights the growing importance of circular solutions in heavy industry and recognizes the innovation behind a process that prevents hazardous steel waste from ending up in landfill.
Recognizing Scalable, Real-World Impact
The Renova Environmental Scholarship is awarded to individuals and projects that show innovative thinking, measurable environmental benefit, and strong potential for implementation. Thomas Ottink was selected for his contribution to sustainable industrial practices and the clear potential to scale Anferra’s technology within the steel sector.
A Step Forward for the Circular Economy
This recognition reinforces Anferra’s core mission and highlights the relevance of our technology in building a more circular and resource-efficient industry. As we continue to pilot and scale our solution in industrial settings, we welcome the growing support for approaches that reduce landfill, recover materials, and rethink waste.
We are proud to see Thomas’ work and the Anferra vision acknowledged by one of Sweden’s leading environmental organizations.
Strengthening the Anferra Team with New Talent
This spring, we’ve welcomed two new team members who bring valuable experience and fresh perspectives to our work as we continue scaling our technology.
Zichen Pan – Process Engineering Intern
Pan joins us as our new Process Engineering Intern. With a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Beijing University of Chemical Technology and an MSc in Nanotechnology from Chalmers University of Technology, he brings a strong academic foundation to the role. His experience in industrial cost modeling and process development will be an asset as we refine and scale our technology toward industrial application.
Josefine Nord – Founder’s Associate
Josefine joins Anferra as our Founder’s Associate, supporting across strategy, operations, and business development. She comes from a background in software engineering and architecture and is currently pursuing her MSc at Chalmers School of Entrepreneurship. Her multidisciplinary experience will help strengthen Anferra’s internal processes and support our continued growth.
We’re happy to welcome both Pan and Josefine to the team and look forward to what we’ll achieve together.
Anferra Partners with SSAB & Dalarna Science Park in Circular Accelerator
Anferra Joins SSAB and Dalarna Science Park in Accelerator Program for a Circular Industry
In September 2024, Anferra launched a new collaboration with Dalarna Science Park and SSAB in Borlänge, as part of Dalarna Science Park’s Circular Industry Accelerator Program. This unique program aims to match established industries with startups to promote circularity by transforming industrial waste streams into sustainable business opportunities.
As part of this initiative, Anferra has been strategically matched with SSAB to explore innovative solutions for their byproducts. Over the next nine months, we’ll work together to identify and evaluate new circular solutions that are both monetarily and environmentally sustainable.
This collaboration is a fantastic opportunity to drive meaningful impact, aligning perfectly with our mission to push the boundaries of waste recycling. We are thrilled to be part of this initiative and look forward to exploring how we can contribute to SSAB’s sustainability goals.
We extend our gratitude to Dalarna Science Park for bringing us together through this program, and we’re eager to see what the next nine months will bring.
To learn more about the project check out [this link].
Anferra Secures Funding for Steel Recycling Pilot
We’re thrilled to share that Anferra has been granted funding through the Impact Innovation program Swedish Metals & Minerals, supported by the Swedish Energy Agency Energimyndigheten, Formas, and Vinnova!
The project is a feasibility study that will accelerate our preparations for a large-scale pilot, taking our recycling process a step closer to industrial application.
A big thank you to our incredible industry partners SKF Group, Scania Group, SSAB, Sydvatten AB, and research collaborators IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet and Chalmers Industriteknik. Their collaboration is key as we continue to develop solutions for turning steel waste into valuable resources.
This is an important milestone for Anferra, and we’re looking forward to the progress ahead.
