Decarbonisation of Aluminum Production

Production and Distribution of Electricity and Heat

Aluminum products are widely used in multiple sectors for the properties that this material is able to guarantee including lightness, mechanical strength, excellent heat and electricity transport properties, workability and recyclability. Aluminum is widely used in the transportation, construction, production of packaging and other consumer goods, and in the manufacture of machinery, plants, and infrastructure. It is also used in the energy sector for photovoltaic technologies, for concentrated solar systems, for electricity grids and for electric mobility. It also has a significant contribution for wind, hydroelectric, bioenergy and hydrogen technologies. Overall, the world produces about 96,000,000 tons of aluminum in a year, of which about 2/3 primary aluminum. The sector's energy consumption globally amounts to about 6 EJ corresponding to about 90% of the consumption of the non-ferrous metal production sector. Greenhouse gas emissions amount to about 1.1 billion tons of CO2eq per year of which 317 millions are produced directly from the process and use of thermal energy, while the remaining share is linked to indirect emissions related to the production of electricity that is used in the alumina reduction process.

29-07-2022

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