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Energy Intensity, Climate Change and Coping Strategies for the Aluminum Industry

Energy Intensity, Climate Change and Coping Strategies for the Aluminum Industry. Subodh K. Das Executive Director Center for Sustainable Aluminum Industry University of Kentucky Lexington KY, USA skdas@secat.net April 9 – 10, 2008 West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia.

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Energy Intensity, Climate Change and Coping Strategies for the Aluminum Industry

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  1. Energy Intensity, Climate Change and Coping Strategies for the Aluminum Industry Subodh K. Das Executive Director Center for Sustainable Aluminum Industry University of Kentucky Lexington KY, USA skdas@secat.net April 9 – 10, 2008 West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia

  2. Introduction to Center for a Sustainable Aluminum Industry (CSAI) • Founded in Jan. 2005 • Funded by several sources: • Sloan Foundation Industry Centers Program • Arco Aluminum, Aleris International, Wise Alloys, Nichols Aluminum, Logan Aluminum, Ormet, Hydro Aluminum, Century Aluminum • The Commonwealth of Kentucky • The University of Kentucky

  3. Aluminum Industry • The world produces 35 million metric tonnes of primary aluminum per year • US produces 6 million metric tonnes of primary aluminum and consumes a total of 12 million metric tonnes aluminum • Over 120,000 employed in the US aluminum industry • The contribution to US GDP is $40 billion a year • Electricity constitutes 30 to 40% of aluminum primary production cost, electricity prices pegged to LME • US remains the largest producer, importer, recycler and consumer of aluminum products. • New primary aluminum constructions are outsides the US: in China, India, Middle East

  4. Outline • Aluminum –“Energy Bank” • High and Volatile Energy Costs • Critical Competitiveness Issues Facing Aluminum Industries • Coping Strategies • Future Research and Development Needs • Impact of Aluminum Industry on Greenhouse Gases

  5. Aluminum –“Energy Bank” • Primary: Al – 45 kWh/kg Secondary: Al – 2.8 kWh/kg 251 Billionkwh (857 TrillionBTU) More than 1% of all U.S. energy use More than 3% of all U.S. manufacturing energy use

  6. Competitiveness Issues Facing Aluminum Industry • The competing materials: • Steel, magnesium, and composites: Automotive and aerospace • PET: packaging • Vinyl: building and construction • High and volatile energy cost • Climate change issues • Limited R&D activities for process and product development

  7. Coping Strategies • Improve energy efficiency of current processes • Develop innovative and new products • Enhance aluminum recycling

  8. Future R&D Needs - (1)Primary Production • Modeling to improve the processing practice. • Continue development of wetted, drained cathode technology. • Develop continuous or semi-continuous sensors to cost-effectively measure alumina, superheat, temperature, and bath ratio. • Develop alternate cell concepts (combination of inert anodes and wetted, drained cathodes) to include variable and peak energy load.

  9. Future R&D Needs - (2)Melting, Solidification, Fabrication • Develop an integrated process model to improve energy efficiency and product quality. • Develop low energy strip/slab casting technologies to improve surface quality and texture control.

  10. Future R&D Needs - (3)New Product Design and Application • Develop advanced forming techniques to manufacture net shapes. • Develop integrated numerical methods for analysis and robust design of products, processes, and materials. • Develop recycle friendly aluminum alloys. • Develop low-cost joining techniques for similar and dissimilar materials.

  11. Impact of Aluminum Industry on Greenhouse Gases • Aluminum is responsible for 1% of global human induced greenhouse gases (Carbon Dioxide and Perfluoro Carbons) • 1 kg Perfluoro Carbons (PFC) is equivalent to 6500 kg CO2 • 32 million metric tonnes primary aluminum production worldwide • Carbon Dioxide (CO2) • 15.6 kg CO2 per kg of aluminum production • Mining, refining, anode, electrolysis, and electric power generation • 453.8 billion metric tonnes CO2 per year for worldwide production • Perfluoro Carbons (PFC) • 1.0 kg PFC per tonne of aluminum production • 32 thousand metric tonnes PFC per year for worldwide production • Equivalent to 208 million metric tonnes of CO2

  12. Process Improvements • Production of electricity • Use electricity from efficient coal/oil/natural gas power plants • Use renewable energy sources • Hydro (current world use ~50%), Geothermal, and Nuclear • Enhancement of process efficiency in existing plants and develop new technology • Replace rotary with fluid bed calciners • In the last 50 years, the average amount of electricity needed to make a pound of aluminum has been reduced from 12 kilowatt hours to about 7 kilowatt hours • Lower smelting energy consumption • Wettable/drained cathode • Lower carbon consumption • Inert anode • Eventually develop more efficient vertical electrode cell • Lower anode effect frequency (reduce PFC) • Develop non-contact sensors

  13. Promote Aluminum Uses in Transportation • Lightweighting in aircraft, rail, shipping and especially cars and trucks saves fuel, and reduces CO2 emissions • Each pound of Al replacing iron or steel saves 20 pounds of CO2 emissions over an average vehicle lifetime • Fuel savings of 6-8% can be gained for every 10% weight reduction of a vehicle, resulting in less GHG emissions • EPA estimates ~90% of automotive aluminum is recovered and recycled

  14. North American Light Vehicle Aluminum Content Changes North American Total Aluminum Content (Pounds per Vehicle)

  15. Recycling • Promote recycling of aluminum products • Recycling saves ~95% of energy AND emissions as compared to primary production • Enhance recycled aluminum melting efficiency • Implement new recycling/sorting technologies • Consider urban mining of Used Beverage Cans (UBCs) • US recycling rate ~ 50% (Brazil, Norway ~ 96%) • Accumulated landfill totals 20 million tons in the US • Total value of “urban mine” is $50 billion in the US • New landfill equals 3 aluminum smelters output (~900,000 tonnes per year in the US) • Develop recycle-friendly aluminum alloys for • Aerospace, Automotive, Building & Construction • Secondary benefit of lower carbon footprint from alloying elements

  16. Why Recycle Aluminum Can? 1% change in recycling rate has an economic impact of approximately $16 million Trashed cans contribute about $800 million to the nation’s trade deficit each year National Aluminum Beverage Can Recycling Rate Trends.

  17. Carbon Trading • Materials flow modeling indicates that by 2020, the Aluminum industry will have a negative carbon footprint • Suggested commercial and technical actions: • Urge aluminum companies to enhance recycling rate in liu of constructing new aluminum smelters in energy and/or consumption rich countries such as Middle East and Iceland (energy rich) and China and India (consumption rich) • Ratio of new construction to new recycling recovery is 1:20 • Promote carbon trading replacing new smelting construction with new recycling activities

  18. Aluminum Industry Flow Chart Production Carbon Trading End Use Recycling

  19. Thank you ! Subodh K. Das Executive Director Center for Sustainable Aluminum Industry University of Kentucky Lexington KY, USA skdas@secat.net

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