A further improvement in the aluminium industry’s perfluorocarbon (PFC) emissions performance is reported in the results of the International Aluminium Institute’s (IAI) 2008 Anode Effect Survey.  These results continue the global aluminium industry’s trend of significant reductions in PFC (CF₄ and C₂F₆)greenhouse gas emissions, on an absolute as well as per tonne of production basis.  

The 2008 Survey continues an anode effect data series from global primary aluminium producers that dates from 1990 through to 2008.  Survey results have proven to be a useful tool in communicating the excellent progress by the aluminium industry over the last two decades in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and has provided Survey participants with valuable benchmarking information with which to compare current anode effect performance and to set improvement objectives. 

The 2008 dataset covers over 60% of global aluminium production and 59% of PFC emissions (as CO₂e) and results indicate that the global aluminium industry has reduced its PFC emissions per tonne of production by 86% from 4.93 in 1990 to 0.70 t CO₂e/t Al in 2008. 

Total PFC emissions from aluminium smelters to the atmosphere in 2008 were less than 28 Mt of CO₂e compared to 96Mt in 1990.  This reduction of over 70% in absolute emissions from 1990 levels has come despite a doubling in aluminium production over the same period, from 20 million tonnes in 1990 to 40 million tonnes in 2008. 

Having met its initial voluntary objective to reduce emissions by 80% per tonne between 1990 and 2010 in 2006, the global aluminium industry has set itself a further voluntary PFC emissions reduction objective that will drive the industry toward a new PFC emissions performance improvement goal by 2020.

The transport life cycle model, developed by IAI Sustainable Aluminium Working Group in cooperation with the European Aluminium Association (EAA) and the Aluminum Association (AA), focuses on the environmental aspects of light-weighting in transport and the resulting savings of fuel and electricity.

It quantifies the primary energy and greenhouse gas savings realised from the light-weighting of specific vehicle components based on life cycle assessment methodology. The developed model is based on the ISO 14044 life cycle assessment methodology and covers the whole life cycle of a vehicle including production, use and end-of-life (collection, recovery and recycling). It can be used to assess future scenarios and applications.

Alumina Technology Roadmap