Hydro Alunorte installs two more electric boilers powered by renewable energy to curb CO2 emissions

Hydro's Alunorte alumina refinery located in Brazil has reportedly brought two new electric boilers into operation that produce steam using renewable energy as a source of electricity instead of coal to reduce up to 550,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

Image source: Hydro

The world's largest single-plant alumina refinery, Alunorte, has invested NOK 580 million (US$51.37 million) to add these two new electric boilers to an existing one installed in 2022. Now, the three boilers saving substantial amounts of carbon emissions reinforce Alunorte's position as one of the lowest emission refineries in the alumina refinery.

The new boilers can produce a total of 270 tonnes of steam per hour, sourcing energy from the Brazilian Mendubim solar plant and the Ventos de São Zacarias wind farm.

Installing these two new boilers is also a part of Hydro's several initiatives towards reducing 70 per cent of carbon emissions by 2030.

Carlos Neves, Vice President of Operations at Hydro Bauxite & Alumina, said: "This is an important milestone for our operation. Alunorte is already among the most energy efficient refineries and this project is moving us even further in our decarbonisation efforts."