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neWs

Alcoa refines for a

sustainable future

A luminium has been ing ways to capitalise on
around for more than
aluminium being “infinitely
135 years and is used in a recyclable”, including a pro-
multitude of everyday appli- cess which could eliminate
cations but its most impor- other metals and impurities
tant role is yet to come, ac- from scrap.
cording to Alcoa of Australia “The beauty of aluminium
Ltd president Michael Golls- is that it can be recycled
chewski. endlessly,” he said. “In fact,
Speaking at last month’s it’s estimated that about
West Australian Mining Club 75% of all the aluminium
event in Perth, Gollschewski that’s ever been produced in
detailed how both the alu- the world is still in use today.
minium industry and Alcoa’s “But, there is still a vast
global business operations supply of post-consumer
– ranging from bauxite min- scrap that is currently not
ing to alumina refining and being fully utilised and we
the smelting of aluminium need to improve that if we
metal – were undergoing are to meet growing de-
major changes in a bid to Michael Gollschewski mand for aluminium while
address the world’s decar- achieving decarbonisation
bonisation ambitions. goals. Our scientists are
“Demand for aluminium is at an all-time industry in developing low-carbon product busy working and developing the first and
high and is only going to increase…it’s the offerings. only technology that can purify low-value
most positive, long-term future that I’ve ever “We also have a number of exciting initia- scrap and recycle it into high-purity alu-
seen for aluminium in my 36-year career to tives under development that have the po- minium.”
date,” Gollschewski said. tential to transform the industry as a whole,” Other advanced projects Alcoa is promot-
“The International Aluminium Institute Gollschewski said. ing include the JV with ASX-listed FYI Re-
forecasts a 65% increase in global alumin- “We’ve unveiled the technology road- sources Ltd to produce HPA which readily
ium demand by 2050, compared to 2018 map that has the potential to fundamentally goes into applications such as LED lighting,
baselines. We invented the aluminium in- lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles.
Consumers are demanding more sustain- “ It’s estimated that temperature,” Gollschewski said. “It has a
“It’s very high in brightness, it’s resistant
dustry more than 135 years ago and we
to corrosion and can accommodate high
are now driven to create a more sustainable
future today, one where aluminium will play
an even larger role in solving challenges in
wide range of applications, including mobile
a carbon-constrained world.
about 75% of all the
devices and products and is used in medi-
cal and aeronautical sectors in Canada.”
“Sustainability is no longer a strategic
aluminium that’s ever been
consideration, it is a strategic imperative.
Alcoa will celebrate its 60th anniversary
ing injected $2.4 billion into the country’s
able products and businesses are seeking produced in the world is of operations in Australia next year, hav-
still in use today.
opportunities to reduce carbon impacts on economy in 2021. It is estimated about 75%
their supply chains.” of the company’s annual revenue remains
Alcoa’s zero-carbon ELYSIS aluminium in Australia, including $714 million in wages
is already found in the Apple MacBook Pro change how alumina is made and decar- and benefits and $254 million paid to all lev-
and the tech giant recently committed to us- bonise major portions of the value chain. els of government.
ing the product in the new iPhone SE. This roadmap helps support our pathway “Aluminium has played an enormous role
The ELYSIS technology – a JV between to reach our mission to achieve net zero in civilisation over the last 135 years, but it
Alcoa and Rio Tinto Ltd – is expected to be greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 across will play an even larger role in solving the
made commercially available by 2024. The our global operations, including Scope 1 challenges in a carbon-constrained world,
process, which can be used for both new and 2 emissions. both how it’s made and how it’s used,”
and existing smelters, is understood to re- “We already operate the industry’s lowest Gollschewski said.
duce operating costs while also increasing carbon alumina refining system and we are “Alcoa is uniquely positioned to provide
production capacity. working to increase the share of our opera- those solutions. We are reinventing the alu-
ELYSIS and Alcoa’s low-carbon EcoLum tions that are powered by renewable ener- minium industry for a sustainable future and
aluminium are also used in the manufacture gy. We’re also finding ways to reduce water I believe our Australian operations will be
of wheels for Audi’s e-tron GT sports car. use and landfill waste.” very much part of that future.”
Gollschewski said Alcoa was leading the Golschewski said Alcoa was also explor-
– Michael Washbourne

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