Novelis Tests Hydrogen Fuel for Aluminium Recycling at UK Plant

Novelis has successfully conducted tests using hydrogen fuel to power a recycling furnace at its Latchford plant in the UK. The trials, carried out as part of a UK government decarbonization programme in collaboration with Progressive Energy, involved installing new burners, regenerators, and furnace lining material. According to Novelis, replacing natural gas with hydrogen in the melting furnace could cut CO2e emissions by up to 90%.

The project included blending hydrogen with natural gas in varying proportions, ranging from 30% to 100%, to evaluate its impact on existing infrastructure and equipment. During the trials, several hundred tonnes of 3000-series aluminium scrap were remelted and cast into sheet ingots, with all relevant parameters measured to assess any effects on product quality, process efficiency, and emissions.

Following this initial testing phase, further processing, including rolling and finishing, will be carried out at other Novelis plants in Europe to establish a full-scale assessment of a hydrogen-powered recycling process. A final report will be published as part of the UK government’s Industrial Fuel Switching programme later this year.

The hydrogen demonstration at Latchford is part of the broader HyNet initiative, supported by a £4.6 million grant under the UK’s Net Zero Innovation Portfolio. HyNet aims to decarbonize industry in the North West and North Wales by transitioning from natural gas to low-carbon hydrogen while implementing carbon capture technologies. Novelis has been a HyNet partner since 2017 and continues to support regional infrastructure development.

Beyond the hydrogen trials, Novelis is also exploring alternative energy sources, including plasma and electricity, as potential replacements for natural gas in its production processes. The company has committed to expanding its recycling operations at Latchford, with a $90 million investment to double its used beverage can recycling capacity by 85 kilotonnes per year. The expansion, expected to be operational by December 2026, aims to reduce Novelis Europe's CO2e emissions by over 350,000 tonnes annually.

As part of its long-term sustainability goals, Novelis plans to increase recycled content in its products to 75% by 2030, reduce carbon emissions to less than 3 tonnes of CO2e per tonne of aluminium shipped, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 or earlier.