CLOSING THE GAP FOR ALUMINIUM EMISSIONS: TECHNOLOGIES TO ACCELERATE DEEP DECARBONIZATION OF DIRECT EMISSIONS COMMUNITY PAPER

The aluminium industry emits 1.1 billion tonnes of GHGs annually, with direct emissions accounting for approximately 30–35% of the total. This report evaluates frontier technologies to close this gap, specifically focusing on inert anodes for smelting, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) for refining and smelting, green hydrogen for high-temperature thermal energy, and mechanical vapour recompression (MVR) for waste heat recovery. While some technologies like MVR are mature in other sectors, their application in aluminium is often at a low technology readiness level (TRL). The report argues that achieving deep decarbonization requires a combination of these technologies, supported by a favorable regulatory environment, carbon pricing, and the formation of industrial clusters to share infrastructure and reduce costs.

• The aluminium sector produces 1.1 billion tonnes of GHGs annually, representing about 2% of global anthropogenic emissions. Without action, the International Aluminium Institute predicts these emissions will rise to 1.6 Gt CO2e annually by 2050.
• Direct emissions constitute approximately 30–35% of the sector's footprint, primarily stemming from the consumption of carbon anodes during smelting and the generation of thermal energy for high-temperature processes.
• Inert anodes are identified as the best solution for eliminating direct emissions from carbon anode consumption, potentially mitigating around 12% of total sectoral emissions. However, they are not yet commercially available, with an estimated TRL of 4–5.
• Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is most viable for alumina refineries due to higher CO2 concentrations in flue gas, where costs could be $50–$80/tonne of CO2. In contrast, smelter flue gas has low CO2 concentrations, pushing capture costs above $100/tonne.
• Green hydrogen is a potential alternative for high-temperature thermal energy, though it is currently cost-prohibitive ($3–$5/kg H2). It is expected to become more affordable as renewable costs decline, potentially breaking even with grey hydrogen by 2028 in the best-suited regions.
• Mechanical vapour recompression (MVR) can recover waste heat during refining to reduce fossil fuel-based thermal energy production, with the potential to reduce carbon emissions from alumina refineries by as much as 70%.
• The report highlights that the viability of CCUS and hydrogen is heavily dependent on the formation of industrial clusters, which allow companies to share expensive transportation and storage infrastructure and achieve economies of scale.
• To accelerate the deployment of these technologies, the report recommends policy interventions including the introduction of carbon taxes, public and private funding for R&D, and the establishment of standard certifications for green hydrogen.

APA

World Economic Forum (2021). CLOSING THE GAP FOR ALUMINIUM EMISSIONS: TECHNOLOGIES TO ACCELERATE DEEP DECARBONIZATION OF DIRECT EMISSIONS COMMUNITY PAPER. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_AFC_Unlocking_Technological_Scale_up_2021.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. CLOSING THE GAP FOR ALUMINIUM EMISSIONS: TECHNOLOGIES TO ACCELERATE DEEP DECARBONIZATION OF DIRECT EMISSIONS COMMUNITY PAPER. 2021. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_AFC_Unlocking_Technological_Scale_up_2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=CLOSING THE GAP FOR ALUMINIUM EMISSIONS: TECHNOLOGIES TO ACCELERATE DEEP DECARBONIZATION OF DIRECT EMISSIONS COMMUNITY PAPER |date=December 2021 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_AFC_Unlocking_Technological_Scale_up_2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2021closing, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{CLOSING THE GAP FOR ALUMINIUM EMISSIONS: TECHNOLOGIES TO ACCELERATE DEEP DECARBONIZATION OF DIRECT EMISSIONS COMMUNITY PAPER}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_AFC_Unlocking_Technological_Scale_up_2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }