What does the AlCircle’s report on ‘Energy Consumption in Aluminium Smelting and Changing Technologies Towards Gas Emission’ offer to you?

With the rising demand and use of aluminium significantly due to its light weight, high strength and recycling properties, the world aluminium production is increasing. From 37.7 million tonnes in 2009, the global output soared to 63.7 million tonnes in 2019. This uptrend in production is likely to continue in the years to come, along with the healthy pace of increase in the usage of aluminium, which in 2019 stood at 88 million tonnes. But on the other hand, increasing global concerns over climate change and stringent emission norms are anticipated to pose major challenges as primary aluminium smelting, as is well-known, is an energy-intensive process.

To produce one tonne of aluminium, the average total energy (AC) intensity across the world stood at about 14.2 MWh, while the average process energy intensity stood at 13.4 MWh. Globally, the aluminium industry emits around 450 MT per annum of CO2 equivalents, accounting for about 1% of the world’s total emission.

So, more than anything, smelters are now focussed on addressing issues on high energy consumption and reduction in emissions.

As a large number of smelters started relying on thermal power, the source’s contribution increased from 51% to 61% between 2008 and 2018. In absolute terms, this increase is from 295 TWh to 531 TWh. In contrast, hydroelectric power source’s contribution to smelter electricity consumption remained stable in the region of 200 to 230 TWh during the last decade.

To conduct a more in-depth study on energy consumption trends by the primary aluminium sector and various technological developments and initiatives by industry stakeholders in regards to optimising power consumption as well as reducing greenhouse emissions, AlCircle presents a detailed report titled ‘Energy Consumption in Aluminium Smelting and Changing Technologies Towards Gas Emission’.

AlCircle, being at the forefront of the aluminium industry information circle, has been doing its own research and analysis on the sources of power supply to aluminium smelters and developments in the usage of clean energy in primary metal production.

In a nutshell, the report covers the following points:

Aluminium – Industry overview

• Aluminium value chain
• World aluminium usage

Primary aluminium production & energy consumption

• Primary aluminium production
• Aluminium smelting: Hall Heroult electrolysis process
• Aluminium smelting: An energy-intensive process
• Need to reduce energy consumption in primary production
• Energy intensity and emissions of major producers
• Aluminium smelting and regulations on emissions

Technologies and energy efficiency in aluminium smelting

• Electrode Technologies
• Alternative Reduction Technologies
• Energy efficiency technologies, initiatives & developments
• Industry 4.0 and optimised energy usage
• Recycled aluminium and energy efficiency

Power Sources for Aluminium Smelting

• Trend in smelting power consumption
• Primary aluminium production and renewable power
• Renewable energy grids and modulating aluminium smelters