Greener Aluminiun Guide June 2021

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CONTENTS

GUID E

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Welcome by Nadine Bloxsome

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Green Aluminium in the News

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ROAD MAP: Developing a decarbonisation strategy and road map

EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION Editor & Content Director Nadine Bloxsome +44 1737 855115 nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com

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Production Editor Annie Baker

GREEN ENERGY: Consistent green energy strategy at HAI

Advertisement Production Martin Lawrence

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DECARBONISATION: A new start for the supply chain

SALES International Sales Manager Nathan Jupp +44 1737 855027 nathanjupp@quartzltd.com

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Novelis aims high with ambitious targets

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CONTRIBUTION: Total’s contribution to greener aluminium

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STANDARDISATION: ASI Standards: 59 criteria addressing GHG and boarder ESG issues

CORPORATE Managing Director Tony Crinion CEO Steve Diprose

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CIRCULAR ECONOMY: No circular economy without circular solutions

Published by: Quartz Business Media Ltd Quart House, 20 Clarendon Road Redhill, Surrey RH1 1QX, UK +44 1737 855000 www.aluminiumtoday.com www.futurealuminiumforum.com

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EQUIPMENT: Decarbonisation and the role of an equipment manufacturer

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NET ZERO: Going to zero carbon: A game changer for the aluminium industry

REDUCE EMISSIONS: Pioneering solutions for strict standards

ENERGY MANAGEMENT: Intelligent energy management DIGITALISATION: Digitalisation and CO2-free aluminium The hurdles and the pitfalls

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GREEN METAL: Can our ‘green metal’ live up to its promise?

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CASTHOUSE: RIA Cast House Engineering launches in-furnace dross processing (IFDP)

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SHOWCASE: MQP to unveil even more efficient grain refiner at Summit

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RECYCLING: Greener aluminium: Progress towards a more sustainable future

SCRAP ALUMINIUM: Sorting scrap aluminium - for the production of premium qualities SUSTAINABLE ALUMINIUM: Fostering the production of sustainable aluminium in Europe INDUCTION HEATING: The way forward with inductionheating ENERGY EFFICIENCY: Smart retrofitting and process control: improving energy efficiency in the aluminium industry

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FURNACE TECHNOLOGY: Co2ntinuus Green Ingots and Vert-Melt Furnace: The significant contribution by Continuus-Properzi to a greener aluminium chain

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SEALING SOLUTIONS: Sealing solutions for sustainable aluminium production

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CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

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SPEAKER PROFILES

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EXHIBITOR PROFILES

Photo: Getty/iStock - Azure-Dragon

Not all recycled aluminium is equal With its infinite recyclability, aluminium is an ideal material for the circular economy, but not all recycled aluminium is equal. To truly understand the carbon footprint of recycled aluminium, you need to know the kind and amount of scrap used in the recycling process.

When recycled aluminium is made from used beverage cans, windows, or car parts, the material starts another life. Previously used aluminium is referred to as post-consumer scrap, and its carbon footprint is close to zero.

Recycled aluminium made from secondary production scrap is different. The material is referred to as pre-consumer scrap, as it has not had a previous life. Pre-consumer scrap retains the carbon footprint of its original production process.

We believe that you should know the actual carbon footprint of recycled aluminium, not just the percentage of recycled content. That is why Hydro advocates for common standards to ensure that aluminium recycling actually contributes to reducing emissions.

Learn more at hydro.com/recycling

WELCOME

For the ‘greener’ good When we first announced this new online event, we had a lot of people asking why we chose to call it the ‘Greener Aluminium Summit’ and not just the ‘Green Aluminium Summit’. For me, the reason was simple; we are still on the path to decarbonisation and therefore the purpose of this event is to highlight the ways we are working towards manufacturing sustainable aluminium and how we are building a supply chain to support this. We are definitely not there yet when it comes to being a completely ‘green’ industry.

Aluminium manufacturers, now more than ever, have a responsibility to reduce their environmental impact and by working together to conserve resources and deliver change, we are ensuring a sound future for generations to come. It is my hope that by bringing the industry together to discuss the real challenges and show examples of best practice when it comes to achieving Net Zero targets, we can not only set an example to other sectors, but also share the benefits across the supply chain and make an impact to the environment that surrounds us.

We already know the value of aluminium as an infinitely recyclable product, but are we doing enough to position it as a material to lead us into a cleaner industrial future? Join us on 2nd - 3rd June for in-depth discussions, networking and a chance to address these issues together.

Nadine Bloxsome Content Director Aluminium International Today

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GREEN NEWS

Hydro aims to include recycling within its primary aluminium production in Norway “We are currently piloting this innovative solution at our Høyanger plant. Following this verification, we aspire to apply this approach across our Norwegian smelters – with an initial ambition of adding 10 percent to our total primary production in Norway through post-consumer scrap,” says Head of Primary Production in Hydro Aluminium Ola Sæter.

“This would enable us to offer our most climate-conscious customers a new and improved alternative in their sustainability efforts,” Sæter says.

Low-carbon, circular aluminium Since Hydro’s aluminium production in Norway is entirely based on renewable power, its average CO2 emissions are already only 25 percent of the global average and available to customers as Hydro REDUXAcertified lowcarbon primary aluminium. The introduction of post-consumer scrap in the production process of primary aluminium would improve its climate performance even further.

“In Norway we do have the competence, skills and deep technological understanding

Consultancy and technical support to the aluminium industry • Build long-term partnerships with our aluminium experts • Solve your current aluminium production problems • Prepare a downstream business case • Detailed investigation and testing • Product and process training courses • Aluminium industry expertise

Tel: +44 (0) 1295 702800

Email: enquiries@innovaltec.com

www.innovaltec.com

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GREEN NEWS

necessary to be a leader within our global industry, driving the development of circular solutions for the circular economy and combining profitability and sustainability,” says Sæter.

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Hydro produces primary aluminium based on renewable power at five plants in Norway, representing an annual capacity of around 1.2 million tonnes of value-added products of Hydro’s total primary production globally

of just above 2 million tonnes per year. From Hydro’s network of recyclers, Hydro already produces Hydro CIRCAL with a guaranteed content of at least 75 percent recycled, postconsumer aluminium scrap.

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GREEN NEWS

Government green procurement, Canada and the United States lead the way The Aluminium Association of Canada (AAC) welcomes the joint announcement

by Canada and the United States to green their government operations.

“The creation of a first forum on green purchasing as part of government activities is a significant first step to which the aluminium industry intends to contribute,” said Jean Simard, President and Chief Executive Officer.

The industry has invested considerably in recent years to advance the recognition of eco-responsible purchasing by the governments of Quebec, British Columbia and Canada. The work carried out with partners such as the SWITCH Alliance, BC Clean and researchers from the University of Sherbrooke has clearly demonstrated that it

is possible to implement such a procurement approach, while respecting international trade rules. In addition, unions, workers and businesses are unanimous on the benefit of such an approach for the economy in general and for Canadian workers who responsibly produce low-carbon products from our critical resources and materials, such as aluminium.

“The aluminium industry has already rigorously developed for years the benchmarks used worldwide to determine its carbon footprint and thus facilitate the adoption of the material from a responsible or ecological purchasing perspective. We are certainly ready to collaborate on this initiative at national and international levels as expressed in the joint release ‘in terms of information sharing,

technical exchanges, working groups, data stewardship, strategic partnerships, workshops and communications”, adds Mr. Simard.

Public procurement practices should leverage every dollar towards a more sustainable economy, enabling the use and implementation of innovative solutions using low carbon materials such as aluminium like never before. This will help achieve national targets for reducing CO2 emissions and materialise the true value of national production and jobs. This can be done while meeting international trade commitments, through the use of environmentally focused performance and rating standards, based on Life Cycle Assessment and Total Cost of Ownership.

Novelis announces new sustainability targets and Novelis Inc., has announced that it will further its longstanding sustainability commitment by becoming a net carbon-neutral company by 2050 or sooner and reducing its carbon footprint 30 percent by 2026. Novelis also commits to becoming a fully circular business, along with a more diverse, inclusive and safe workplace.

“Our ambition is to be the world’s leading provider of low-carbon, sustainable aluminum solutions that advance our business, industry and society toward the benefits of a circular economy,” said Steve Fisher, President and

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Chief Executive Officer, Novelis Inc. “As the world’s largest recycler of aluminum, sustainability has been paramount to our business and these new commitments will further ensure the health and well-being of the environment, the safety of our people, and the long-term success of the communities in which we live and work.”

With its new environmental targets, Novelis commits to: � Net carbon-neutrality by 2050 � 30% reduction in CO2 by 2026

20% reduction in waste to landfills by 2026 � 10% reduction in energy intensity by 2026 � 10% reduction in water consumption by 2026 �

The company will continue increasing the use of recycled content in its products and engaging with customers, suppliers, and industry peers across the value chain to drive innovation that improves aluminium’s overall sustainability.

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GREEN NEWS

Alcoa to supply sustainable, low-carbon aluminium for wheels on the e-tron GT, Audi’s first electric sports car Alcoa Corporation announced today that it is supplying sustainable aluminium for the wheels on the Audi e-tron GT, the first vehicle to ever use metal from a revolutionary technology that eliminates all direct carbon dioxide emissions from the traditional smelting process.

Alcoa is supplying aluminium to RONAL GROUP for the manufacture of the Audi e-tron GT’s high-performance alloy wheels, produced with a combination of metal from the ELYSISTM zero-carbon emissions smelting technology and EcoLum™, Alcoa’s lowcarbon aluminium brand.

Alcoa invented the zero-carbon emissions technology that ELYSIS, a joint venture company co-founded by Alcoa, is working to ramp up to a commercial scale. The process emits pure oxygen as a byproduct and eliminates all greenhouse gas emissions by replacing the carbon anodes used in traditional aluminium smelting with inert, proprietary materials.

“Alcoa’s DNA is built on discovering the process that made aluminium a part of our everyday lives, and we’re proud to help the industry take another step forward to lower the carbon footprint of global supply chains,” said Tim Reyes, Alcoa’s Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Vice President. “Our partnership with the RONAL GROUP in supplying Audi with

sustainable solutions helps make an innovative vehicle even more exciting for consumers.”

The wheels are weight optimised with RONAL GROUP’s flowforming technology and other innovations that improve overall aerodynamics. They are produced using 100 percent green electricity in Landau, Germany and used exclusively for Audi’s first electric sports car.

“For the RONAL GROUP, sustainability means ensuring the long-term success of the company while protecting our natural livelihood for the people of today and future generations,” said RONAL GROUP’s Executive Vice President Group Sales Patrick Lämmli.

The wheels also include Alcoa’s lowcarbon EcoLum metal, which is produced with less than 4.0 metric tons of CO2e for every ton of metal produced, including both direct and indirect (scope 1 and scope 2) emissions across the entire production chain, including bauxite mining and alumina refining.

Marco Philippi, Audi AG’s Head of Procurement Strategy, said: “Aluminium is the focus of our CO2 program because producing this material requires a high energy input. We are therefore actively searching for innovative processes that help reduce CO2 emissions as early as possible in the creation

process. The process created by ELYSIS is promising because it already takes effect in the raw material processing phase. These kinds of innovations allow us to increase our sustainability performance in the supply chain and ensure that our models arrive at the customers with a smaller carbon footprint.”

Alcoa, Audi and the RONAL GROUP are members of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), the industry’s most comprehensive system for third-party certification of sustainable manufacturing practices. The global non-profit includes multiple stakeholders in its certification process, including producers, users, and civil society organisations. Alcoa has earned ASI’s Performance Standard and Chain of Custody certifications, allowing the Company to market and sell ASI-certified bauxite, alumina and aluminium.

d commits to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 Fisher added, “Our path to a more sustainable and circular future goes beyond our environmental commitments by setting new targets to reshape a more diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects our local communities. Globally, we are dedicated to increasing the representation of women in senior leadership and technical roles in order to create and foster the next generation of female scientists and engineers.”

Novelis is committed to increasing the representation of women in the company to 30 percent in senior leadership positions

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and 15 percent in senior technical roles by 2024. To achieve the goals, the company has established a global Diversity & Inclusion board, as well as supporting councils in each of its four regions. The company will also continue assisting its Employee Resource Groups to help create a more inclusive environment where everyone has a sense of belonging and different backgrounds and perspectives are embraced and valued.

Equally important is Novelis’ work with the communities in which its employees live and work and our longstanding and

industry-leading commitment to safety. With firmly established community engagement programs, the company commits to advancing its corporate social responsibility efforts by further investing in the Novelis Neighbor program, which gives back to communities through financial contributions and employee volunteer service. The program will continue emphasising STEM education, raising recycling awareness and fostering better overall community health and well-being.

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GREEN NEWS

ELYSIS selects Alma smelter for commercial size 450 kA inert anode prototype cells

ELYSIS has announced it has selected the Alma smelter, operated by Rio Tinto in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, for the first installation and demonstration of its inert anode technology at a commercial size of 450 kiloamperes (kA), which is a common capacity for modern, full-scale smelters.

ELYSIS is a joint venture company, led

by Alcoa and Rio Tinto, that is working to commercialise a new technology to make aluminium that eliminates all direct greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the traditional smelting process and instead produces oxygen.

As part of its technology development and scale-up, ELYSIS will install industrial inert anode prototype cells at the end of an existing potline at the Alma smelter to demonstrate the technology’s effectiveness at a commercial scale in an industrial operating environment.

This will build on ongoing work at the nearby ELYSIS Industrial Research and Development Centre, also located in the Saguenay region of Quebec.

ELYSIS plans to commercialise its breakthrough technology in 2024, for use in retrofitting existing smelters and installation in

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new facilities.

Investment by the Government of Quebec The 450 kA cells at Alma will be supported by a $20 million CAD investment from the Government of Quebec to help bring forward the start of work at the site and to further strengthen the capability of manufacturing businesses in the region to supply specialised equipment required for the ELYSISTM technology.

The technology at a glance � The ELYSISTM technology addresses the global trend towards producing low carbon footprint products, from mobile phones to cars, planes and building materials. � The new process will reduce operating costs of aluminium smelters while increasing production capacity. It could be used in both new and existing aluminium smelters. � In Canada alone, the ELYSISTM technology has the potential to reduce GHG emissions by 7 million tons, the equivalent of removing 1.8 million cars from the roads. � ELYSIS will also sell next-generation anode and cathode materials, which will last

more than 30 times longer than traditional components.

ELYSIS continues to work closely with Alcoa’s Technical Center, where the zerocarbon smelting technology was invented, and the Rio Tinto technology design team in France.

Alcoa’s Technical Center supports ELYSIS in the manufacture of proprietary materials for the new anodes and cathodes that are essential to the ELYSISTM process. The Rio Tinto technology team in France is creating commercial scale designs for the ELYSISTM technology.

Vincent Christ, Chief Executive Officer, ELYSIS, said: “Our team is thrilled to be taking a significant step forward in the development of technology that will position ELYSIS as a leader of tomorrow’s aluminium industry technology. We would like to thank our provincial government for their support in our breakthrough technology. We look forward to using the new 450 kA inert anode cells to demonstrate to the industry that decarbonising aluminium production while improving its competitiveness is not just a mere dream.”

Aluminium International Today

GREEN NEWS

GFG Alliance Businesses work with GridBeyond to support grid balancing and net-zero energy transition

SIMEC Energy, part of the GFG Alliance, has partnered with intelligent energy technology and flexibility leader GridBeyond to participate in the GB Frequency Response Market, helping National Grid balance and decarbonise the energy network whilst generating substantial savings.

Since November 2020, SIMEC Energy’s Lochaber hydroelectric plant – which supplies 100% renewable electricity to GFG-owned ALVANCE Aluminium’s Lochaber smelter – has been able to provide up to 40MW of its energy flexibility to the Frequency Response Market by connecting its rectifiers and hydrogenerators to intelligent energy technology platform GridBeyond Point.

The platform, powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, places SIMEC Energy’s hydroelectric flexibility in the National Grid’s Low Frequency Static scheme.

The service uses the inherent energy flexibility of large energy users – in this case ALVANCE Aluminium’s Lochaber smelter – to support grid balancing and increases the integration of

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renewable energy into the electricity network.

The collaboration with GridBeyond supports GFG Alliance’s commitment to minimise its companies’ environmental impact and increase efficiency and sustainability by applying cutting-edge energy technology.

The hydroelectric energy, which is stored on the slopes of the UK’s highest mountain Ben Nevis and supplies ALVANCE Aluminium’s smelter, – ensures that the aluminium produced at Lochaber is some of the most sustainable on the market.

GridBeyond has worked with numerous leading metal casting businesses across multiple regional markets, enabling their participation in energy services and providing access to a range of monitoring tools that improve operational efficiency and strengthen energy management strategies and green credentials. The company is also a member of the American Foundry Society.

Ian Love, Power and Hydro Manager at SIMEC Energy, commented: "This is a fantastic partnership and one which both benefits the

National Grid and enables SIMEC Energy’s assets to provide more renewable energy, cementing GFG Alliance’s commitment to be carbon neutral in 2030.

"Working with GridBeyond has allowed us to explore new avenues in the changing energy market while maintaining our vision and core values to create a sustainable economic, social, and environmental future for the Lochaber smelter & power station".

Mark Davis, Managing Director UK & Ireland at GridBeyond commented: "We are proud to work with SIMEC Energy and support the National Grid with the development of a reliable, carbon-neutral electricity network.

"Assets commonly used by aluminium smelters, such as furnaces, rectifiers and onsite generators provide, on average, very high levels of energy flexibility. This makes them perfectly positioned to participate in energy services and benefit from access to new revenue streams, increased sustainability and enhanced energy performance.

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GREEN NEWS

International Aluminium Institute releases global aluminium industry 2050 climate pathways The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) has today published the most comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions reductions pathways available to the aluminium sector over the next three decades. The pathways are based on the IAI’s unrivalled data and leading analysis of the global aluminium industry.

The new report, Aluminium Sector Greenhouse Gas Pathways to 2050, sets out three credible and realistic approaches to emissions reductions for the aluminium industry, in line with the International Energy Agency’s Beyond 2 Degree Scenario.

While the industry works to reduce its emissions by about 80%, demand for aluminium products is also predicted to grow.

Over the coming decades, global demand for primary aluminium will increase by up to 40% and recycled aluminium from post-consumer scrap will more than triple through to 2050, as economies grow, urbanise, and build up their infrastructure.

Simultaneously reducing emissions while meeting increasing demand will require huge investment in production technologies, along with commitment from all along the value chain.

“Emissions reduction is a challenge for every sector. It is, however, a challenge that the aluminium sector is poised to address.

Over the last two years, a Greenhouse Gas Pathways Working Group made up of IAI member companies and regional associations has been working to articulate credible ways to achieve global climate goals. This collaboration is what has resulted in the industry’s most comprehensive pathways, which we have published today,” said Miles Prosser, the IAI’s Secretary General.

The pathways are: 1. Electricity decarbonisation - More than sixty percent of the aluminium sector’s 1.1 billion tonnes of CO2e emissions (2018) are from the production of electricity consumed during the smelting process. Decarbonised power generation and the deployment of carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) offer the most significant opportunity to reduce

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emissions to near zero by 2050.

2. Direct emissions - Emissions from fuel combustion make up 15% of the industry’s emissions. Here, electrification, fuel switching to green hydrogen and CCUS offer the most credible pathways. Process emissions make up a further 15% and require new technologies, such as inert anodes. These emissions and those in transport and raw materials will need to be reduced by 50-60% from a Business as Usual (BAU) baseline scenario by 2050.

3. Recycling and resource efficiency Increasing collection rates to near 100% as well as other resource efficiency progress by 2050 would reduce the need for primary aluminium by 20% compared to BAU, which in turn will cut the sector’s emissions by an additional 300 million tonnes of CO2e per year - a figure second in magnitude only to the first pathway, electricity decarbonisation.

Aluminium is vital to our society. Our homes, workplaces, vehicles, digital devices, packaging, buildings that provide shelter and security – to name just a few examples – rely heavily on aluminium.

Aluminium is also integral to global emissions reduction efforts, with solar panels,

wind turbines and electric vehicles all depending on it.

Mr Prosser added: “The IAI has collected and produced information on industry emissions for some time now, recently publishing 15 years of emissions data by source and covering all production processes from cradle to gate.

“This includes all the emissions generated in smelting as well as those embedded in raw and secondary materials and the energy that the sector consumes. This is the most comprehensive, detailed and up-to-date dataset that exists not just for aluminium but also any material today.

“This greenhouse gas data and the material flow analysis modelling, which is used to produce robust scenarios for primary and recycled aluminium, underpins the pathways we have unveiled today, which will play a vital role in helping aluminium industry stakeholders choose the necessary actions to achieve global climate goals.

“Sustainability across the full range of issues is central to aluminium’s future, and reductions in greenhouse gases are a critical component of that.”

Aluminium International Today

GREEN NEWS

RUSAL begins test shipments of the world’s lowest carbon footprint aluminium RUSAL has begun test deliveries of a completely new product - aluminium produced by a revolutionary technology on inert anode cells. The use of an inert anode in the electrolysis process makes it possible to almost completely eliminate greenhouse gas emissions.

RUSAL encourages prospective partners and market leaders to test a pilot batch of this aluminium produced by the company using inert anode technology. Combined with renewable hydropower, inert anode technology provides an unprecedented low carbon footprint in metal production - less than 0.01 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per ton of metal (Scope 1, Scope 2 - direct and indirect emissions). This is tens of times lower than the industry average for aluminium production.

Roman Andryushin, Sales and Marketing Director of RUSAL said: “We see great interest from our customers in inert anode technology.

We have already submitted this new product

to companies that use aluminium in their production and are focused on reducing their carbon footprint along the entire production value chain. The ultimate goal of these tests is to expand the use of aluminium produced using inert anode technology, to demonstrate the benefits of decarbonisation and to stimulate manufacturers to implement carbon-free technologies”.

RUSAL is the world leader in the development of inert anode technology.

Currently, the Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Smelter (KrAZ) operates a pilot section of cells with inert anodes of a new generation, which allows reducing the carbon footprint to a record level - less than 0.01 tons in CO2 equivalent per ton of aluminium (Scope 1, Scope 2 - direct and indirect emissions). Such a low-carbon footprint has been achieved thanks to the use of inert anodes in the electrolysis process. This technology is unique and has no analogues

around the world.

The main results of the development and testing of an inert anode cell show the achievement of a stable production of aluminium on an industrial scale. The capacity of the new cells is about 1 ton of aluminium per day per cell at a current of 140 thousand amperes.

Partner of Choice

Novelis makes circularity happen Our Commitment: Net Carbon Neutral by 2050

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ROAD MAP

Developing a decarbonization strategy and road map

By Dr. Trevor Bergfeldt* and Stephan Broek** As the world tackles the undeniable impacts of climate change, all industries are expected to do their part to reduce their carbon footprint and change the course of global warming.

The mining and metals industries, which are traditionally energy-intensive, are particularly challenged by this. There is also an urgency to addressing this challenge. Companies that wait will have fewer available opportunities and the remaining options will be more difficult to implement and will likely come at a higher cost.

The question is how to develop an achievable plan that creates value and delivers on a realistic target for greenhouse

gas (GHG) emissions reduction. Each facility is unique, meaning there is no onesize-fits-all solution. The answer is a proven methodology that considers all aspects of a facility, identifies and evaluates all potential opportunities to reduce emissions, and prioritizes the solutions in a way that facilitates implementation. Ultimately, the outcome is a road map with attainable targets supported by credible, viable projects.

To help our clients develop decarbonization strategies, Hatch deploys a proven methodology that is built around the concept of levelized cost of conserved carbon (LCCC) and the abatement cost

curve. This powerful tool allows us to identify the abatement potential and cost of each opportunity, compare them against other projects, and prioritize those that will form the roadmap Building a decarbonization road map The following activities outline the methodology in the context of an aluminium smelter; however, this methodology has also been successfully applied to alumina refining and other metal-producing plants, such as base metal smelters, refineries, and integrated steel mills.

1. IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES The first step is a thorough review of the facilities and set the boundaries within the facility. As an integrated team reviews each part of the facilities, three questions are asked: How can the existing process be optimized or modified? What other technology can be applied?

And, what end of pipe solution can be employed? A deep level of expertise is required to identify and evaluate the opportunities and some areas will require specialty expertise depending on the requirement, such as in aluminium smelting or power generation.

2. EVALUATION AND COSTING THE OPPORTUNITIES Prior to first pass screening, the GHG emission reduction potential is calculated followed by a high level estimate of capital and operating costs. There will be multiple opportunities identified for various parts of the plant and a high level scope is defined to identify what is required to implement the changes including associated costs. The estimate includes key cost elements from vendors, engineering, construction, and the owner

*Dr. Trevor Bergfeldt, Global Director for Decarbonization & Sustainability, HATCH **Stephan Broek, Director of Environmental Engineering & Technology, HATCH

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ROAD MAP

3. SCREENING THE OPPORTUNITIES During the first pass screening phase, initiatives is are mapped to specific emissions sources and evaluated considering implementation barriers and risks. Note that this should not be done with all opportunities, only those that pass this evaluation are moved forward to the next phase.

4. DEVELOPING THE LEVELIZED COST OF CONSERVED CARBON (LCCC) In order to include both the capital investment and the operating costs in an evaluation, the levelized cost of conserved carbon is calculated. This method puts both parameters on equal ground to identify and prioritize those projects that add the most value and should be implemented first. The calculation of LCCC is done using a discounted cash flow model.

5. ESTABLISHING THE ABATEMENT COST CURVE Once the list of opportunities is reduced to a selection of projects with identified levelized costs, the projects can be assembled in an abatement cost curve. The abatement cost curve maps projects from the most negative value (those that save money) to the highest positive value, against the amount of CO2 that will be abated. This plot provides a clear, visible representation of which projects will have the greatest impact.

6. EVALUATING THE POTENTIAL PROJECTS Evaluating the potential abatement projects is an iterative process. Not all projects may need to be implemented for a facility to achieve its target. The evaluation identifies which projects should be selected and the level of GHG reduction over time. The final selection identifies all the pieces of the decarbonization road map.

7. BUILDING THE DECARBONIZATION ROAD MAP The selected projects can now be placed along a timeline that shows the steps that will be taken to achieve the target GHG emission reduction. The timeline also shows the profile of investments needed to implement the projects, barriers and enablers that need to be monitored as appropriate, and key decision points along the way. This step is an important deliverable that can be communicated to key stakeholders.

The road map is dynamic and iterative. After projects are implemented their impact is measured and, depending on the results, the road map may need to be adjusted— by adding projects that were not initially selected, or scaling down those that may no longer be viable.

8. Implementing the projects By doing our homework early, we are more likely to be successful when it comes to implementation. If scoping is done correctly during the development stage, high priority projects can start right away. The scope of work is confirmed quickly and an execution plan can follow immediately, allowing for a smooth implementation process between the owner and the engineering firm.

A structured methodology is the best way to develop a credible decarbonization strategy based on an actionable road map.

It clearly identifies, screens, and prioritizes projects that, once implemented, will help

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an organization meet their GHG reduction targets. A critical success factor is accessing people with deep knowledge of processes and project delivery; it sets the road map up for success at the beginning of the

implementation phase. And, it does not stop there. Once the target is in sight, the process is likely to start again with a new, more aggressive target to achieve our collective net zero ambitions. �

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Smarter solutions for the world’s toughest challenges Your challenges are transforming the way you do business. We understand that your needs are changing rapidly and that you need a partner who is proactive in identifying the larger, long-term issues affecting your business.

As a center of excellence in aluminium, we deliver innovative solutions that drive your assets to world-class levels of performance and combat climate change.

Together we can implement strategies to avoid, reduce, and remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

Let’s create positive change together.

Contact us at hatch.com

GREEN ENERGY

Photovoltaic system on the roofs of the HAI in Ranshofen

Rob van Gils, CEO HAI Group

Consistent green energy strategy at HAI Hammerer Aluminium Industries pursues a consistent green energy strategy. Due to its massive commitment the aluminium expert HAI has been able to improve its carbon footprint significantly.

The aluminium expert Hammerer Aluminium Industries (HAI) considers green energy as an important pillar in the strategy for aluminium products with a sustainable performance.

100 % electricity from renewable energy sources By purchasing 100 % CO2-neutrally produced electricity from renewable energy sources HAI is committed to the green energy revolution. At the two largest locations of the HAI group, in the Austrian Ranshofen and German Soest, HAI has relied on “green energy” for 2 years now. Due to this change we were able to save around 21,000 tons of CO2 at both locations in 2020. Since January 2021 also the two Romanian

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locations have been provided with electricity from renewable energy sources. Thus, a major part of the HAI Group has completed the energy revolution.

Rob van Gils, CEO of the HAI group says: „Green energy is part of our uncompromising sustainability strategy along the entire valueadded chain. Thus, we emphasise our effort to contribute to a better future and show that aluminium is part of the solution for the ambitions of the EU Green Deal.“ Photovoltaic system in Ranshofen further extended by 3,000 m² Also the company locations are used to produce environmentally friendly energy.

The photovoltaic system with an area 6,300

m² which was installed on the roofs of the HAI in Ranshofen in 2019 was extended by a collector area of further 3,000 m² at the beginning of 2021. Thus, one of the largest photovoltaic self-consumption systems in Austria was further extended.

Over the last few years HAI was able to save approx. 500 tons of CO2 annually at the location Ranshofen with solar power generated on its own roofs. Due to a further extension of the photovoltaic system this value will further increase. Further photovoltaic projects at other company sites are waiting in the wings. �

GREENER ALUMINIUM

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DECARBONISATION

A new start for the supply chain Rio Tinto recently announced that it is setting a new standard in transparency and traceability for the aluminium industry with the launch of START, a ‘nutrition label’ for responsible aluminium. Nadine Bloxsome* spoke to Tolga Egrilmezer* about what this means for the company and the sustainability efforts of the sector.

Q. Congratulations on the launch of START - another sustainability milestone for Rio Tinto! The programme looks like it is geared to supporting end users, which is great to see. What has the reaction been so far from this sector and how much influence have end-users had in the development of START? A. The reaction has been great so far. Today’s consumers want to know more about the products they buy. This is true for food products, for clothes, and materials are no exception. START is all about empowering customers and consumers with information so they can make informed decisions about sustainable products.

With this nutrition label for responsible aluminium, Rio Tinto is setting a new standard in transparency and traceability for the materials industry. Our goal is to demonstrate to customers and end users that aluminium is the right material to meet their needs. Our hope is START will help with advocacy for aluminium as the material of choice for end products.

Q. I developed the Future Aluminium Forum back in 2018, which is a key industry event dedicated to assisting aluminium manufacturers in applying and implementing digital technologies.

Blockchain has been a big talking point at these events! How important would

you say Blockchain is when it comes to developing sustainable solutions in our industry?

A. One of the greatest advantages of using blockchain technology is that it allows us to bring sustainability information to our customers faster and in a secure way.

With START, our customers will be able to access a Sustainability Label for each shipment of aluminium from operations managed by Rio Tinto, providing environment, social and governance information across 10 key criteria in one simple click.

A faster informed industry can position aluminium quicker to the end users. This is designed to help customers grow demand for aluminium and also empower the end users with the green credentials and the stories attached with it.

Q. Are there any other areas we could be using blockchain or digitalisation to improve our efficiency in this area and reach targets/goals?

A. Rio Tinto is pioneering the use of blockchain across a number of areas. In 2019, our colleagues used blockchain to facilitate the first fully integrated paperless trade in iron ore which streamlined the process from a six days to 24 hours.

The pandemic made us further realise the importance of providing digital interfaces in supply chain such that our end users

are always able to get their products in a seamless manner. In 2020, we brought to customers Rio Track, which allowed them to view their shipments in real time.

Blockchain really does open a lot of possibilities to help our end users make informed and faster decisions regarding which material serves them well for their targets.

Q. The sustainability label will cover ten criteria… How are these measured/ monitored and are they achievable for all?

A. START builds on the existing assurance ecosystems that have been developed by Rio Tinto and industry associations in recent years, as well as on ground breaking partnerships with customers. � In 2016, we launched the industry’s first certified low carbon aluminium, RenewAL. � In 2018, Rio Tinto became the first company to receive certification from the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI). � In 2019, we announced the use of the first zero carbon aluminium being used

by Apple for their product. ELYSIS, our joint venture with Alcoa, supported by Apple and the governments of Canada and Quebec, is working to further develop a revolutionary smelting technology free of direct carbon emissions. � And in 2020, we announced our ground breaking partnership with Anheuser

*Editor, Aluminium International Today **Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Rio Tinto

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Aluminium International Today

“We are firm believer that partnerships with customers and end users can help accelerate the sustainability journey eco-system wide.

What matters to them

”

matters to us.

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DECARBONISATION

The real competition is outside, with other materials like plastics, and as an industry, we need to articulate the good stories we have and help our end users with the material decision making process.

Q. Will the sustainability advisory service help in this way? How will you support customers with this service?

A. We are committed to support our customers in leveraging START in their conversations with their own customers and their investor base about sustainable supply chains and ESG. For example, START Enhanced will provide customers with access to a sustainability advisory service that includes support on documentation that is required for green financing arrangements.

Busch InBev, which just last month saw the launch of their most sustainable, low carbon can in a pilot for Michelob ULTRA. We were already measuring the metrics corresponding to START’s ten criteria for internal purposes, or in support of ASI certification.

For example, the START sustainability label can tell you what amount of water was used to produce each ton of aluminium, how much recycled content it had, how often injuries happened at the site where the aluminium was smelted, what is the percentage of women in senior management roles at the company, etc.

Q. What will end users be able to do with this ‘nutritional’ information? Is it primarily for them to be able to make an informed decision on the aluminium they purchase or to enable them to promote their greener aluminium choices in their products?

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A. START is about providing customers with transparent and traceable information on how our aluminium products are made. Not only does it hand the sustainability credentials right in the hand of our end users, it also shows provenance of our products from our mines to customers. START is about empowering a sustainable future for our customers, their customers, and for the consumer of the products containing aluminium, because we think a better-informed aluminium industry can make better decisions.

Q. In your opinion, do you think the industry should take on a more collaborative approach when it comes to sustainability and share challenges/ experiences?

A. We fundamentally believe that the real competition for aluminium is not within aluminium. It’s not about who can pat themselves about our low carbon footprint.

Q. Is there also a market for making this label appeal to consumers, not just end-users? For example, should we be doing more to highlight to the person in the supermarket buying their aluminium can product that their product is a green choice?

A. Our vision for START is that customers can showcase the sustainability of the aluminium they purchase from Rio Tinto to consumers.

This can deliver full value from our responsible production and empower consumers to make responsible decisions about the materials and products they use every day.

Q. What is next for Rio Tinto in its sustainability efforts?

A. The next step for us will be to work and partner with our customers and end users to maximise the value from START for them.

We are excited to be on this journey with our customers, and we are committed to working with them and engaging with others across the aluminium value chain, contributing to climate action with a new, more sustainable product, to empower a sustainable future.

We are a firm believer that partnerships with customers and end users help accelerate the sustainability journey eco-system wide.

What matters to them, matters to us.

Hopefully, START will help solidify the aluminium story against materials like plastic.�

Aluminium International Today

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Novelis aims high with ambitious targets Novelis recently announced new sustainability targets and its commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Nadine Bloxsome* spoke to Steve Fisher** about what this means for Novelis and the wider industry and the plans in place to ensure these are achievable.

Q. What was the decision behind setting and announcing these targets?

A. We feel this is a very exciting time for Novelis to hopefully step forward and lead the industry with these newest commitments and goals that we are establishing, with a very clear path towards a sustainable and secure future for Novelis and the industry as a whole.

While we’re extremely proud of the accomplishments we’ve already made in this area – as the leading recycler of aluminium in the world – we also want to start looking forward and it really starts with our ambition to truly be the world’s leading provider of low carbon, sustainable aluminium solutions that

advance our business, but honestly advance the industry and society towards a more circular economy.

Q. The goal to be carbon neutral by 2050 mentions this date or ‘sooner’ can you elaborate on this?

A. You’ll hear us talk a lot about that – this isn’t just about Novelis anymore, this is about stepping into and trying to be part of the solutions for the industry as a whole.

Clearly as we all know, we face very complex challenges associated with this topic of global warming and climate change and I think the thing we need to do as an industry and at Novelis, is we need to move faster and

we need to take bolder actions to elevate the use of aluminium as a true material of choice.

As you know, we’ve spent some time really thinking about our new commitments in this area, after integrating Aleris into Novelis and I think the cornerstone of our ambition is around carbon and to be carbon neutral by 2050 or sooner.

We don’t know the exact date right now, but we are going to do everything we can to get there as quickly as possible. The first step was to put a more near-term goal out there, which is the 30% reduction by 2026 and we’ve got a pretty good line of sight to be able to achieve this and then there is a lot to still go

*Editor, Aluminium International Today **Steve Fisher, CEO, Novelis

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Aluminium International Today

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

“Collaboration and bringing the industry together is going to be so key and important. ” after to get all the way to carbon neutrality, which is why for now we are just saying ‘sooner’.

Q. How important is it to Novelis to also address the need for a more diverse and inclusive workforce under the umbrella of ‘sustainability’?

A. We know that our 15,000 employees are at the heart of what drives our innovation and our transformation and continuing to have that diverse background in expertise and different perspectives will help us to ensure that we can meet some of these truly ambitious goals we’ve set and continue to strengthen within our culture.

We’ve set some near-term goals there, so by 2024 to have 30% of our leadership roles filled by women and 15% of senior technical

Aluminium International Today

roles to be filled by women. That’s the first step – we clearly understand that diversity and inclusion is much broader than that, but that’s a global target we could set and then from there we need to work with each of our regions to ensure that the communities and each part of the world are representing these changes through each of our resource groups and driving more local initiatives.

In order to oversee this, we’ve set up a Diversity and Inclusion Board, which will set the strategy while the execution will be done throughout all the regions.

Q. The original press release touched on the company’s continued commitment to increasing the use of recycled content across the products. What are your thoughts on this focus on recycling?

A. We believe these are ambitious targets that we’re setting and we believe it is going to take a lot to get there, including really taking recycling to the next level – we’ve done a lot over the last 10 years, but we’re going to have to make more investment in recycling capacity and capabilities. We’re going to need to continue to make sure aluminium is directed back into the highest value supply chain, versus getting down-cycled, continue to innovate around high recycled content within alloys and drive end of life recycling.

We’re excited about the opportunities in front of us, but we also know that it can’t just be Novelis, it is going to have to be done through partnerships with our customers, our suppliers, communities, policy makers and probably other partners that we can’t even think of at this point in time too!

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

But, we do believe if Novelis, based on our position in the industry can start to step forward and work through together with our partners, then there is a tremendous opportunity to see a development of products that expand the use of lightweight, infinitely recyclable aluminium to continue to meet our customers demanding performance standards and help them meet their sustainability goals, across all of their end markets.

Q. Where will the biggest changes come from in order to reach these targets?

A. We need to continue to find opportunities to increase the recycled material, because we think that’s the most effective way. So, a lot of focus will not only be on our capabilities to increase our capacities at Novelis to intake that, but also to lean forward into various potential government incentives and other areas that will help to enhance the recycled

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rates, where appropriate around the world.

actually go back into.

It’s different around the world, so it’s difficult to pinpoint what those activities will be, but I think it’s the continuation of education into the circular economy versus what we see in other materials, which are not circular. Recycling is not the same for plastic and aluminium and so telling that story more effectively going forward will help people to understand the value of aluminium versus other materials, which will hopefully also bring recycling rates back to higher levels.

Some are potentially just being down-cycled into other materials, which will ultimately end up as micro plastics in our oceans, versus aluminium, which is infinitely recyclable.

Q. Do you think we as an industry, or Novelis is doing enough to highlight the importance of aluminium in a circular economy to consumers?

A. I think we should be doing more because there is a lot of misunderstanding of what recycling means and where those products

I don’t think people fully appreciate and understand that, so there is definitely more education that needs to happen throughout the industry and the industry needs to speak more consistently with more consistent messages and not try to highlight one type of aluminium over the other.

With our high-recycled content, we want to do what we can in order to ensure that we are leading our customers and suppliers in understanding the competition for aluminium isn’t each other anymore, it’s against other materials and changing that mind-set, both

Aluminium International Today

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

internally in the industry and by educating individuals on the differences will be so key for success.

Q. What role is automation or Industry 4.0 technologies playing in assisting Novelis to achieve these targets?

A. We think traceability is a very important topic for the industry and along with Hindalco, we really want to broaden this idea of what ‘good’ aluminium is, all the way from the source to the shelf.

The idea of traceability through the entire supply chain will be very important and so we’ve been in discussion and working on various innovative ideas with our suppliers and thinking through that topic. I do think AI and digital transformation will play a critical role here in being able to really ensure traceability – there’s a way to go still, but it’s a very important point.

Q. Do you think we could be doing more as an industry to learn from other sectors, as well as sharing our achievements and best practices?

A. Anything that we can share without violating anti-trust or competition standpoints,

Aluminium International Today

we absolutely believe in sharing, because we understand that if we really want aluminium to grow at the levels it’s growing at, or greater, this comes with understanding the differences in materials like plastic, steel and so forth.

We understand that Novelis can’t be the only provider of high-recycled content material, or it doesn’t work. So, we’re happy to help the aluminium industry move forward and I do think that we can learn a lot from other industries – we spend a lot of time already at other manufacturing companies, learning digital and safety best practices, so I think there will be a lot of opportunities around sustainability too.

Collaboration and bringing the industry together is going to be so key and important.

I think that by setting our goals and publishing these externally, that is the biggest message we are trying to get across – we’re here to help the industry as a whole, not to drive something that is just beneficial to Novelis.

Ultimately it will be really beneficial to all of the communities we are involved in, all of the employees, the sector, and our customers and to do it in a very collaborative way. �

GREENER ALUMINIUM

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Bringing together aluminium manufacturers and environmental solutions providers, the Summit will present the main issues, investments, technologies, and best practice examples from across the supply chain.

We want sustainability to be more than just a buzzword, so we are inviting a range of experts to give their opinions and advice on how best to achieve this huge decarbonisation task.

JOIN THE SUMMIT TO HEAR MORE ON TOPICS INCLUDING: The reliability of renewable energies

Register today and get 20% off the standard rate using the promo code SHOWGUIDE

Eco-friendly manufacturing The LME’s Sustainability Strategy The work of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative Sustainability targets – achievable or out of reach?

Outlining guidelines for decarbonisation Alongside the two-day conference and virtual exhibition, participants will also be invited to join live discussions and will have the opportunity to network with new contacts, arrange video meetings and exchange resources and information.

In association with:

Organised by:

ALUMINIUMTODAY.COM/GREENER-ALUMINIUM

C O N TA C T CONTACT

GreenerSummit_1p_Ad.indd 1

For sponsorship opportunities:

For speaking opportunities:

Nathan Jupp International Sales Manager +44 (0)1737 855027 nathanjupp@quartzltd.com

Nadine Bloxsome Editor +44 (0)1737 85511 nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com

06/05/2021 10:02

Standards change.

The next standard in smart plant automation.

T E C H N O L O G I E S

www.quantillion.io

CONTRIBUTION

Total’s contribution to greener aluminium Total took a major step forward in 2020 in its response to the climate challenge by setting a new ambition to get to net zero emissions for its global business by 2050, together with society. In this way, Total intends to contribute to the Paris Agreement’s carbon neutrality objective for the second half of the century.

To fulfill this objective, Total Lubrifiants, 100% affiliate of Total SE, has setup 2 clear ambitions.

The first one is to reduce the C02 emissions of its own operations via the increased use of green electricity, the decrease of emissions linked to products transportation and the involvement of its people to improve energy and waste management.

The second one is to accompany customers towards carbon neutrality via Ecosolutions products and services, the increased use of renewable, re-refined and recycled base oils (RBO) and low carbons solutions and services (energy efficiency,

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GREENER ALUMINIUM

solarization, etc.)

Today, Total Lubrifiants already offers products and services that can help the Aluminium industry to produce greener Aluminium.

Products based on RBO are already available for the Aluminium Industry: � AZOLLA ECO 2, a multi-purpose hydraulic oils available in ISO VG 46 � LUBRILAM CLEANER ECO 2, an Airwash scrubbing oil designed to recover cold rolling oils vapors from the Aluminium mills.

Similarly, LUBRILAM BIO, a bio-based cold rolling oil made from renewable feedstock is available on the market.

Besides, all our ranges of specialty products such as hot rolling oils (NOA and TANDEMOL Series), compatible hydraulic (VITAL FLUID and NOALUBRIC Series) as well as low-stain oils (CARTER ALS and

AZOLLA ALS) are designed to provide the highest quality and productivity hence minimising scrap rate and re-treatment costs that require energy and therefore produce C02 emissions.

In addition, Total Lubrifiants is also developing with partners, tools to calculate the environmental footprint of its products. In the near future, this data will drive our product development process and will be shared with our customers in order to integrate the environmental aspect into the decision-making process. In addition, this data will be coupled with the benefits provided by the lubricants in use (increased drain interval, lower consumption, lower tool wear, etc.) to provide a global picture of the emissions reduction at stake. �

If you want to know more, come and join us on our virtual booth!

Aluminium International Today

LUBRICANTS

Total Lubrifiants SA 552 006 454 RCS Nanterre - France. Photos: 123RF - Design:

Aluminum Processing Fluids

Total Lubrifiants is the only supplier able to provide the complete range of lubricants for the aluminum rolling industry: hot rolling oils, cold rolling oils and additives, low-stain oils, air wash scrubber oil and all the range of general maintenance lubricants & greases. This unique position coupled with its long-lasting experience in the aluminum industry enables Total Lubrifiants to provide solutions to its partners all along the rolling process. lubricants.total.com

ms.metalworking@total.com

Total Industry Solutions

STANDARDISATION

ASI Standards: 59 criteria addressing GHG and boarder ESG issues

By Dr. Fiona Solomon* and Thad Mermer**

Fig 1. ASI Performance Standard V2 (2017) Priority issues at each value chain stage

The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative’s (ASI) certification program was developed through an extensive multi-stakeholder consultation process and is the only comprehensive voluntary sustainability standard initiative for the aluminium value chain. It is designed to drive responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium through uptake of the standards throughout the industry. More information on all the topics discussed below

at aluminium-stewardship.org.

‘Low carbon’ aluminium In recent years, aluminium producers have debuted a range of low-carbon aluminium offerings, either based on the energy mix of their smelting, or on the proportion of recycled content. While the management and reduction of GHG emissions is a critically important issue for aluminium with regard

to climate change and attaining the Paris Agreement target, it is not necessarily the priority impact area of every stage of the aluminium value chain (Fig 1). In ASI’s view, a move toward increased sustainability in the aluminium sector requires a broader perspective and a whole of supply chain approach.

*CEO, ASI **Communications Manager, ASI

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Aluminium International Today

STANDARDISATION

Beyond GHG to sustainability Sustainability encompasses a range of topics and risks, each of which have varying materiality to each stage of the global aluminium value chain. ASI’s Standards recognise this and have been designed to support responsible practices and sourcing by all relevant value chain actors. The Standards take a life cycle view on the production, use and circularity potential of aluminium to identify and address environmental, social and governance (ESG) key issues, also understanding the interconnections between these. This approach aims to move individual actors and cumulatively the sector as a whole to become more sustainable.

Increasing and improving responsible practices and sourcing The ASI Performance Standard’s 59 criteria address priority aluminium value chain issues, including biodiversity management, Indigenous People’s rights, waste management, gender equity, material stewardship, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Fig 2).

Since the launch of the ASI certification program in December 2017, ASI’s members have been actively certifying the management practices at their operations along the entire value chain. As of February 2021, 75 ASI Performance Standard certifications have been achieved, covering more than 180 facilities, from bauxite mining to industrial users, located in 40 countries across all world regions.

The ASI Chain of Custody Standard creates a clear and verifiable link between a company’s sustainability performance at a production facility with its material inputs and outputs. This makes it possible to understand the sustainability credentials of products, and enables suppliers, customers and consumers to collectively drive better practices through their sourcing choices. The existing 31 ASI Chain of Custody (CoC) Certifications extend from bauxite extraction through to downstream manufacturing sectors, meaning that the flow of ASI-Certified material from mine to final product is now possible.

After three years of implementation of the ASI Standards, their influence is being felt in practice. ASI Industrial User Members have begun to specify ASI Certified Aluminium in their sourcing requirements, which has Aluminium International Today

Fig 2. ASI Performance Standard V2 (2017) Three categories, eleven principles, 59 criteria

encouraged upstream producers to seek and achieve ASI Certifications.

Further downstream, ASI’s on-product logo now appears on dozens of products on retail shelves in a number of international markets, extending awareness of the ASI program to consumers and providing information that could influence purchasing decisions.

The ASI Standards Revision Building on ASI’s implementation experience, and as part of a regular cycle of review, ASI is currently undertaking a major Standards Revision process. During 2020-2022, ASI is undertaking to revise all of the six ASI Documents – the Performance Standard and Guidance, Chain of Custody Standard and Guidance, Assurance Manual and Claims Guide.

The Revision will provide the opportunity to clarify and improve ASI’s certification program based on: � implementation experience and identified improvement areas, � stakeholder feedback and evolving expectations, and � good practice approaches in certification programs and data governance.

ASI’s GHG Emissions criteria Bringing the focus back to the GHG criteria in the current ASI Performance Standard, certified entities are required to address emissions through public disclosure of GHG emissions and energy use on an annual

basis, publish of time-bound GHG emissions reduction targets and implementation of a plan to achieve these targets, and there are several criteria specific to smelters owing to their energy-intensive processes (see Fig 3).

In the newly proposed GHG Emissions criteria text, the existing requirements of the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) criteria noted above on the disclosure of material GHG emissions, management system and operating controls remain. However, many of the existing criteria have been re-written to provide for an overall stricter standard in relation to GHG emissions reduction through the following new requirements: � The existing emissions intensity threshold of 8t/t for aluminium smelters for Scope 1 and 2 emission types has been revised to also now include Scope 3 emissions, which equates to 12t/t for primary metal � All aluminium smelters are required to establish a GHG emissions reduction plan that is consistent with a ‘below 1.5 degree warming scenario’ � All smelters must also demonstrate minimum emissions reduction requirements � All Entities will be required to develop an emissions reduction pathway that includes intermediate reduction targets � A requirement for all certified Entities to reduce GHG emissions over time � A requirement for all certified Entities to publicly disclose their GHG emissions reduction performance � All publicly disclosed GHG emissions GREENER ALUMINIUM

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STANDARDISATION

5: GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS PRINCIPLE Principle: Recognising the ultimate objective established under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Entity is committed to reducing its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from a lifecycle perspective to mitigate its impact on the global climate.

5.1. Disclosure of GHG emissions and energy use. The Entity shall account for and publicly disclose material GHG emissions and energy use by source on an annual basis.

data must be independently verified.

In the current absence of an internationally accepted methodology that is compatible to all Members throughout the aluminium supply chain, the criteria will not require certified Entities to commit to a single methodology when developing science-based targets and reduction pathways.

Expanded text has also been proposed for the Chain of Custody, Principle 9 on Issuing CoC Documents. Specifically, Criterion 9.3 on Sustainability Data, which refers to optional sustainability data that can be included in ASI CoC Documents, includes

Fig 3. ASI Performance Standard V2 (2017) Principle

5.2. GHG emissions reductions. The Entity shall publish time-bound GHG emissions reduction targets and implement a plan to achieve these targets. The targets shall cover the material sources of Direct and Indirect GHG Emissions.

b. For Aluminium smelters in production up to and including 2020, demonstrate that the Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions from the production of Aluminium is at a level below 8 tonnes CO2-eq per metric tonne Aluminium by 2030.

5.3. Aluminium Smelting. An Entity engaged in Aluminium Smelting shall: a. Demonstrate that they have put in place the necessary Management System, evaluation procedures, and operating controls to limit the Direct GHG emissions.

c. For Aluminium smelters starting production after 2020, demonstrate that the Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions from the production of Aluminium is at a level below 8 tonnes CO2- per metric tonne Aluminium.

new text to suggest providing data on the average (preferably cradle-to-gate) carbon footprint of the CoC Material in tonnes CO2– eq per metric tonne ASI Aluminium, including methodology.

Public consultation on proposed criteria revisions The Revision process includes multiple rounds of public consultation, which provide opportunities for all members and stakeholders to submit feedback (see Fig 4 with Revision timetable). The current 60-day public consultation runs from March 1st until April 30th, 2021. All revision documents

and related revision process information are accessible from the Revision web page of the ASI website. As part of our consultation period outreach activities, ASI has held a webinar to summarise the proposed revisions on which we are seeking feedback, the recording of which has also been made available on our Revision web page as a resource for interested stakeholders.

We encourage all stakeholders in the aluminium value chain to provide their valuable input and insights as we collectively work to address the lessons learned to date, and the challenges that still lie ahead of us to create a sustainable aluminium value chain.�

Fig 4. ASI Standards Revision process schedule and opportunities for stakeholder involvement

HOW TO GET INVOLVED Interested readers are invited to find out more about ASI Certification: https://aluminium-stewardship.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ASI-Certification-Overview-Feb2018.pdf

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Aluminium International Today

AUTONOMOUS CHARGING & SKIMMING MACHINES

CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Photo: Hydro/Halvor Molland

No circula without cir

By Trond Olaf Christophersen* While the world is becoming an increasingly better place to be for more and more people around the globe, modernity has also been built on a decidedly linear approach to production and consumption. Modern society is also a throwaway society, and we are only now fully grasping that future generations may experience a painful reversal unless we curb

our polluting, unsustainable ways before it is too late.

In the distant future we will hopefully view the dark side of our linear economy with almost the same incredulity as we view flat-earthers today, with our mountains of trash and melting ice caps symbols of an alien past.

To achieve this bright, light and fully recyclable

day after tomorrow, we must realize the lowcarbon, circular economy –produce more for less, design for disassembly and reuse, and bring more back to the loop.

In Hydro, we accept that we are simultaneously part of the problem and the solution. While aluminium is an increasingly important building block of modern society,

*Head of Recycling, Hydro

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Aluminium International Today

CIRCULAR ECONOMY Trond Olaf Christophersen

ar economy rcular solutions our role as an enabler of sustainability is clouded by the fact that production of primary material remains a significant source of CO2emissions – directly in the production process and many times more indirectly if production is based on fossil energy.

Hydro is working hard to overcome these challenges and dilemmas, and a main contributor is that 75% of our total primary production is based on renewable energy – making us among the most climate-efficient producers in the world. We are already carbon-neutral from a life-cycle perspective, Aluminium International Today

and continue to improve our footprint towards an interim goal of reducing our own emissions by 30% by 2030 and a vision of carbonfree production by 2050. That is a strong foundation, but the building above is far from finished.

Recycling holds the key We all need to do so much more, and to achieve that we need to bend the linear economy into a circle and turn our current scrap heaps into our future treasure chests.

In aluminium this is especially important, since it is highly energyintensive to produce initially but can then be born again and again through degradation-free recycling. Aluminium is both energy and the climate paradox in solid state, and recycling holds the key to unlock the full potential of that power and resolve the sustainability challenge.

Hydro is already a main recycler of aluminium, with strong footholds in both Europe and the US. We plan to grow this greener leg substantially in the years to come, and our aim is to more than double our annual capacity for post-consumer scrap recycling of 100,000 tonnes per year.

Equally important, we are working across the value chain of recycled aluminium, from scrap to development and production of our growing portfolio of products and solutions for the circular economy.

As an industry we urgently need to lift our ability to also collect and sort complex scrap, since even the most advanced economies of the EU and the US are only recycling about half of the aluminium reaching end of life internally. The collection rate of postconsumer aluminium should be much higher for an industry with ambitions to be a key part of the green transition, and we in Hydro aim to realize the innovative and technological break-throughs necessary to make the loop considerably bigger than it is today.

From niche to norm Today you can already buy our certified low-carbon aluminium Hydro REDUXA, and Hydro CIRCAL provides you with a certified content of at least 75% post-consumer scrap, but low-carbon, circular solutions need to go from niche to norm to really make an impact.

Encouragingly, we do see the start of a green revolution in the end-user market, and there is a fast-growing interest in the market for greener products and solutions – especially in Europe and among our most advanced customers in automotive, building and construction and packaging.

The global aluminium industry should have all the right incentives, economically as well as from a sustainability perspective, for being GREENER ALUMINIUM

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CIRCULAR ECONOMY

a frontrunner industry in breaking with linearity and embracing true circularity. In Hydro we are more than ready to take that step, together with the industry, our customers and authorities in the EU and elsewhere.

We also realize that the circular economy will not materialize overnight, and that it will be a long and challenging journey also for our industry. As in so many other areas of society, there will be green winners and losers within aluminium. But if our industry loses the materials war and is perceived as a relic of the past rather than part of the solution, we all fail. Hydro’s success is dependent

on the success of aluminium, and recycling represents the green ace up our industry’s collective sleeve.

As an industry, we need to come together to ensure our customers truly understand and acknowledge the value of aluminium and post-consumer scrap recycling within a circular economy. We need to come together to safeguard that future regulations truly promotes real sustainability rather than incentivizes carbon leakage, and we need to help end-consumers make rational, informed choices to guide us towards the low-carbon future.

Most importantly, we urgently need to address our own ability to increase scrap collection rates and bring more postconsumer aluminium back into the loop. The more aluminium that ends up in scrap heaps and landfills, the more likely it is that we as an industry will end up there as well when viewed against 2050 and the demands of the 1.5-degree economy. So, let’s join forces to make aluminium a symbol of true circularity, and ensure that our industry becomes a leader rather than a victim of the green revolution. �

Photo: Hydro/Halvor Molland

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Aluminium International Today

Digital Twin

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Aluminium 26.981

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EQUIPMENT

Decarbonisation and the role of an equipment manufacturer

By Isabelle Gaudreau* Since 2016, discussions are taking place, the industry is being structured, standards are being established: everyone is mobilised to decarbonise aluminium production. It is trendy: aluminium is turning green and big players are leading the way. At the moment, the main actions are converging on saving energy consumption and/or the emergence of new technologies with a reduced carbon footprint. The greenhouse gas reduction marathon has begun.

As part of the aluminium industry ecosphere, what could be the role of OEMs in contributing making the aluminium greener? In this new socio-economic paradigm, can we believe that the equipment and technologies related to operations can also have an impact? From the equipment manufacturer point of view, the question is to be explored.

In a report entitled: “Machinery Makers, Green Tech Creates Green Business” published in July 2020, it is cited that developing and deploying [editor’s note: green] technologies that are viable are still too expensive to use on a large scale (such as greener fuels and carbon capture). The authors highlight five categories on which to act: � Category 1 - the production of electricity (other than hydroelectric or wind power) � Category 2 - economically viable technologies that exist and can be integrated (e.g. optimization technologies) � Category 3 - existing technologies, but not economically viable (e.g. recovery of methane produced in agriculture) � Category 4 - greener fuels (conversion to hydrogen) � Category 5 - carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technology

Beyond our pride in being active in an industry that produces an infinitely recyclable resource, we want to contribute to change.

From an operational point of view, we wonder how to make our equipment greener.

Concretely, equipment manufacturers could have a direct impact by acting on categories 2, 3 and potentially 4.

The electrification of vehicle fleets is one avenue by promoting the use of green energies (category 3). If we consider gasoline consumption across the number of vehicles in operation in smelters and plants, collectively, changing the type of engine would have an impact. A major shift that involves several adaptations, both from the point of view of facilities and methods.

This is one of our findings after conducting a survey, in 2019, of our clients to validate whether the idea and approach might suit them. The “electric” turn is not necessarily the preferred choice. There are several factors to consider including the addition of charging stations in often crowded environments, the available battery technology to offer sufficient autonomy to carry heavy loads (for equipment with operators, because in the case of AGVs, recharging by opportunity lessens this aspect) and the new qualifications that the electrification of vehicles would impose to the maintenance team personnel.

The conclusion of the report converges to a similar observation: “This lever [vehicle electrification] is already available and economically productive in sectors where light vehicles travel short distances - in local delivery. of parcels, for example. However, if electric vehicles are to reach their full emission reduction potential, the charging infrastructure and battery production capacity will also need to be fully deployed. It’s economically

viable, in theory, but getting there will require considerable political support.” i Adding technology to existing equipment also helps make it greener. They reduce waste, make better use of resources and act preventively rather than reactively. Harnessing technology and AI for applications that were previously instrumented opens up a spectrum of possibilities for automation and more adequate sequential programming of operations (category 2 - optimization technology). OEMs have a large opening in front of them to manufacture all connected mechanical equipment with greater efficiency.

Efficient equipment pays off.

More and more, recycling and integration of recycled aluminium are promoted on a larger scale (building materials, infrastructure, cars, etc.). Less energy intensive, there are advantages to recycle the metal and limiting the exploitation of raw natural resources. If we look recycling into another angle, equipment can also benefit from a second life. In this trend of ‘circular economy’, it can be interesting. Thus, refurbished equipment with updated and upgraded of the main modules is an option that can be considered.

In short, on a large or small scale, saving energy is saving money and preserving resources. I salute those in the industry who are looking for solutions to continue and improve their production with an ecoresponsible approach. I also salute all those who, in their every day lives, are joining the movement by rethinking the equipment. They make more technology available which helps better understand the behavior of equipment by obtaining data that defines the parameters of optimal operation. At the end, decarbonization is everyone’s business. �

*Marketing and Strategic Communication Officer

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Aluminium International Today

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NET ZERO

Going to zero carbon: A game changer for the aluminium industry

By Jerome Lucaes* Aluminium is the metal of the future to build back better. Light yet durable and almost infinitely recyclable, the metal is a key enabler on the path towards a more sustainable economy and a post-COVID ‘green’ recovery. Its use reduces carbon footprint across a number of key sectors, such as sustainable mobility, packaging, building and construction, aerospace, among others.

Policy and regulation have alerted aluminium consumers, who increasingly ask for lowcarbon footprint and product lifecycle emissions assessments. This is also driven by evolving end user preferences, where consumers wish to see that the products they purchase are designed with minimal climate impacts.

We know from our own research that consumers care about the carbon footprint of the products they buy; 60% of UK consumers care about buying products with a low carbon footprint, compared to 56% of German and 53% of US consumers.

If information about a product’s carbon footprint was easily accessible, 67% of UK consumers would be more likely to purchase lower carbon products, compared to 61% of German and 57% of US consumers.

At RUSAL, the metals business of the En+ Group, we find this particularly important and it is the reason why buyers of our low-carbon ALLOW-branded metal can track the whole production cycle and logistics to confirm the environmental credentials of the aluminium they buy.

According to the latest publication by the World Economic Forum’s Aluminium for Climate Initiative, market appetite

for aluminium is anticipated to grow by more than 50% by 2050, reaching 298 megatonnes (Mt). This will require an additional 90 Mt of primary aluminium production by 2050.

At the same time, the aluminium industry accounts for 2% of global carbon emissions or 1.1 billion tonnes of CO2eq, which is equivalent to all of the emissions produced

by Japan in a year. Hardly surprising that aluminium has been identified as one of the seven “hard-to-abate sectors” where moves to reduce emissions are crucial.

Not all aluminium is created equal, however. The average emissions for En+ primary aluminium under ALLOW brand are 2.4 tCO2eq/t Al (at smelter, 2019 data).

Equivalent smelter emissions of Chinese aluminium are around 16.2 tCO2eq/t Al; global – 12.6 tCO2eq/t Al. Recycling is clearly key; secondary aluminium production is 20 times less carbon-intensive than primary. Secondary metal, however, can only meet about 30 %

of current demand; further initiatives, including a combination of recycling, replacing highcarbon with low-carbon primary metal and further R&D (inert anodes, carbon capture and storage, carbon removal, among others) will all be critical in reducing overall industry emissions going forward.

The industry is looking at pathways to reduce its footprint by 2050, which includes keeping emissions at smelter to under 2.5t CO2eq/t Al and employing a full value chain approach. However, no company can tackle the paramount task alone. Industry-wide partnerships and cooperation are required to support the decarbonisation of the aluminium sector.

Faced with carbon neutrality enshrined in legislation by 2050, those who lag behind may pay a high price in carbon trading and taxation mechanisms. Current price of carbon in the EU is at EUR 30 per tonne of CO2eq, it reaches USD 120 in some countries, such as Sweden. The European Union, as part of its Green Deal, is exploring a carbon-

*Marketing Director, Sustainability, – RUSAL

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Aluminium International Today

Jerome Lucaes

NET ZERO

border adjustment mechanism to curb carbon leakage with potential negative impacts for high-carbon aluminium producers’ marginal cost of production. China is developing an emissions trading scheme. Japan is also likely to be looking into this option going forward.

South Korea also committed to carbon neutrality. The new USA administration may soon follow the suit.

Investors increasingly see high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a clear red flag.

Some of the relevant initiatives that have brought investors together around climate action include the Task Force on Climaterelated Financial Disclosures (TCFD), Climate Action 100+, Transition Pathway Initiative, UNEP FI Net-zero Asset Owner Alliance, IMF’s call for mandatory climate disclosure (physical risk mispricing in equity markets report) and the EU Taxonomy, adding a layer of mandatory climate disclosures for financial institutions and individual companies.

The En+ Group has continuously campaigned for more rigorous carbon transparency and decarbonisation. The Company’s position is detailed in The Green Aluminium Vision. The Group has consistently called upon the London Metal Exchange (LME) to make voluntary carbon disclosure rules mandatory for the LMEPassport and to create a new derivative contract for lowcarbon aluminium, giving the needed impetus to spur a genuine low-carbon transition.

Back to that consumer research, where it was clear that end users felt manufacturers should be accountable for the carbon footprint of their products – 71% of UK

Aluminium International Today

consumers believe all companies should be obliged to share the carbon footprints of their products with customers; 60% of US and 58% of German consumers feel the same way.

It is possible that we see the creation of low-carbon aluminium as a whole new asset class. Pricing agencies have increased focus on differentiating the value of metal based on its carbon content. HARBOR’s ‘green’ aluminium benchmark launched in the US in October 2019 suggested a possible definition of low-carbon aluminium; <4t CO2e/t Al at smelter (at smelter, Scope1&2). Since September 2020, FastMarkets has also led public discussions/consultations on a possible low-carbon aluminium differential (<4t CO2e/t Al at smelter, Scope1&2) to be used in Europe.

Carbon footprint is also an essential part of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI)’s standards.

The ASI Performance Standard includes two smelter-specific criteria, which include the following: smelters starting production after 2020 must achieve a level of smelter (Scope 1&2) carbon emissions below 8 tonnes CO2eq per metric tonne of aluminium produced, and existing aluminium smelters that were in production before 2020 must achieve the 8 tonnes CO2eq per metric tonne level by 2030. To put this into perspective, the current global average for aluminium ingot production is estimated to be 12 CO2eq per metric tonne. The carbon footprint of ALLOW aluminium production is five times lower than the industry average.

Aluminium producers are responding

to these drivers and developments, often voluntarily, with accelerated efforts to calculate, reduce and disclose emissions from cradle to gate. Their main focus remains on sources of power, process emissions, R&D, material efficiency, and circularity. En+ Group has additionally started testing the breakthrough technology of inert anode that will sharply reduce energy consumption and fully eliminate carbon emissions in the smelting process, generating oxygen instead of CO2 emissions.

There is no question that the forwardlooking companies will succeed in the net-zero future. Those that innovate and responsibly take the lead in developing breakthrough technologies, such as inert anode, essentially removing carbon from the smelting process/chemical reaction and reducing at-smelter emissions to nearly zero, among other technological developments. I am proud that here at RUSAL this remains at the heart of our ethos.

The journey towards decarbonisation of the aluminium value chain is irreversible and well on its way. However, the decarbonisation of the entire aluminium industry will require partnerships and industry-wide coalitions to collaborate, to pool resources and technological know-how in order to develop low-carbon technologies, and to align on the ways of reducing process emissions and energy-based emissions.

Collective action is vital for driving the aluminium industry into a ‘greener’ future, enabling better and more sustainable economic development worldwide. �

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REDUCE EMISSIONS

Pioneering solutions for strict standards

Fives, as an industrial engineering Group, designs and supplies machines, process equipment and production lines for the world’s largest industrial groups including the aluminium, steel, glass, automotive, aerospace, logistics, cement and energy sectors.

For the Aluminium Industry, Fives has developed pioneering solutions suited to increasingly strict environmental standards

to reduce emissions, and adapted to the growing capacity of smelters equipped with high amperage pots. Thus Fives is able to respond to clients’ growing needs for quality, performance, and reduced environmental impact and cost. To meet these objectives, Fives is offering ground-breaking emissions reduction solutions as well digital and control systems for eco-friendly operations.

Fives has specifically developed high-

performance air pollution control systems, including fume and gas treatment and waste removal technologies for various industries. The gas treatment process includes dedusting, dry scrubbing, wet scrubbing, hybrid scrubbing and thermal processes technologies. The company can now rely on an extensive experience with more than 500 systems installed in more than 45 countries worldwide.

In aluminium, Fives’ technologies dedicated to reduce pollutant emissions include: � � � � � � �

Gas Treatment Center (GTC), to capture alumina and recycle fluorine emitted by electrolysis pots, and capture and treat pollutants such as Sox Yprios (or S-Yprios) technology to reduce fugitive fluoride emissions by providing extra suction flow when pot hoods are removed Anode Inert Tray to eliminate fugitive emissions coming from hot spent anodes.

Fume Treatment Center (FTC) to treat all pollutants emitted by anode baking furnaces (PAHs, benzo[a]pyrene, HF, tars, dust, etc.).

Pitch Fume Treatment System (PFTS) to absorb pitch fume both at Green Anode Plant (Eolios) and Liquid Marine Terminals (Lineos) Firing Control System (FCS) to achieve low fuel consumption and reduced PAH emissions, Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) to monitor and control hydrogen fluoride emissions inside the potroom and GTC

In addition, Fives’ Amelios Suite is a comprehensive digital solution that allows to optimize carbon anode consumption during primary aluminium production. The expected results are in the range of 35 to 70 kg CO2

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per ton of aluminium produced.

And finally, with more than 200 people dedicated to services worldwide, located in France, Canada, Middle East, India, South Africa, Australia and Russia, Fives is committed

to help its customers to both improve the performance of their equipment and reduce production and maintenance costs. �

Aluminium International Today

For you, industry brings innovation to life.

Behind lightweight and recyclable cans, is an industry that produces the finest quality of aluminium, using high performance manufacturing technologies.

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From designing process equipment to supplying complete installations and services, Fives is one of the world’s leading aluminium industry suppliers, improving performance, the environmental footprint and quality of its customers’ products.

Each day, Fives demonstrates that Industry can do it.

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ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Intelligent energy management A way to enhance green credentials while improving the bottom line?

Wayne Muncaster* explains The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause widespread concern across all sectors of the economy, and the aluminum industry is no exception. Due to fluctuating demand and disruptions to the supply chain, as well as the potential for future changes to fiscal policies as governments facilitate economic recovery, businesses will require careful navigation and planning. At the same time, the global decarbonisation framework established by the Paris Agreement as well as the Net Zero ambitions of individual countries will no doubt shape policy-making processes in the years to come, encouraging large energy users to step in and play their part by increasing the efficiency and sustainability of their operations.

With energy costs constituting a significant share of all aluminium production costs, there has never been a better time for businesses to review their current energy strategies and look for new opportunities in the transitioning energy markets.

Green and holistic energy strategy “The development of a green and holistic energy strategy starts with the assets and the potential flexibility in their energy consumption,” says Wayne Muncaster, VP North America at GridBeyond, a provider of intelligent energy technology for commercial and industrial businesses (pictured above).

“Assets commonly used by aluminum smelters and foundries such as arc furnaces, induction furnaces, fans, and rectifiers have, on average, up to 60% of energy flexibility. Together with on-site generation and battery storage, they are ideally positioned to participate in grid balancing services that support increased

integration of renewables into the grid whilst benefiting the businesses with additional revenue streams,” Muncaster adds.

Flexibility, in the context of energy, is defined as the difference between the highest and lowest amount of energy an asset can consume while working as intended without any impact on operational integrity. By identifying the flexibility of equipment and machinery and connecting them to an intelligent energy platform, such as GridBeyond’s Point platform, businesses can participate in energy services such as demand response.

Demand response programs help grid operators to balance supply and demand on the energy network. For example, if the forecast for wind generation is higher than that delivered, and supply cannot meet demand, large energy users are called upon to decrease their consumption. This creates opportunities for energy-intensive foundries and smelters as their flexibility to decrease use at crucial times is financially incentivised.

By monetising flexibility through grid operators’ programs, metal and aluminum producers can gain quick access to new, long-term revenue streams in order to protect their bottom line and increase savings. At the same time, their participation in balancing services enables grid operators to safely increase the volumes of renewables in the energy mix, furthering the decarbonisation of the energy network. Ultimately, openness to new technologies will lead the way toward a carbon-neutral future, rewarding those who look for opportunities and embrace innovation.

One of GridBeyond’s partners in the UK,

a global leader in aluminium production, connected its rectifiers and hydro-generation assets to the Point platform. As a result, the AI-powered technology has enabled the company to monetise up to 40MW of its energy flexibility through participation in National Grid’s balancing services, benefiting the business with substantial monthly revenue – all without any capital expenditure or impact on operational processes.

In addition to financially rewarding participation in the balancing services, intelligent energy technology enables businesses to optimise their energy costs through access to smart tariffs and robotic trading on the wholesale market. AI and machine learning-powered algorithms enhance efficiencies of on-site load, generation, and energy storage, making it possible for businesses to avoid peak charges and to schedule business operations based on the cheapest week-ahead, dayahead, and intra-day energy prices.

“The energy network is evolving towards a decarbonised, decentralised and digitalised system. Metal foundries and aluminum smelters all rely on critical power to ensure business continuity, and as such will require a deeper understanding of the energy markets, their risks, challenges and opportunities. Active participation in the energy markets and forward-thinking strategy have become particularly critical now, during the times of economic uncertainty, as energy technologies can help businesses to recover some of the revenues lost due to COVID-19,” explains Muncaster.

*VP North America

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Aluminium International Today

ABOUT GRIDBEYOND GridBeyond has more than a decade of experience working with large energy users in the UK, the US and Ireland. With an in-depth understanding of assets, GridBeyond helps aluminium and metal businesses play their part in decarbonizing the economy whilst increasing their operational resilience and improving their bottom line through new revenue streams and savings – all without any capital expenditure or impact on operational integrity.

Resilience and operational edge The development of a holistic energy strategy is not complete without a reliable mechanism to monitor and control real-time performance of each energy-intensive asset.

For instance, smelting is the most energyintensive stage of aluminium production, with each ton of aluminium requiring approximately 15MWh of electricity. This means that any undetected operational malfunction of the smelting furnaces may not only generate inefficiencies but also affect the production processes and business continuity if the asset fails or needs to be replaced at short notice. The businesses’ operational resilience can be further enhanced by taking advantage of intelligent energy technology’s benchmarking and alerting powers, which identify anomalies in energy consumption to flag potential maintenance requirements.

Aluminium International Today

Early fault recognition supports predictive maintenance and retro-commissioning processes to prolong assets’ life cycles, reduce risk of operational downtime, and increase efficiencies. Deloitte estimates that for heavy industry, such as the aluminium and metal businesses, “predictive maintenance can reduce the time required to plan maintenance by 20-50%, increase equipment uptime and availability by 10-20% and reduce overall maintenance costs by 5-10%,” while the McKinsey Global Institute predicts manufacturers’ savings from predictive maintenance could reach $630 billion in 2025.

As the world looks toward recovery from the financial and social damage caused by the pandemic, there is a growing consensus among politicians and business leaders that economic recovery needs to be paired with

actions to reduce carbon emissions and prevent climate change tragedies.

“The answer to both post-COVID-19 recovery and climate emergency lies in technological advancement,” said Wayne Muncaster. “Full decarbonisation of the economy starts with new technological solutions that help eliminate fossil fuels from the energy networks. This can only be achieved when the grid digitalizes to the point it can manage greater levels of renewable and decentralised generation, integrate technologies such as electric vehicles and unlock flexibility to balance demand and supply. Large C&I business need to support the transition into carbon free economy by becoming active and flexible participants in the energy markets.”� Find out more at: www.gridbeyond.com

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DIGITALIZATION

Digitalization and CO2free aluminium - The hurdles and the pitfalls

Marc Gillis, Strategic Account Manager at Rockwell Automation looks at the hurdles and the solutions of making CO2 free aluminium.

2050 is seen by many as a significant milestone in the fight against climate change.

But what does that mean for my job, my industry, and for me personally?

The Paris Agreement sets out a global framework to combat climate change, by limiting global warming to well below 2°C – ideally, below 1.5°C. It also aims to strengthen countries’ ability to deal with the impacts of climate change and support them in their efforts.

Spain, France, and the UK have pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Some countries have set more ambitious targets: Finland has pledged to reach net-zero by 2035, and Sweden has set its goal for 2045.

Other countries, including major economic powers such as Russia, have not made any firm commitments on cutting emissions.

The 2°C limit refers to the increase of average global temperature seen from the baseline of pre-industrialization. Currently, we are 1.2°C above the baseline.

The agreement states that the global net

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human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) would need to fall by about 45% from 2030. This is a short time from now and the fear is that many industries are going to act too late and will have to go through expensive and rushed planning to meet the targets.

Aluminium is often considered as clean, but the figures are shocking. It is estimated that half of the globally produced aluminium is made with more than 20 metric tons (mt) of CO2 per metric ton of aluminium. A small portion of the globally produced aluminium in Norway and Iceland is made at 3 mt of CO2 per 1 mt of aluminium, but even that is a shocking figure.

The message is clear: we need to act, and we need to act soon.

Reducing CO2 There are two ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The first is, of course, to avoid generating it. We call that carbon dioxide reduction. The second is to clean

the CO2 from exhausted air and store it or recycle it into another material.

Let’s have a look at reducing CO2 production in aluminium smelting. Today, the process is based on carbon anodes, used in the process of electrolyzing the alumina into aluminium. If we could avoid using these carbon anodes, it would be a big step forward. There are ongoing tests to use carbon-free anodes, driven by companies such as Elysis.

The energy used is also a concern, with much of it coming from coal-powered sources, creating even more CO2. Using alternative and sustainable energy is a must.

Solar panels and wind turbines can generate this power, but we need a better way to store and transport the energy.

With sustainable energy we can generate hydrogen (H2), a highly flammable gas. This gas can be made anywhere in the world, in places that experience large quantities of wind or sunlight. A pipeline system could supply the gas to industrial plants and even

Aluminium International Today

DIGITALIZATION Marc Gillis

CO2 is captured from the production area and converted into ethanol, which can be used as a disinfectant or as biofuel. The technology provider for this project is Lanzatech, with the full automation platform, including drives, process control, networks and visualization, supplied by Rockwell Automation.

Adapting for a Clean Future Over the coming three decades, innovation in the aluminium industry will be vital. Standing still is not an option. Adapting to the new clean-air rules is a must.

Today, we see that digitalization is becoming a standard among the bigger aluminim players. But not everyone is Hydrogen pipelines in the future

CO2 to Ethanol

Rockwell Automation Data collection for CO2 elimination

to domestic users. Today, we have many pipelines for transporting liquid gas that could become of interest for the transportation of hydrogen. And the byproduct of burning hydrogen is H2O – water – so, we avoid carbon dioxide.

Creating a carbon-free process is something that’s going to take time.

Aluminium International Today

Meanwhile, we will have to capture the CO2 and do something with it. One option is to separate it and store it – usually underground.

Or we can capture it and let a bioreactor (microbes, argues) make a useful material from it, such as ethanol.

Currently, these techniques are used on an industrial scale. At Arcelor Ghent,

onboard, with many yet to begin their digital transformation. Despite gathering masses of data, less than 1% is used to make decisions.

But making the right decisions, and the digitalization that makes that possible, is critical to adapting to the coming changes.

Many companies try to undertake this digital journey on their own, but ultimately encounter obstacles and are reluctant to try again. But, at Rockwell Automation, we have dedicated teams in place to guide you through this transition. We can help you with building a digitalization plan – not just a roadmap. We can work with you on every detail, from executive board engagement to production team engagement, from report to operator screen, from process to IO level design.

If you would like to know more about how we can help you advance your business into a cleaner, more profitable future, get in touch. �

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LEADING A CLEANER INDUSTRIAL FUTURE March 2022 Belgium | May 2022 UAE | September 2022 USA | November 2022 China The Paris Agreement has committed 189 countries to deliver a roadmap of actions to deliver a low carbon world.

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GREEN METAL

Can our ‘green metal’ live up to its promise?

By David D’Aoust*

Within the industry, aluminum is frequently revered as the green material of the future. It is a strong, durable, and lightweight metal.

These qualities have led aluminum to become a key material in the decarbonization of the transportation industry by enabling electrification. Aluminum is infinitely recyclable, making it the perfect replacement for plastics in consumer-packaged goods.

Aluminum will certainly lead in the transformation of our world into a greener, sustainable future. However, as an industry, can we really continue to market our metal as a green solution when the primary and secondary production process results in

significant amounts of greenhouse gas emissions and the landfill of hazardous wastes?

There are many challenges ahead to achieving net zero carbon emissions and eliminating hazardous wastes from landfill across the aluminum industry. Fortunately, there are many cutting-edge companies stepping up to the plate to address some of the key issues.

At the primary smelters, we need to address the carbon emissions across several sectors of the plant. The good news is that compared to other industries, we already have some key advantages. For example, electricity being

the largest operating expense for production, smelters already own and operate electrical generation using renewable sources.

Quebec’s booming aluminum industry is enabled by affordable and renewable hydro electricity generation.

Moving further down the production process, smelters produce an immense amount of greenhouse gas during electrolysis.

This is where we are fortunate to have industry leading companies developing new technologies that use inert anodes for the reduction process and emit oxygen instead of carbon dioxide.

While much of this seems positive, the

*Sales Manager – DROSRITE™ PyroGenesis Canada Inc.

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Aluminium International Today

GREEN METAL

PyroGenesis’ DROSRITE™ System

reality is that unfortunately we still have many unaddressed and unanswered environmental challenges within the smelters that need to be addressed. Removing the electrical generation and electrolysis from the equation, the largest greenhouse gas emission source remaining is the fossil fuel burners used across the smelters operations to heat kilns and furnaces.

The solution to this is obvious. If we already have a large supply of cheap renewable electricity, lets transition our furnaces from gas fired to electric. The good news is that this transition has been slowly happening for decades in limited areas of production.

Where the energy input requirement is lower, for example cast house holding furnaces, resistive heating elements are capable of producing enough heat to maintain the bath of aluminum. The bad news is that we still rely on fossil fuel burners to provide the high temperature applications where resistive heating simply is not viable.

PyroGenesis has a simple and obvious solution. High-powered 100% electric plasma torches as a bolt-in replacement to fossil fuel burners. PyroGenesis’ proprietary plasma torches are capable of delivering a controlled, high temperature plume with reliable performance, simple maintenance and operation. Simply put, plasma torches can be pictured as high temperature electric air heaters. In-fact, our plasma torches are in operation and specified into the designs of the Gerald Ford class US navy aircraft carriers, destroying ship borne wastes.

Plasma is also an ideal solution for the second prong of environmental challenges; eliminating hazardous wastes from landfill.

PyroGenesis is currently developing a new Spent Pot Lining (SPL) technology, based on its core plasma waste destruction technologies in deployment with the US Navy, in partnership with Aluminerie Alouette.

In our process, the carbon fraction of SPL will be gasified in our plasma furnace, and converted into energy that can be returned back to the primary smelter. The fluorides will be reacted with alumina to produce AlF₃, which will also be returned to the smelter’s operation. This is a fully closed loop solution at the smelters site, eliminating the dangerous dependence upon the cement industry taking hazardous waste fractions.

Another waste stream being mismanaged today is dross. Current dross processing technologies utilize salt flux in order to enhance the separation of the oxides from the metal fraction and recover the aluminum.

The resulting residues, also referred to as salt-slags are extremely hazardous due to their reactivity with water, and typically landfilled today. For this, PyroGenesis offers its proven DROSRITE ™ technology. The patented DROSRITE ™ furnace does not use any salt flux in its operation and significantly increases metal recovery rates compared to salt-based technologies. The resulting residues are uniquely clean and transformed into chemical products such as ammonium sulfate, aluminium sulfate and metallurgical products synthetic slag conditioners / desulphirizers for the steel industry. PyroGenesis offers to build, install and operate these dross plants on-site, at the smelter’s facility contributing to convert a smelter to a zero-landfill solution and increase metal recoveries generating millions per year in savings.

If the aluminum industry can continue to work together and maintain this rate of innovation, we can make the green metal fully live up to its environmental promises. �

PyroGenesis’ Proprietary High Power Plasma Torch

Aluminium International Today

GREENER ALUMINIUM

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CASTHOUSE

RIA Cast House Engineering launch in-furnace dross processing (IFDP)

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Aluminium International Today

CASTHOUSE

RIA Cast House Engineering, based in Leipzig Germany, has supplied approximately 60 rail mounted precision Furnace Charging and Skimming Machines worldwide over the last two decades, with numerous repeat references. RiA equipment is recognised internationally as Sturdy, Durable and Reliable. All RiA Machines are capable of Manual, Automatic and fully Autonomous Modes of Operation, incorporating Machine Vision Smart Cameras, to make intelligent decisions, optimising Performance and increasing Operator Safety.

RiA Charging Machines can evenly distribute loads up to 25 tonnes across the furnace hearth in under 90 seconds. InFurnace Smart air-cooled Cameras monitor the state of the melt and can initiate the next Charge into the Furnace as soon as the melt is ready to safely receive it. They can also determine when the contents of the Furnace would benefit from load spreading, flattening and opening up the scrap pile to improve heat exchange and meltrates, whilst saving energy. They can also determine when flat-bath conditions have been achieved and the furnace is ready to be Skimmed. All these decisions are made with the Furnace Door closed, safeguarding the Cast House Operators and keeping heat and energy inside the Furnace.

As well as Skimming the Furnace in shorter timeframes than fork trucks, RiA Skimming Machines can also Mix and Stir the bath and clean the walls and floor between charges.

All of this is achieved with a more repeatable and consistent performance, without heavy impact and damage to the refractory lining, thus reducing maintenance and down time of the Furnaces. Onboard Smart Cameras can determine the precise Aluminium International Today

presence and location of the Dross and drive the Skim Blade to clean the Bath surface, only where necessary, saving time each cycle.

Both Charging and Skimming operations can be completed fully without the need of Operator involvement or for any Operator to even be onboard the Machine when these risky process steps take place. This ensures the utmost operational safety for Cast House Operators. Other typical benefits from using RiA Machines include, but are not only limited to the following key points: � Increased Melt Rates from deep penetration and even distribution of solids in the Furnace � Increased Productivity from shorter Furnace Cycles � Reduced Energy Consumption from shorter door opening times � Reduced Refractory damage ensuring longer Refractory life and more Furnace uptime � Reduced vehicle movements in the Cast House leading to increased Operator Safety and reduced vehicle maintenance � Removal of Cast House Operators from Charging and Skimming Furnaces, increasing Operator Safety

Today, in addition to all of the above, RiA adds one more capability to its portfolio – IFDP or In-Furnace Dross Processing. We have had a conceptual idea for a number of years already. We first built a prototype and retrofitted an existing Skimming Machine at one of our clients’ facilities in Germany.

We conducted the first set of trials in 2019.

Looking at the first results, the reduction of weight of the Dross removed from the furnace after processing compared to Dross skimmed the traditional way was enough to give us confidence to move to the next step. The first trials were conducted with a welded/ fabricated Skimming Blade and the addition of what we call the Cold Plate. The procedure is quick and simple – The Furnace is skimmed as usual and then the Cold Plate is moved into position on the Sill. The Skim Blade is drawn against the Cold Plate and the two

profiled surfaces mesh together. The Dross is squeezed or Pressed between the two surfaces and the free Aluminium in the Dross drains onto the sill and then back into the Bath. The Cold Plate is then retracted, and the Dross is pulled off the Sill into the Dross Pans for further handling as normal. As expected, we found the IFDP Dross to be drier, lighter and cooler than unprocessed Dross and still in a loose bulk form. Skimming of the Bath and Processing of the Dross took no longer than a manual Skimming operation with conventional methods. The benefit to the client is more liquid aluminium in the Furnace and less subsequent Dross handling and reprocessing.

Encouraged by the success of the first trials, we re-engineered the Skim Blade and Cold Plate, such that they could both be cast from Steel and using smoother, curved surfaces to lessen the risk of any sticking.

After these were manufactured, we returned to site in 2020 to conduct further trials.

Unfortunately, our efforts were delayed by several months due to COVID, but by late summer we again saw impressive results with the longer lasting cast Steel Skim Blade and matching Cold Plate pair. The only drawback was that both sets of successful trials had been conducted on an older generation RiA Skimming Machine with hydraulics and controls which were 7-year-old and not built with IFDP in mind. This had presented some operational difficulties for a fully Automatic operation, but nevertheless the results were still very impressive.

In parallel to these trials, RiA have supplied several new units into the market. All RiA Skimming Machines built and supplied today either include IFDP as an optional addition from the outset or are prepared ready for IFDP to be simply and modularly added in the future, onsite.

We have recently completed the Installation and put into operation our latest reference in the Americas and will just shipped another unit from our Workshop for installation at another customer site later this summer.

Both units included IFDP and associated controls from the outset. It is our expectation that IFDP will become a standard capability on future RiA Skimming Machines, further enhancing the already attractive Return on Investment proposition offer from RiA equipment. � GREENER ALUMINIUM

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SHOWCASE

MQP to unveil even more efficient grain refiner at Summit

Producers of high efficiency grain refiner Optifine will be showcasing a new, even more powerful version of its top-selling refiner that will enable casthouses to reduce the amount they need by 85% and the emissions involved in the process by two thirds.

The aluminium industry is under huge pressure to implement greener practices and with new Optifine 5:1 125 TiBAl grain refiner, casthouses can significantly improve their overall efficiency in the production of a wide

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range of aluminium alloy compositions.

A game-changer for the industry, particularly those in the high specification sectors, it builds on the success of MQP’s original Optifine, which can already reduce addition rates by 70% - the highest known efficiency of refiners available on the global market - and has been used to successfully cast over 16 million tonnes of aluminium since 2010.

John Courtenay, chairman of MQP,

said: “Reducing and optimising the addition of grain refiner in the production of billets and slabs is absolutely vital for helping to eradicate unwanted surface blemishes and defects, reducing cracking, waste and poor quality material and ensuring better quality finished products.

“But its manufacture does produce noxious fluoride emissions. To make one tonne of grain refiner, you need 117 kg KBF4 and 251 kg K2TiF6. This equates to 368kg of fluoride

Aluminium International Today

SHOWCASE

salts per ton of refiner produced, or around 36,800t consumed per year worldwide.

“From this 350 kg /t of KAlF4, 35,000t remains as by-product, which has to be disposed of, most of which finds application in fluxes for treating aluminium. From the balance, a substantial amount of F2 is ultimately released into the atmosphere.

“Ultimately, if the world was to adopt Optifine, fluoride by products and emissions would be reduced by two thirds. Using less grain refiner also means less coil changes and transportation around the casthouse and lower warehouse inventory.”

Many of MQP’s customers now incorporate production of high specification body parts for electric vehicles into their operations and the development of a new grain refiner with a minimum of 120% relative efficiency is hugely significant, said John.

“Figures show that global demand for aluminium will increase by up to 80% by 2050 and the industrial sector driving this growth is the one making high end products, from hoods and doors to full chassis, for electric vehicles,” he said.

“However, while aluminium can, technically, be recycled forever, making products that do not meet the discerning criteria of today’s manufacturing will and does result in significant waste. The automative sector experiences this as it moves away from steel in the domestic market.

“With our powerful, new Optifine, particles are reduced in the melt by 85%, a margin that will be a game changer, particularly for big plants focusing on producing ABS.” Crucially, both Optifine 3:1 and Optifine 5:1 125 - which is 35% more powerful than

Aluminium International Today

Optifine 3:1 - consistently deliver, and this has been well-documented in the industry.

And while the new version is a premium product, it is one that will see a return on investment in a short amount of time.

Pioneering research paves the way Optifine 5:1 125 was developed on the back of research MQP has been doing with BCAST at Brunel University London, a threeyear project led by the esteemed Professor Zhongyun Fan and coordinated by MQP technical manager Dr Shervin Tabrizi.

“For the past year, we’ve been working with BCAST to investigate the relation between particle size distribution, Al3Ti layer formation and grain refiner efficiency,” said John.

“Examination at the atomic level by HRTEM (High Resolution-Transmission Electron Microscopy) shows that a monoatomic Al3Ti layer forms on the TiB2 particles in the aluminium alloy, and BCAST, using samples of Optifine, demonstrated that the extent of the successful formation of this layer is critical to achieve high nucleation efficiency.

“In tests, Optifine was shown to reduce the particle count in molten aluminium up to 70%, with the potential to reduce defects proportionately and through the BCAST research using HR-TEM, to go even higher.

“This led to the development of the new Optifine, which has 90% of TiB2 particles coated with the Al3Ti layer. This compares to standard grain refiner with only 50% efficiency, having less than 20% of TiB2 particles coated with the layer.

“It was an exciting moment and a key development in more efficient casthouse solutions.”

Solutions for a modern age Research to make grain refiner even more efficient is set to continue at BCAST, while MQP has also launched its own MQP Technology Centre at Brunel, a laboratory dedicated to developing the company’s product portfolio for a modern age.

Demonstrating MQP’s support for the sustainability of aluminium further, the specialist is also sponsoring Brunel’s University London’s £4.5m Centre for Circular Metals, a research centre that aims to help the UK become the first country to fully recycle and reuse its metals and shift the country towards a carbonneutral, circular economy – targets which have been brought ever closer.

John, a metallurgist who started his career at Foseco International, going on to become director of technology and marketing at Foseco Aluminium, said they were geared up to lead the way in innovation.

“You only need 5% of the original production energy to recycle aluminum and no original properties are lost in the recycling process, with reportedly nearly 75% of all aluminum ever produced still in use,” he said.

When you look at it like this, it’s easy to see why aluminium is the star of the show in a climate-focused world.

“In fact, battery electric vehicles are expected to achieve more than a quarter of total car sales in about five years and reach up to half of sales in about ten, with aluminium content expected to grow to 514lbs per vehicle by 2026, up by 12% from 2020 levels.

“As a key industry partner and accredited by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, we will continue to invest in R&D and play our part in this ‘green’ evolution.” � Visit MQP in the Exhibition Hall at the summit and find out more at www.mqpltd.com.

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RECYCLING

Greener aluminium: Progress towards a more sustainable future Aluminium is a light metal with a bright future, and its production is on the rise due to its increasing use as a replacement for steel in many applications. Aluminium is capable of being recycled over and over again without losing its original properties of lightness, conductivity, formability, durability and permeability. Using recovered aluminium in secondary aluminium production requires significantly less energy (the aluminium recycling process requires only 5% of the energy needed to produce the primary metal) and has lower raw material costs compared

to the primary aluminium smelting process.

So, it’s clear that aluminium can play a leading role as a climate and resource frontrunner as the world moves towards a decarbonized, circular and energyefficient value chain. According to European Aluminium, its recycling rates are already among the highest of all materials. In Europe, aluminium recycling rates in the automotive and building sectors are over 90%, while beverage cans made out of this material have a recycling rate of 75%.* These recycling rates are being achieved thanks to well-established collection systems, high

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rates of scrap sorting, low losses during the re-melting process and, finally, a high-quality end product which can be used in high value applications.

Despite these already impressive recycling

rates, European Aluminium set its sights even higher when, in April 2020, it launched its Circular Aluminium Action Plan. The plan demonstrates European Aluminium’s goal for the industry to achieve the full potential

Aluminium International Today

RECYCLING

of aluminium circularity by 2030. The plan aims to ensure that all end-of-life aluminium products are collected and recycled efficiently in Europe to maximize its recycling rates and to keep the material in active use.

It builds on the industry’s Vision 2050 –

European Aluminium’s contribution to the EU mid-century low carbon roadmap – and provides policy recommendations for the sector to achieve full circularity.

Quality is key Driven by these recycling targets, public environmental awareness and ambitious CO2 emission targets, more and more European aluminium manufacturers and large end-users are publicly committing to using higher levels of recycled content in their new products.

So, with demand for recycled aluminium set to continue rising, metal recyclers who

supply raw materials to aluminium producers are under pressure to meet the increasingly stringent quality requirements for aluminium scrap. Delivering the highest quality, alloy-specific materials has become a key differentiator. As a result, metal recyclers are increasingly turning to sensor-based sorting solutions such as X-Ray Transmission (XRT) technology to help them achieve the required specifications.

XRT technology optimizes the efficiency of sorting secondary aluminium by enabling the segregation of scrap with a consistently low amount of alloying elements. This applies to those who use aluminium scrap consisting of several alloys and heavy metals, including copper, zinc, iron, magnesium and silicon.

Each aluminium alloy contains a certain percentage of other metals which must be constantly controlled to ensure that the chemical composition of the product meets the required specifications. Having control over the content of alloying elements in scrap allows secondary aluminium producers to optimize the use of scrap in their furnace and

avoid the loss of castings due to heavy metal peaks exceeding the maximum permittable content of these elements.

Using technology such as XRT from the outset ensures the load meets the required specifications in terms of composition and grain size. Without this, manufacturers might have to adjust for quality deviation by adding expensive additives during the refining process.

X-ray transmission solutions such as TOMRA’s X-TRACT machine can help operators achieve consistent quality and Aluminium International Today

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55

Hear from TOMRA Sorting at the Greener Aluminium Summit Terence Keyworth, Segment Manager Metal Recycling North/ East Europe at TOMRA Sorting, will deliver a presentation entitled ‘Greener aluminium – advances sensor-based sorting technologies for aluminium scrap recycling.’ (June 3rd, 4.30pm BST).

Source: EUROPEAN ALUMINIUM VISION 2050

generate new fractions with higher added value. Let’s look at the examples of Zorba and Twitch. Aluminium found in products such as Zorba and Twitch contains magnesium which has to be removed in order to achieve a high purity recycled aluminium.

TOMRA’s upgraded X-TRACT unit uses XRT technology but in a new configuration so that it is capable of sorting material of different density levels and separating magnesium from aluminium to create furnace-ready products, including low magnesium Twitch, across the Zorba size spectrum from 5-120mm.

Sensor-based sorting technology can consistently achieve exceptional purity rates for the recovered aluminium scrap. This degree of separation simply could not be achieved using the more traditional dense media plant technology/sink-float separation process. The resulting premium quality aluminium product not only meets the high

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RECYCLING

quality requirements of end customers, but also allows recyclers to command a higher price per ton, giving them a competitive advantage.

Alongside the X-TRACT unit, TOMRA has also developed its X-TRACT X6 FINES unit which can sorts materials according to differences in their density. Materials passing down the sorting line are penetrated with an electronically generated X-ray, providing spectral absorption information about the materials and then measuring this with an X-ray camera. This process identifies the atomic density of the materials regardless of their thickness. By increasing the sensitivity of the high-resolution X-ray camera, grain sizes as small as small as 5-15m can be detected and sorted, significantly reducing product losses. X-TRACT X6 FINES is capable of consistently achieving unrivalled purity levels, enabling sorting operations to unlock even more value from secondary materials, in particular Zorba fines.

As Europe and the rest of the world moves towards a decarbonized, circular and energy-efficient value chain, the progress being made in aluminium recycling will be held up as an example of what can be achieved when all the right building blocks are in place. � www.tomra.com/recycling

About TOMRA Recycling TOMRA Recycling designs and manufactures sensor-based sorting technologies for the global recycling and waste management industry. Over 7,400 systems have been installed in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Responsible for developing the world’s first high capacity Near Infrared (NIR) sensor for waste sorting applications, TOMRA Recycling remains an industry pioneer with a dedication to extracting high purity fractions from waste streams that maximize both yield and profits.

TOMRA Recycling is part of TOMRA Sorting Solutions which also develops sensor-based systems for sorting, peeling and process analytics for the food, mining and other industries.

TOMRA Sorting is owned by Norwegian company TOMRA Systems ASA, which is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.

Founded in 1972, TOMRA Systems ASA has a turnover of around €985 million and employs ~4,300 globally.

For more information on TOMRA Sorting Recycling visit www.tomra.com/recycling or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.

Aluminium International Today

METAL SORTING WITHOUT COMPROMISE X-TRACT – The power to yield mixed metals and small grains

Get the facts

With groundbreaking high throughput and multiple density channels, X-TRACT sorts even the most complex material mixes across a wide variety of applications. Its pinnacle performance delivers reliable, high quality yields.

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SCRAP ALUMINIUM

Sorting scrap aluminium - for the production of premium qualities In situations, where recovered, recycled aluminium is being used to produce new products, aluminium manufacturers need their secondary raw materials to display consistently high levels of purity. This is one of the challenges solved by sorting technology.

Aluminium can be 100% recycled. Using secondary aluminium, also known as green aluminium, cuts energy use in production by up to 90% compared with virgin material. If recovered aluminium (recycled aluminium) is being used to produce new products, aluminium manufacturers need their secondary raw materials to display consistently high levels of purity. This challenge can be met using a sorting system designed for many materials.

Typical sorting materials in a “scrap aluminium” application are: � Profiles and plates � Non-ferrous metals from incineration bottom ash (down to 5 mm) � End-of-life vehicle (ELV) fractions (Zorba/non-ferrous metal concentrate) from shredder plants � Products from dense media separator systems

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� Pre-concentrated drink cans and containers � New production waste and rejected material Although aluminium scrap comes from different sources the rough stages of the sorting process are similar: recovering nonferrous metals and upgrading the recovered metals, in other words, producing pure metal types.

The STEINERT XSS® T EVO 5.0 sorting machine can be used to separate free heavy metals, aluminium compounds, free magnesium and wrought and cast aluminium parts. The new features of the machine can be found on the interior: in the technically advanced details. As a special benefit, we are offering customers who buy the new STEINERT XSS® T EVO 5.0 a 4-year warranty on the X-ray components, ensuring them a safe investment and low operating costs.

Alongside core X-ray technology components, we also supply the sorting machines needed for the upstream recovery processes: � STEINERT EddyC® non-ferrous metal separator � Magnets for separating ferrous parts Download e-book for guidance on sorting options A so-called solution guide can be downloaded as an e-book (download: https://steinertglobal.com/metal-recycling/ aluminium-recycling/ ) to provide an initial overview of the opportunities provided for sorting aluminium scrap and other materials.

The e-book provides insight into both the heart of the systems – the STEINERT XSS T EVO 5.0 – as well as the upstream magnet technology and downstream fluorescence technology; of benefit to operators of

Aluminium International Today

SCRAP ALUMINIUM

aluminium shredders, secondary smelters or processors of waste incinerator ash.

The downstream fluorescence technology produces pure heavy metal fractions such as copper, brass and zinc.

Test your sorting material In the STEINERT Test and Development Centre our application specialists from the test centre and our sales team will help you solve your sorting tasks. If desired, we can directly demonstrate the potential for recovering material with STEINERT sorting technology using your own test material. You’ll benefit from skilled engineers and a combination of cutting-edge magnets, non-ferrous metal separators and sensor sorting systems in a recycling experience space.

Realistic testing can be undertaken at an industrial scale to reproduce the demands, feasibility and ROI of the planned investment and create investment security on the basis of data and facts.

Want to try out the STEINERT test centre for yourself? Simply get in touch with your personal STEINERT contact. �

Aluminium International Today

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SUSTAINABLE ALUMINIUM

Fostering the production of sustainable aluminium in Europe

By Gerd Götz*

Aluminium plays a vital role in Europe’s transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy, helping realise the EU’s ambitions of the European Green Deal. In its use phase, aluminium delivers energy and CO2 savings that enable the decarbonisation of other sectors. It is used to produce solar panels, wind turbines, lightweight vehicles, energy-efficient buildings, resourceefficient packaging or transmission cables for the transfer of renewable electricity, to only name a few examples. The endless recyclability of our metal further contributes to decarbonisation and the circular economy.

Of course, the unique properties of our metal are not enough to automatically qualify

us as a sustainable industry. Aluminium should be processed and produced in a sustainable way, from bauxite extraction to smelting operations and recycling. In our view, the conditions to qualify as sustainable aluminium must cover a multitude of elements: bE produced in a low carbon fashion, be sourced responsibly, be produced under high EHS standards equivalent to the ones we have in Europe, and respecting international social and human rights, governance, transparency and international trade rules.

Europe is already a frontrunner when it comes to producing low carbon aluminium.

The carbon intensity of European primary aluminium production in a cradle to gate

approach (i.e. from bauxite to smelting operations, including transport) in Europe (EU27+ EFTA) is much lower than the global average of 17 tCO2 per tonne of aluminium.

The carbon footprint of producing primary aluminium in Europe is 6.7 tCO2/t, which is, on average, three times lower than the carbon footprint of Chinese primary aluminium (20 tCO2/t). As indirect emissions from the electricity input account for a large part of the total CO2 emissions from the primary production process, the emissions will further decrease by 70% by 2050 as the European electricity grids decarbonise.

The consequence of the ambitious European climate policy is that the European

*Director General at European Aluminium

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Aluminium International Today

SUSTAINABLE ALUMINIUM

Gerd Götz

aluminium producers face much higher electricity prices than their main competitors because of the costs under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and other regulatory costs linked to ambitious European climate policies.

In addition, smelters face uncertainty when it comes to energy prices. The duties on unwrought aluminium in place ensure a more level playing field when competing with foreign producers. Those willing to import low carbon aluminium into the EU should play with the equivalent rules.

Secondly, China’s massive subsidised excess production and the dumping of their products on our market depress aluminium prices, threaten the competitiveness of European producers and jeopardise Europe’s sustainability goals. China’s primary production has increased from 11% of the global production to 57% in the last 15 years and shows no signs of decreasing, despite the corona crisis and a weaker domestic demand.

Importing primary aluminium from China and other regions increases the EU’s total CO2 footprint, which is completely at odds with the European Green Deal. It might surprise you to hear that this is true even if the imported aluminium has a lower CO2 footprint than the EU’s average. This is linked to the fact that the emission rights are capped by the ETS system and will be used by other industries. As long as the non-EU based production is not covered by an emission trading scheme, any import into Europe would automatically lead to an increase in the EU’s total CO2 emissions.

As I mentioned before, however, only measuring the carbon footprint of primary aluminium production is not an appropriate way to assess the sustainability performance of an aluminium product. A full life cycle assessment (LCA) and a holistic approach that considers the entire value chain is needed. The European aluminium industry is committed to taking a holistic approach to run its operations sustainably and is embracing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In addition to complying with a demanding regulatory environment, our industry has set voluntary commitments under the Sustainability Roadmap 2025 to achieve sustainable production, innovative applications and make a positive contribution to society.

That’s why we believe a proper international definition and an industry-wide label of sustainable aluminium must also not be limited to the carbon footprint of the

primary aluminium smelting process. The low carbon dimension should be a cornerstone of this definition and label, but the scope must be broadened to include an LCA approach and include sustainability standards related to the environment (industrial emissions & waste), social and human rights, governance and transparency equivalent to the high standards we have in Europe today.

Finally, recycling is an important way of saving CO2 emissions and energy while reducing our dependency on imports, but a lack of access to aluminium scrap in terms of quantity and quality limits the production of recycled aluminium. A combination of improved circular material handling, incentives for circular solutions and products and the recognition of the role of recycling in mitigating climate change are the conditions to reap the full potential of aluminium for circularity.

The European aluminium industry is exceptionally well-positioned to lead on the production of sustainable aluminium and turn its sustainability credentials into a competitive advantage in the global market. We urge EU policy makers to incentivise the production of sustainable (primary and secondary) aluminium in Europe and help level the global playing field. �

Read the position paper from European Aluminium on sustainable aluminium here: https://european-aluminium.eu/media/2990/2020-07-29-european-aluminium_fostering-the-production-of-sustainable-aluminium-in-europe.pdf

Aluminium International Today

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INDUCTION HEATING

The way forward with induction heating If you are looking for a sustainable option for heating aluminium billets, then induction heating should be your way forward. When compared with traditional gas heating, Induction heating is proven to significantly lower your energy consumption by up to 33%!

The impact this savings offers can significantly improve your margins and profitability.

At the Greener Aluminium Summit, Inductotherm Heating & Welding will be showcasing their range of Banyard precision

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induction billet heaters which have been proven in the field to significantly reduce your energy consumption when compared with gas heating.

Induction heating only uses energy whilst actively heating billets and provides cleaner more accurate heating that is engineered to meet your needs. Banyard’s reputation for accurate tapered heating for the extrusion market is both enviable and well established.

Our products have been refined over

the 50+ years we have been serving the aluminium industry. Our in-depth knowledge of aluminium processes is second to none and our tailor-made approach ensures you have equipment designed to meet your specific needs.

So why not visit our stand at the summit or book an appointment to formally or informally discuss your needs with our sales team. We look forward to talking with you soon. �

Aluminium International Today

Short but impactful headline here At lacerum alibear cidesci molupta nulpa nam, sit minis sit quamuscia ad quis eumquun turios ut as volupti untio earcimo lorepud ipitia sequia volum, solori reiunt quibusa mentiistia nulparupta volor si conem exernatio. Onsequi buscitat poratia ndelendam. earum

Be the Change!

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CONNECTING THE INTERNATIONAL ALUMINIUM INDUSTRY Published six times a year, Aluminium International Today is dedicated to the production and processing of aluminium.

Each issue contains a digest of global news, events, and statistics, company and country profiles, conference reports and regular regional economic briefings. AIT's exclusive interviews with leading industry figures are highly regarded as are its Q&A articles with major equipment suppliers and extensive features targeting specific regions of the world.

Not to mention the regular podcasts, webinars and video interviews continuously added to the website.

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www.a January/Februa luminiumtoday .com ry 2018— Vol.31 No.1

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Smart retrofitting and proc improving energy efficiency Established in 1979, Sistem Teknik specialises in the design and production of aluminium cast houses and heat treatment plants as well as industrial autoclaves for the automotive, aviation, and flat products industries. Sistem Teknik’s engineering and construction teams have built almost 1500 custom design turn-key facilities in 35 countries around the world,

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using the latest control system technologies and innovative engineering solutions. With more than 200 teammates and an R&D centre of 45 engineers, Sistem Teknik is one of the top five global producers of furnace technology in the light metal sector.

As a partner of the Horizon 2020 project Retrofeed, the company’s R&D centre focuses

on making aluminium production more ecofriendly by developing novel scrap recycling methods that reduce natural gas consumption.

With a potential to reduce energy use further by almost 25 percent, the company’s automation and software teams provide fully automated process flow systems in all heat treatment plants and cast houses.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

cess control: y in the aluminium industry Sistem Teknik’s R&D centre is one of the 18 partners of Retrofeed, a Horizon 2020 project funded by the European Commission for the implementation of smart retrofitting frameworks in the process industry. As the technology provider for the aluminium sector in this project, Sistem Teknik’s engineering team has focused on reducing the overall

energy use as well as the primary material consumption during aluminium production.

With novel applications developed for cast houses under Retrofeed, the energy consumption in melting furnaces is as low as 600 kW/ton while the NOx emission is less than 200 mg/Nm³. One of the most significant reasons for obtaining such a low value is the use of special oxygen injection systems for the pylorisation process. This application reduces the amount of natural gas necessary for melting aluminium and increases the tolerance for dyed scrap up to 10 percent. This mechanism has been designed in accordance with the organic carbon analyses of flue gases. Moreover, the use of low NOx burners and advanced filtering systems further reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in aluminium plants.

In addition to engineering solutions for the pylorisation process, the company has completed several other R&D projects specifically aiming material and fuel efficiency in cast houses such as new designs for preheating chambers, thermocouples, degassing units and furnace door sealing systems. Preheating chambers are not only crucial for operational safety to prevent explosions in cast houses but also reduce fuel use significantly by using the excess heat from melting furnaces. Furthermore, the thermocouple mechanism has been designed to prevent any deformations during the measurement process, and it is currently pending for patent approval. The new degassing unit that is used in cast houses built

by Sistem Teknik has been designed as result of CFD analyses, and another innovation that came out of the arduous R&D process pertains the furnace door sealing system. Also approved for a patent application, the sealing system is a game changer in melting furnaces as the natural gas consumption, operational safety, and product quality depend on whether the doors are leak-proof.

Parallel to mechanical improvements, Sistem Teknik’s engineering team has given emphasis on improved process control for increased energy efficiency and product quality in aluminium recycling and heat treatment. The company has been investing in a software and data science team for more than two years with the goal of creating a comprehensive software ecosystem that can manage the production lifecycle in all its cast houses and heat treatment lines.

This comprehensive ecosystem has already started operating in several aluminium cast houses and annealing lines that the company has built and is currently being adapted to existing plants. Combining machine-tomachine communication with data analytics, the software ecosystem provides crucial benefits to the company’s customers such as preventative maintenance, increased product quality, idle time minimization, and higher burner efficiency for optimal energy consumption. According to more than 50 production values recorded by the PLC system, the automatic heat transfer control reduces energy use by more than 25% compared to conventional production methods.

To conclude, Sistem Teknik has been focusing on developing new technologies that reduce energy consumption and other production costs while increasing microstructural strength of aluminium alloys.

Building on its extensive experience and knowhow on the aluminium heat treatment process, the company has dedicated all its R&D efforts towards eco-friendly engineering solutions and improved process control in the past few years. Sistem Teknik’s engineering team pushes the aluminium industry to a more sustainable future by implementing the most advanced technologies and improving designs constantly for cast houses and heat treatment plants. �

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FURNACE TECHNOLOGY

CO2ntinuus Green Ingots an the significant contribution to a greener aluminium cha

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Aluminium International Today

FURNACE TECHNOLOGY

nd Vert-Melt Furnace: n by Continuus-Properzi ain Aluminium can be defined as the most circular material being infinitely and 100% recyclable, and it can be transformed reusing all the material in the production cycle.

Through all the phases of the Aluminium Chain it is of paramount importance not to waste even one sole gram since the production of primary aluminium is energy intensive. In the electrolysis process for primary aluminium production, direct CO2 emissions occur due to the reaction between oxygen and carbon anodes and the number of anode effects results in PFC emissions. Direct emissions strongly vary with the kind of electrolysis cell used, furthermore up to 17,000 kWh of electricity can be required to produce 1 ton of aluminium.

The vision of a Greener Aluminium starts at the beginning of the Chain, where the primary aluminium is produced and is solidified in semi-finished products to be re-melted or processed for different types of productions.

In fact, the most important primary producers are already reducing the consumption of electricity by sourcing it through renewable energy to reduce the CO2 emissions during liquid aluminium production. Continuus-Properzi’s commitment to the green industry is not to dissipate the savings made by the smelters, but rather to improve them! For this purpose, we have designed processes that do not waste liquid aluminium and the energy bank inside it which is equivalent to a huge reduction of CO2 emissions.

In this article we will emphasize and illustrate Continuus Properzi’s significant contribution to reducing the CO2 emission in two links of the Aluminium Chain: solidification of the liquid aluminium into Ingots and melting of aluminium solid forms to manufacture

Aluminium International Today

aluminium products.

Continuus-Properzi started almost 30 years ago to design a new process to produce aluminium ingots to overcome the limits of the traditional ingot produced in open top moulds. Eng. Giulio Properzi, current President and CEO, had the brilliant idea to apply the Properzi continuous casting method, patented by his father the Eng. Ilario Properzi in the 1940s, for the production of ingots.

Properzi ingot casting technology has several advantages in terms of ingot quality, operational costs, procedures, and several other characteristics. However, in this article, we will focus our attention on the “Green” aspects of our Ingot.

We have called the Properzi ingots as “CO2ntinuus Green Ingots” as they greatly reduce CO2 emissions compared to traditional ingots solidified in an open top mould.

The most important aspect of Properzi technology is that the liquid aluminium solidifies inside the casting machine copper ring closed by a steel belt thereby eliminating any contact with the air.

Thanks to this key aspect, NO dross is created and consequently zero loss of aluminium. Remember, aluminium requires 17,000 kWh per ton and generates direct CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. On the contrary, the dross generated during production of open top mould ingots must be removed from each ingot, usually done manually by the operators. This equates to hundreds of tons of aluminium being converted and removed in the form of dross every year! The management and further processing of the dross produces additional CO2.

In other processes ingots are made by

saw cutting which creates aluminium waste in the form of aluminium chips thereby wasting aluminium (and the related CO2) and creating a significant environmental impact linked to the management of wet lubricants.

In the Properzi process the continuous cast bar is cut with a rotary shear that does not generate any aluminium chips. The result is evident: zero aluminium is lost by producing the CO2ntinuus Green Ingots.

Furthermore, the Properzi ingot bundles are more compact and stable than bundles of traditional open top mould ingots. This reduces the PET and/or steel strapping material require/ed to deliver a ton of ingots by about 40% which represents an equivalent savings of CO2 generated to produce it.

A detailed study of all the savings, including other benefits of our ingot casting technology, including the elimination of ‘out-of-dimension’ ingots and transportation of the same, has provided evidence that “CO2ntinuus Green Ingots” are Greener compared with other ingot types available on the market. Continuus-Properzi is also working to support our customers in certifying such CO2 savings. During the last 30 years several Properzi Ingot Casting Lines have been supplied to various secondary and primary

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aluminium smelters, including Alba, EGA, Yunnan and Rusal.

We are available to provide more information to anyone in the aluminium industry interested in producing Properzi ingots; they are the most eco-friendly and best available technology for the production of primary and secondary aluminium ingots.

Lastly, with this article, we also want to emphasize another important contribution by Continuus-Properzi in making the Aluminium chain Greener.

The next step after solidification into ingots is required by all producers of aluminium products regardless of what they are producing…the ingots must be remelted! From the environmental point of view, Melting has three key aspects: energy consumption, dross generation, and the quality of the fumes.

Properzi technology has over 40 years of experience with shaft melting furnaces, which has led to the development of the Vert-Melt family of furnaces with continuous melting speeds of up to over 10 tons per hour. Compared with the traditional melting furnaces, there are several advantages of the Vert-Melt such as easier operability, low maintenance, and more constant melting rate. Here we will limit our evaluation to the benefits related to the three green key aspects indicated below when compared with the traditional melting furnace: � Energy efficiency: higher than any kind of reverberatory furnace with an energy consumption up to 40% lower, and no need for sophisticated, energy-wasting stirring systems. � Dross generated: metal losses are three or more times less. � Emissions: significantly reduced since the melting chamber is smaller and fumes temperature is lower.

The goal of the global community is to make the aluminium chain greener and Continuus-Properzi is ready to make a significant contribution in this field, as indicated in this article. This is also the case in the copper sector, with our range of Refining Furnaces to recycle copper scrap and our revolutionary Self-Annealing rod break-down for Green Cu Wire. � For further details visits our website www.properzi.com.

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Aluminium International Today

HOW CAN WE REDUCE CO2 EMISSION? UTILIZING PROPERZI TRACK & BELT METHOD FOR INGOTS PRODUCTION Aluminium production requires tremendous energy which generates direct CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. NO dross is created in the Properzi method thereby eliminating the loss of aluminium, thus saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions.

Ingot bundles are more compact and stable: saving 40% of strapping materials (PET and/or steel) representing an equivalent savings of CO2 generated in their production.

The Properzi continuous cast bar is cut with a rotary shear that does not generate any aluminium chips.

The result is evident: zero aluminium is lost by producing the CO2ntinuus Green Ingots.

Another milestone achieved with Properzi technology in the green field!

WWW.PROPERZI.COM

SEALING SOLUTIONS

Sealing solutions for sustainable aluminium production

By Tony Carroll* In the steady march to a greener, lower carbon footprint Aluminium industry, the news tends to focus on the more recent groundbreaking developments and stories such as the ever-increasing use of renewable power generating sources such as hydro, solar, geothermal and wind, or technological breakthroughs such as the impressive inert anode technology being commercialized simultaneously now in Russia and Canada.

These developments and stories demonstrate as an industry, aluminium producers are leading the way to a truly green and sustainable future supply of one of the world’s most vital metals. But as so many professionals who have dedicated their careers to this industry know, (I am entering my 43rd year in support of aluminum smelting), environmental improvement is not a phenomenon of only the last few years.

Aluminium companies and their suppliers have been making impressive technological improvements for decades which have improved production, reduced power consumption, reduced emissions, improved the working environment inside the plants and continually reduced what has in recent years has become popularly known as their “carbon footprint”. This is where Mid-Mountain Materials, Inc.’s story begins almost half a century ago.

Mr. Don Knapp, founder of MidMountain, enjoyed a successful career in refractory design and sales with companies

Fig 1. Anode Bar Seal

Aluminium Sales/Product Development, Mid-Mountain Materials, Inc.

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Aluminium International Today

SEALING SOLUTIONS

Fig 2. External Cathode Bar Seal Boot

such as AP Green and Harbison Walker. In 1976, Don incorporat-ed Mid-Mountain Materials, Inc. in the Seattle, Washington area of the US with the intent of manufacturing process and environmental sealing solutions for a wide range of industries. As MidMountain evolved in the early years, the aluminium smelting industry became a key customer group with a large number of smelters in the Northwest. Through the years Mid-Mountain continued to grow as a key supplier to aluminium smelters worldwide, helping them to control their processes and improve their environmental performance.

Today, Mid-Mountain, still owned and operated by the Knapp family, is a vertically integrated company adhering to ISO 90012015 certified quality control standards that maintains control over every step of the manufacturing process. The evolution of Mid-Mountain’s environmental seals began in the mid 1970’s with a focus on finding durable sealing solutions to replace asbestos containing products that could continue to offer acceptable heat resistance, mechanical durability and chemical resistance.

One of the key developments from that period was the introduction of our proprietary ARMATEX® Q line of refractory impregnated and specialty coated textiles. The ARMATEX® Q line of textiles has been the basis of a wide variety of environmental seals such as hood seals, skirt seals and anode bar seals for the top end of the reduction cells. These materials

Aluminium International Today

offer excellent sealing properties, resistance to abrasion and most importantly hold up to the hydrofluoric gas atmosphere of the pot rooms, preventing escape of harmful fumes from the reduction cells.

In recent years Mid-Mountain developed and successfully implemented an innovative new concept for offering hermetic sealing to cathode bar penetrations in reduction cells.

This effort was again made possible by the creative use of our ARMATEX® Q line of textiles combined with additional materials, all manufactured by Mid-Mountain, resulting in our patented THERMOPAK® Cathode Bar Seal Boots with patents in a variety of

countries throughout the world. This unique solution to the difficult problem of sealing the cathode bar openings provides a hermetic seal for the life of the pot while allowing for the movement of the cathode bars during initial startup. The ability of our Cathode Bar Seal Boots to tolerate lateral movement and lineal expansion of the bars during start up while maintaining a hermet-ic seal ensures maximum reduction cell service life without fear of failure from early oxidation from broken or compromised rigid sealing methods. This also reduces the amount of waste from premature reduction cell rebuilds, which is another great environmental improvement for the smelters.

Moving from the pot rooms to the carbon bake plants, Mid-Mountain has developed a full range of seals, flexible boots and plugs that have allowed carbon bake plants to gain much better control of their draft and firing systems. Used together as a comprehensive sealing system in a well-maintained furnace, Mid-Mountain’s carbon bake seals can greatly reduce firing cycle times, increasing anode production with existing furnace capacity while again greatly reducing the plants “carbon footprint”.

At first glance many products manufactured by Mid-Mountain do not appear to impact environmental performance.

However, upon further examination the benefits are evident. Consider our THERMOPAK® Tray Pads which have been proven to reduce waste caused by transport

Fig 3. External Cathode Bar Seal Boots Installed

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array of seals and gaskets, however it is not purposeful to mention them all in this editorial. The focus is on those products that have the greatest impact on environmental improvement to reduce the carbon footprint in the aluminium industry. Although some products like crucible lid seals or vacuum gaskets (for removing sows from molds) cannot be Fig.5 Door Seal Gasket directly linked to carbon reduction, they are in a range of of solutions from Mid-Mountain that helps customers improve productivity, reduce waste, and indirectly improves environmental performance.

Mid-Mountain continues to invest in advanced manufacturing equipment, plant automation, and management systems that track accountability at every step of our manufacturing process while maintaining certified quality control ISO 90012015 standards, verified through external audits. We are proud to have been involved in improving the environmental perfor-mance of the aluminium industry years before terms like “global warming” and “carbon foot-print” were commonly understood phrases. Mid-Mountain looks excitedly to supplying a future “Greener Aluminum Industry” as we move to a greater future for us all. �

Fig 4. Tray Pads

and handling damage to aluminium coils in the plant by as much as 60%, meaning less material gets peeled off the coils and sent to re-melt due to transport damage in the trays. This is a very significant double benefit of scrap reduction and decreased carbon footprint to re-process scrap.

Mid-Mountain’s THERMOPAK® Door Seal Gaskets reduce harmful waste gas from escaping melting and holding furnaces while industrial flame-resistant curtains gather escaping fumes and channel them into ducts leading to the baghouse for proper treat-ment. Mid-Mountain produces and supplies such a wide

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Fig 5. Door Seal Gasket

info@mid-mountain.com mid-mountain.com

Aluminium International Today

Aluminium sealing solutions that protect the planet, people and our future.

Since 1976 Mid-Mountain Materials, has been manufacturing high performance specialty sealing components and products that provide environmental protection, emissions control, and energy conservation solutions for the Aluminium industry.

Our full range of sealing components for Pot Rooms, Cast Houses and Carbon Bake plants are made to withstand the extreme conditions your plant faces every day – high temperatures, chemical gasses and the demands of the electrolytic process.

Visit us at the Greener Aluminium Summit to learn about our THERMOPAK® Fabricated Seals and Components and innovative custom solutions we provide for primary and secondary aluminium.

Environmental Protection Products and Thermal Barriers for a Green World technical engineering product development state-of-the-art equipment custom fabrication specialty coating innovative design vertical integration info@mid-mountain.com | mid-mountain.com

(+1) 206.762.7600

CONFERENCE AGENDA

SUMMIT CONFERENCE AGENDA 2ND JUNE  DAY ONE 9am: WELCOME Nadine Bloxsome, Editor, Aluminium International Today 9.15am: KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: It Takes an Industry Lord Gregory Barker, Executive Chairman, EN+ Group Follwed by a live video Q&A 10am: Identifying & Setting Priorities Through Road Mapping of Decarbonization Projects � Dr. Trevor Bergfeldt, Global Director for Decarbonization & Sustainability, HATCH � Stephan Broek, Director of Environmental Engineering & Technology, HATCH 10.30am: Aluminium Recycling – A Catalyst for Greener Solutions � Trond Olaf Christophersen, Head of Recycling, Hydro 11am: We Make Circularity Happen: The True Pathway to Carbon Neutrality � Andy Doran, Senior Manager - Sustainability and Recycling Development, Novelis

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Aluminium International Today

CONFERENCE AGENDA 11.30am: Greener Aluminium in the Net-Zero World - What Does it Take? � Jerome Lucaes, Marketing Director, Sustainability, RUSAL 12pm Long-term Sustainability of the Aluminium Industry � Pernelle Nunez, Deputy Secretary General, Director - Sustainability, International Aluminium Institute 12.30pm: A Green Deal – A Meaningful Contribution to a Low-carbon Value Chain by HAI, Glencore and Century � Rob van Gils, CEO Hammerer Aluminium Industries � Ágúst F. Hafberg, SVP & Chief Commercial Officer at Century Aluminum � Robin Scheiner, Head Aluminium/Alumina at Glencore International AG BREAK 2pm: Greener Aluminium: When Possibility Meets Reality � Edgardo Gelsomino, Head of Aluminium Research, Wood Mackenzie 2.30pm: Decarbonizing Aluminium: Technologies and Costs � Sharon Mustri, Analyst, Bloomberg 3pm: 3pm: China’s Decarbonisation and Impact on the Aluminium Market � Yanchen Wang Phd, Managing Director, SMM Global UK Ltd 3.30pm: Corporate Sourcing of Intermittent Renewables in Europe: How to Ensure the Growth of RES PPAs � Cillian O’Donoghue, Director, Energy and Climate Change, Eurometaux – European Association of Metals 4pm: Best Practice of Sensor Sorting for Aluminium Scrap Materials and its Qualities � Jörg Schunicht, Product Management & Key Account, Steinert CLOSE OF DAY ONE

Aluminium International Today

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CONFERENCE AGENDA

3RD JUNE  DAY TWO 9am: ASI and Responsible Sourcing � Dr Fiona Solomon, CEO, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative 9.30am: Sustainability at the London Metal Exchange � Hugo Brodie, Vice President – Sustainability, London Metal Exchange 10am: A Holistic Approach to Sustainable Aluminium � Gerd Götz, Director General, European Aluminium � Sandro Starita, Director Environment, Health, Safety & Sustainability, European Aluminium � Kelly Roegies, Communications Manager, European Aluminium 10.30am: The Growing Demand for Greener Aluminium � Myles McCarthy, Director, The Carbon Trust 11am: Will the Gains for Green Aluminium be Sustainable? � Melanie Williams, Sustainability Consultant, Melanie Williams Consulting 11.30am: No Grey Areas: Towards a Genuinely Greener Global Aluminium Industry � Mike Clinch, Head of the Materials Development Group, Innoval Technology 12pm: Navigating Net Zero in Aluminium � Sandeep Jain, CFA, Senior VP and Global Consulting Lead for Power, Advisian � Jock Armstrong, Principal Consultant, Bauxite and Alumina, Advisian � Dr. Kerry-Ann Adamson, D.I.C., Manager, ACRIS, Advisian BREAK

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Aluminium International Today

CONFERENCE AGENDA

2pm: How Digitization Will Help to Achieve Carbon Free Aluminium Making � Marc Gillis, Strategic Account Manager, Rockwell Automation 2.30pm: The Cast House of the Future: Eliminating Dross from Entering Landfill and the Electrification of Industrial Heating � David D’Aoust, Sales Manager – DROSRITE™, Pyrogenesis 3pm: Energy Transition and Higher Efficiency Lead to Sustainability � Petr Tlamicha, Combustion Segment Manager, Air Products � Dr Martin Lawrence, Combustion Development Specialist, Air Products 3.30pm: Intelligent Energy Management – A Way to Advance Decarbonisation and Secure a Sustainable Future Whilst Delivering Financial Benefits for Businesses � Wayne Muncaster, VP North America, Grid Beyond � Aidan Downes, Head of Client Solutions, GridBeyond 4pm: Energy Storage Within an Energy Intensive Industry � Nigel Dent, Connected Energy Project Manager, Connected Energy 4.30pm: Greener Aluminium - Advanced Sensor Based Sorting Technologies for Aluminium Scrap Recycling � Terence Keyworth, Segment Manager Metal Recycling, TOMRA

Aluminium International Today

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KEYNOTE SPEAKER

KEYNOTE SPEAKER LORD GREGORY BARKER

CHAIRMAN OF THE EN+ BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EN+ GROUP IT TAKES AN INDUSTRY For our industry, there is an inherent contradiction. Aluminium is a metal of the future. Light yet durable and almost infinitely recyclable, aluminium is a key enabler on the path towards a more sustainable economy and a post-Covid ‘green’ recovery. Its use reduces carbon footprint across key sectors such as electric vehicles, sustainable packaging, building and construction, aerospace and others. Yet the carbon footprint of aluminium production can be a major issue, largely as a result of energyintensive smelter emissions.

Lord Barker, Executive Chairman of EN+ Group, the world’s largest producer of low carbon aluminium and independent hydropower will talk through how EN+ is committed to playing its part in leading the aluminium industry into the low carbon economy. From adopting publicly committed targets through energy transition to execution throughout the value chain, Lord Barker will talk through the steps needed to take this ‘hard to abate’ industry to net zero.

However ambitious, net zero from the leaders in our sector will not be enough if decarbonisation stalls across the industry as a whole. This requires a united front — within the industry, with other sectors and with global policymakers. If the past year has taught anything, it is not to underestimate our amazing potential for rapid scientific advancement when we have a clear mission and strong incentives for collaboration.

Every business must play its part to meet the challenge head on.

BIOGRAPHY Lord Barker was appointed Independent Chairman of the En+ Board of Directors in October 2017, immediately prior to the company’s successful London IPO. He was promoted to Executive Chairman in February 2019.

Lord Barker was previously a member of the British House of Commons from 2001 to 2015 during which time he served as UK Minister of State for Energy & Climate Change, under Prime Minister David Cameron, becoming the longest serving British energy minister for a generation.

Lord Barker chaired the London Sustainable Development Commission for Mayor Boris Johnson 2014-2016 and is non-executive chairman of EVN Group, a leading UK developer of electric vehicle infrastructure.

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Aluminium International Today

SPEAKER LME

HUGO BRODIE

VICE PRESIDENT – SUSTAINABILITY

LONDON METAL EXCHANGE SUSTAINABILITY AT THE LONDON METAL EXCHANGE Metals are an essential enabler of a sustainable future, and as global demand for metals increases, so will the expectations on sustainable standards. Within the LME’s own business and in the metals and mining industries more widely, the LME is committed to both driving and lending support to sustainability initiatives. We believe we have a

collective responsibility as an industry to drive meaningful change in this space.

Working together, we can make metals the cornerstone of a sustainable future.

transparency of and access to sustainably produced metal – such as low carbon aluminium – as well as to metal that itself plays a significant role in global decarbonisation and the circular economy – such as EV materials and scrap metals.

Our strategy aims to provide the metals industry with the option of gaining greater

BIOGRAPHY Hugo is Vice President for Sustainability at the London Metal Exchange. Prior to this he was driving the launch of new metal products undertaken by the Exchange. Hugo joined the LME in September 2015, having previously worked in Integrated Supply & Trading at BP in both trading and risk roles.

Aluminium International Today

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SPEAKERS HATCH

DR.TREVOR BERGFELDT

STEPHAN BROEK

GLOBAL DIRECTOR,

DIRECTOR OF

DECARBONIZATION &

ENVIRONMENTAL

SUSTAINABILITY

ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

HATCH IIDENTIFYING & SETTING PRIORITIES THROUGH ROAD MAPPING OF DECARBONIZATION PROJECTS Organizations globally are on taking action to combat the effects of climate change by developing decarbonization road maps, including alumina refining as well as aluminium smelting. In this talk you will hear from of our three leaders in their respective fields with a single goal, which is to help producers develop and, ultimately, meet their climate change goals.

The first element of the talk is an introduction

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of global decarbonization drivers and key developments that are of importance to our industry. This converges in presenting a proven methodology to identifying opportunities in operations to reduce GHG emissions (Scopes 1 and 2). A key element of this is prioritizing initiatives that can be implemented in the short term, together with a portfolio of initiatives to achieve longer-term goals. This methodology enables an operator to develop an actionable road map of initiatives to achieve

carbon and energy reduction targets.

The second and third element is a discussion of how this applies in alumina refining and aluminium smelting, respectively. Concrete examples are discussed with the aim to create a full understanding that this is not a small effort and that many stakeholders will have to work together across the value chain to achieve our collective net-zero ambitions.

Aluminium International Today

SPEAKERS HATCH

BIOGRAPHIES DR.TREVOR BERGFELDT Trevor has twenty years of experience in project delivery, business and technology development, operations management, and resource efficiency. He started his career with Cominco (now Teck Resources) at the integrated lead/zinc smelter in Trail with roles in applied research, technical support, production engineering, and project management. Prior to joining Hatch, he held management and executive roles with global process equipment and cleantech suppliers. Trevor holds BSc and PhD degrees in Chemistry from the University of Saskatchewan.

Aluminium International Today

STEPHAN BROEK Stephan is a graduate from the University of Amsterdam in Chemical Engineering and a senior member of the Center of Excellence in Aluminium smelting. In 2021 he will celebrate being 30 years of out of school and can (normally) be found all over the world. Stephan is dedicated to aluminium smelting projects worldwide and an active participant in key industry conferences. He is the lead organizer and instructor in the TMS Environment (PFSE) training course normally held once a year.

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SPEAKERS ADVISIAN

JOCK ARMSTRONG

DR. KERRY-ANN ADAMSON, D.I.C.

SANDEEP JAIN,CFA

SENIOR VP AND

PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT,

MANAGER,

GLOBAL CONSULTING

BAUXITE AND

ACRIS

LEAD FOR POWER

ALUMINA

ADVISIAN NAVIGATING NET ZERO ALUMINIUM Our team from Worley and Advisian present a roadmap to low carbon aluminium production. We examine the complex issues around decarbonization across the aluminium

value chain−from bauxite mining to alumina refining to aluminium smelting. And we dive into the critical issues and challenges that producers face in implementing changes

in their production processes to meet sustainability targets.

BIOGRAPHIES Jock is an alumina industry expert with more than 25 years of experience in alumina refining, including process optimization, systems design and operational improvement.

He brings detailed insight on the challenges facing the industry to “go green” and the technologies that will get us there.

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Dr. Kerry-Ann Adamson has been working in the energy transition space for over 20 years, specializing in fuel cells, hydrogen and the dynamics of new technology adoption. Understanding that the energy transition needs to be much more than a saying but requires deep structural changes in business, industry and society, she led a team of engineers and consultants to develop the Advisian Carbon Risk Index Service (ACRIS).

Sandeep is a Finance and Business Development Executive with over two decades of experience in international energy markets. He’s led many power consulting projects and M&A transactions, with a focus on greenfield development activities and project financing. As leader of Advisian’s global power consulting business, Sandeep is driving initiatives focused on helping clients navigate sustainability and energy transition challenges.

Aluminium International Today

SPEAKERS

EUROPEAN ALUMINIUM

GERD GÖTZ

DIRECTOR GENERAL

SANDRO STARITA

KELLY ROEGIES

DIRECTOR

MANAGER

ENVIRONMENT,

COMMUNICATIONS,

HEALTH, SAFETY &

MODERATOR

SUSTAINABILITY

EUROPEAN ALUMINIUM A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE ALUMINIUM The European aluminium industry is committed to taking a holistic approach to run its operations sustainably and is embracing the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

In addition to complying with Europe’s demanding regulatory environment, the industry has set voluntary commitments under the Sustainability Roadmap Towards 2025 to achieve sustainable production, innovative applications and a positive contribution to

society. In addition, its Vision 2050 and a detailed Circular Aluminium Action Plan complete its sustainability ambitions.

Any comprehensive definition of sustainable aluminium must consider all steps of the aluminium value chain, from sourcing raw materials to the management of the end-of-life of products, holistically covering all relevant sustainability aspects along environmental,

social, and governance pillars.

In this session, European Aluminium will present its short and mid-term sustainability programme, its approach towards the concept of sustainable aluminium, and what the EU/industry can do to foster sustainable aluminium production in Europe.

BIOGRAPHIES Gerd Götz has been Director General of European Aluminium since 2013. Gerd has held different managing roles in public affairs, corporate communications and brand management in Berlin, Hamburg, Brussels and Amsterdam. He was most recently Vice President and Global Head of Public Affairs with Royal Philips. A German national, he studied Business Administration and Economics in Berlin and Paris-Dauphine, and earned his Ph.D. from Berlin’s Free University.

Aluminium International Today

Sandro Starita joined European Aluminium in 2008 and holds his current position since 2013. In the past, he worked in the Italian steel association’s technical department after dealing with the evaluation of industrial research projects, safety in the workplace, and remediation of polluted sites.

He holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Politecnico di Milano (Italy) and an Executive MBA degree at MIP, the Business School of the Politecnico di Milano.

Kelly Roegies joined European Aluminium in August 2017 as Manager Communications. Prior to joining, she worked as a Strategic Communications Manager for a non-profit organisation and a Virtual Reality start-up company. She has also worked as a Senior Corporate Communications Consultant for FTI Consulting, a marketleading global business advisory firm. She holds a Bachelor degree in Communication, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins (UAL) and a Master’s degree in History of Art from the University of Oxford.

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SPEAKERS HAI, GLENCORE

ROBIN SCHEINER

ROB C.J. VAN GILS

ÁGÚST HAFBERG

SENIOR VICE

HEAD ALUMINIUM/ ALUMINA,

CEO & MANAGING

PRESIDENT & CHIEF

GLENCORE

PARTNER,

COMMERCIAL OFFICER

INTERNATIONAL AG

HAI GROUP

CENTURY

HAI, GLENCORE, CENTURY ALUMINUM A GREEN DEAL – A MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION TO A LOW-CARBON VALUE CHAIN BY HAI, GLENCORE AND CENTURY Thanks to its unique properties, Aluminium is the metal of the future and can drive the transition to a climate-neutral economy. The worldwide demand in aluminium is rising constantly and the aluminium industry thereby makes a major contribution to low carb applications. Beside of the increase of the scrap share we count at HAI on the use of sustainable produced primary aluminium to contribute to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Based on this consequent sustainability strategy HAI can offer aluminium products with one of the lowest CO2 footprints to its customers.

The Green Deal from HAI with its longstanding partners Glencore and Century is

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therefore an essential element.

As the world’s largest independent aluminium trader, Glencore International AG has a unique view and understanding of the aluminium market. Consequently, Glencore is able to spot trends, and facilitate large-scale transactions between up- and downstream industrial stakeholders, thus improving market efficiency all along the value chain. Mindful of the responsibility and potential as an actor in the aluminium industry’s structural transition to low-carbon production, Glencore takes an active role in promoting and contributing to a greener and more sustainable economy. The Green Deal is only the beginning.

Companies around the globe are using aluminium to make products safer, lighter, increasingly fuel efficient and more recyclable. Century applies its specialized knowledge and experience in the primary aluminium industry in order to work to continuously evolve and continue to deliver consistent, high-quality products to our customers while also striving to meet our commitment to improved sustainability of our operations. Producing aluminium with one of the lowest CO2 footprints seen in the world is something Century prides itself on. Natur-Al™ is produced at Norðurál, our plant in Iceland, with a total carbon footprint below four tons CO₂ per tonne of aluminium.

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SPEAKERS CENTURY AL.

BIOGRAPHIES Robin Scheiner joined Glencore in March 2009 and serves as head of the company’s aluminium & alumina department.

Before he was promoted to his current role, he worked in various different areas within the same department such as operations, controlling, and physical trading. In 2016 he was appointed as head of the aluminium department, whilst he took over responsibility for the merged aluminium & alumina division three years later in 2019.

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Hammerer Aluminium Industries (HAI), headquartered in Ranshofen, Austria is one of the biggest family owned businesses within the European aluminium industry operating out of 8 locations across Europe.

After taking over responsibility as Group CEO Rob has significantly changed the portfolio of HAI group over the last years.

Supported by consequent investments in back- and forward integration HAI today covers the whole value chain from recycling, billet production, extrusions and aluminium components for B&C, Industrial Applications and the Transportation Industry.

Rob brings to his position a well-established background in mechanical engineering and business administration. Prior to his role as CEO he held several management positions within HAI and AMAG resulting in more than 20 years of experience in the Aluminium Industry.

Agust Hafberg has been with Century since 2007 and served in a variety of commercial and business development roles before being promoted to Senior Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer in February 2019. Before joining Century, Mr. Hafberg held several management positions in shipping, logistics and consulting in Europe.

Mr. Hafberg holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from University of Iceland.

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SPEAKER HYDRO

TROND OLAF CHRISTOPHERSEN

HEAD OF RECYCLING

HYDRO ALUMINIUM RECYCLING – A CATALYST FOR GREENER SOLUTIONS Trond will talk about the aluminium industry’s role in working together to ensure that we

as an industry reduce our actual emissions, develop greener solutions for end consumers

and work towards the common goal of a 1,5 degree world.

BIOGRAPHY Trond has more than 20 years’ experience in different management positions within Hydro, including asset management, business development and commercial market operations within Hydro Oil & Gas, Hydro Energy and Hydro Aluminium. He has been plant manager at Hydro’s Karmøy aluminium smelter in Norway, head of the Extrusion Ingot Product Area as well as Head of Primary Metal Commercial, the global marketing and sales organisation, i.a., responsible for developing Hydro’s greener product offerings, Hydro CIRCAL and Hydro REDUXA. From January 2021, Trond has headed the Recycling Business Unit in Hydro.

Trond holds a MSc Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway/ University of Bath, UK and a Master of Management Degree from BI Norwegian Business School, Norway.

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Aluminium International Today

SPEAKER STEINERT

JÖRG SCHUNICHT

PRODUCT MANAGEMENT & KEY ACCOUNT

STEINERT UPGRADE OF ALUMINIUM SCRAP AND ITS QUALITY POTENTIAL Various Aluminium scrap materials become increasingly relevant in helping the industry worldwide to achieve the targets for low carbon footprint products. Producers of

Aluminium using recycling materials require high quality standards. Sensor based sorting is key to increase scrap qualities of profiles, sheets and also certain cast material. State

of the art sensor sorting provides what new markets are looking for. In this webinar we will have a look into qualities of typical scrap materials and into upgrading in practise.

BIOGRAPHY Jörg is the interface between technology and sales at Steinert. His aim is to transfer customer needs and market trends into the company and to train his sales colleagues on recycling application and product solutions.

He has 20+ years experience in recycling of metals and plastics and is a graduated Industrial Engineer.

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SPEARKERS AIR PRODUCTS

MARTIN LAWRENCE

PETR TLAMICHA

COMBUSTION

COMBUSTION

DEVELOPMENT

SEGMENT MANAGER,

SPECIALIST

EUROPE

AIR PRODUCTS ENERGY TRANSITION AND HIGHER EFFICIENCY LEAD TO SUSTAINABILITY Air Products are a global industrial gases and technology provider, focusing on efforts to improve sustainability for themselves as well as their customers, setting a target to reduce their carbon footprint by 30% by 2030. Air Products, as the largest hydrogen producer worldwide, are well positioned for decarbonisation, with proven carbon capture technologies that are already in operation on their own SMR hydrogen production facilities.

Furthermore, Air Products are the first company in the world to begin building a large-scale green hydrogen production facility, namely the NEOM project, which will provide hydrogen for mobility projects and the industry transition in Europe from 2025.

A considerable portion of the CO2 emissions from industry comes from combustion

Martin Lawrence joined the Air Products Graduate Scheme in 2013 after completing his PhD in Mechanical Engineering, studying combustion fundamentals. For the last 5 years he has worked in the combustion applications group, developing and implementing combustion technology onto customer processes in the non-ferrous metals industry.

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processes and Air Products helps their customers achieve their sustainability targets with the latest oxyfuel technologies, which are also capable of using hydrogen or hydrogen/natural gas fuel blending. Even though natural gas is a relatively low carbon fuel, oxyfuel technology improves combustion efficiency and hence, reduces energy consumption per ton of product, thereby reducing carbon footprint. Switching from airfuel systems to Air Products bespoke oxyfuel combustion technology can improve fuel consumption by up to 50% and it follows that carbon emissions are reduced by the same amount, as well as reducing flue gas volumes by up to 70%. The enhanced efficiency also leads to increased productivity from 25-40% or more and product yield can also be seen to increase in the range of 0.5-2%, leading to

BIOGRAPHIES

increased profit margins.

Air Products have also focused recent efforts into Industry 4.0 technology, with Air Products Process Intelligence (APPI), enabling equipment for different industrial applications with smart process control. In line with this approach, APPI Process Advisor creates a digital twin of the melting process and uses real time and historical data to provide live feedback to operators on how to control the furnace to improve operational consistency and minimise human error. The results have shown a reduction in energy usage and carbon emissions of up to 15%, shorter melting times by up to 10% and an improved yield of 0.5%.

Petr Tlamicha, after completing his studies at the Technical University of Liberec in the Czech Republic, joined Air Products in 1998, where he went through various engineering and sales positions. For the last 10 years he has been leading the combustion segment group in Europe, focusing on the development and sales of new and sustainable technologies across different industrial sectors, including non-ferrous materials.

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SPEAKER NOVELIS

ANDY DORAN

SENIOR MANAGER SUSTAINABILITY AND RECYCLING DEVELOPMENT

NOVELIS EUROPE WE MAKE CIRCULARITY HAPPEN. THE TRUE PATHWAY TO CARBON NEUTRALITY The lowest carbon and most sustainable aluminium is recycled aluminium; reusing aluminium that already exists. At Novelis, we are building on the infinite recyclability of aluminium to make circularity happen, bringing the aluminium back into the loop again and again to manufacture new high-quality products, from beverage cans to automobiles, in line with our Purpose of Shaping a Sustainable World Together.

We recently announced our ambition to be the world’s leading provider of low-carbon,

sustainable aluminium solutions that advance our business, industry and society toward the benefit of a circular economy. Working alongside customers, suppliers, communities, policymakers and other partners, the cornerstone of this ambition is to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2050 or sooner and to reduce our carbon footprint by 30 percent by 2026.

Our low carbon, sustainable aluminium solutions help our customers achieve their

own sustainability goals, reduce emissions and preserve our precious natural resources.

The most effective way to reduce the carbon footprint of the aluminium used in final products is to maximize the recyclability and recycled content. Making circularity happen, again and again. We look forward to working with all partners along the value chain to progress on our pathway to carbon neutrality, and help make aluminium the material of choice now and for future generations.

BIOGRAPHY Following his education in Earth and Environmental Science in Kingston and Bath Universities, Andy has worked in the resources field for the last thirty years in both the public and private sector with local and national Government in the UK and Novelis Europe. Andy joined Novelis, the world’s largest recycler of aluminium in 2006 and now leads on recycling development and sustainability activities in the Novelis Europe group as Novelis become established as the producer of low-carbon, sustainable aluminum solutions.

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SPEAKER RUSAL

JEROME LUCAES

MARKETING DIRECTOR, SUSTAINABILITY

RUSAL GREENER ALUMINIUM IN THE NET-ZERO WORLD - WHAT DOES IT TAKE? En+ Group and RUSAL are firmly committed to greener aluminium and to becoming netzero by 2050. Jerome Lucaes, Marketing Director, Sustainability, at RUSAL (En+ Group), the world’s largest producer of low-carbon aluminium and independent hydropower, will share an insider’s view on the evolution of ‘greener’ aluminium concept.

This presentation will dive into the role of decarbonisation of electricity and fuel switching, the outlook for the role of R&D, particularly the breakthrough inert anode

technology that will eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from smelting, carbon pricing and regulation mechanisms, as well as changes observed in buyers’ attitudes. All these aspects are essential to the journey toward net zero future of the aluminium industry.

Recent months have seen major changes in the aluminium sector. There is a new paradigm and it includes commitments to zero carbon, low-carbon aluminium emerging as a distinct market category, and the market starting to differentiate the value of aluminium based on

its carbon content.

And, as market requirements expand beyond carbon footprint, with a broadening range of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects, RUSAL continues to advocate for the decarbonization of the entire value chain and for transparent disclosures of ‘green’ aluminium credentials that include carbon footprint, energy sources, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) certification, among others.

BIOGRAPHY Jerome Lucaes is Marketing Director, Sustainability, at RUSAL. His main responsibilities involve working with customers and stakeholders to accelerate the industry’s transition to a zero carbon. Jerome has 22 years of international business experience in sales, marketing, business development, innovation, and general management. He spent his last 15 years in the aluminium industry (both downstream and upstream sectors, previously with Rio Tinto Alcan). Jerome was also a co-founder and forefront leader of the early development of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative. Jerome holds an engineering master degree from the French Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées and a MBA from Paris.

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SPEAKER

MW CONSULTING

MELANIE WILLIAMS

SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT

MELANIE WILLIAMS CONSULTING WILL THE GAINS FOR GREEN ALUMINIUM BE SUSTAINABLE? Green aluminium has, for the first time, received a premium over standard prices in Europe according to a number of sources.

The recent news has been about low carbon primary aluminium, which refers mainly to aluminium smelted with renewable electricity.

But the term ‘green aluminium’ covers different

types of aluminium, including recycled aluminium, all with reduced environmental impact. So which green aluminium will be next to benefit and will the gains be sustainable?

products and producing them from sustainably sourced raw materials. My presentation will look at the latest information on regulatory and reputational factors driving demand for sustainable aluminium and its products.

There are both financial and reputational arguments for reducing the carbon footprint of

BIOGRAPHY Melanie is an ASI registered specialist, helping companies implement the requirements of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative. She started her career with BP, spending ten years developing new processes for the chemicals and refining businesses. She also worked in technology licensing, intellectual property management and competitor analysis for BP. Melanie has extensive experience of environmental measurement from her work as Group Leader for SERCO at the National Physical Laboratory in the UK, for over ten years. In 2012 Melanie started her own company, which offers strategic consulting and practical support on sustainability and the environment, working with processors, producers, and sustainability schemes. Melanie has an MA in Natural Sciences and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge.

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SPEAKER IAI

PERNELLE NUNEZ

DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL, DIRECTOR, SUSTAINABILITY

INTERNATIONAL ALUMINIUM INSTITUTE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THE ALUMINIUM INDUSTRY Aluminium’s unique combination of properties makes it a valued material across many enduse markets. Global demand for aluminium is expected to grow by 80% over the next 30 years. This growth reflects aluminium’s potential as a material that can enable sustainable development and provide solutions to global challenges. As societal expectations and momentum towards a

more sustainable future builds, the aluminium industry must continue to adapt, minimising the impacts associated with production of the metal today while also developing technological pathways for the future.

The International Aluminium Institute has brought together its long-standing material flow analyses, life cycle analyses, waste management experience and industry statistics

to provide a holistic view of the long-term sustainability of the industry. This presentation will: provide an overview of future demand scenarios for aluminium to 2050 and potential pathways for GHG reduction across the sector; and highlight opportunities to advance the technological developments that will be needed to meet growing demand whilst reducing environmental impacts.

BIOGRAPHY Pernelle has over 10 years of experience in the metals and mining industry. She began her career at CRU where she was a part of the consulting team and worked on a range of market strategy and valuation projects across the base metals, aluminium and iron ore markets.

Pernelle joined the International Aluminium Institute in 2015 and is the Deputy Secretary General and Director of Sustainability. She is responsible for the Institute’s broad sustainability work program and has worked on a range of collaborative industry projects including; life cycle impact assessment, environmental footprint analyses, sustainable waste management and GHG emissions accounting.

Pernelle was a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 2019 Methodology Report Update to the 2006 National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Guidelines. She is also responsible for the IAI’s work on bauxite mining, which encompasses issues such as biodiversity and community engagement. Pernelle holds a MSci Geology (Hons) from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London and a Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainable Value Chains from the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

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SPEARKER

WOOD MACKENZIE

EDGARDO GELSOMINO

HEAD OF ALUMINIUM RESEARCH

WOOD MACKENZIE GREENER ALUMINIUM: WHEN POSSIBILITY MEETS REALITY Aluminium is part of the solution for a greener global economy. However, the industry’s carbon footprint remains high – in China and the rest of the world. Solutions to this problem will take time and will require large capital investment.

During his presentation, Edgardo will give a high-level overview on the following topics: Global targets Challenges for the aluminium industry: Power sources

Smelter technology Value chain Recycling Market dislocation

BIOGRAPHY Edgardo Gelsomino joined Wood Mackenzie in 2010. Over the past 25 years, he gained a wide experience covering the various stages of the aluminium value chain.

Before joining Wood Mackenzie Edgardo held positions at an aluminium producer and at two other recognised research organisations.

He has a degree in Economics from University of Buenos Aires.

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SPEAKER BLOOMBERG

SHARON MUSTRI

ANALYST

BLOOMBERG DECARBONISING ALUMINIUM: TECHNOLOGY & COSTS Aluminium is one of the world’s most widely used metals. It is also a major source of carbon emissions. As the industry faces growing pressure to decarbonise,

BloombergNEF has analysed the technologies that can be used to produce zero-carbon aluminium.

We find that zero-carbon aluminium can be cheaper with certain technologies, but each pathway will encounter its unique challenges.

BIOGRAPHY Sharon Mustri is an analyst at BloombergNEF in New York. Her research spans the battery supply chain, sustainable industry and mining, and market trends in North and Latin America. Prior to joining BNEF, Sharon conducted research across energy and environmental topics more broadly. She holds BAs in Economics and in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in Energy and Resources.

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Aluminium International Today

SPEAKER CARBON TRUST

MYLES MCCARTHY

DIRECTOR

CARBON TRUST THE GROWING DEMAND FOR GREENER ALUMINIUM Extraction and production of aluminium is an energy intensive process often linked to high carbon emissions. With a fast growing focus on whole value chain emission reduction in many sectors that use aluminium in their

products, the importance of selected sourcing and recycling of aluminium in a range of sectors is becoming clear. This is beginning to create a differentiation in alternatively sourced aluminium supplies and increasing the

demands for aluminium labelling and tracking.

This session will consider some examples of this growing practice and consider some of the implications for the global aluminium industry.

BIOGRAPHY Over more than 15 years at Carbon Trust, Myles has developed and led a range of major programmes in areas including driving investment into low carbon technology innovation, and the provision of business advice and support for the implementation of energy efficiency technologies.

He is currently the main relationship manager for a number of multinational corporate clients, supporting their development of sector-leading sustainability strategies, such as the setting of science-based carbon reduction targets and renewable energy strategies.

Myles is also the Carbon Trust’s lead on electric vehicles and broader e-mobility strategies, which includes work as the technical partner for the Climate Group’s EV100 initiative. He is a regular commentator on corporate sustainability and energy efficiency technologies in the media.

Myles is a Chartered Accountant, having spent his earlier career at KPMG in audit and financial consultancy, as well as supporting start-up technology businesses. He has a degree in Applied Physics from the University of Durham.

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SPEAKER ASI

FIONA SOLOMON

CEO

ALUMINIUM STEWARDSHIP INITIATIVE

ASI AND RESPONSIBLE SOURCING ASI’s mission is to recognise and collaboratively foster responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium.

In December 2017, ASI launched its comprehensive certification program for the aluminium value chain, covering both performance and chain of custody. In February 2021, ASI has grown to more than 140 members, and nearly 100 Certifications issued for operations across 34 countries and

counting.

ASI aims to provide an international benchmark for performance and procurement that covers a wide range of sustainability issues for the aluminium sector, including GHG, biodiversity, human rights and material stewardship. The challenge for all aluminium value chain participants is to tackle impacts and opportunities proactively, so as to maximise the contribution of aluminium to

a sustainable society. It is vital to take a comprehensive approach to responsible sourcing, as a single issue focus hides the inter-connections between sustainability issues and leaves blind spots in complex supply chains. This presentation will provide an overview of ASI’s mission, its impacts so far, and its forward plans, as well as a discussion of the broader landscape for responsible sourcing of aluminium.

BIOGRAPHY Fiona is the Chief Executive Officer of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), which she joined in March 2015 with the responsibility for leading the development and implementation of ASI’s strategy and operations. Her career has specialised in building new and innovative initiatives in mineral supply chains over more than twenty years. She was previously Director – Standards Development at the Responsible Jewellery Council from 2007 to 2015, where she developed a certification program for gold, diamonds and platinum group metals which has been adopted by more than 1000 companies across the supply chain from mine to retail.

She has served as a Board Member of the ISEAL Alliance and a founding member of the OECD’s Multi-Stakeholder Steering Group for responsible mineral supply chains. From 1997, Fiona worked for ten years at Australia’s CSIRO, leading research into mining and sustainability, and was also seconded to WWF to manage a multi-stakeholder project on the feasibility of mine-site certification. She has a Bachelors degree (Hons 1) in mechanical engineering and a PhD in philosophy of technology, both from the University of Queensland, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

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SPEAKERS GRID BEYOND

WAYNE MUNCASTER

AIDAN DOWNES

VP NORTH AMERICA

HEAD OF CLIENT

GRIDBEYOND

SOLUTIONS

INTELLIGENT ENERGY MANAGEMENT – A WAY TO ADVANCE DECARBONISATION AND SECURE A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE WHILST DELIVERING FINANCIAL BENEFITS FOR BUSINESSES The Energy Transition is upon us! Legally binding net-zero targets, combined with a strong social pressure to move away from fossil fuels, create both challenges and significant opportunities for the energy intensive aluminium sector. As grid operators work to increase the integration of renewables in the energy mix, they count on large energy users to become more

active participants of the energy markets and provide additional flexibility to the network.

In his presentation, Wayne Muncaster will discuss the ways in which aluminium businesses can benefit from the transitioning energy markets and how advanced AIpowered energy technologies improve business sustainability, green credentials and

operational resilience. All whilst generating substantial savings, new streams of revenue and without any capital expenditure or impact on the production processes. The participants will learn about grid ancillary services, the optimisation of the on-site load, generation and energy storage assets, and how machine learning technologies and robotic trading help businesses manage price volatility.

BIOGRAPHY Wayne is a global expert on evolving energy markets and the green energy transition, and the effects this has on market participants and energy consumers. Starting out over 20 years ago in the most advanced European energy markets and the first to deregulate, Wayne has been on the frontline when it comes to the direction of markets and the increasing importance of technology.

Building on over a decade of experience in enabling some of the largest global energy consumers, generators, distributors, utilities, and grid operators to participate in the financial and operational benefits of the most advanced energy markets, Wayne is in an optimum position to advise I&C businesses in the aluminium sector on their participation in energy services. Having successfully led professional teams throughout his career, specialising in technology, software and services within the UK and EU energy markets, Wayne is now bringing GridBeyond’s technology to North America.

Wayne’s invaluable knowledge and expertise have secured him a spot as one of the industry’s authoritative voices, and he is regularly asked to speak at events and conferences.

Aidan is electrically qualified with experience across several industries. Since joining GridBeyond in 2017, Aidan has managed the customer facing technical team in designing technical solutions, developing proposals and overseeing project delivery in the UK, US, and Irish markets.

Prior to joining GridBeyond, Aidan spent years working as a field / project engineer for Rockwell Automation both in the UK and Ireland delivering automated solutions across all the different industrial sectors. Aidan developed extensive practical experience programming PLC’s, configuring VSD’s and commissioning bespoke solutions to a wide range of clients.

Aidan is electrically qualified with a background in the Aggregates industry. He has a BEng (Hons) in Electrical Engineering with Edinburgh Napier University and a Level 9 Postgraduate Diploma in Management & Marketing from the Dublin Institute of Technology. Aidan is also Prince 2 certified.

Aluminium International Today

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SPEAKER INNOVAL TECH

DR MIKE CLINCH

SENIOR CONSULTANT AND MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT GROUP LEADER

INNOVAL TECHNOLOGY LTD NO GREY AREAS: TOWARDS A GENUINELY GREENER GLOBAL ALUMINIUM INDUSTRY This talk will explore recent developments to implement cleaner primary aluminium production while emphasising that this needs to be accompanied by greater adoption of high recycled content alloys. Technology

and innovation has a vital role to play in order to advance understanding and verify the performance and integrity of recycled alloys. We will also need to work together collaboratively in order to challenge

traditional thinking, develop new standards and overcome barriers to more widespread use of secondary alloys in major industry sectors.

BIOGRAPHY Dr Mike Clinch is Senior Consultant and Materials Development Group Leader at Innoval Technology Ltd, a UK-based consultancy business providing technical support and strategic services to the global aluminium industry and its extended supply chain.

Mike joined Innoval Technology in January 2018. He has responsibility for overseeing the company’s collaborative R&D projects, as well as development work with existing clients.

Mike previously worked at Alcan and Luxfer Group where he held several leadership team positions in technology and innovation, strategic product development at businesses across the UK and USA. He has a BEng in Materials Technology and completed a PhD in Thermomechanical Processing of Aluminium Alloys at the University of Nottingham, UK, after being awarded an Industrial Fellowship from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851.

Mike has recently been elected Vice President of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) where he is also Chair of the Technology Communities Board (TCB). In addition to his role at Innoval Technology and his IOM3 activities, Mike also holds advisory board positions at a number of universities in the UK and USA.

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Aluminium International Today

SPEAKER

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION

MARC GILLIS

STRATEGIC ACCOUNT MANAGER

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION

HOW DIGITIZATION WILL HELP TO ACHIEVE CARBON FREE In today’s aluminium industry we are facing challenges to meet Paris Agreements.

Aluminium is made with too much carbon exhaust gasses as a by-product.

This due to the high electricity consumption, the making and use of carbon anodes as well as the traffic of goods that is ran by fossil fuel driven technology. All these technologies can be modified and existing technologies

can be altered to make our word cleaner.

But it will take efforts and precise, digitized measurements and reporting that help us to make the right decisions.

BIOGRAPHY Marc Gillis has a long term experience with Aluminium Smelters all over Europe, Middle East and Africa. He assists Aluminium Smelters, EPC’s and OEM’s to help creating a long term vision on technology implementation and maintenance, and on related processes and change management. The Digital impact on the Aluminium Industry is one of his key focuses.

Marc Gillis is leading a team that helps customers with the acquisition, development and co-ordination of the delivery of smart, safe and sustainable production solutions. His team works with businesses that want to increase output and improve efficiency.

After graduating as Engineer in Automation, Electronics and Computer Science, Marc started his career in ABB and joined Rockwell Automation in 2004, covering different roles as consultant, smelter project manager, sales and industry leader in EMEA. Marc brings more than 34 years of experience in Metals industry, Rockwell Automation deliver high quality automation platforms, leading edge technology and solutions from extraction through processing plant and machine builders. High attention is always on new and emerging technologies, and finding new ways that help to improve operational efficiencies, maximise yield recoveries, meet regulatory requirements, and maintain safe or zero-harm environments.

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SPEAKER PYROGENESIS

DAVID D’AOUST

SALES MANAGER

DROSRITE™, PYROGENESIS

THE CAST HOUSE OF THE FUTURE: Eliminating Dross from Entering Landfill and the Electrification of Industrial Heating PyroGenesis presents its vision for the green

aluminium smelters cast-house of the future, from a zero land-fill and low energy dross management strategy, to the elimination of

fossil fuel / GHG emitting heating sources across a primary or secondary smelters operations.

BIOGRAPHY David D’Aoust is a business development manager specialising in PyroGenesis’ Aluminium Environmental Services business segment. He is passionate about driving increased adoption of environmental technologies that help to preserve nature, while improving operating economics and achieving cost reductions for aluminium smelters.

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SPEAKER EUROMETAUX

CILLIAN O DONOGHUE

ENERGY AND CLIMATE DIRECTOR EUROMETAUX – EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF METALS CORPORATE SOURCING OF INTERMITTENT RENEWABLES IN EUROPE: HOW TO ENSURE THE GROWTH OF RES PPAS Long terms PPAs have been part of the aluminium industry’s strategy for decades as both investors and financial institutions alike seek to diversify market-/price- risk long term (e.g. 20 years).

Cillian will drive the audience through the following: - Why, how and where in Europe we are signing long term PPAs with intermittent renewables (Wind and solar);

- The conditions needed to unlock PPAs with these renewables beyond the Nordic power market; and - Some regulatory recommendations to encourage more RES PPAs

BIOGRAPHY Cillian O’Donoghue has been leading the Eurometaux Energy and Climate Change Committee for 4 years, mainly dealing with the EU emissions Trading System, Electricity Market Regulations and Energy Competition matters.

Prior to this, he worked for five years at FleishmanHillard where he specialised in EU Energy and Climate legislation. He spent time at the European Commission DG Energy, where he focused on gas security supply in Central Europe. He holds MAs in both Economics and International Relations and European Studies.

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SPEAKER

CONNECTED ENERGY

NIGEL DENT

CONNECTED ENERGY PROJECT MANAGER

CONNECTED ENERGY

ENERGY STORAGE WITHIN AN ENERGY INTENSIVE INDUSTRY The move towards distributed nondispatchable renewable generation is adding complexity into the energy model and the technical and market mechanisms that will enable load to match generation will continue to evolve for some time yet. What

is clear however, is that energy will continue to become an increasingly important cost component in the manufacturing industry, and that energy is not as simple as it used to be.

connection constraints, and complexity around on-site energy generation, this presentation will look at the challenges facing energy intensive users and discuss solutions of how energy storage can help mitigate them.

With peak loads, energy spikes breaching

BIOGRAPHY With 20+ years project management experience in the low carbon energy and manufacturing sectors, Nigel has worked with Connected Energy over the past 3 years to deliver a range of energy storage systems using second life electric car batteries. Nigel is currently leading the delivery of two large multi partner multi scale battery storage projects with a combined value over £15m. In the emerging energy storage sector, a key focus for Nigel is to provide customers with end-to-end expertise and support in delivering projects on time and within budget.

Nigel spent over eight years with Rolls-Royce delivering multi-million pound energy infrastructure projects to a range of UK and European customers. He led the programme management team for the East of England Renewable Energy Agency to deliver a programme of renewable energy infrastructure projects and delivered a number of key sustainability projects for Ista Energy, a global leader of energy management and consultancy.

Nigel has a master’s degree in project management from the University of Manchester and is an active member of the Institute for Project Managers.

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SPEAKER TOMRA

TERENCE KEYWORTH

SEGMENT MANAGER METAL RECYCLING

TOMRA GREENER ALUMINIUM - ADVANCED SENSOR BASED SORTING TECHNOLOGIES FOR ALUMINIUM SCRAP RECYCLING The utilisation of current available sensorbased technologies and future developments in sensor-based technology will allow industry

to increase the aluminium recycling rates to achieve the low carbon roadmap set out in the European Aluminium vision 2050

report. Using advanced sorting technologies, it is possible to upgrade several types of aluminium scrap to higher purity products

BIOGRAPHY Terry Keyworth is Segment Manager Metal Recycling North/East Europe for Tomra Sorting Limited. With over 25 years’ experience in the metal recycling arena, he has held previous Commercial and Technical roles within the metal shredding sector. Terry is a driven individual embracing new technology and processes and able to lead international teams of all disciplines.

Aluminium International Today

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SPEAKER SMM

DR YANCHEN WANG

MANAGING DIRECTOR

SMM LONDON OFFICE CHINA’S DECARBONISATION AND IMPACT ON ALUMINIUM MARKET China is the largest carbon emission country around the world. In September 2020, President Xi Jinping announced China will aim to hit peak emissions before 2030 and for carbon neutrality by 2060. In 2020, around 65% of Chinese electricity was generated by coal-fired power stations. At the same period, according to NBS, China produced 2,400Mt cement and 1,065Mt crude steel, which are the top three largest carbon emission industries in China. 80% of primary aluminium output in china bases on the coal-fired power.

Given the current China’s economy structure and energy mix, these carbon emission

reduction targets are not easy to achieve.

In order to achieve these targets, the Chinese government need issue more policies to drive industries to more actively reduce their carbon emission. The supply-side reform that started in 2015 has created a solid foundation for energy-intensive industries to hit peak emissions before 2030. More new policies could be issued during 14th and 15th 5-year periods, which could encourage the development of renewable energy, recycling industries and new carbon reduction technology innovation. The Chinese government will start the nationwide ETS for

coal-fired power industry in June. Aluminium and other energy-intensive industries would likely be covered by the ETS as well in the next couple of years. We cannot rule out the possibility of the Chinese government change the import/export tax or VAT rebates on aluminium products in the future, like most recently what they have done on 146 steel products.

The impact of the carbon emission reduction in Chinese aluminium industry will be great, not only in China, but also around the world. The global market balance will be significantly affected, including primary and scrap.

BIOGRAPHY Dr Yanchen Wang is the managing director of SMM London office, which was established in May 2021.

Before joining SMM, he was the principal analyst at CRU and the head of Chinese aluminium market research. Dr Yanchen Wang has worked at CRU for 15 years.

Dr Yanchen Wang is a well-known analyst in the global aluminium industry. His areas of expertise include global aluminium, alumina, bauxite, downstream, recycling and power/energy market analysis, cost modelling and value assessment of aluminium assets. In recent years, he has extended his research in the other base metal markets, macroeconomic and relative industries, like thermal coal, gas, power, and carbon emission markets. Specific projects that he was involved in cover the whole value chain of the aluminium industry, including bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminium smelting and downstream. He has visited more than 100 bauxite mines, alumina refineries, aluminium smelters, downstream and recycling assets around the world, in China, Russia, Australia, Europe, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Middle East and North America. He also often attends technical and market conferences and gives presentations as a key-note speaker.

Yanchen has a PhD in Engineering from Chinese Academy of Sciences.

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Incorporating the BIFCA Standards Seminar

ONLINE EVENT 14-15 SEPTEMBER REGISTER TODAY

The future is now when it comes to furnace technology

Manufacturing industries are already seeing the results of the ‘Furnace of the Future’ in reducing CO2 emissions and producing cleaner, more sustainable materials.

But how can energy-intensive manufacturers work towards making this future a reality?

Are we already seeing the benefits of adopting smarter and more sustainable technologies within furnaces? Could we be doing more?

This online event will unite the glass, aluminium and steel sectors to discuss overcoming heat treatment challenges and present a collaborative approach to bring the Furnace of the Future to life.

REGISTER NOW

Topics will focus on: Industry 4.0 (the Furnace of the Future) Furnace Maintenance Heat Treatment Energy Efficiency Testing & Measurement Retrofitting Emerging Technologies Operations & Productivity Alongside the two-day virtual conference, participants will also be invited to join live discussions and will have the opportunity to network with new industry contacts, arrange video meetings and exchange resources and information.

FROM THE PRODUCERS OF

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

ORGANISED BY

www.furnaces-international.com

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EXHIBITORS PROFILES

AIR PRODUCTS

COVID travel restrictions prohibited our Engineers from carrying out on-site commissioning therefore we developed the Properzi “SMART E-COMMISSIONING” method to implement these activities remotely, in real time, to lead and support our customers.

We are always a step ahead providing new solutions to benefit our customers.

Website: www.airproducts.co.uk Air Products serves customers on industrial markets, technology and healthcare worldwide with products, services and solutions, providing atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases. With operations in over 50 countries and 19,000+ employees.

FIVES

Our industry specialists have worked closely with aluminium producers to develop efficient & effective technologies for melting/heating, degassing, annealing and finishing. We can help you achieve higher productivity and yield while reducing your costs and contributing to a more sustainable world.

CONTINUUSPROPERZI

Continuus-Properzi pioneered the process of continuously casting and rolling nonferrous rod in the 1940s and today is the global leader for nonferrous wire rod production equipment.

The Properzi organization provides technology for the production of ALUMINIUM AND COPPER WIRE ROD around the world. Copper rod is produced from either cathodes or 100% low quality copper scrap to yield top quality rod.

Our offering includes the “PRO-FORM” continuous rotary extrusion machinery for numerous applications in Copper and Aluminium.

The Properzi Furnaces and Combustion Division has developed the VERT-MELT FURNACE for Aluminium lines and the VERT-REF FURNACES for Copper lines (other furnaces available upon request).

Properzi technology also includes the SELF-ANNEALING MICROROLLING® (SAM) machine that processes 8 mm copper rod down to 1.8-2 mm soft wire without an annealer thereby providing significant energy savings.

Website: www.fivesgroup.com Fives, as an industrial engineering Group, designs and supplies machines, process equipment and production lines for the world’s largest industrial groups including the aluminium, steel, glass, automotive, aerospace, logistics, cement and energy sectors.

Fives is relying on digital solutions to make operator-machine interactions easier, for instance using mobile devices and web technologies to offer more convenient and more intuitive interfaces, or using data generated throughout the whole production process to improve reliability and reduce the operating costs.

More specifically, in the aluminium industry, Fives is working with its customers towards combining all these new technologies, in order to improve the efficiency and working conditions at all steps of the production and service of the anodes. Today, Fives is able to offer a wide range of digital tools such as: Amelios Suite - the Carbon Digital Chain, Smart GTC and SMARTCrane, to help aluminium producers to improve the performance of their existing facilities.

Furthermore, thanks to its local service subsidiaries worldwide, Fives is committed to accompany its customers during the lifetime of their installations.

Our services include on-site technical assistance, remote technical consultancy, and the supply of spare parts.

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EXHIBITORS PROFILES

HATCH

Website: www.hatch.com Entrepreneurs with a technical soul Hatch is passionately committed to the pursuit of a better world through positive change. A global multidisciplinary management, engineering, and development consultancy to the metals, energy, and infrastructure sectors, our network of 9,000 professionals in over 150 countries partner with you to develop ideas that are smarter, more efficient, and innovative. We deliver a comprehensive array of technical and strategic services covering the whole project lifecycle, from concept development through design stages to full construction supervision and handover.

manufacturing and service of thermal processing equipment used in the melting, heating, heat treating, forging, galvanizing, coating, cutting and welding of metals. Bringing together 40 companies with 38 manufacturing facilities located in 23 countries, Inductotherm Group delivers innovative products throughout the world. Customers rely on Inductotherm, Inductoheat, Banyard, Thermatool, Radyne, Consarc and other trusted brands in the Inductotherm Group to provide outstanding equipment and services.

INNOVAL TECHNOLOGY

Working together, we’ll simplify solutions and help solve your toughest challenges.

Visit hatch.com.

Innoval Technology delivers high quality CONSULTANCY AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT to investors, manufacturers and end-users of aluminium across a wide range of industry sectors. Clients include rolling, extrusion, forging and finishing companies, and their suppliers and customers, throughout the world.

INDUCTOTHERM HEATING & WELDING

MECFOR

Inductotherm Heating & Welding are pleased to be showcasing their range of Banyard precision induction billet heaters which have been proven in the field to significantly reduce energy consumption.

Our products have been refined over the 50+ years we have been serving the aluminium industry. Our in-depth knowledge of aluminium processes is second to none and our tailor-made approach ensures you have equipment designed to meet your specific needs.

Induction heating only uses energy whilst actively heating billets and provides cleaner more accurate heating that is engineered to meet your needs. Banyard’s reputation for accurate tapered heating for the extrusion market is both enviable and well established.

Inductotherm Heating & Welding is part of the Inductotherm Group which offers advanced technology for the engineering, Aluminium International Today

Website: www.mecfor.com Mecfor, an equipment supplier, specialized in designing and manufacturing equipment for heavy industries such as: aluminum and metals, mining, nuclear and rail. Over the last two decades, Mecfor grew from a local to a global equipment supplier.

Recognized for its high standards, Mecfor delivers sturdy and reliable equipment that meets expectations, and that, throughout the whole operation cycle from bauxite mining, alumina refinery, carbon sector, potrooms, casthouse to secondary mills.

In 2018, MECFOR’s launched its Auto guided electrical vehicle: AGV TEAM – metal hauler. In your quest for zero-emission aluminum production, discover your new ally: MECFOR’s AGV TEAM. Like any other MECFOR equipment, the AGV TEAM is sturdy, lifts large loads and operates in harsh working environment. Learn more; schedule a meeting at our booth.

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EXHIBITORS PROFILES

MIDMOUNTAIN MATERIALS,INC

Website: www.mid-mountain.com Since 1976 Mid-Mountain Materials, Inc. has been manufacturing high performance specialty sealing components and products that provide environmental protection, emissions control, and energy conservation solutions for the Aluminium industry.

Our full range of THERMOPAK® Fabricated Seals and Components for Pot Rooms, Cast Houses and Carbon Bake plants are made to withstand the extreme conditions your plant faces every day – high temperatures, chemical gasses, and the demands of the electrolytic process. Our innovative approach to the most demanding applications has led to improvements of several products widely used in the industry today, such as our patented External Cathode Bar Seal Boots, Anode Bar Seal Gaskets, and Tray Pads.

Mid-Mountain’s investment in advanced manufacturing equipment, plant automation, and management systems track accountability at every step of our manufacturing process, while maintaining certified quality control ISO 9001-2015 standards. We at Mid-Mountain Materials, Inc. welcome the opportunity to work with your company to find better ways to protect your people, your facility, and our environment, and create a more sustainable future.

MQP

STNM - will be launching new Optifine 5:1 125, which has a guaranteed minimum efficiency of 120% of standard arbitrary Optifine reference and an improvement of 35% over standard Optifine 3:1. MQP has also launched its own MQP Technology Centre at Brunel University London, a laboratory dedicated to developing its product portfolio for a modern age, and sponsors Brunel’s £4.5m Centre for Circular Metals, helping the UK to become the first country to fully recycle and reuse its metals in its shift towards a carbon-neutral, circular economy. Visit MQP’s stand to find out how to bring down addition rates by a gamechanging 85%, all while reducing harmful emissions involved in the grain refining process by two thirds.

NORSK HYDRO ASA

Website address: www.hydro.com Hydro is a leading energy and aluminium company that builds businesses and partnerships for a more sustainable future. We develop industries that matter to people and society.

Since 1905, Hydro has turned natural resources into valuable products for people and businesses, creating a safe and secure workplace for our 34,000 employees in more than 140 locations and 40 countries.

Today, we own and operate various businesses and have investments with a base in sustainable industries. Hydro is through its businesses present in a broad range of market segments for aluminium, energy, metal recycling, renewables and batteries, offering a unique wealth of knowledge and competence.

Hydro is committed to leading the way towards a more sustainable future, creating more viable societies by developing natural resources into products and solutions in innovative and efficient ways.

Grain refiners are used by casthouses and foundries to create a fine-grained structure in the cast aluminium, reducing defects and cutting waste, and MQP has been at the forefront of innovation in high efficiency grain refiners for over two decades.

Optifine 3:1 first changed the industry, improving melt quality in a wide range of aluminium alloy compositions by up to 70% and reducing casthouse costs by a half, and has been used in the production of 16 million tonnes of high quality aluminium in the last decade. At the summit, MQP – a subsidiary of

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EXHIBITORS PROFILES

NOVELIS

Website address: www.novelis.com/sustainability/ Novelis Inc. is driven by its purpose to shape a sustainable world together. As a global leader in innovative products and services and the world’s largest recycler of aluminium, we partner with customers in the aerospace, automotive, beverage can and specialties industries to deliver solutions that maximize the benefits of lightweight aluminium throughout North America, Europe, Asia and South America. Novelis is a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, an industry leader in aluminium and copper, and the metals flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Mumbai, India.

Recently having announced new targets, the company proceeds on its ambitious sustainability journey committing to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2050 and reduce its carbon footprint by 30 percent by 2026.

This is an important step on Novelis´ roadmap to be the world’s leading provider of low-carbon, sustainable aluminium solutions that advance not only its business, but also industry and society toward the benefits of a circular economy – bringing the aluminium back into the loop again and again. Novelis addresses the challenges brought on by climate change by preserving the value of aluminium alloys to maximize the environmental benefits of increased recycled content across the entire product portfolio.

PYROGENESIS CANADA INC

Website: www.pyrogenesis.com PyroGenesis Canada Inc. is the world leader in the design, development, manufacture and commercialization of advanced plasma processes. We provide engineering and manufacturing expertise, cutting-edge contract research, as well as turnkey process equipment packages to the defense, metallurgical, mining, additive manufacturing (including 3D printing), oil & gas, and environmental industries. With a team of experienced engineers, scientists and technicians working out of our Montreal office and our 3,800 m2 manufacturing facility, PyroGenesis maintains its competitive advantage by remaining at the Aluminium International Today

forefront of technology development and commercialization.

Our core competencies allow PyroGenesis to lead the way in providing innovative plasma torches, plasma waste processes, high-temperature metallurgical processes, and engineering services to the global marketplace. Our operations are ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified, having been ISO certified since 1997. PyroGenesis is a publicly-traded Canadian company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (Ticker Symbol: PYR), and on the OTCQB Marketplace (Ticker Symbol: PYRNF).

RIA CAST HOUSE ENGINEERING

Website: www.ria-casthouse-engineering.de/en RIA Cast House Engineering, from Leipzig Germany, has supplied over 50 rail mounted precision Furnace Charging and Skimming Machines worldwide over 20 years, with numerous repeat references. RiA equipment is recognised as Sturdy, Durable and Reliable. Manual, Automatic and fully Autonomous Operation is possible on all RiA Machines, incorporating Machine Vision Intelligent cameras, to make decisions optimising Performance and increasing Operator Safety.

RiA Charging Machines evenly distribute loads up to 25 tonnes across the furnace hearth in under 90 seconds. RiA Skimming Machines can also Mix and Stir the bath, as well as cleaning between charges and remove dross in shorter timeframes than fork trucks, with a more repeatable and consistent performance.

Both Charging and Skimming can be completed without the need of Operator involvement.

Typical benefits from using RiA Machines: � Increased Melt Rates from deep penetration and even distribution of solids in the Furnace � Increased Productivity from shorter Furnace Cycles � Reduced Energy Consumption from shorter door opening times � Reduced Refractory damage giving longer Refractory life and more Furnace uptime � Reduced vehicle movements in the Cast House meaning increased Operator Safety and reduced vehicle maintenance � Removal of Cast House Operators from Charging and Skimming Furnaces also increasing Operator Safety

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EXHIBITORS PROFILES

SISTEM TEKNIK INDUSTRIAL FURNACES

costs. In the areas of treatment of secondary and primary raw materials, the company operates in both the resource recovery and mining sectors.

Here STEINERT is a global leader in consulting, manufacturing, installation and services in innovative sensor sorting and traditional magnetic separation technology.

Based in Cologne for 130 years, and with around 340 employees worldwide, STEINERT provides a global network to support its customers with local contacts and local expertise.

STEINERT - THE RESOURCE SEARCH ENGINE

Website address: www.sistemteknik.com/non-ferrous TOSB 1. Cd. 14.Sk. No.3 41420 Çayırova Kocaeli Turkey E-mail: sales.alu@sistemteknik.com / service.alu@sistemteknik.com Phone: +90 262 658 22 26 Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/sistem-teknik-industrialfurnaces-ltd Established in 1979, Sistem Teknik specialises in the design and production of aluminium cast houses and heat treatment plants as well as industrial autoclaves for the automotive, aviation, and flat products industries. Sistem Teknik’s engineering and construction teams have built almost 1500 custom design turn-key facilities in 35 countries around the world, using the latest control system technologies and innovative engineering solutions.

With more than 200 teammates and an R&D centre of 45 engineers, Sistem Teknik is one of the top five global producers of furnace technology in the light metal sector. As a partner of the Horizon 2020 project Retrofeed, the company’s R&D centre focuses on making aluminium production more eco-friendly by developing novel scrap recycling methods that reduce natural gas consumption. With its experienced automation and software teams, Sistem Teknik also provides fully automated process flow systems in all heat treatment plants and cast houses to reduce energy use further by almost 25%.

TOMRA

You name it – we sort it!

TOMRA Recycling is established in more than 100 global markets and offers a broad range of sorting applications to separate a large variety of valuable fractions like plastics, metals and paper from waste, to name a few.

Our sorting systems recover clean material fractions, delivering significantly higher yields and increased value from the input material. We can develop and implement bespoke recycling solutions for your business.

TOMRA Sorting is a leading provider of sensor-based sorting systems. With more than 19,400 systems in place across the recycling, food processing and mining industries, we have engineered groundbreaking detection systems, sensor technology and computing solutions.

TOTAL LUBRIFIANTS

Company Motto: Engineering Excellence, Building Trust

STEINERT GMBH

Website: www.lubricants.total.com Total Lubrifiants is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of lubricants. It has 42 production plants worldwide and more than 5,800 employees in 150 countries.

STEINERT GmbH provides innovative solutions for the separation of valuable materials, increasing customer profitability through higher recovery and reducing operational

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Total Lubrifiants offers innovative, efficient and environmentally responsible products and services developed by more than 130 researchers at its R&D centers. Total Lubrifiants is a partner of choice for the automotive, industrial and marine markets.

Aluminium International Today

Incorporating the BIFCA Standards Seminar

ONLINE EVENT 14-15 SEPTEMBER REGISTER TODAY

The future is now when it comes to furnace technology

Manufacturing industries are already seeing the results of the ‘Furnace of the Future’ in reducing CO2 emissions and producing cleaner, more sustainable materials.

But how can energy-intensive manufacturers work towards making this future a reality?

Are we already seeing the benefits of adopting smarter and more sustainable technologies within furnaces? Could we be doing more?

This online event will unite the glass, aluminium and steel sectors to discuss overcoming heat treatment challenges and present a collaborative approach to bring the Furnace of the Future to life.

REGISTER NOW

Topics will focus on: Industry 4.0 (the Furnace of the Future) Furnace Maintenance Heat Treatment Energy Efficiency Testing & Measurement Retrofitting Emerging Technologies Operations & Productivity Alongside the two-day virtual conference, participants will also be invited to join live discussions and will have the opportunity to network with new industry contacts, arrange video meetings and exchange resources and information.

FROM THE PRODUCERS OF

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

ORGANISED BY

www.furnaces-international.com

FoF_1p_Ad.indd 1

06/05/2021 08:51