Aluminum demand is as high as 486 tons, high carbon emission industry damages solar “green certificate”

To limit the temperature rise to within 2°C,All walks of life have frequently accelerated the transition to net zero carbon emissions, and increased attention to green energy and renewable energy.However, the Australian scientific team predicts that if the capacity of 60TW of solar equipment needs to be increased by 2050, it will be accompanied by up to 486 tons of aluminum, which may increase carbon dioxide emissions.

The conductivity of aluminum is second only to silver, copper and gold, and it has the advantages of light weight and excellent corrosion resistance.Therefore, it is often used in solar cells, solar frames, brackets and inverters. The University of New South Wales (UNSW) team in Australia believes that aluminum raw materials are abundant and cheap. However, if the temperature increase is to be limited to 2 degrees, it is necessary to realize that the primary High energy and greenhouse gas emissions for primary production.

The UNSW team found that assuming widespread electrification of industries, demand for 60TW of solar energy is expected in 2050, increasing aluminium demand to 486 tonnes, In view of the greenhouse gas emissions and global warming potential of the aluminum industry, this will detract from the "green certification" of solar energy.

The team estimates that for every ton of aluminum produced, 14.5 tons of carbon dioxide is emitted.
Researcher Alison Lennon said that if the carbon intensity of primary aluminium production cannot be reduced, it may emit as much as 3,000 Mt CO2e, and it is necessary to use recycled aluminium as much as possible or decarbonise aluminium refining to have a chance to curb global warming.

The team hopes to improve aluminum refining technology, propose potential alternatives and aluminum recycling through this research, and believes that "recycling" is an invincible medicine, because the energy required for secondary production is about 5% of primary production, and carbon Emissions are only 3-5% of primary production, and it is hoped that the aluminum recycling rate can increase from 34% in 2020 to 75% by 2050.

The researchers stressed that the opportunity to limit carbon emissions to 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050 is expected to reduce the carbon footprint of aluminum manufacturing within the next 10 years.