ALUNORTE’S ALUMINA PLANT STARTS UP ITS FIRST ELECTRIC BOILER

The Alunorte alumina refinery in Brazil has commissioned a new electric boiler that could reduce carbon emissions by 100,000 tons per year. A project with which the multinational Hydro reiterates its commitment to be carbon neutral by 2050, which is a very important change in the energy used.

The new electric boiler, which uses much more modern technology and has a higher capacity, is starting to operate at Alunorte, located in the municipality of Barcarena, in the state of Pará. The nominal generation capacity is about 95 tons of steam per hour, with a consumption of 60 megawatts and a potential reduction of about 100,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year.

“Innovation and technological development are the main enablers of CO2-free processes. Our ambitions for the future are to reduce our own emissions globally by 10% by 2025 and 30% by 2030. This project plays an important role in the company’s overall climate strategy,” says Carlos Neves, director of Hydro’s Bauxite and Alumina operations in Brazil.

The project, with an investment of BRL 42 million (EUR 7.3 million), was completed in about 20 months. Initially, the boiler will operate with energy purchased on the market (the boilers have been fueled by coal). Investments in renewable energies through joint ventures and long-term purchases are already being considered. In addition, the company is studying the addition of two more electric boilers, which are expected to come on line in 2024.