Aluminium major Alcoa has joined many other metals and mining companies in announcing its 2050 net-zero emissions ambition, stating that it intends to increase the use of renewable energy at its operations and bring new innovations to the market over time.
The company plans to further reduce the emissions profile of its alumina refining system and its smelting portfolio, which is powered by 75% renewable energy.
Alcoa is also developing new technologies, including the Elysis zero-carbon smelting process and mechanical vapour recompression (MVR) to reduce emissions in the alumina refining process.
Alcoa invented the inert anode technology for aluminium smelting that serves as the basis for the Elysis joint venture. This technology emits pure oxygen and eliminates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the traditional process to make molten aluminium. Batches of carbon-free aluminium produced by Elysis have been sold for use by such companies as Apple and Audi, as the Elysis JV continues working toward an industrial scale.
MVR, a renewable energy-powered process that Alcoa is currently evaluating in Australia with support from a grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, is another innovation with the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions in alumina refining.
Alcoa’s ambition to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is part of the company’s broader focus on sustainability practices and its intention to continue to pursue sustainability-related innovations in bauxite, alumina, and aluminium.
The 2050 ambition includes direct (Scope 1) and indirect (Scope 2) emissions and complements the group’s existing targets, which include reducing direct and indirect GHG emissions from aluminium smelting and alumina refining operations from 2015 baselines by 30% by 2025 and by 50% by 2030.