2018 Light Metals Keynote Session

Johannes Aalbu, Hydro Aluminium, Norway
Presentation Title: "Climate and Energy Efficient Aluminium Production"

Overview of today’s status on main environmental parameters like CO₂, PFC, energy consumption, fluorine emissions, spent potlining and other wastes in the aluminium industry. In addition to these negative aspects of our industry, also the positive effects of recycling and the user-face benefits of aluminium are discussed in order to present a holistic and balanced view on our industry. Further, Hydro’s climate strategy and main initiatives to improve environmental footprints are outlined. Finally, a brief overview on industry initiatives is presented, followed by a description of possible paths forward towards a climate neutral industry with zero emissions and zero waste.

About the Speaker: Johannes Aalbu is Vice President and Head of Technology Development at Hydro Aluminum AS.

Ray D. Peterson, Real Alloy, Knoxville, TN, USA
Presentation Title: "Aluminum Recycling – Can We be Zero Emissions and Zero Waste?"

While the initial production of aluminum metal from bauxite ore requires a significant energy input and produces a carbon dioxide footprint, the recycling process for aluminum scraps and by-products can be accomplished with as little as 5 % of the energy requirements for primary production. Due to the high value of aluminum, a strong collection infrastructure and recycling industry exists. A review of the current aluminum recycling industry will be made as well as a discussion on the possibilities for eliminating emissions and waste during the processing of aluminum.

About the Speaker: Ray D. Peterson is Director of Technology for Real Alloy. He has also worked for Aleris International, IMCO Recycling, and Reynolds Metals Company. Peterson received his Ph.D. in Metallurgy from the University of Utah in 1984. His research interests and experiences include molten salt reactions, high temperature thermochemistry, aluminum recycling, molten aluminum treatment, and energy management. Peterson has written over 50 published papers and holds five US Patents. He was the 2009-2010 President of The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS). He received the 2016 Light Metals Technology Award and the 2013 TMS Distinguished Service Award. Peterson was Light Metals Division chair from 2004 to 2007. In 2000, he served as Chair of the TMS Aluminum Committee and was Editor of Light Metals 2000. He has also served as Chair of the Recycling Committee (1997-1999). Peterson and a co-worker received the TMS 1991 Light Metals Best Paper Award for work on dissolved metals in Hall-Heroult cryolitic melts. He also received the Recycling Technology Award for his paper in Light Metals 2002. He has been an invited speaker at many technical conferences related to aluminum processing and has been an instructor for internal company training as well as external classes.

Stephan Broek, Hatch Ltd., Ontario, Canada
Presentation Title: "Towards Sustainable Solutions for Processing of Spent Potlining"

Spent potlining is a solid waste that is designated as hazardous. All smelters generate this waste and around the world most is still disposed of. Over the years many technologies have been developed and tried with good and bad successes, but today it is slowly becoming evident that some real applications survive the test of sustainability and economic viability. Step-by-step our industry is now inching towards truly sustainable solutions that every smelter should be able to get to. In this presentation we will see where the industry stands and how our journey is progressing.

About the Speaker: Stephan Broek graduated in Amsterdam with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He is a 27-year professional in the field of environmental engineering. Most of his career has been with Hatch and within Hatch he is an integral part of the Centre of Excellence for Aluminium smelting. One of his key roles is to direct a practice of specialists that are independent and work on aluminium smelter environment projects fulltime and around the world. One of the specialities is SPL processing. Hatch also shares his knowledge frequently in international conferences. In addition, he is the lead organizer of the TMS industrial course for potline scrubbing and fugitive emissions, which he teaches together with Margaret Hyland, David Wong, and Stephen Lindsay.

Wanchao Liu, Chalco Zhengzhou Non-ferrous Metal Research Institute Co. Ltd, China
Presentation Title: "Challenges and Progress in Environment Protection in China’s Aluminum Metallurgy"

The Chinese government has been taking a tough stance in environmental protection inspections. New Environment Protection Law and the Environmental Protection Tax Law have been implemented. In the aluminum metallurgy field, the emission control standards on air pollutant and hazardous materials are more serious than ever before. China has established the national carbon trading market in the non-ferrous metallurgy industry. For meeting these challenges, alumina, aluminum and carbon producers have been investing heavily into the environmental protections. Environmental protection is beneficial to the long-term healthy development of the Chinese aluminum industry. From the view of technology, some progress has been obtained on the de-NOx of flue gases from alumina calcinator and anode baking furnace, harmless treatment and utilization of aluminum dross, spent pot lining, aluminum salt slag and red mud.

About the Speaker: Wanchao Liu obtained his PhD degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 2011. He currently works as director of the Environment Engineering Division in CHALCO Zhengzhou Non-Ferrous Metal Research Institute Co., Ltd. From September 2009 to September 2010, he was a visiting student in CSIRO Process Science & Engineering in Australia. From March 2011 to September 2013, he worked in CHALCO Postdoc Workstation; and from September 2013 until now, he has worked for CHALCO Zhengzhou Non-Ferrous Metal Research Institute.

Pascal Lavoie & David S. Wong, Light Metals Research Centre, The University of Auckland, New Zealand
Presentation Title: "Tackling the GHG Footprint of the Aluminium Industry – Status, Challenges and Technological Solutions"

Despite having very desirable properties making it an energy saving material, primary aluminium production comes with a large environmental footprint. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are important and come both directly from the electrolytic process and indirectly from the electricity source used for the process. Over the years, advances in technology and operations have yielded significant reduction of GHG emissions from smelters through higher current efficiency, reduction of anode effects (reduced PFC emissions) and lower operating voltage (lower electricity consumption). Despite these, the Hall-Héroult process is still far from its theoretical performance in terms of energy consumption and an increasing proportion of the metal is produced with high GHG emission electricity sources. This presentation aims at reviewing the status of the industry in terms of GHG footprint, look at the current challenges and the upcoming technologies that could further reduce the industry impact.

About the Speakers: Pascal Lavoie is a Consultant, Light Metals at the Light Metals Research Centre, The University of Auckland and Hatch Ltd. Lavoie obtained his bachelor’s degree in Materials and Metallurgical Engineering from Université Laval, Québec. He joined Noranda’s Magnola magnesium smelter as process engineer. When Magnola was curtailed, he moved to Noranda New Madrid smelter as metallurgical process engineer and obtaining a black belt certification. In 2006, Lavoie joined the Light Metals Research Centre of the University of Auckland as Manager – International projects and then Chief Engineer. He led a team conducting more than 40 industrially-based R&D projects. Now consulting based in Canada, he provides support to smelting operations and engineering for reduction technologies, control and production systems. In 2006, he received the TMS Light Metals Division Young Leader award and has been on the LMD council and various committees since and is currently the JOM advisor for the Aluminum Committee.

David S. Wong is Manager Project Delivery and Principal Engineer Environmental at The University of Auckland, Light Metals Research Centre (LMRC). Wong has been active in the aluminium industry for more than a decade particularly in environmental management, focusing on PFC greenhouse gas emissions, fluoride emissions and particulates. He is a Lead Author for the IPCC in its ‘2019 Refinements to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines’ for accounting Greenhouse Gas emissions from aluminium and rare earth industries. He led the completion of LMRC’s Fluoride Emissions Management Guide (FEMG) and its implementation in a Chinese smelter. He has a Ph.D. in Chemical & Materials Engineering from the University of Auckland looking at potroom dust emissions. He is an active member of TMS, being an instructor in the TMS Potline Scrubbers & Fugitive Emissions course for smelters, and has co-authored more than dozen publications at TMS. His other interests include process control, advanced sensors and bath chemistry fundamentals. He has managed smelter-based projects in Australasia, North America, China, Europe and Russia.