Breakthrough in Aluminum Energy-Saving Tech Cuts PFC Emissions by 77%, Boosts China's Green Transition

The "aluminum electrolysis energy-saving and carbon reduction technology based on reducing perfluorocarbon emissions," led by Chalco Zhengzhou Research Institute, has achieved a major breakthrough. This technology addresses at the source the industry-wide challenge of high perfluorocarbon emission intensity in China's large aluminum reduction cells when using domestically produced alumina, reducing the perfluorocarbon equivalent CO2 emission intensity of aluminum electrolysis in China from 1.12 mt/mt aluminum to below 0.26 mt/mt aluminum, a reduction of over 77%, marking a critical step forward in China's green transformation and deep carbon reduction in the aluminum industry.

Currently, the technology has been promoted and applied in more than 20 aluminum enterprises nationwide, covering a capacity of over 6 million mt. Actual application data show that the technology delivers significant environmental and economic benefits: average DC power consumption per mt of aluminum has been reduced by more than 47 kWh, with cumulative electricity savings of 1.133 billion kWh since 2022, CO2 emission reductions of 18.71 million mt, and new economic benefits of 1.146 billion yuan.