Trimet Aluminium SE developed a new process control system for controlling the electrolysis furnaces in its aluminum smelters. The company plans to replace various existing control systems with this in-house developed control and monitoring system — called METRICS® — at its facilities in Essen, Hamburg, and Voerde, Germany, and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, France. This will enable the company to implement a consistent standard at the very highest level across the entire company, which will help facilitate the shift to climate-neutral aluminum production.
“METRICS enables us to tackle multiple challenges simultaneously that will arise in future aluminum production,” said Dr. Andreas Lützerath, a member of the executive board of Trimet. “We are supporting the implementation of flexible control mechanisms within the electrolysis process to adapt to fluctuating power supplies, establishing the necessary conditions for CO2-free aluminium production.”
The METRICS control system allows the electrolysis process to better respond to fluctuations in the power grid, because the system is connected to a forecasting program that predicts process parameters. This “digital twin” rapidly illustrates how changes in the production process affect the behavior of the electrolytic cell during ongoing operation. This allows the energy requirements of the electrolysis cells to be synchronized with the fluctuating supply of renewable energies.
As a result, this new control system is making the electrolysis more flexible, thereby supporting the integration of renewable energies in the power grid. Through load shifts, the aluminum smelter can adapt to fluctuating volumes of electricity produced from wind power and photovoltaic systems. Controllable heat exchangers at the electrolysis cells ensure a consistent energy balance in the furnaces.
At the Essen site, the new METRICS control system is currently operating in 16 electrolysis furnaces, while an additional 40 furnaces have been converted and are awaiting commissioning. In Voerde, the expansion of a test group has already been completed. The smelter in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is testing the system with an initial electrolysis furnace, and a test furnace will soon be installed in Hamburg.
By 2028, Trimet aims to control all 998 electrolysis furnaces at its four aluminum smelters with METRICS.
In addition to the control system project, Trimet is currently engaged in research focused on an inert anode that releases oxygen instead of carbon dioxide during aluminum production. This innovative process requires a new cell technology, which the company is developing with the help of METRICS. The inert anode concept is being simulated with the help of a mathematical model. In a next step, Trimet will test the concept with a demonstrator on an industrial scale.
As an innovative, medium-sized, family-owned company, Trimet develops, produces, recycles, casts, and sells modern light-metal products made of aluminum at nine locations. In cooperation with its customers, the company’s more than 2,400 employees ensure that cars are more economical, airplanes are lighter, wind turbines and power plants are more efficient, buildings are more modern, and packaging is more ecological.
Trimet is well aware of its responsibility towards society and the environment. The company plays its part in creating an economy that is fit for the future. As a result, its production processes and business activities follow the principle of sustainability as laid down by the United Nations in its 17 sustainable development goals.