Alcoa to supply low-carbon ECOLUM™ to customer in support of supply chain sustainability

2020-07-29

Jul. 29, 2020 - Alcoa Corporation announced today that it has reached an agreement to supply ECOLUM™ rolling slabs to Gränges, a leading producer of rolled aluminum products for heat exchanger applications and other targeted markets.

ECOLUM™ is part of Alcoa’s SUSTANA™ line of low-carbon products that support supply chain sustainability. Gränges has a long-term target to reduce the intensity of carbon emissions across its entire supply chain.

“Gränges is committed to reducing our climate impact from a life-cycle perspective, and thereby enhancing our sustainability performance,” said Sofia Hedevåg, Gränges’ SVP Sustainability. “One of the key priorities in our climate strategy is to collaborate along the value chain and increase the sourcing and use of recycled aluminum and low-carbon primary aluminum since such materials significantly reduce our products’ carbon footprint.”

Alcoa’s ECOLUM™ cast products are produced at hydroelectric-powered aluminum smelters and guarantee no more than 2.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide smelter emissions per metric ton of aluminum. This is 75 percent better than the industry average.

When also considering the upstream emissions from bauxite mining and refining, ECOLUM™ guarantees less than 4.0 metric tons of total carbon dioxide equivalents, per metric ton of aluminum.

“Our industry-leading performance provides a distinct advantage in offering low-carbon aluminum products to our customers,” said Tim Reyes, Alcoa’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. “Alcoa controls its entire aluminum value chain, beginning with sustainable bauxite mining and an alumina refining system that has the lowest carbon dioxide emissions of any producer – all supplying a smelting system predominately powered with hydroelectric energy.”

Reyes continued: “There is a growing demand for sustainably-produced materials, with customers acknowledging that it is worth paying extra for these attributes. With our SUSTANA™ line of products and certifications from the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, we are able to support the demand for sustainably produced metal.”

ECOLUM™ greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and energy consumption numbers are verified by a third party and disclosed in Environmental Product Declaration, or EPD.