UPDATED 1 Sept: The EI library in London is temporarily closed to the public, as a precautionary measure in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The Knowledge Service will still be answering email queries via email , or via live chats during working hours (09:15-17:00 GMT). Our e-library is always open for members here: eLibrary , for full-text access to over 200 e-books and millions of articles. Thank you for your patience.
New Energy World
New Energy World embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low carbon technologies.
How to unlock aluminium’s clean energy potential in the US
14/6/2023
6 min read
Feature
As the US aluminium industry struggles, global demand for material is projected to increase 40% by 2050. Here, Annie Sartor, from Industrious Labs – a member of the new Sustainable Aluminum Network – looks at clean energy solutions.
Following the passage of the historic Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022, the full weight of the US federal government’s financial heft is backing clean energy technologies and decarbonisation for the first time. As billions of dollars of public and private dollars begin rolling out in 2023, industries are ramping up supply chains as well as opening and expanding factories and manufacturing facilities in a bevy of states from coast to coast.
However, there’s a missing piece to this puzzle: aluminium. Thanks to its durability and versatility, primary aluminium is used to make everything from solar panels, to electric vehicles (EVs), to heat pumps, to transmission lines, and much more.
A relatively tiny amount of aluminium is currently made in the US – just three out of six total smelters are operating at full capacity, representing less than 1.5% of global aluminium production. With demand set to skyrocket as the energy transition accelerates, aluminium will be mission critical for a clean energy future.