Major step forward for emissions-free aluminium smelting
Alcoa and Rio Tinto's technology joint venture (JV), ELYSIS, has successfully produced its first commercial-size inert anode cell at the Alma smelter, in Quebec, in what the partners describe as a first for emissions-free smelting technology at scale.
The 450 kA cell, installed at the end of an existing potline, represents a significant step toward the industrial deployment of inert anode technology, which eliminates all direct carbon emissions from the aluminium smelting process.
The breakthrough, announced on Thursday, followed years of research, development, and large-scale testing.
The inert anode process not only removes carbon from smelting but also has the potential to improve worker safety, lower operating costs and lift productivity. ELYSIS will continue testing on the commercial-size cell to collect data for future rollout.
“This historic milestone results from years of relentless innovation and teamwork of all ELYSIS employees and collaborators. While R&D is rarely linear, our combined efforts have turned vision into reality. Today, we’re not just powering a new cell, we’re powering the future of aluminium," commented ELYSIS president and CEO François Perras.
ELYSIS aims to revolutionise aluminium production by replacing carbon anodes with inert materials that generate oxygen instead of greenhouse gases.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation


















