Aluminium for

Future Generatons
2009 Internatonal Aluminium Insttute
Reliability statement: This informaton is given to the best of our knowledge, but
without warranty. The applicaton, use and processing of the products is beyond
our control and, therefore, entrely your own responsibility.
Internatonal Aluminium Insttute
New Zealand House
Haymarket
London SW1Y 4TE
United Kingdom
+44 (0) 20 7930 0528
iai@world-aluminium.org
www.world-aluminium.org
Aluminium Producton
Perfuorocarbon (PFC) emissions intensity reduced by 86% per tonne of aluminium from 4.9 to 0.7
tonnes CO
2
e between 1990 & 2008.
Total PFC emissions (t CO2e) reduced by 70% over the same period, despite 100% growth in produc-
ton.
Total Direct GHG emissions from all processes (t CO
2
e), remained constant between 1990 and 2008.
GHG intensity per tonne of semi fabricated product, including savings from recycling, reduced by
22% between 1990 and 2008.
Energy efciency of alumina refning process improved by 5% between 2006 and 2007.
Electrical power efciency of IAI-surveyed smelters improved by 4%, 1990 to 2008.
Achievement of a balanced land use outcome in the bauxite mining sector with annual area reha-
bilitated now equal to the annual area opened up for mining.
Aluminium Recycling
Aluminium is infnitely recyclable approximately 75% of all aluminium ever produced since 1888 is
stll in productve use, some having been through countless loops of its lifecycle .
Recycling of post-consumer aluminium saves 80 million tonnes of CO
2
annually, with additonal sav-
ings from the recycling of pre-consumer customer scrap.
Aluminium recycling saves up to 95% of the energy required for primary aluminium producton.
Aluminiums economic scrap value and ability to be recycled contnuously makes the aluminium
beverage can the most recycled container in the world with an average recycling rate of 60% and
over 90% in some countries.
Globally, aluminium achieves among the highest material recycling rates, with up to 90% for trans-
port and constructon applicatons.
Benefts of Aluminium Products in Use
Transport
The use of one kilogram of aluminium replacing heavier materials in a car or light truck can save a net 20 kg of CO
2
over the life of the
vehicle.
This fgure is even higher for more weight sensitve applicatons (for instance, up to 80 kg CO
2
saved per kg of aluminium used in trains).
The 15 million tonnes of aluminium used in transport applicatons cars, buses, trucks, trains and ships can save up to 300 million
tonnes of CO
2
and 100 billion litres of crude oil over the vehicles operatng life.
As car manufacturers have sought to improve fuel efciency, the use of aluminium has grown every year for the past 30 years.
In 1990, the average passenger car contained between 40 and 80 kg aluminium; in 2009, the average is between 120 and 150 kg.
While today aluminium accounts for less than 10% of a cars total weight it represents up to 50% of the total material scrap value.
The aluminium industry supports global university research in recycling, vehicle lightweightng and improvements in alloy propertes.
Building & Constructon
Aluminium is durable and corrosion resistant, thus reducing maintenance over tme.
Buildings account for up to 40% global energy consumpton.
The most energy efcient buildings start with aluminium. Aluminium components and designs optmise natural lightng and shade,
enhance energy management and support designs that make the most of the physical environment.
Aluminiums unmatched recyclability gives architects a key sustainability design tool.
In Europe, around 95% of architectural aluminium is collected and recycled.
Globally, buildings contain some 200 million tonnes of aluminium, which will be available for recycling by future generatons tme afer
tme - an energy bank for future generatons.
Aluminiums high strength-to-weight rato makes it possible to design light structures with exceptonal stability.
The metals inherent strength allows aluminium window and curtain wall frames to be very narrow, maximising solar gains for given
outer dimensions.
Aluminiums light weight makes it cheaper and easier to transport and handle safely on site.
Packaging
Aluminium packaging via its unique combinaton of propertes contributes to the efcient fabricaton, storage, distributon, retailing and
usage of products.
The aluminium beverage can is one of the most sustainable packaging solutons available, because it protects its contents, is cost-efec-
tve and can be recycled afer use again and again.
In North America and in Europe, a used beverage can is produced, flled, distributed, consumed, collected and recycled back into a can
within 60 days.
Aluminium foil is by far the lightest complete barrier material in a packaging composite. For example, a fexible fruit juice pouch or a
beverage carton with a thin internal aluminium layer of only a few microns can be 20 tmes or more lighter than a traditonal botle.
Aluminium packaging is the insurance to protect the energy invested in producing, growing and processing food. It also ensures the
additonal energy used to get that food to us in transport, retailing, shopping, storing & cooking is not wasted.
30% of the food in developing countries perishes due to the lack of packaging. Aluminium has the best barrier propertes to keep food
and drinks fresh and safe and to avoid loss, guaranteeing a longer shelf-life, thus contributng to the sustainability of food and drinks
products.
Speciality packaging of pharmaceutcals and other medical products protects and maintains sterile conditons during transportaton and
storage untl use.
Aluminium helps to reduce the impact of used packaging. Aluminium is light and minimises packaging volumes.
The aluminium drink can is the most recycled beverage container in the world and most aluminium foil applicatons are fully recyclable
as well.
The aluminium industry has a long traditon of collectng and recycling used aluminium products and the high economic value of used
aluminium packaging is an incentve for contnuous improvement in recycling.
The Internatonal Aluminium Insttute
Is ready to work with UNFCCC and other internatonal agencies to develop suitable programmes
and mechanisms for the sustainable development of the industry.
Undertakes a major annual global sustainability survey of the aluminium industry, covering a range
of key indicators including greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, environment, health & safety per-
formance, recycling and use phase benefts of aluminium applicatons.
Publishes statstcs including benchmarking data.
Contnues to develop protocols for GHG calculaton (in cooperaton with WRI/WBCSD), inventory
building (with IPCC) and emissions measurement (with USEPA).
Engages with the Asia-Pacifc Partnership on Clean Development & Climate - providing benchmark
data, emissions measurement expertse and capacity building in data collecton and analysis.
The Internatonal Aluminium Insttute
December 2009
Total annual emissions:
ALUMINA
REFINING
Anode
Producton
BAUXITE
MINING
ALUMINIUM SMELTING
Electrolytc Process
(Scope 1)
Electrolytc Energy
(Scope 2)
Ingot
Castng
TRANSPORTATION OF RAW
MATERIALS & PRODUCTS
(Scope 3)
SEMI-
FABRICATION
PRODUCT
USE www.world-aluminium.org
Only 30km
2
of land is dis-
turbed for mining bauxite
every year, equivalent to
half the size of Manhatan
Island.
This is balanced by the
30km
2
of previously mined
land rehabilitated annually.
2-3 tonnes of bauxite yield
one tonne of alumina.
210 million tonnes of baux-
ite are mined annually.
150 MJ primary energy
consumed per dry tonne of
bauxite.
Fuel combuston for heat
and steam represent the
bulk of Bayer Process emis-
sions, with 10% from indi-
rect sources.
2 tonnes of alumina yield 1
tonne of aluminium.
54 major refneries operate
worldwide, producing 76
million tonnes of alumina.
15,000 MJ primary energy
consumed per tonne of
metallurgical alumina.
1 million tonnes CO
2
e
The carbon anodes con-
sumed in the Hall-Hroult
Process are ofen baked
before use (Prebake tech-
nology) in gas- or oil-fred
furnaces.
Around 430kg of anodes
are used to produce 1
tonne of molten alumini-
um.
17.5 million tonnes of Preb-
ake anodes are produced
every year.
4,000 MJ primary energy
consumed per tonne of an-
odes produced.
59 million tonnes CO
2
e 11 million tonnes CO
2
e 92 million tonnes CO
2
e
Total absolute direct GHG
emissions from electrolysis
are today 30% below 1990
levels (130 Mt CO
2
e) despite
a doubling in primary alu-
minium producton over the
same period.
This has been driven by a re-
ducton in the emissions of
perfuorocarbon gases (PFCs)
by 86% per tonne aluminium
between 1990 and 2008.
CO
2
from anode consumpton
now consttutes around two
thirds of the process direct
emissions, with PFCs making
up the remainder.
298 million tonnes CO
2
e
Electrical energy is required to
split the strong bonds between
Al
3+
and O
2-
.
This high reactvity and strong
bonding lends the metal its
unique and valuable propertes.
Low GHG-emitng, renewable
& reliable hydroelectricity con-
sttutes around 40% of the in-
dustrys power mix.
Global average smelter electri-
cal (AC) power consumpton
is in the range 14-15 MWh per
tonne of aluminium.
Electrical efciency of IAI-sur-
veyed smelters improved by 4%
between 1990 and 2008.
5 million tonnes CO
2
e
Molten aluminium, along
with process scrap, is cast
into primary metal products,
for which heat is required.
GHG emissions from cast-
houses consttute both direct
sources of fuel combuston
(66%) and indirect sources
from electricity consumpton.
39.5 million tonnes of prima-
ry aluminium ingot, billet and
slab were produced in 2008
10,000 MJ primary energy .
consumed per tonne of alu-
minium ingot.
28 million tonnes CO
2
e
Emissions produced in the
transport of aluminium industry
products from bauxite mine to
casthouse, along with the car-
bon footprints of the raw mate-
rial used (Scope 3 emissions).
The bulk of Scope 3 emissions
are emited in the producton
and transport of bauxite and
alumina.
Alumina refneries are ofen
located near mines and can be
long distances from the smelt-
ers they supply, which are locat-
ed close to sources of plentful
and reliable power.
46 million tonnes CO
2
e
Primary and recycled alu-
minium ingots are reheated
and reformed into semi-fab-
ricated products - sheet for
aircraf, foil for packaging,
extrusions for windows, cast-
ings for cars and buses.
Each process has a diferent
energy and emissions profle,
but the average GHG emis-
sions are around 800kg per
tonne of product.
56 million tonnes of semi-fab-
ricated products are shipped
to the automotve, construc-
ton, packaging and other in-
dustries annually.
Transport
27% use
Lightweight
Strong & safe
Constructon
24% use
Corrosion resistant
Flexible
Engineering
21% use
Durable
Conductve
Packaging
13% use
Protectve
Waste-reducing
Approximately 75% of all
aluminium ever produced is
stll in productve use, hav-
ing been through countless
loops of its lifecycle.
Packaging preserves food
and protects pharmaceut-
cals and medical products,
saving community resources.
Lightweightng cars, trucks,
trains and ships can have a
signifcant impact on global
transport-related emissions.
Total annual GHG emis-
sions saved through
post-consumer recycling:
80 million tonnes CO
2
e
Total GHG emissions
potentally saved
through aluminium
vehicle lightweightng
applicatons in 2008:
300 million tonnes CO
2
e
RECYCLING
Recycling requires only 5% of
the energy required for pri-
mary aluminium producton.
Recycling avoids the proc-
ess emissions associated
with primary producton.
18 million tonnes of alu-
minium are recycled from
scrap annually.
GHG emissions potentally
saved through aluminium
vehicle lightweightng
applicatons in 2008:
300 million tonnes CO
2
e
7 Mt CO
2
e emited from
recycling of all scrap
80 Mt CO
2
e saved from
recycling of
post-consumer scrap
Total cumulatve GHG
emissions saved through
recycling, 1990-2008:
1 billion tonnes CO
2
e