Aluminium scrap melted by hydrogen furnace in trials
Aluminium scrap was successfully melted by a hydrogen-powered furnace during recent tests; Initial tests of a retrofitted a 1.5-tonne capacity furnace using various types of aluminium scrap demonstrated that the quality of the melted metal remained consistently high.
The tests took place as part of the EU-funded HyInHeat project to develop sustainable heat technologies for the aluminium industry.
The furnace was converted at aluminium recycling and rolling group Speira.
“Our early trials have been encouraging,” said Galyna Laptyeva, Senior Scientist and Project Lead at Speira.
“We’ve proven that hydrogen is fundamentally suitable as a fuel for our melting furnaces. This is a major step towards reducing the carbon intensity of our production.”
Launched in 2023, the HyInHeat project brings together 30 partners from 12 European countries to explore hydrogen’s potential for decarbonising heat-intensive processes in the aluminium and steel industries.
With €24 million in funding from the European Union, the initiative aims to develop efficient hydrogen combustion systems that address nearly the entire process chain of these energy-intensive industries.
To further increase efficiency, Speira has now equipped the test furnace with even more advanced technology. Instead of using normal air, hydrogen is now burned with pure oxygen – a process known as “oxyfuel.”
“Oxygen is a by-product of hydrogen production anyway. By using it for combustion, our calculations show we can save approximately 30%of fuel,” explains Laptyeva. “This makes the process not only more environmentally friendly but also more economical.”
Another advantage of hydrogen combustion is that, ideally, no harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx) are produced. In practice, however, small leaks and impurities can cause minimal amounts of these pollutants.
Researchers will closely examine how to reduce these emissions to a minimum in upcoming tests
Dr Paula Camean Queijo, Head of Research and Development at Speira. “While we already rely heavily on recycling to lower our carbon footprint, the use of hydrogen allows us to make the production process itself more environmentally friendly.”
“With projects like HyInHeat, we are pioneering a more environmentally friendly aluminium industry while strengthening Germany’s position as an innovation hub.”
The project will run until the end of 2026.
