Dr. Amit Kumar is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alberta and a global leader in energy systems assessment. He holds a Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Assessment of Energy Systems and the Cenovus Energy Endowed Chair in Environmental Engineering. He serves as Director of the Centre for Hydrogen Innovation, Workforce Development and Outreach, and Deputy Director of Future Energy Systems, a USD 75 million research initiative at the University of Alberta.

Dr. Kumar leads large interdisciplinary programs that inform energy policy and investment decisions. His work is internationally recognised, and he has served on expert panels and advisory committees for organisations including the European Commission, National Science Foundation, Natural Resources Canada, CalEPA, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and NSERC. He is Alberta’s representative on the Energy Council’s CLEER University Advisory Board and a member of the Premier’s Alberta-India Advisory Council. He has provided expert testimony to Canada’s House of Commons and Senate and contributed to the Clean Fuel Standard and Alberta Hydrogen Roadmap. A Fellow of CAE, EIC and CSBE, Dr. Kumar was named to Reuters’ Hot List of influential climate scientists. He has authored 250+ journal papers and 180 technical reports.

AL Circle: Aluminium is among the most energy‑intensive industrial metals. From an energy systems perspective, where do you see the most realistic decarbonisation gains for primary aluminium over the next decade?

Amit Kumar: I approach decarbonisation by categorising the available pathways into three broad baskets. The first involves improvements in energy efficiency. Across the aluminium value chain, there is scope to enhance efficiency at various stages of conversion and processing, which can directly reduce energy consumption.

The second basket relates to the integration of renewable energy. This includes solar, wind and biomass-based electricity generation. In aluminium manufacturing, electricity is the dominant energy input, particularly for electrolysis. Therefore, shifting electricity supply towards low-carbon sources such as solar and wind can deliver substantial decarbonisation benefits. Nuclear power can also play a role as a low-carbon electricity source.

The third basket comprises carbon capture and storage. Where carbon dioxide is generated during aluminium production, capturing it and sequestering it underground can significantly reduce emissions. In my view, decarbonisation options for aluminium can be systematically assessed within these three categories, each of which offers multiple technological pathways.

AL Circle: When we talk about smelters, is it viable to move towards renewables given that even a short disruption, say 45 minutes, can cause long-term operational failure? Can aluminium smelting realistically rely on renewable energy?

Amit Kumar: The fundamental challenge with renewables is intermittency. Solar power is unavailable at night, and wind generation is variable. As a result, renewable systems must always be complemented by reliable backup or base-load capacity.

We often focus on the growth of solar and wind capacity without giving equal attention to the growth of backup systems. Batteries are part of the solution, but they cannot address all requirements, particularly for large industrial loads. In many systems, natural gas–based power plants currently provide backup capacity that can be ramped up when renewable generation declines.

For large-scale industrial operations such as aluminium smelting, the emphasis should be on base-load low-carbon energy. Hydropower is a key example of a renewable base-load source that operates continuously. Nuclear power is another important option. Large-scale nuclear generation is already commercial, and there is increasing discussion around small modular reactors of approximately 300 megawatts, which could be deployed to support industrial clusters.

If solar and wind are used, they must be supported by backup generation. Alternatively, producers can rely more heavily on base-load renewables such as hydro and biomass, or on nuclear power. A combination of these sources is essential for reliable and low-carbon aluminium production.

AL Circle: Hydrogen is often described as a game-changer for heavy industry. In aluminium smelting and downstream processing, where does hydrogen genuinely add value, and where does it remain more theoretical?

Amit Kumar: Hydrogen offers value primarily as an energy storage medium and as a low-carbon energy carrier. One of the major challenges with renewables is storing surplus electricity. For example, wind power may be generated at night when demand is low. Instead of curtailing that power, it can be used to electrolyse water, producing hydrogen that can be stored.

This hydrogen can later be converted back into electricity using fuel cells when demand rises. In this way, hydrogen provides an alternative to battery storage for balancing renewable electricity systems. In addition, hydrogen can be used directly as a fuel for heat or power generation. When combusted, it produces only water, making it a very clean energy carrier.

The climate impact of hydrogen depends on how it is produced. Conventionally, hydrogen has been produced from natural gas through steam methane reforming, a process that emits carbon dioxide. If that CO₂ is captured and stored, the result is so-called blue hydrogen, which has a much lower carbon footprint.

There are also emerging technologies that split natural gas into hydrogen and solid carbon called as methane pyrolysis, further reducing emissions. In parallel, there is growing interest in green hydrogen, which is produced using renewable electricity to electrolyse water into hydrogen and oxygen. While green hydrogen offers the lowest emissions, it remains more expensive than blue hydrogen in most jurisdictions. As a result, large-scale industrial use of green hydrogen is still developing, and cost remains a key barrier.

AL Circle: Power price volatility remains a structural risk for aluminium producers. Smelter closures in Europe and Australia have highlighted this risk. How should aluminium producers rethink long-term energy sourcing as grids absorb more intermittent renewable power?

Amit Kumar: As renewable penetration increases, price volatility becomes more pronounced unless sufficient base-load capacity is added. Large industrial consumers such as aluminium smelters require stable, continuous power supply and cannot rely on intermittent sources alone.

The solution lies in prioritising base-load electricity, whether from hydro, nuclear or other stable generation sources, rather than relying solely on spot-market power tied to variable renewables. While some volatility is inevitable—particularly due to rising electricity demand from data centres—the key is to expand base-load capacity to stabilise prices.

Smelters that are supplied primarily by base-load power are better insulated from short-term price fluctuations and supply disruptions, which is essential for long-term operational viability.

AL Circle: Canada is increasingly viewed as a low-carbon aluminium hub. What advantages does Canada’s energy mix offer, and what constraints could still limit its competitiveness?

Amit Kumar: Canada’s principal advantage lies in its electricity mix. Approximately 62 per cent of Canada’s electricity is generated from hydropower, which is a low-carbon, renewable base-load source. In addition, wind and solar capacity are expanding across the country.

Aluminium and steel production in Canada is largely concentrated in eastern provinces such as Quebec, where electricity generation is predominantly hydro-based. This enables the production of low-carbon aluminium and steel. In contrast, countries such as India rely more heavily on coal-based power, resulting in higher grid emission intensity.

Coal generation has largely been phased out in Canada, with limited remaining capacity in provinces such as Saskatchewan, where it is also being retired. Natural gas is used, particularly in Alberta and Saskatchewan, but it has a significantly lower carbon footprint than coal.

The primary constraints for Canada are not technical or energy-related, but economic. Labour costs and overall production costs are higher than in some competing regions, which can affect cost competitiveness despite Canada’s strong low-carbon energy advantage.

AL Circle: Life cycle assessment is becoming central to aluminium trade, especially with mechanisms such as CBAM. Are current LCA frameworks robust enough to fairly benchmark aluminium producers across regions?

Amit Kumar: The LCA frameworks themselves are technically robust and well developed. The main challenge lies in data availability and consistency across jurisdictions. Accurately estimating life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions requires detailed data on energy use and GHG emissions at each stage of production.

When aluminium crosses multiple borders and is produced in different regulatory environments, obtaining reliable and comparable data becomes difficult. However, the methodological foundations of LCA are sound. The key issue is ensuring transparency, data access and consistent reporting across regions.

AL Circle: Electrification, carbon capture and hydrogen are often presented as competing pathways. From your research, which combination offers the most credible route to deep emission reductions without eroding aluminium’s cost competitiveness?

Amit Kumar: For aluminium, electrification is the most critical pathway because electricity is the dominant energy input. Decarbonising the electricity sector therefore delivers the largest emissions reductions.

Carbon capture and storage is also an important option, particularly because it is already commercial in certain regions. In Canada, for example, there is established infrastructure for CO₂ capture, transportation and underground storage, which makes deployment more feasible.

Hydrogen has been produced and used industrially for decades, particularly in refineries and fertiliser production. However, its broader industrial application is still limited by cost. Blue hydrogen is currently more economical than green hydrogen, which remains significantly more expensive in most markets. As a result, hydrogen’s role will likely expand gradually as costs decline.

AL Circle: How critical is workforce readiness in scaling clean energy solutions for aluminium, and where do you see the biggest skill gaps?

Amit Kumar: Workforce readiness is extremely important. In many cases, the transition does not require entirely new skill sets but rather re-skilling and up-skilling of the existing workforce.

For example, workers currently employed in coal- or gas-fired power plants can be trained to operate and maintain renewable energy systems such as wind and solar. Similarly, hydrogen has been handled and produced safely for decades, so existing expertise can be adapted for new industrial applications, including aluminium. The transition is therefore more evolutionary than disruptive from a skills perspective.

AL Circle: Looking ahead to 2035, do you expect aluminium decarbonisation to be driven more by policy or by energy system economics?

Amit Kumar: It will be driven by both. Policy can set clear targets, such as emissions intensity thresholds per tonne of aluminium produced, with gradual tightening over time. This creates a strong incentive for the industry to decarbonise.

At the same time, technology development and economics must support these policies. As technologies mature and scale up, costs decline, making compliance more feasible. Policy drives innovation and deployment, while technological progress and economies of scale, in turn, reinforce policy objectives. In that sense, policy and economics are mutually reinforcing drivers of aluminium decarbonisation.