Aluminium Reduction Cell Technology Providers – a 2014 Review Introduction This article is the second, updated edition of a paper published in the context of the European Metallurgical Conference 2011 (EMC2011), organized by GDMB of Germany. Special thanks go to my former colleagues, Dr. R. Minto and T. Heitling, who helped establishing the first edition which has been published in the EMC2011 conference proceedings [1]. Consultation of an article on the topic published in 2000 gave rise to the question who would be providing aluminium reduction cell technology today. The referenced article elaborates on cell technologies developed by wellknown companies which mostly have been in business for a long time, some since inception of the Hall-Héroult process. Potline current values cited in the article are in a range of 250 – 320 kA for the then latest technologies; further tiers of reduction current are the 150 – 200 kA range and anything below
that down to 50 kA, the latter mostly for an illustration of the historical evolution of the electric current as a qualifier for the advancement of reduction cell technology. Since 2000, the global primary aluminium industry has grown at a remarkable rate of 5,5 % year-onyear: production capacity rose from 23,7 million tpy (Mtpy) in 2000 to 39,8 Mtpy in 2008, with a recess to some 37,5 Mtpy in 2009 in the aftermath of the financial crisis, just to rebound to 47,3 Mtpy in 2013. China has grown its share in the primary aluminium market from about 10 % in 2000 to some 21,5 Mtpy or 45 % of global supply in 2013, which is equivalent to almost all of the above increase in global production tonnage. The same period has seen an equally unprecedented change amongst the players in the primary business: mergers and acquisition have led to a concentration of the industry into
fewer but bigger players. This trend along with management buy-outs, bankruptcies and changes of business strategy has led to the disappearance of quite a few of the traditional primary producers´ names including some of the long-established cell technology providers. 128 years after Hall and Héroult independently applied for their patents for the still unrivalled aluminium electrowinning process, this paper gives an updated review of who today would be developing and providing aluminium reduction cell technology to primary smelters, be it new greenfield or brownfield expansion projects.
1 Summary of Reduction Cell Technology as at Year 2000 In early 2000, Tabereaux published a global review on prebake cell technology [2] in which he elaborated the then prevailing situation with regard to cell technology developers and operators. The article also included an overview
Table 1: Most Advanced Reduction Cell Technologies as at the Year 2000, excerpts from [2] UPBN: Universal Prebake Cell Nomenclature, proposed by Tabereaux Company
Cell Type
UPBN
I / kA
Alcan
A-275
AC-28
A-310
AC-31
P-225 A-817
Alusuisse
EPT-18
Comalco-Dubal
CD-200
Hydro
HAL-230 HAL-250
Kaiser
P-80
KA-18
190
Pechiney
AP-30
AP-30
300 - 325
Reynolds
P-20S
RY-17
170
P-23S
RY-18
180
CA-180
VAW-18
180
CA-240
VAW-24
240
CA-300
VAW-30
V-350
VN-35
C-255 C-300
Alcoa
VAW
Venalum Russia/VAMI China
Pots installed
Year
Remarks
280
5
1981/92
310
n. inv.
n. inv.
AA-23
225
n. inv.
n. inv.
Massena, Tennessee
AA-30
300
n. inv.
n. inv.
Portland
AS-18
180
n. inv.
n. inv.
Rheinfelden, closed 1991
CD-20
200
5
1990
Test cells at Dubal
HAL-23
230
n. inv.
n. inv.
Hoyanger, Venalum PL5 (1988), Slovalco (1995)
HAL-25
250
4
n. inv.
Test cells in Ardal
6
1981
Test cells in Tacoma, shut down
2040 + 720*
n. inv.
Various smelters, global spread
n. inv.
n. inv.
Alcasa, Alscon
n. inv.
n. inv.
Test cells at Alcasa
115
1980
Upgraded Töging version now in Nordural, 120 pots
5
1980/93
Test cells in Töging, shut down for CA-300 prototype
300
3
1992/93
Test cells in Sayanogorsk, shut down**
320
5
n. inv.
Test cells
RU-26
255
n. inv.
n. inv.
Tajik, Sayansk, Volgograd
RU-30
300
3
1992/93
P-280
CH-28
280
n. inv.
n. inv.
Qingyang
P-320
CH-32
320
30
n. inv.
Test cells, Pingguo
Test cells in Jonquière, shut down
Test cells in Sayanogorsk, shut down**
*: 720 cells under construction at that time **: VAW and Sayanogorsk jointly built and operated a test facility in Russia, each partner contributing 3 pots n. inv.: not investigated
24 PRIMARY SMELTING AND PROCESSES