By Rose Eaton, Light Metal Age. In a village in Norway called Sunndalsøra, nestled between a crystal blue fjord and two massive mountain ranges, lies Hydro Sunndal, the largest primary aluminum plant in Europe and one of the most modern. Overabundant water flowing down the mountains and the deep-sea fjord have provided the area with […]
By Halvor Kvande, NTNU (Retired); Gudrun Saevarsdottir, Reykjavik University; and Barry Welch, Welbank Consulting. Abstract While global average greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have changed little over the last several years, the best available data has become more reliable and has showed lower emissions. The electrolysis process has now been performed with a low emission rate […]
Hydro is entering a new development stage for its HalZero production technology, which aims to decarbonize the aluminum smelting process. With support from the Norwegian government, the company plans to invest in a test facility for the new technology. This puts Hydro on track to deliver pilot production of zero-carbon primary aluminum by 2030. […]
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 […]
On Friday, February 24, 2023, the U.S. government joined the European Union and other nations in imposing new sanctions on Russia — marking the one year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The new sanctions target a variety of sectors, including a 200% tariff on aluminum imports from Russia and products from third-countries that incorporate […]
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) plans to install over 37,000 sq m of solar photovoltaic panels at its aluminum smelter in Bahrain. The renewable power will support the production of high quality primary aluminum. “Sustainability is entrenched in our Vision, Mission, and Values; this Project is fully aligned with our environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ambitions […]
Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), a subsidiary of Vedanta Aluminium, successfully conducted trial runs for using biodiesel in its smelter operations in Korba, Chhattisgarh, India. This is in line with the company’s ambitious target to become net zero carbon by 2050 or sooner. Towards this end, BALCO is looking at increasing the quantum of renewables […]
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) selected International Bechtel Co. Ltd. (Bechtel) to perform a feasibility study for its Line 7 expansion project. This will expand the company’s capacity of high quality, low carbon aluminum. “We are delighted of the partnership we have developed with Bechtel throughout the years, which has translated into awarding them Line 7 […]
By Alton Tabereaux, Contributing Editor. The European primary aluminum industry has been deeply impacted by surging energy prices. This is due to a combination of factors, including increasing demand, skyrocketing natural gas prices, and insufficient quantities of affordable renewable (wind, solar, hydro) or nuclear energy. The invasion of Ukraine also significantly impacted supply chains, in […]
