World’s first’ aluminium from carbon-free hydrogen produced by Hydro

Hydro claims to have produced the ‘world’s first’ successful batch of aluminium using carbon-free hydrogen as an energy source in a move thought to contribute to the use of green hydrogen in heavy industry aluminium production.

The test – conducted at Hydro’s extrusion plant in Navarra, Spain – saw the replacement of natural gas with carbon-free aluminium as a fuel. Experts from Hydro’s green hydrogen company, Hydro Havrand, worked in partnership with industrial engineering group Fives, who designed the system and supplied key components and controls.

If it is utilised by the aluminium industry, green hydrogen is believed to be a suitable and emission-free replacement for fossil fuels in high-temperature heating processes. Although hydrogen has previously been used in lab-scale tests, Hydro’s industrial-scale test in Navarra is thought to be the first of its kind, and the resultant aluminium is set to be used to produce extruded profiles.

This testing is also said to provide new insights into the effects hydrogen has on metal quality. Such properties as its burning temperature, which is different from natural gas, will be examined in relation to the aluminium melting process and its resultant quality; this information is expected to benefit primary aluminium casthouses as well as other high-temperature processes, such as glass and cement.

Hydro and Fives will analyse the test results in a final report set to be released this autumn. Hydro Havrand aims to become the leading provider of industrial fuel switch solutions in green hydrogen and states its intent to continue with building capabilities in the hydrogen transition.

“We are excited to be conducting this test and it demonstrates Hydro’s commitment to decarbonisation,” says Paul Warton, executive vice president for Hydro Extrusions. “By removing the carbon emissions from the energy source, we will be able to produce carbon-free aluminium from recycling post-consumer scrap.”

“This test is part of developing commercial fuel switch solutions and to demonstrate that hydrogen can be used in aluminium production,” adds Per Christian Eriksen, head of Hydro Havrand. “Green hydrogen can remove hard-to-abate emissions from fossil fuels, in processes where electricity is not an alternative, both in the aluminium industry and in other heavy industries.”

Hydro Havrand joined Ardagh Glass Limmared AB and the APEX Group in installing Plug Power’s five-megawatt electrolysers into their respective plants, pursuing the production of industrial-scale green hydrogen for their manufacturing processes.

Future phases of Ardagh Glass’ NextGen hybrid furnace for glass production also aim to utilise green hydrogen to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

With the recent announcement of the world’s first batch of recycled aluminium using hydrogen fuelled production, the shift towards producing carbon-free aluminium is experiencing exciting new developments.

By testing the fuel switch from natural gas to hydrogen and the effects on metal quality, these findings can also be relevant for using hydrogen in primary aluminium casthouses and other high temperature processes, like glass or cement.

This year’s Greener Aluminium Online Summit invites the industry to join virtually to discuss how the industry must continue to adapt, minimising the impacts associated with production of the metal today, while also developing technological pathways for the future.

Alongside the one-day conference, 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.

The event kicks off at 7th September 2023. Access to the platform and networking commences at 9:00 AM GMT. Followed by the first conference session which begins at 10:00 AM GMT.