Have you ever considered the consequences of not reducing carbon emissions from our environment? Now is the time to get started!
Emission reduction can be called the need of the hour. The aluminium industry aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 77 per cent before 2050. Aluminium production causes around 1.1 billion tonnes of CO₂ each year, generating about 2% of global human-caused emissions.
The heavy industrial sector is the most significant contributor to carbon emissions worldwide and a substantial contributor to global warming. Although many businesses, including the aluminium industry, recognize the need for decarbonisation, there are still substantial obstacles associated with implementation due to costs and technical challenges.
Despite its unique attributes like long-life span, resistance to corrosion, excellent strength-to-weight ratio, and ability to be recycled multiple times without losing its actual quality, the carbon impact of aluminium seriously undermines its environmental credentials.
So, to see our environment breathe freely and make optimum use of aluminium to its highest sustainability, the industry needs to focus on decarbonizing the electricity used in the aluminium industry.
Aluminium is not only durable but lightweight and infinitely recyclable as well, making it a quality material with clear environmental benefits. In order to decarbonize aluminium, the circular economy must be increased. It is essential to reduce prime materials, maximize recycling capabilities, and recycle as much of the existing aluminium scrap as quickly as possible. We must also constantly innovate and develop technologies to optimize our processes and create high recycling alloys.
Decarbonizing electricity used in the industry
Decarbonizing the electricity used in the industry means reducing the carbon intensity of the power sector, that is, the emissions per unit of energy produced. It can achieve it with the help of:
- Renewable energy
- Generating clean hydrogen
The consumption of electricity accounts for over 60% of sectoral emissions in the aluminium industry. The best chance for sectoral decarbonisation is the switch to renewable power. However, there are significant differences in the existing emission levels of aluminium firms, which lead to the pursuit of several decarbonisation solutions. For instance, while some people can access safe, economic hydropower, others depend on recently built captive coal-fired power plants.
Green hydrogen may also be used with renewable energy sources to increase energy storage capacity, control variability, and meet requirements for energy other than electricity. For businesses like aluminium smelters that rely on captive power sources, shared infrastructure within an industrial cluster can lower the cost and risk of shifting to renewables (e.g., a coal-fired power plant).
Clean hydrogen is a strong contender for industrial clusters since it is regarded as the "Swiss Army Knife" of the energy system. Clean hydrogen has the potential to offer a workable substitute fuel for thermal energy generation in the aluminium sector, primarily to address the 4% of industrial emissions due to high-heat operations. Clean hydrogen may also manage the 12% of sectoral emissions linked to low- and medium-heat generation. However, it is still more expensive than fossil fuels in most operating conditions.
Clean hydrogen may be produced in various ways, such as "blue hydrogen," which is produced by splitting natural gas into hydrogen and CO2. However, "green hydrogen," which creates hydrogen from water using electrolysers driven by renewable energy, is the most long-term sustainable alternative.
Green hydrogen is still more expensive in most contexts than conventional fossil fuels ($3–$5 per kg of H2), but groups worldwide are attempting to lower the price of green hydrogen. For instance, to hasten the deployment of green hydrogen throughout the world, IRENA and the World Economic Forum published a set of "Enabling Measures Roadmaps for Green Hydrogen" during COP26.
