The Way Towards Zero Carbon Emissions in Aluminum Electrolysis

The global community has set a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Almost one-fourth of the global emissionsEmissions, attributed to direct emissionsEmissions from industrial processes, must be addressed by developing zero-carbon alternatives for each process, including the production of aluminumAluminum. Several companies and research institutions are working on aluminum electrolysisAluminum electrolysis using oxygen-evolving inert anodesAnode, and recent developments are reported to be quite promising. For existing smelters, carbon capture and sequestration may become a realistic alternative, depending upon the successful adaptation of the flue-gas system enabling increased concentration of CO2 in the flue gas. A third alternative is electrolysisElectrolysis of aluminumAluminum chloride, keeping chlorine and carbon in separate recyclingRecycling loops. This paper gives a review of the efforts to date, from industry and academia, to decarbonize the electrolysisElectrolysis of aluminumAluminum. The development of the largest part of the carbon footprintCarbon footprint, arising from the production of the electrical energy used from fossil sources, is also discussed.