The method is 140 years old, and it is time to modernize in order to reduce climate emissions.
The method is 140 years old, and it is time to modernize in order to reduce climate emissions. October 19th marked an important milestone in this direction at Hydro’s Herøya aluminium research centre, Norway.
“In very simple terms, this is an alternative process for producing aluminium,” says Egil Skybakmoen, a research manager at SINTEF.
The technology currently used to produce aluminium was invented as far back as 1886. The process uses electricity to trigger a reaction between aluminium oxide—also known as alumina—and carbon through electrolysis, resulting in the formation of aluminium. The primary by-product of this process is carbon dioxide (CO₂), which is released into the atmosphere.
Read More at: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
At the Tiller laboratory in Trondheim, researchers are developing and testing technology that could enable the CO₂-free production of aluminium. Egil Skybakmoen (left) and Kent Robert Molvik. (Photo Credit: Maria Sotberg/SINTEF)
