“We are changing the game for aluminium. This is an important recognition of our efforts to develop new technology that could be the biggest thing to happen in aluminium production since the invention of the Hall-Héroult process in 1886,” says President and CEO Hilde Merete Aasheim, taking part in the Energy Transition Changemaker event.
HalZero is part of Hydro's technology roadmap to reduce the emissions associated with aluminium production. Existing electrolysis technology emits CO2 as an inevitable part of the process, but the technology under development is designed to emit oxygen instead of CO2. If successful, HalZero could be implemented in new aluminium smelter capacity around the globe, removing emissions from one of the world’s hard-to-abate sectors.
Milestone reached
Construction of the test facility, about to start at Hydro’s technology center in Porsgrunn, Norway, marks a significant milestone for the project. This is where Hydro’s team of world class technologists will be working to mature the different process steps. The ambition is to produce the first aluminium by 2025 and industrial scale pilot volumes by 2030, preparing HalZero for use in new smelter capacity.
Hydro is in parallel developing carbon capture and storage for use in existing aluminium smelters, and increasing the use of renewable energy and testing green hydrogen across the value chain.
“The road to zero-carbon aluminium production is a long haul. We have made significant progress in the past three decades, reducing CO2 emissions at Hydro’s smelters in Norway by 55 percent since 1990, while almost doubling production. The HalZero test facility is another important step on our path to zero,” says Aasheim.
Showcasing decarbonization efforts at COP28
Energy Transition Changemakers is a COP28 UAE Presidency initiative which aims to foster private sector collaboration in delivering innovative and globally scalable decarbonization projects. Hydro is one of the companies selected to showcase solutions that could enable and accelerate the energy transition in heavy emitting sectors.
See video – this is HalZero:
Hydro is also one of several companies invited to COP28 to showcase Norwegian green solutions as part of the official business delegation led by Innovation Norway.
“I congratulate Hydro on the recognition as an Energy Transition Changemaker. This not only acknowledges the significance of Hydro’s HalZero project, but also demonstrates how Norway’s leading companies are at the forefront in offering carbon-neutral solutions for the green transition,” says Håkon Haugli, CEO of Innovation Norway.
The proprietary technology by Hydro is based on converting alumina to aluminium chloride prior to electrolysis. Chlorine and carbon are kept in a closed loop, hence eliminating emissions of CO2 and emitting oxygen instead. If successful, HalZero will fully decarbonize the smelting of aluminium by eliminating emissions from both electrolysis and anode baking.
Hydro already produces primary aluminium with a carbon footprint below 4 kg CO2e/kg aluminium, one fourth of the global industry average of 16.7 kg CO2e/kg aluminium. By 2030, Hydro will reduce emissions by a further 30 percent and deliver industrial scale pilot volumes based on the emission free smelting technology.
Committed to pioneering the green aluminium transition, Hydro’s target is to produce net-zero aluminium by 2050, while creating a positive impact on local communities, nature and the climate.
Published: December 5, 2023
