Updated guidelines by International Aluminium Institute propose sustainable transformation of bauxite residue

Bauxite Residue Management Best Practice, previously published in 2015, in its latest script released by the International Aluminium Institute, has specified updated guidelines for the sustainable transformation of bauxite residue. 

This document illustrates the lifecycle of bauxite residue or red mud through definitive case studies showing how stakeholders could be prioritized in its sustainable management.

Bauxite ore, the element required to extract alumina is in abundance on the surface of Earth and is estimated to be a collection of 30 billion tonnes with resources accounting for between 55 to 75 billion tonnes.

Bauxite residue commonly known as red mud is produced while extracting alumina through the Bayer Process, which has been the adapted mechanism since the 1800s. Global aluminium production in 2020 was estimated to be 133 million tonnes and it is already known, that for every tonne of alumina produced, about 1.2 tonnes of residue is excreted.

Bauxite Residue Storage Facilities (BRSF) feature warehouses for red mud and because of its extreme alkalinity, it is secured until transferred to safe and stable landforms unable to support vegetation and other cultivation purposes. At other times, bauxite residue is used as raw material for cement industries or can be treated extensively to extract valuable materials from it.

Parnelle Nunez, the Deputy Secretary-General and Director of Sustainability at IAI explained, “As aluminium production has increased, so has bauxite residue – estimated at almost 170 million tonnes generated in 2021. We’ll need to continue to manage bauxite residue sustainably through innovative treatment, remediation, rehabilitation and utilisation options. This document aims to provide an overview of the varied approaches that can be adopted to minimise the impacts of bauxite residue from the facility design phase through to operation, closure and rehabilitation.”

“The IAI and the aluminium sector continue to research how to extract the valuable materials remaining in bauxite residue or use the residue for other production uses. Many opportunities have been identified – some of which, while technically feasible, are not yet economically viable. One of the most promising however has been residue as a raw material for cement production which presents a major opportunity for both industries and growing its bulk consumption is a focus in a number of regions”, Roberto Seno, Vice-Chairperson of IAI’s bauxite and Alumina committee and Technology Manager at Companhia Brasileira de Alumino stated the above. 

“Residue management goals require a culture of continuous improvement. An ideal future state would be producing zero residues but where this is not yet possible, we want to manage the residue safely stored in Bauxite Residue Storage Facilities (BRSF) so that we can rehabilitate and revegetate them or prepare them for the next useful land use. Residue management is not ‘one-size fits all’ and technology selection and management practices need to be adapted to specific local circumstances”, added Eugenio Azevado, Chairman of IAI’s Bauxite and Alumina Committee who also holds the title of Vice President Continuous Improvement, Alcoa.