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Abstract
The imperative to decarbonise industries has gained prominence amid intensifying global environmental concerns with particular relevance to hard-to-abate manufacturing sectors. This study explores the sustainability facets of the aluminum industry in India. It delves into the historical growth of aluminum manufacturing, the primary aluminum refining process, and employs a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. We project that the Indian aluminum production capacity will reach about 100 MT by 2070 from 4 MT in 2021. The study introduces a comprehensive technology roadmap for the Indian aluminum industry, incorporating renewable energy adoption, process emission reductions, and Carbon Capture Utilization (CCU). An in-depth analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the Business-As-Usual scenario (BAU) projects cumulative emissions reaching 1.6 GT by 2070. Implementing the proposed decarbonisation strategies could significantly reduce these emissions to about 0.4 GT, highlighting the transformative potential of sustainable interventions in India's aluminum industry. This roadmap addresses industry-specific challenges and aligns with India's national decarbonisation goals. The results indicate a 70% reduction in CO₂ eq. emissions from the industry, considering the need for captive power generation for a few energy-critical process steps in manufacturing. CCU, electricity decarbonisation and improvements in energy efficiency could collectively achieve about 24% reduction in emissions. The integration of technologies such as fluoride scrubbing for PFC mitigation can further reduce emissions by an additional 46%. The environmental impact assessment (Impact 2002+ (V2.15)) has identified the presence of carcinogens and ozone layer-depleting agents as sources of concern. We conclude that India’s aluminum industry has a immense growth potential, leveraging India's large bauxite reserves and secondary aluminum, while focusing on sustainable future practices.
Supplementary materials
Title
Supplementary Information
Description
This supplementary document supports the primary manuscript on India's aluminum industry and its emissions abatement strategies. It presents a data-driven correlation between GDP and primary aluminum production (2010–2021), projecting future capacities up to 2070. Key operational stages—mining, refining (Bayer process), smelting (Hall-Héroult), and casting—are detailed with input-output inventories under business-as-usual (BAU), secondary aluminum (S-Al), and abatement scenarios. Life cycle inventory (LCI) and impact assessment (LCIA) data include energy consumption, emissions (CO₂, NOx, SO₂, fluorides), and waste generation. Tables further compare renewable/non-renewable energy shares, and characterize environmental impacts across 15 categories (e.g., GWP, ecotoxicity, resource depletion). Sankey diagrams visualize greenhouse gas trends across decades. This file underpins the sustainability framework by quantifying reductions through technological interventions and renewable integration.
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