Constellium plans to begin industrial testing of hydrogen utilization in its casthouses, marking a significant step in its commitment to decarbonizing its operations. Within the company’s worldwide operations, recycling and casting represent close to 50% of its direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making them the most energy intensive activities.
“We are excited to embark on industrial testing of hydrogen utilization in our casthouse operations, now that our laboratory trials have affirmed the viability and safety of integrating hydrogen into our production processes,” said Ludovic Piquier, senior vice president, Manufacturing Excellence and chief technical officer at Constellium. “Green hydrogen is a promising lever to help the transition to carbon-neutral production, and we are proud of our progress in this important field. Our goal is to ensure Constellium is ready for the adoption of green hydrogen when it becomes more accessible and cost-effective for industrial applications.”
In 2022, Constellium conducted laboratory-scale trials on the use of hydrogen within its C-TEC research and development center, with a focus on ensuring safe operations. These trials demonstrated that transitioning from natural gas to hydrogen has no adverse effects on energy efficiency, oxidation rate, or product quality.
This first demonstration phase has paved the way for industrial-scale testing at C-TEC. In preparation for this, the research center has equipped one of its furnaces with a highly efficient burner capable of operating with oxygen and both natural gas and/or hydrogen. First results from industrial-scale testing are expected Q3 2024.
Constellium is actively involved in various multi-stakeholder projects aimed at advancing hydrogen technologies for industrial decarbonization. One notable initiative is HyInHeat project, a European Union-funded initiative exploring the substitution of natural gas with hydrogen in aluminum and steel transformation processes.
In addition to its focus on hydrogen, Constellium is exploring alternative decarbonization technologies, such as direct electrification solutions compatible with existing furnaces.