Rusal drives carbon neutrality in cable and EV battery industries
Rusal, a leading global aluminium producer, in collaboration with an international manufacturer of cable and wire products and batteries for EVs, has produced and submitted aluminium from ultra-low carbon metal for further performance testing.
Rusal successfully developed ALLOW INERTIA, extra low-carbon aluminium sweltered by state-of-the-art technology that significantly reduces the total volume of greenhouse gas emissions during the electrolysis process. This innovation lowers carbon dioxide emissions within Scope 1 and 2 to 0.01 tons of CO2 equivalent per ton of aluminium, compared to the industry average of 11.4 tons of CO2 equivalent per ton of aluminium (according to 2022 International Aluminium Institute estimates[1]).
The production of ALLOW INERTA aluminium is characterized by the use of anodes with non-consumable materials – ceramics or metal alloys, which significantly reduces the level of emissions during the electrolysis process. This solution cuts CO2 emissions (Scope 1&2) to 0.01t of CO2/t of aluminium produced.
Currently, ALLOW INERTA aluminium is produced at Rusal’s Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Plant (KrAZ). The first batches of metal were shipped in 2021 to companies from the packaging, energy, automotive and electronics industries. More than 4,100t of metal were produced during pilot tests of the technology.
Recently, ALLOW INERTA has begun to be produced and submitted for further performance testing in many industries including the cable and batteries for EV industries.
Rusal’s partner, an international manufacturer of cable and wire products, has successfully tested and endorsed the quality and conformity of the ultra-low carbon wire rod to the declared technical specifications. The wire rod made with ALLOW INERTA metal will be used for the partner’s renewable energy projects.
An additional advantage of this wire rod is its improved electrical conductivity, achieved due to the unique characteristics of the metal produced using inert anode technology. For the producer, this translates into reduced cable material costs and lower project budgets in the electric power industry. The full-scope carbon footprint of the new wire rod is 4 tons of CO2 equivalent per ton of aluminium, which aligns with global decarbonization trends in the cable industry.
Along with manufacturers of batteries for the EV industry, factories producing batteries for electric vehicles in China plan to use ALLOW INERTA aluminium in the production of foil for its further use in electrical engineering, mainly in batteries for electric vehicles.
Players in the industry tend to constantly analyze its pool of suppliers, taking into account the carbon footprint of raw materials and strive to choose those suppliers who meet decarbonization goals. The use of ALLOW INERTA is the next step towards creating products with minimal environmental impact.
