Two major players in the aluminum industry, Rio Tinto and Hydro, are combining their expertise to advance carbon capture technology for aluminum production.
The newly formed partnership will see the companies collaborate on identifying and assessing suitable carbon capture solutions for integration with the aluminum electrolysis process.
The shared objective is to accelerate the development of commercially viable carbon capture technologies from qualified vendors.
Over the next five years, the collaborative effort is projected to involve an investment of roughly $45 million, primarily focused on research conducted at Rio Tinto‘s European facilities and Hydro‘s facilities in Norway.
The consumption of anodes during electrolysis is responsible for approximately 75% of a smelter’s direct CO2 emissions.
Capturing carbon from the exhaust gases of aluminum smelters, which contain approximately 1% (by volume) CO2, necessitates the adaptation of either direct air capture technologies (designed for higher concentrations) or point source capture technologies (designed for lower concentrations).
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Currently, both approaches are in early stages of development, requiring considerable advancement to transition from laboratory experimentation to industrial application.
Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm said: “Rio Tinto is committed to reaching net zero emissions from our operations by 2050, and we know that achieving our climate objectives will require a portfolio of solutions.”
“By working in partnership with Hydro to assess certain carbon capture technologies for aluminium smelters, we are finding better ways to leverage our complementary networks and R&D capabilities to address the climate change challenge.”
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