Demonstration of Oxygen-Enriched Combustion Technology for Aluminum Melting Processes Demonstrating a Reduction in CO 2 Emissions of up to 24.1% Compared with Conventional Air Combustion

Together with Nippon Light Metal Company, Ltd. and Nikkei MC Aluminium Co., Ltd., Nippon Sanso Corporation demonstrated that an aluminum melting process using oxygen-enriched combustion technology reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 24.1% compared with ordinary air combustion. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the approximately 37,000 industrial furnaces said to exist in Japan is an urgent task. We applied oxygen-enriched combustion technology using the oxygen lance method (Figure 1) to a commercial aluminum melting furnace at Nikkei MC Aluminium and conducted melting tests under conditions with oxygen concentrations of up to approximately 40%. As a result, we achieved a reduction in CO₂ emissions of up to 24.1% compared with conventional air combustion and confirmed benefits in energy conservation and carbon offsetting. The demonstration also verified that there is no impact on the environment, such as NOx emissions, which involve a trade-off with an oxygen-rich atmosphere, nor on product quality, yield, operations, or equipment, and that optimizing the oxygen enrichment concentration and the oxygen injection position offers the potential to realize even more highly efficient aluminum melting. Based on the abundant data obtained from this demonstration test, we will continue to take on the challenge of reducing GHG emissions in aluminum manufacturing.