En+ Group’s 2021 Net Zero strategy results: Purchased 99% of low-carbon electricity and cut direct GHG emissions by 11.6%

En+ Group, the largest producer of low-carbon aluminium and biggest independent renewable energy generator, announced the first year results on Net Zero strategy goals. In 2021, En+ Group was Russia’s one of the first companies to target becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The first lap of the goal was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 35 per cent by 2030. Despite geopolitical pressure and external challenges resulting supply chain disruptions, the Group could remain committed and initiate the drive.

"Despite the current geopolitical situation, we will strive to continue pursuing our objectives. Their relevance is driven by our sales markets. Sales of aluminium with a low carbon footprint under the ALLOW brand grew by 44% last year and came close to 1 million tonnes. Thanks to the electricity generated by our hydro power plants, the carbon footprint of ALLOW products is less than 4 tonnes of CO2-eq per tonne of aluminium (including direct and indirect energy emissions), while the global average is around 12 tonnes," said Irina Bakhtina, UC RUSAL's Director for Sustainable Development.

Climate change projects have been an integral part of En+ Group’s activities long before 2021. The Group’s metals segment, Rusal, had set its first public climate goals in 2007 as part of its “Strategy for a Safer Future.”

Rusal’s current strategic climate goals were adopted in 2017, when the metal giant determined to purchase at least 95 per cent of electricity used in aluminium smelters from hydroelectric power plants and other sources of carbon-free energy generation by 2025. This goal is already accomplished by Rusal, with the share of low-carbon electricity purchase exceeding 99 per cent.

Rusal’s another strategic goal is to cut specific direct greenhouse gas emissions within the smelting process by 15 per cent by 2025. In 2021, the company was able to reduce 11.6 per cent, thanks to the consistent conversion of electrolysis facilities to the Eco-Soderberg technology.

In addition, Rusal has continued to improve inert anode technology, enabling aluminium production with the lowest carbon footprint. In the first half of 2022, Rusal’s inert anode smelters in Krasnoyarsk produced above 3,700 tonnes of aluminium, generating the lowest carbon footprint in the world.

Rusal has implemented decarbonisation projects across all its metal businesses. Alumina refineries have adopted energy efficiency plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as Aughinish Alumina converting steam production from hydrocarbon fuel to electricity using renewable sources to reduce carbon footprint. The Windalco refinery, on the other hand, is converting outdoor lighting to solar panels at production sites, warehouses, and facilities.

Some of the alumina refineries in Achinsk are even applying the concept of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by capturing them, using alkaline sub-slurry water, adopting different variants of wet gas scrubbing units. This measure is considered for the calcination conversion as well as for the CHP emissions.