Aluminium and GHG emissions: are all top producers playing the same game?
Lessons from existing empirical studies and policy implications

Auteur(s) : Chalmin, Philippe ; Jégourel, Yves

• Notice du document

  Titre / Title

  Aluminium and GHG emissions: are all top producers playing the same game?
  Lessons from existing empirical studies and policy implications = Rapport Cyclope

  Auteur(s) / Author(s)

  Chalmin Philippe, auteur principal ; Jégourel Yves, auteur principal

  Type de document

  Rapport

  Catégorie de documents imprimés

  Santé et environnement

  Publication

  Paris: Aluwatch Association, 2015

  Description technique / Physical description

  26 p. : ill. en coul.; 30 cm

• Langue / Language

  Anglais

• Description

  • Résumé / Abstract

    Indiqué en début de rapport : 
    "The production of primary aluminium, whose industrial record can be traced back to the 1950s, is notoriously the world’s most energy-intensive industry, with red-light global warming potentials. Whereas historical producers have grounded their production in hydropower energy sources, “new comers” from the Gulf States, India and China, these days one the world’s leading producers, have effectively opted for fossil fuels (natural gas and coal) to power their smelters. Challenged by growing environmental concerns, the primary aluminium industry has undergone major changes over the last two decades to become a much more efficient industry with lower energy-intensity and GHG emissions during the smelting process. Antiquated smelters with low energy efficiency have been phased out, amperage cells have increased, alumina refining processes have been improved, and better control systems introduced to limit the so-called “anode effect”. As a result, the energy intensity required to produce one tonne of aluminium has steadily decreased over time, from a world average of nearly 17,000 kWh in 1980 to 14,289 kWh in 2014. From a lifecycle perspective, which encompasses mining to casting processes, the production of one tonne of aluminium ingot emits, on average, 16.5 C02e t, mainly carbon dioxide and fluorinated gases. There are however at least three reasons not to feel fully satisfied with the global aluminium picture. First, no let-up in coal use has been observed so far, despite the Chinese pledge to develop hydropower sources. Second, a great deal of uncertainty still hangs over the process of assessing the life cycle of greenhouse gas emissions. It would not have been a problem as such in that any evaluation is governed by the availability of data and methods employed to process them. But in the case of aluminium, the level of uncertainty is too high to be considered as a business-as-usual issue. Furthermore, it does seem important to
    extend the appraisal of the GHG-Aluminium nexus beyond the over-convenient “per tonne of aluminium” framework and to question the propriety of soaring Chinese production capacities by taking into consideration their heavy polluting power mix. Finally, one remains puzzled by the choice made by Chinese planners to develop aluminium production in China to the extent of becoming a net exporter -and dragging world prices down- knowing the energy and environment dilemma facing the country. At the end of the day, the last kWh used to produce aluminium comes from coal!"