By Peter Pollak, The Aluminum Association (Retired). Nikola Tesla, a Serbian American inventor and futurist, is considered to be one of the greatest electrical engineers of all time (Figure 1). Best known for harnessing alternating current (AC) for electrical transmission, Tesla was a true visionary, envisioning wireless transmission and communication technologies (now made reality in the […]
The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) reported on the progress of its Aluminium Industry Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which was launched at COP28 in December 2023. The initiative tracks and publicly reports the greenhouse gas reduction ambitions and progress of IAI member companies, encouraging further steps in the sector’s efforts to address climate change. The initiative is backed […]
Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) signed a non-binding agreement to acquire 20.62% share in Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), which operates one of the world’s largest single-site smelters in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The purchase is in line with Ma’aden’s continued growth plans, with the aim of expanding its business ten times by 2040, with its aluminum […]
Elysis, the technology partnership between Rio Tinto and Alcoa, plans to launch its first industrial-scale demonstration plant at the Arvida smelter complex in Québec, Canada. This investment will support the ongoing development of the breakthrough Elysis inert anode technology, which is said to eliminate all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the traditional smelting process and […]
By Alton Tabereaux, Contributing Editor. Bauxite residue is an insoluble solid waste by-product generated after the digestion of gibbsitic bauxite ore with sodium hydroxide at elevated temperature and pressure in the Bayer process for the extraction of alumina. During the digestion process, aluminum minerals react with caustic soda process liquor to form soluble sodium aluminate […]
Alcoa formed an agreement with Nexans, a global cable producer, for the supply of primary aluminum produced using ELYSIS™ inert anode technology, which eliminates all direct greenhouse gas emissions from the traditional smelting process. “In the fight against climate change, solutions that support the world’s energy transition make a real difference,” said Vincent Dessale, chief […]
By Geoff Scamans, BCAST at Brunel University London and Innoval Technology. Vehicles must become inherently more efficient and lightweight if automotive OEMs are to meet global emissions targets. The implementation of aluminum has helped move OEMs toward this goal, and as a result, there has been significant growth in aluminum intensive vehicles (AIVs) over the […]
By Alton Tabereaux, Contributing Editor. Sixty-eight million tonnes of primary aluminum were produced worldwide in smelters in 2021. According to the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), the aluminum sector was directly responsible for 275 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2021, a 2% increase over the previous year. If the indirect emissions from electricity are included, the […]
Under a new partnership, Rio Tinto plans to provide responsibly sourced aluminum to the BMW Group’s vehicle production plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, for use in body components beginning in 2024. Low-carbon primary aluminum from Rio Tinto’s hydro-powered operations in Canada, combined with recycled content, could generate a reduction of up to 70% in CO2 […]
