Hydro Annual Report 2011b

• Using viable energy sources
• Reducing energy consumption and emissions in production
• Reducing CO 2 emissions through the use of our products
• Increasing the recycling of aluminium
Hydro’s greenhouse gas emissions from our current consolidated
activities decreased by 5 percent in 2011 compared with 2010.
following Qatalum coming into full production, total emissions
from our ownership equity, including emissions from electricity
generation, increased by 10 percent. Due to our new assets in
Brazil, our direct greenhouse-gas emissions from consolidated
activities increased by 4.5 million metric tons (mt) compared to
the figures reported in Hydro’s board report in 2010.
In 2009, we revised our goal to a specific direct emission from
primary production of 1.52 mt CO2e per mt aluminium in
2013. With performance of 1.61 mt CO2e per mt aluminium
last year, we are approaching this target.
Our ambition is to grow faster than the market in recycling and
to take a strong position in this part of the value chain. By 2020,
we aim to recover 1 million metric tons (mt) of contaminated
and post-consumer scrap annually. We have improved utilization
of our existing capacity to almost 100 percent during the
last two years, and are now recycling more than 270,000 mt
annually. Due to curtailments in remelting and recycling capacity,
growth was only about 3 percent compared to 2010. In
total, Hydro is remelting and recycling more than 2 million mt
of aluminium. Our goal for 2012 is to stabilize at above 90 percent
capacity utilization and to develop specific post-consumed
scrap projects for investment in additional capacity. This will
also improve Hydro’s carbon footprint.
In addition to our existing climate strategy and recycling strategy,
we decided in 2011 to concentrate on four areas going
forward:
• Ecosystems and biodiversity
• Product stewardship
• Waste and efficient resource use
• Emissions
When bauxite extraction is finished in an area, rehabilitation
starts. Hydro’s Paragominas mine started production in 2006 and
the reforestation program started in 2009. We have identified
improvement potentials with regards to reforestation and wildlife
management at Paragominas, and are evaluating possible adjustments.
In total 853 hectares of land was disturbed during 2011
and about 4,700 hectares since the mining operations started. In
2011 we rehabilitated 142 hectares, while approximately 400 hectares
have been rehabilitated in total since the operations started.
Enough and clean water is a challenge in some of the areas
where Hydro operates. Local initiatives show that with simple
measures, substantial water savings are achievable. Systematic
mapping of our water situation in 2011 showed that in total,
BoArD oF DIreCtors’ report
Environment
Direct greenhouse gas emissions from Hydro’s
consolidated activities
Million metric tons CO2e
10
8
6
4
2
0
CO2
2007
PFC
2008
2009
Figures include historical emission from current operations.
2010
2011
17
about 3 percent of our water input came from water-stressed
areas when regarding annual renewable water supply.
Although the Amazon is recognized for having an abundance
of water we have over the last decades observed that parts of
the area have had repeated droughts. We will therefore carefully
address water as an issue also for our sites in Brazil. Qatalum,
where Hydro holds a 50-percent share, gets water from
public water works which is produced by desalination. Sea
water is used for wet cooling towers at the power plant.
With the new assets in Brazil, Hydro’s waste production now
includes significant amounts of tailings from bauxite extraction
as well as bauxite residue, or red mud, from alumina refining.
Waste amounts are directly linked to the amount of
produced bauxite and alumina. Tailings consist of mineral
rejects from the extraction process mixed with water. No
chemicals are added. The tailings at the Paragominas bauxite
mine in Brazil are stored in dedicated tailing ponds where the
particles settle. Separated water is transferred to a clarification
dam before being reused in the process. There is a minor runoff
to the river downstream of the tailings, which is required to
maintain an ecological flow. The run-off is monitored and the
water quality satisfies the requirements set by the authorities.
In 2011, Hydro produced 5.9 million mt of tailings.
Bauxite residue is a by-product of the alumina refining process.
Alunorte uses the Bayer process, which includes use of
caustic soda. The lye is recovered and reused in the process as
part of a closed-loop system to reduce production costs and
lower the alkalinity of the residue. In 2011, Hydro produced
6.4 million mt of bauxite residue.
Spent potlining (SPL) from the electrolytic cells used in primary
aluminium production is defined as hazardous waste. In
2011, Hydro produced 24,804 mt of SPL, a 29 percent
decrease from 2010. Production of SPL varies with the relin-