Hydro bags the changemaker title at COP28 for unlocking new milestones with HalZero project

Energy Transition Changemakers is an initiative led by the COP28 UAE Presidency that seeks to promote cooperation among private sector entities in implementing innovative and internationally scalable solutions to reduce carbon emissions. As per the information, Hydro was acknowledged by the COP28 UAE Presidency as an energy transition changemaker for its pioneering efforts in the transition to green aluminium at the 2023 Climate Change Conference in Dubai on December 5.

The recognition comes as Hydro works to build a test plant for the zero-emission HalZero technology, intending to produce the first metal by 2025. Hydro has been chosen as one of the firms to demonstrate solutions that have the potential to facilitate and expedite the shift towards cleaner energy in industries with high levels of emissions.

"We are changing the game for aluminium. This is an important recognition of our efforts to develop new technology that could be the biggest thing to happen in aluminium production since the invention of the Hall-Héroult process in 1886," said President and CEO Hilde Merete Aasheim, taking part in the Energy Transition Changemaker event.

HalZero is part of Hydro's technical roadmap for reducing emissions from aluminium manufacturing. Existing electrolysis technology releases CO2 as an unavoidable byproduct, but the technique under development is intended to emit oxygen rather than CO2. If HalZero is effective, it may be used in new aluminium smelter capacity worldwide, reducing emissions from one of the world's most difficult-to-abate industries.

"The road to zero-carbon aluminium production is a long haul. We have made significant progress in the past three decades, reducing CO2 emissions at Hydro's smelters in Norway by 55 percent since 1990, while almost doubling production. The HalZero test facility is another important step on our path to zero," stated Aasheim.

The construction of the test facility, which is due to begin at Hydro's technical centre in Porsgrunn, Norway, is a big step forward for the project. This is where Hydro's world-class technologists will work to refine the various process phases. The goal is to create the first aluminium in 2025, followed by industrial-scale pilot quantities in 2030, readying HalZero for usage in new smelting capacity. Hydro is also working on carbon capture and storage for use in existing aluminium smelters, boosting the usage of renewable energy and testing green hydrogen throughout the value chain.

“I congratulate Hydro on the recognition as an Energy Transition Changemaker. This not only acknowledges the significance of Hydro’s HalZero project, but also demonstrates how Norway’s leading companies are at the forefront in offering carbon-neutral solutions for the green transition,” added Håkon Haugli, CEO of Innovation Norway.