"To hit global climate goals, carbon emissions from aluminum production have to drop 92 percent by 2050. Step one? Building a ton of clean energy."
"Pots and pans, soda cans, skyscrapers, laptops, even solar panels — all these things share a common ingredient in aluminum. The material is ubiquitous and useful, but the process of making and recycling it is a major source of planet-warming pollution.
By 2050, aluminum producers in North America will need to cut carbon emissions by 92 percent compared to 2021 levels to meet net zero goals. A recent report from the Aluminum Association shows the solutions that could help the industry get there.
The bulk of aluminum industry emissions comes from the massive amounts of electricity used to power giant smelters. While some North American facilities use hydropower, most rely on electricity generated by fossil fuels. Reducing the use of dirty electricity will require ramping up renewable sources on the energy grid — something that is happening fast, but not fast enough to be on track for the Biden administration’s goal of a 100 percent carbon-free grid by 2035.
The next biggest contributor to aluminum emissions is the use of fossil gas to fire furnaces for recycling aluminum, which makes up 75% of the U.S.’s aluminum production. Electrifying those furnaces or swapping in cleaner fuels would slash carbon emissions by 23 percent. The tech is in the early stages, but one company, Norway-based Hydro, successfully produced a batch of recycled aluminum last year using green hydrogen at its facility in Spain and is testing direct electrification in Norway."
Carrie Klein reports for Canary Media June 28, 2024.
SEE ALSO:
"Why A Shrinking US Aluminum Industry Is Tricky News For Clean Energy" (Canary Media)
"The First New US Aluminum Plant In Decades Plans Big Emissions Cuts" (Canary Media)
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