August 2024 Volume 6

ENERGY

About Green Hydrogen • Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier and can be used as a fuel, and as a feedstock in various industries, such as aluminum, glass, steel, and cement. • Today the world consumes almost 100 million tonnes of hydrogen yearly, mainly used in oil refineries and ammonia plants. Over 99 percent of the current hydrogen production is made from fossil fuels, either natural gas or coal, resulting in 900 million tonnes of CO2 being emitted annually. • Green hydrogen is a potential emis sion free alternative to replace tradi tional hydrogen production methods and fossil fuels used in the industry and transport. It is produced by using renewable electricity to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, without emitting any greenhouse gases. • Green hydrogen has the potential to play a key role in the global transition to a sustainable and net-zero emis sions economy. For use in high heat processes, industries need to mature the fuel switch solutions to hydrogen.

Hydro and Executive Vice President Hanne Simensen (right) announced the three year test of green hydrogen in Høyanger Recycling together with Mayor Petter Sortland, Enova's Astrid Lilliestråle, Director of Technology and Market Development, and Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen. (Photo: Jens Christian Boysen/Hydro)

During the pilot, green hydrogen will power one remelting furnace at the Høyanger recy cling unit. This is key to unlock this renew able fuel’s decarbonization potential in aluminium, and will provide insight into fuel switch technology, metal quality, and necessary infrastructure for green hydrogen projects. This project is enabled by Hydro’s compe tence in both energy and aluminium. Hydro Havrand, Hydro’s green hydrogen unit, has been granted soft funding from the Norwegian Government (Enova) up to NOK 83.3 million to enable this pilot. The aluminium produced in the recycler will be used to further lower the CO2 footprint of aluminium products from Hydro’s Norwe gian smelters. The project is part of Hydro’s strategy to pioneer the transition to greener aluminium and a step in Hydro’s technology roadmap towards zero-carbon products. Over the past years Hydro has produced the first quantities of near-zero carbon aluminium from recycled aluminium, started testing carbon capture in Sunndal, and is working to test biomethane and plasma technology as options to decarbonize the high tempera ture processes.

Hydro is also building a test facility for a brand new process technology in Porsgrunn, Norway. This is groundbreaking technology in the aluminium industry. A predictable CO2 compensation scheme in Norway, enabled by the long term agreement reached this spring, is key for industry investments. Green hydrogen is one of the most prom ising emission free fuels to replace natural gas in aluminium casthouses, but is not in use on an industrial scale in the aluminium industry today.

Hydro operator, Thomas Frichsen, in front of a remelting furnace at Høyanger Recycling. During the pilot, green hydrogen will power one of the remelting furnaces. (Photo: Halvor Molland/Hydro)

FIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2024 9