The biggest development of the twenty-first century is the international recognition of global warming and its adverse effects on the Earth's climate. Excessive carbon emissions or GHG footprints primarily cause overheating of the atmospheric dome, which may cause the protective ozone layer to erode, increasing the planet's temperature. Rising temperatures are a massive concern for the Earth's troposphere as it might not be able to deflect the heat waves, rather trapping them to turn the world into a blazing ball of fire. Naturally, this will cause the glaciers to melt, resulting in massive floods and augmented sea levels. It won't be long before the story of Noah's Ark gets repeated by a new clan of people after we get washed away by the gushing waters of the oceans and seas.
The aluminium industry is one of the most energy-intensive endeavours in human history, as the conventional process of primary aluminium production is quite elaborate and hasn't changed much in the past few decades. The Hall-Héroult process, which involves the electrolysis of alumina extracted from bauxite using carbon anodes, consumes around 13-15 kWh of electricity per kg of aluminium produced. aluminum profile accessories
Mostly, the aluminium businesses were dependent on fossil fuels up until the emergence of the Paris Environmental Act (2015), which required highly energy-consuming enterprises to transform their flagship operational lines into green ones.
Below, you'll find enlisted sources of Green Energy:
Wind Power: Wind turbines are installed at open sites where atmospheric gales activate the module, converting wind energy into electricity.
Hydropower: Energy is yielded from free-flowing water and later harnessed to produce electricity.
Solar Power: Sun rays on photovoltaic panels reflect the amount of energy stored in the connected cells.
Biomass Energy: Biomass, especially derived from organic waste, can be used to yield heat and electricity.
Geothermal Energy: Geothermal power transforms the Earth's internal heat to produce electricity.
Green Hydrogen: Green hydrogen is a type of hydrogen extracted via electrolysis using renewable energy sources. It is eco-friendly and has various applications, including energy storage, transportation, and industrial processes. Green hydrogen has the inherent capacity to revolutionise the aluminium industry by providing a clean energy source for energy-intensive smelting processes.
With the growing shift to adopt renewable or green energy sources, leading aluminium companies are eager to seek out possible collaborative opportunities. It is where global energy giants like USA's GenHydro, Europe's Statkraft, China's SPIC, Norway's Hydro, Israel's Phinergy, India's Adani and Germany's Siemens are joining in the groove for a responsible and sustainable future. Once the leading aluminium producers tap into renewable energy grids, their flagship operational lines naturally begin the transition to green or low-carbon production. The industry at large offers us two kinds of low-carbon aluminium variants: one is recycled aluminium, and the other one is primary aluminium produced with cleaner energy sources. Significant international brands, with their supply chain spread all across the globe, have taken up the difficult challenge of producing the highest quality low-carbon aluminium strains.
Some of the biggest low-carbon aluminium producers have been listed below:
Hydro's low-carbon aluminium variants, REDUXA and CIRCAL: Hydro's low-carbon aluminium products have a carbon footprint below 4 kilo CO2-equivalents per kilo of aluminium. Hydro offers full transparency about the environmental impact of the metal from the mine or scrap to the final aluminium product. The carbon footprint documentation of their products covers all process steps, including input materials and transportation (Scopes 1-3).
The two types of low-carbon aluminium offered by the Norwegian Metal giant are:
Hydro REDUXA (low-carbon primary aluminium)
Hydro CIRCAL (low-carbon recycled aluminium)
The company offers low-carbon primary aluminium with a maximum carbon footprint of 4 kilo CO2e per kilo aluminium, using renewable energy sources like hydropower and hyper-efficient electrolysis technology. They master every step of the aluminium value chain, from mining and refining bauxite and alumina to producing and extruding aluminium and eventually recycling. They aim to minimise their impact on nature, climate and society and continue to reduce the carbon footprint in line with their decarbonisation ambitions. Their low-carbon primary aluminium products include the brand Hydro REDUXA.
Hydro offers a range of low-carbon aluminium products with a high share of post-consumer scrap content. The products are either documented by an EPD or verified by a third party. Hydro CIRCAL is a premium, low-carbon, and recycled aluminium brand with at least 75% post-consumer scrap and a low-carbon footprint. The production process of Hydro CIRCAL is fully traceable from scrap to metal per batch, and the product is verified by an independent third party. Hydro is constantly pushing the boundaries of low-carbon aluminium and pursuing initiatives to decarbonise its processes through the use of cleaner energy or new technology development.
Hydro REDUXA 3.0, key in their partnership with Mercedes-Benz, is a premium product. In early 2023, Hydro delivered the first near-zero carbon footprint aluminium for the European building and construction market based on Hydro CIRCAL, with 100% post-consumer scrap content.
Novelis AL: sust™ low-carbon aluminium: Novelis is a company that focuses on sustainability and is committed to increasing the recycled content in its industry-leading aluminium products. With their new product line, AL:sust™, Novelis is taking sustainability to the next step by offering aluminium alloys made from high amounts of recycled content, which helps customers decarbonise their products. They continue to maintain the highest quality and industry standards for their products. Their latest innovative aluminium strain, HRC57S®, has an anodising quality that can be batch anodised and has an exceptionally high recycled content of more than 90%. It provides an outstanding AlMg1 quality for decorative batch anodising, with superior bending and non-combustible properties not available in other competitive alloys. Similarly, their AL:sust™ HRC73A® is a pre-anodised product that provides an outstanding AlMg1 quality with permanent metallic gloss, non-combustible properties and excellent bending properties. It is available as coil or in flat sheet dimensions for direct façade cladding. Architects, builders, and building owners can use these products to create more beautiful and sustainable structures. Novelis demonstrates its unwavering commitment to sustainability by expanding its product range of anodising product solutions for architectural applications with high-recycled content.
Capral LocAl® low-carbon aluminium: Did you know that LocAl® aluminium is one of the most sustainable and eco-friendly products in the market? It's made using a combination of recycled post-consumer scrap and low-carbon primary aluminium. This unique approach to production not only reduces the energy intensity of the process but also supports the principles of a circular economy. What's more, the primary billet of LocAl® aluminium has certified CO2e content at or below 8kg CO2e/kg AL for LocAL Green and 4kg CO2e/kg AL for LocAL Super Green. That's a significant reduction in carbon footprint compared to other products in the market! Additionally, Capral, the manufacturer of LocAl®, is certified against ASI Performance Standard V3 and Chain of Custody (CoC) V2 for the extrusion, warehousing and distribution of aluminium products and services. So, you can trust that the product you're using is not only sustainable but also meets the highest industry standards. And lastly, all LocAl® primary aluminium is sourced from ASI Certified smelters with full Chain of Custody management. This means that the entire supply chain is transparent and accountable, ensuring a fair and sustainable production process.
Alcoa's Sustana™ family of low-carbon products: Alcoa is leading the way in reinventing the aluminium industry for a sustainable future. As part of this vision, Alcoa is offering its customers the Sustana™ family of low-carbon products, which is the most comprehensive range of such products in the industry. EcoLum™, a type of primary aluminium, has an emissions intensity that is three times better than the industry average. This is achieved through the use of renewable energy in the smelting process. EcoLum™ is available in a full range of products, that include billet, foundry, slab, wire rod, unalloyed high purity, and P1020.
Alcoa's EcoSource™ is the world's only low-carbon alumina brand. It is produced from a refinery portfolio that has an emissions intensity of not more than 0.6 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per tonne of alumina produced. Alcoa's emission intensity of both Scope 1 and Scope 2 (direct and indirect) emissions from bauxite mining and alumina refining is less than half of the global industry average. This is achieved through Alcoa's mine-to-refinery advantage. Additionally, the infinite recyclability of aluminium makes it an essential facilitator of the circular economy.
EcoDura™, which contains at least 50 per cent recycled content, is a product that conserves significant amounts of energy and reduces the environmental impacts associated with producing virgin aluminium. EcoDura™ is manufactured in North America and Europe utilising clean scrap from verified sources and is available to customers internationally.
Vedanta Restora low-carbon aluminium strains: Restora, the low-carbon aluminium brand from Vedanta, is the result of the brand's expertise in aluminium manufacturing, innovative technologies, and commitment to achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2050. With Restora, Vedanta offers two product lines - Restora (low-carbon aluminium) and Restora Ultra (ultra-low-carbon aluminium). The company can customise Restora and Restora Ultra as Billets, Primary Foundry Alloy (PFA), Wire Rods, Slabs, Ingots, and more to suit the needs of various end-use industries. Restora is produced at its world-class aluminium smelters using renewable energy. It has a GHG emission intensity well below the global standard of 4 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) per tonne of aluminium manufactured, making it a low-carbon aluminium product.
Restora Ultra is made from recovered aluminium obtained through Vedanta's partnership with Runaya Refining, a leading Indian manufacturing start-up focused on creating innovative solutions for the resources sector. Restora Ultra uses patented technology licensed from TAHA International SA to process aluminium dross at the company's plants. This product line offers premium-grade products that have an even lower carbon footprint, which is among the lowest in the world. Vedanta Aluminium is the first major non-ferrous Indian metals producer to manufacture low-carbon primary aluminium for customers worldwide. Both Restora and Restora Ultra are verified as low-carbon aluminium by an independent, global verification assurance firm.
EGA's Celestial solar aluminium: The first ever aluminium produced with rays of the sun, CelestiAL aluminium, a product made in the UAE, is helping to make modern life possible for people worldwide while also protecting the planet for future generations. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and Emirates Electricity and Water Company are responsible for supplying solar power. In a brilliant development, BMW Group, Mercedes-Benz, and Nissan have pledged to become the first of the many clients of EGA's CelestiAL solar aluminium, and the company has already supplied it internally to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre for use in MBZ-SAT.
Century Aluminum's Natur-Al™ low-carbon aluminium: Century Aluminum Company launched its Natur-Al™ low-carbon aluminium products. The aluminium products are produced at Iceland's ASI-certified Norðurál Grundartangi aluminium plant, using energy from renewable sources. This production method allows the company to achieve CO₂ levels below one-fourth of the industry average, or 4 tonnes CO₂ per tonne of aluminium, making it one of the lowest CO₂ footprints in the world. All CO₂ emissions are independently verified, facilitating life-cycle assessments for customers. Natur-Al™ ZERO is the fully offset, pure, carbon-neutral aluminium product line, and the company encourages and assists customers in pursuing carbon neutrality through contributions to reforestation and wetland-reclamation projects. Ágúst Hafberg, Century Aluminum's Chief Commercial Officer, stated that the company proudly introduced the Natur-Al™ line of low-carbon aluminium. Century Aluminum is committed to working with its customers to develop more sustainable and lower carbon products, and Natur-Al™ allows clients to totally discard or fully divert the carbon footprint of their products.
RUSAL's Allow: EN+ Group's metal division, RUSAL's low-carbon aluminium variant, Allow, emits very low CO2 during its production, with Scope 1 and 2 emissions of no more than 4 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per tonne of aluminium, which is five times below the industry's global average. Over 98% of all aluminium produced by RUSAL is based on renewable energy supplied by hydropower plants in Siberia. The company is also making efforts to reduce GHG emissions by introducing energy-saving technologies, implementing resource efficiency projects, and installing modern gas interception and treatment equipment at all of its sites. Independent experts confirmed the carbon efficiency of RUSAL's aluminium, while the brand itself was given statements by TUV Austria and Quantis, a Swiss-based environmental research group. Buyers of the Allow-branded metal can track the whole production cycle and logistics to confirm its environmental friendliness.
Yunnan Aluminium and its green accreditations: Yunnan Aluminium Corporation received the "Outstanding Contribution Enterprise in the Carbon Neutrality Field" award at the 3rd Boao Conference on Carbon Neutrality. As the aluminium industry base of China Aluminium Corporation (Chinalco) in Yunnan, it demonstrates the responsibility of central enterprises by actively practising the national "dual carbon" strategy and implementing the strategic deployment of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee and Government. Yunnan Aluminium Group consistently adheres to the concept of green development and strives to create a sustainable "aluminium integration" industry model that is green, low-carbon, clean, and sustainable. It has successfully established a green industrial chain integrating bauxite, alumina, carbon products, aluminium smelting, and aluminium processing.
Baotou Aluminium and clean energy grid connection: Baotou Aluminium Industry's cast aluminium alloy ingots have been certified by the China Quality Certification Centre as fulfilling national green product emission regulations. Each kilogram of cast aluminium alloy ingot has a carbon footprint value of 14.87 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent. This has earned them the Product Carbon Footprint Certificate. This initiative will help Baotou Aluminium Industrial to expand downstream markets and improve firm competitiveness while establishing an environmentally friendly aluminium industrial chain. This is the second product made by China's Baotou Aluminium to obtain national carbon footprint certification. During a recent review, the Baotou Power Supply Bureau's Measurement Centre conducted an acceptance inspection of electric energy measurement devices at Baotou Aluminium for grid connection, transforming the majority of its energy sources to green, sustainable ones.
In conclusion, low-carbon aluminium is a true champion of sustainability, offering many engineering benefits to the automobile, construction, and EV battery industries. It plays a major role in the fight against climate change by drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions during production. Its energy-efficient processes not only minimise environmental impact but also promote resource conservation, aligning with the principles of a circular economy. By using low-carbon aluminium, corporations can enhance their reputation and meet the growing demand for eco-conscious products. This commitment to sustainability also fosters innovation, driving the development of cleaner production methods. Ultimately, choosing low-carbon aluminium is not just a response to environmental challenges but a pathway to a more resilient, responsible, and competitive future.
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