Decarbonizing the aluminium industry A comprehensive review of pathways and process integration perspectives
Authors: Dareen Dardor, Daniel Florez Orrego, Reginald Germanier, Manuele Margni, François Marechal
Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2025.101853
The aluminium industry is one of the most energy-intensive and carbon-heavy sectors, currently responsible for around 1200 MtCO₂-eq annually, nearly 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Demand is projected to rise significantly by 2050, raising urgent questions about how to balance growth with climate neutrality targets.
In a new article published in Energy Strategy Reviews, the Industrial Process and Energy Systems Engineering (IPESE) group at EPFL presents the first systemic review of aluminium decarbonization strategies. The study proposes a four-layer analytical framework to assess technologies and pathways, through:
- Process & system integration
- Energy & exergy efficiency
- Techno-economics
- Life cycle assessment (LCA)
Drawing from more than 200 reviewed articles, 50 were critically analyzed and mapped against these layers to identify technical barriers, cross-cutting solutions, and policy needs.
Key findings
⚡ High power demand & high-temperature bottlenecks
Primary aluminium requires 13–15 kWh/kgAl, making clean electricity access the cornerstone of sector decarbonization. Secondary production is constrained by melting furnaces (>1000 °C), where renewable alternatives remain underdeveloped.
♻️ Scrap recycling limits
Cross-alloy contamination restricts the use of scrap, maintaining dependence on primary aluminium production.
🔁 Heat cascading & exergy integration
Significant efficiency gains are possible by valorizing industrial waste heat and improving the use of available exergy, particularly in casting processes where exergy recovery is currently <10%.
📊 Robust decision tools
Techno-economic modeling under uncertainty (e.g. Monte Carlo simulations) and prospective LCA are essential for evaluating risks, circularity, and scope-3 emissions.
🤝 Coordinated policy & industry action
Targeted subsidies, joint roadmaps, and public–private partnerships must align with long investment cycles to enable global scale-up of emerging solutions.
Why it matters
To align with climate targets, aluminium sector emissions must fall from 1200 MtCO₂-eq in 2023 to 250 MtCO₂-eq by 2050. Achieving this requires both deep technological innovation and system-level coordination between industry, governments, and research.
This review contributes a decision-support framework that helps stakeholders prioritize among competing strategies, ensuring that the aluminium industry can become a cornerstone of the net-zero transition.
🔗 Read the full paper here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2025.101853