UK's aluminium facility debuts hydrogen fuel transition in demonstration run by Novelis
In a significant stride towards industrial decarbonisation, aluminium processing firm Novelis has completed the UK's first full-scale hydrogen fuel switching demonstration at its Latchford plant. The demonstration, a two-year project in partnership with Progressive Energy, marked a successful conversion of a natural gas furnace to operate flexibly on hydrogen.
The hydrogen trial, funded by the UK Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) under the Industrial Fuel Switching (IFS) Competition, gave Novelis the technical confidence to potentially eliminate up to 45,000 tonnes of direct CO2 emissions annually at the Latchford site, provided hydrogen is available.
Allan Sweeny, Plant Manager at Novelis Latchford, stated that the demonstration showed they can adapt their existing infrastructure to run on hydrogen without compromising safety, quality, or performance. Product quality remained consistent during the trial, a testament to the success of the project.
The trial highlighted the need for robust infrastructure to support bulk hydrogen supply and distribution. To address this, Novelis and other organisations have begun negotiations to connect to the HyNet hydrogen network in Northwest England, with Novelis expected to be connected by 2026. The HyNet hydrogen network, expected to be available for connection in 2031, is also set to welcome two new carbon capture projects.
The investment at Latchford is aimed at increasing recycling capacity for used beverage cans. Novelis is investing approximately $90m to double the recycling capacity for used beverage cans at Latchford, increasing capacity by 85 kilotonnes per year. This expansion is expected to reduce Novelis Europe's CO2e emissions by more than 350,000 tonnes annually.
Existing infrastructure at Novelis Latchford was successfully adapted to run on hydrogen. The successful hydrogen trial gives Novelis the technical confidence to potentially eliminate up to 45,000 tonnes of direct CO2 emissions annually at the Latchford site, provided hydrogen is available. Future deployment of hydrogen at Novelis Latchford depends on connection to the HyNet hydrogen network (expected from 2031) or on-site electrolytic production. On-site electrolytic production is another potential option for hydrogen at Novelis Latchford.
The two-week trial showed that hydrogen can be safely delivered and combusted in aluminium recycling furnaces. The successful hydrogen demonstration marked a major step toward industrial decarbonisation, paving the way for a greener and more sustainable future.
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