Pittsburgh aluminium pioneer Alcoa Corporation said this week that its low-carbon alumina brand EcoSource will be expanded to include some types of non-metallurgical alumina (NMA).
Per the firm, the line will soon include NMA grades such as hydrates, which are used in water treatment operations, and calcined materials, such as those used in ceramics, glass, and flame retardant material.
EcoSource is currently the only low-carbon alumina brand on offer. Initially only produced in smelter-grade alumina (SGA), the brand has an average carbon dioxide equivalent intensity (CO2e) of less than 0.6 tons per ton of alumina.
Alcoa Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Kelly Thomas said in a press release that the move was prompted by customer demand.
“Alcoa is the world’s largest producer of non-metallurgical alumina outside of China, and we’re excited to expand our EcoSource brand to more customers as an important evolution in our product portfolio. We are offering solutions today to help our customers reduce their emissions and meet their own sustainability goals.”
EcoSource, which debuted in 2020, is part of Alcoa’s Sustana line, which also includes EcoLum, a low-carbon aluminium product that emits less than 4.0 metric tons of CO2e, and EcoDura, which is composed of at least 50 percent recycled content. EcoLum is available in foundry, slab, billet, wire rod, high purity, and P1020, while EcoDura’s recycled content is of great benefit to construction and building customers seeking LEED certification points.
Alcoa can supply buyers of both EcoLum and EcoSource with responsible production certification from the Aluminium Stewardship Institute (ASI). Alcoa currently has facilities for all three Sustana lines that are certified under the ASI Performance Standard, and the company as a whole is certified under ASI’s Chain of Custody standard.
