“IB2 Technology combines industrial innovation, resource recovery, OPEX savings, better quality alumina production and waste reduction, which makes it a green initiative”, Yves Occello, CEO, IB2 Technology

“IB2 Technology combines industrial innovation, resource recovery, OPEX savings, better quality alumina production and waste reduction, which makes it a green initiative”, Yves Occello, CEO, IB2 Technology.

Yves has 45 years of experience in the bauxite and alumina industry occupying key positions at Pechiney, Alcan and Rio Tinto. He founded Amber Development in 2010, a company specialising in technical and marketing services for the bauxite and alumina industry, where he coordinates the development of IB2™ technology, in which he operates as CEO.

Yves holds a Master's degree in Chemical Engineering from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie of Paris and is an Honorary Director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

AlCircle: Please share more about IB2's innovative technology to produce alumina from low-grade bauxite.

Mr Yves Occello: IB2 technology is an innovative solution developed by experts in the bauxite and alumina sector. 
It makes possible the process and valuation of low-grade bauxite ores that a common Bayer process would not be able to manage at reasonable operating costs. 

In a few words, IB2 allows you to get: 

• With the same quantity of alumina produced, even better alumina quality is obtained 
• Lower OPEX 
• Less red muds 
• A green co-product with high value: Tobermorite 

This technology is based on two steps: Improved Bauxite + Improved Bayer process, that’s why we called it “IB2”

• The first stage consists of the raw bauxite treatment in which the silica is removed and the quantity of available alumina increased 
• Based on its chemical and mineralogical composition the “improved bauxite” is then processed in the alumina refinery through the Bayer Process with the appropriate settings. 

AlCircle: What are the multidimensional benefits of the IB2 solution?

Mr Yves Occello: IB2 is a unique solution with multi-dimensional benefits: 

Financial

• High opex savings through notably less raw material consumption, production increase, some impurities removal, less bauxite residue storage…
• High and quick return on investment

 Strategic

• Use of low-grade domestic deposits including high Sulphur and organic carbon bauxites which allows for enlarging resources.
• Secured bauxite supply and thus independence 
• Decarbonization is key for the environment and to maintaining international competitiveness

Technology

• Comprehensive and committed experts respond with the best results on the market
• Proven Technology with several pilot scale units (China, Germany, Belgium) and >450 measurements 
• Easy to implement the solution: this technology requires neither significant structural changes nor high CAPEX 
• It is also flexible as the IB2 unit juxtaposes with existing production units and lets refiners switch from one bauxite to another if needed.
• All in all, it is a win-win solution.

Environmental 

Ib2 allows significant red mud quantity reduction, energy savings and decarbonisation. We will probably detail this benefit later. Anyway, it is a profitable and environmentally friendly solution.

AlCircle: What are the business opportunities IB2 technology opens up?

Mr Yves Occello: IB2 technology opens up a wide range of business opportunities for different industry players including inter-alia:

• Alumina refiners (especially in China, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Australia,… ) as IB2 is a solution that promotes the circular economy
• Bauxite traders
• Bauxite miners or companies dealing with bauxite treatment
• Providers of process technologies …

Not only IB2 has no direct competitors but it is also an available technology that is ready to be implemented and adapted to each specific situation.

All make it a very attractive technology. 

AlCircle: How can you count the IB2 technology as a green initiative? Could you share with us IB2’s initiatives to drive the aluminium industry green? 

Mr Yves Occello: The green deal needs green and great innovations and IB2 is a tailor-made approach to solve this amazing stake that reconciles environment and profitability.

IB2 TECHNOLOGY combines industrial innovation, resource recovery, OPEX savings, better quality alumina production and waste reduction. In concrete words, what’s making IB2 a green initiative? 

With IB2 there are: 

• Significantly less red mud compared to usual domestic bauxite
• Less raw material (caustic soda, bauxite) is needed and thus produced or mined
• Low Carbon Transportation and less dust thanks to the use of domestic bauxite instead of importing bauxite from remote deposits: no more transport on long-distance seaway and inland. 
• Less impact on the environment (less desertification) as using local existing low-grade bauxite avoids opening new mines abroad
• Energy is reduced at the refinery at the Bayer unit 
• And last but not least a Green Co-product is produced: it is tobermorite with decarbonization abilities and with high-value applications (in the cement industry but not only)
• IB2 thus contributes to the renewal of the industry and tends to combine profitability and respect for the environment.

AlCircle: Could you share with us IB2’s journey from its inception? What inspired you to develop this technology? 

Mr Yves Occello: AMBER DEVELOPMENT was aware very early of the growing demand for bauxite driven by growing aluminium production and consumption and has observed the situations of shortage of good bauxite encountered by alumina refiners. 

Therefore the team worked on developing a profitable technology that would help refiners to extract alumina from low-grade bauxite. The areas covered are China, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Australia, Greece, etc.

In 2017 we transferred the technology to a specially dedicated entity, IB2, and raised fresh equity from business angels. These additional resources allowed us to finalize our R&D works and be more aggressive in marketing.

Later, we structured a convertible bond, fully subscribed by our privileged partner, to finance the development of our first unit and an additional equity fundraising from Otium Capital to strengthen our cash position given the multiple developments we have in our pipeline."

The technology would probably have already been operational if the covid period had not slowed down the implementation. Over the past few months, contacts have once again been strengthened and more and more refiners around the world are interested in learning about the evolution of technology. The fact of having taken into account further strengthens the appeal of the technology. 

The IB2 team and its partners are even now in advanced discussions with several customers and fully committed to designing the 1st IB2 unit.

AlCircle: Can aluminium smelters use alumina produced from low-grade bauxite through IB2 technology? 

Mr Yves Occello: Aluminium smelters can of course use alumina produced from low-grade bauxite using IB2 technology. 
It is even more attractive for aluminium smelters as this alumina is even purer. 
In other words, IB2 technology is beneficial for the environment, alumina refiners and also Aluminium smelters.