Harsco sees slag-to-fertilizer opportunity

Steel mill services firm Harsco Environmental has been producing and selling AgroSilicio, a low-carbon fertilizer made from steel slag, in Brazil in cooperation with the government of a Brazilian state.

Harsco, a division of Philadelphia-based Enviri Corp., has been invited by the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais to make a presentation on the recently developed product at this year's COP28 Climate Summit in the United Arab Emirates.

AgroSilicio is a fertilizer "reimagined" from steel byproducts that has been certified for use by the Brazilian government. Harsco calls the product environmentally friendly and says it has had "tremendous success in the markets where it has been introduced.”

AgroSilicio relies heavily on using recycled steel slag and repurposing it as a calcium silicate-based product that possesses the characteristics of fertilizer and soil conditioner. The soil amendment can be used in numerous farming markets in agribusiness to correct chemical imbalances, nutrient deficiencies and soil toxicity, Harsco says.

AgroSilicio is part of Harsco Environmental’s ecoproducts line, and the company says while acting as a nutrient in 2022, it also reduced the carbon footprint in Minas Gerais by 80,000 tons, or the equivalent of planting 570,000 trees.

“Leaders in Minas Gerais state are striving to balance industrial growth and sustainability,” says Wender Alves, Latin American regional president at Harsco. “It was a breakthrough when we realized that slag from steel production could be transformed into quality fertilizer for the Brazilian agriculture business. We are proud that this has helped significantly reduce the carbon footprint and are honored to present this on behalf of Minas Gerais [at] the world's most important environmental forum."

The product was introduced in Enviri’s 2022 environmental, social and governance report and Enviri says it offers a way Harsco steel industry clients can optimize the reuse of their byproducts, while farmers can enjoy carbon footprint reduction by incorporating AgroSilicio into their agricultural practices.

In late October, Enviri announced its Clean Earth business unit, also based in Pennsylvania, recycled 4.35 million tons of materials in 2022, including hazardous and nonhazardous waste, contaminated soil, dredge material, universal waste and electronic scrap.