Novelis proves industrial-scale hydrogen fuel for aluminium production
Novelis has finalized the first full-scale hydrogen fuel switching demonstration in the aluminium industry in the UK. The two-week trial at its Latchford plant involved converting a natural gas furnace to operate flexibly on hydrogen.
Allan Sweeney, plant manager at Novelis Latchford, said: “This trial has been a major achievement for our team; It demonstrated that we can adapt our existing infrastructure to run on hydrogen without compromising safety, quality, or performance. It’s a practical step forward in reducing our site’s carbon footprint and preparing for a low-carbon future.”
The project, funded by the UK Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, confirmed hydrogen can be delivered and combusted in existing aluminium recycling infrastructure. In recognition of the achievement, the project was awarded the IEA Hydrogen TCP Award of Excellence 2025.
Novelis also commented that the trial has provided them with the technical confidence to potentially eliminate up to 45kt of carbon dioxide emissions annually at the plant (subject to hydrogen availability).
