The aluminum industry’s main challenge lies in the energy consuming nature of the industrial processes that form the foundation for all modern aluminum production. The widespread use of fossil fuels to power these processes is the main reason why the aluminum industry today accounts for two percent of global CO2e emissions. 

At the same time, aluminum has unique properties that make it an important enabler for the green transition, with demand expected to grow in line with the need to mitigate climate change. This is the paradox that the aluminum industry needs to address. We must rethink how we make aluminum and even challenge the basic principles of aluminum production before the metal can fully step into the role as a more sustainable material for the future.

Hydro is determined to change the game for aluminum and take the lead in the green aluminum transition in support of global efforts to decarbonize energy systems and production processes, produce for circularity and recycle resources already in use.

Currently, we are on track to reduce our own emissions by 30 percent by 2030 compared to a 2018 baseline. We stay committed to achieve net-zero emissions in aluminum production by 2050 or earlier.

This will be done by implementing cutting edge technology and stepping up efforts along the three main pathways of the company’s decarbonization roadmap:

• Phasing out fossil energy sources throughout the value chain
• Removing direct emissions from production processes
• Stepping up recycling of post-consumer aluminum scrap

Read more about our decarbonization efforts in the sections below.

Phasing out fossil energy in the value chain

An energy matrix based on renewables throughout the value chain allows Hydro to deliver primary aluminum with a carbon footprint of about one fourth of the world average. To further reduce the footprint, Hydro is working to introduce cleaner energy from mine to metal, both by phasing out carbon intensive fuels and exploring the application of renewable energy sources in production steps that traditionally rely on fossil fuels.

Removing process emissions

With their independent and almost simultaneous discovery in 1886 of an industrial process for making aluminum, Charles Martin Hall and Paul Héroult laid the foundation for all modern aluminum production. However, the Hall-Heróult electrolysis process inevitably emits CO2 when an electric current is passed through aluminum oxide and carbon to form primary aluminum. Hydro is challenging the basic principles of aluminum production by following several pathways of technology development, including an entirely new and groundbreaking process to eliminate emissions from both electrolysis and anode baking.

Stepping up recycling of post-consumer scrap

aluminum is infinitely recyclable without loss of the properties that make it an important enabler for the green transition. Recycling of aluminum also takes only five percent of the energy required to produce primary metal in an electrolytic cell.

Hydro offers recycled aluminum under the Hydro CIRCAL brand. It contains at least 75 percent post-consumer scrap and comes with a documented carbon footprint of just 1.9 kilo CO2e per kilo aluminum, about 80 percent lower than the global average in primary aluminum production.

Recycled aluminum is also mixed with primary aluminum directly in the casthouses with recycling technology now introduced at the Årdal and Høyanger plants. Depending on the share of post-consumer scrap, Hydro REDUXA low-carbon aluminum can be delivered with a documented carbon footprint of below 3 kilo CO2e per kilo aluminum.