In an interview during the IBAAS conference, Takuo Harato, Alumina Production Technology Consultant at AlTech Consultant, shared his views on the global aluminium industry, the pursuit of sustainability, and India’s growing role in this transition.

AL Circle: What are the key sustainability challenges the global aluminium industry is grappling with today?

Takuo Harato: The global aluminium industry’s main sustainability challenge lies in achieving carbon neutrality. While renewable energy is best to tackle the situation, sustainability goes beyond emissions — as resource use inevitably leads to depletion over time.

And recycling of aluminium is, of course, very important. But even if we recycle aluminium, we need new aluminium. And the aluminium should be green.

Also,  how we use low-grade bauxite is another important issue.

AL Circle: How is the aluminium sector addressing its high energy consumption and carbon emissions, especially in smelting and refining?

Takuo Harato: I don't know well about smelting, but as for the aluminium refining, bauxite to aluminium, energy consumption can be reduced by applying good heat exchanger, good heat recovery system.

And carbon emission will be also reduced by such a way. And one big loss of heat comes from calciners. We can apply calciners heat recovery and recovery of heat from exhausted steam.

Then we will be able to apply that energy to digestion. Then we will be able to reduce the energy consumption by 30 per cent, by half. Most refineries already have evaporation systems in place; however, many still operate with multistage evaporators, which are relatively inefficient.

When we apply mechanical vapor decompression system, it's very energy efficient. And we can reduce the evaporation cost to one third or less than one third. So lower cost means low energy consumption.

AL Circle: What are your thoughts on CBAM?

Takuo Harato: Of course such tax system will give some solution inside the competition.

But I think depending on tax means some refinery with big money doesn't try to reduce. So technically, I think regulation of emissions, green degree will be more important.

AL Circle: What role does aluminium recycling play in reducing the Industry’s environmental footprint?

Takuo Harato: As for alumina refineries, red mud issue is the most important challenging issue.

And I think my process make ordinary residue into soda free and high soda one. And soda free residue is very easy to handle or to apply. When soda free residue is storec, it's very easy to manage.

By separating the residue into low-soda, free-soda, and high-soda fractions, caustic soda can be efficiently recovered. The remaining material can then be modified into advanced products such as zeolites, fertilizers, or other value-added materials. So I think currently residue issue is the most challenging for alumina refinery. I think the rest are same. The rest questions are almost we have answered it, I think.

AL Circle: Should India expand refineries to better use its rich bauxite reserves?

Takuo Harato: In India now you are importing and I think you have plenty of bauxite in India. So I think India is now becoming fourth big country as for growth and GDP. GDP is now over Japan and becoming fourth grade.

But when you say per head, GDP is not so high, very low. And I think in order to increase everybody's from poverty to better life, well-being, you need to increase your industry. And you have plenty of resources, so I think building refinery, expanding refinery in India using your own resource and increase employment, number of employment. And then I believe your country will be able to grow more rapidly and with a lot of stability.

Alumina production is already very environmentally friendly one, you can build one. Then the alumina will be able to contribute not only for India but also globally.