UK’s first hydrogen trial in aluminium recycling confirms technical feasibility and earns top global recognition for innovation in hard-to-decarbonize sectors at the IEA Hydrogen TCP Awards of Excellence 2025.
Novelis, a leading sustainable aluminium solutions provider and the world leader in aluminium rolling and recycling, today announced that it has successfully completed the UK’s first full-scale hydrogen fuel switching demonstration in the aluminium industry at its Latchford plant, marking a major step toward industrial decarbonization.
The two-week trial, funded by the UK Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) under the Industrial Fuel Switching (IFS) Competition, involved converting a natural gas furnace to operate flexibly on hydrogen.
The demonstration confirmed that hydrogen can be safely delivered and combusted in aluminium recycling furnaces. Existing infrastructure was successfully adapted, product quality remained consistent, and dual-fuel burners allowed for operational flexibility. Novelis partnered with Progressive Energy to deliver the project over a two-year period. In recognition of this achievement, the project was awarded the IEA Hydrogen TCP Award of Excellence 2025, presented in Busan, South Korea. The award highlights innovations in hydrogen technologies for hard-to-decarbonize sectors and sustainable fuels. Novelis was selected as the first winner among 13 global entries.
According to Novelis, the trial also underscored the need for robust infrastructure to support bulk hydrogen supply and distribution. Mechanisms like the UK’s Low Carbon Hydrogen Agreement (LCHA) are a positive start, but widespread transport and storage networks will be essential for industrial decarbonization in the North-West.
The successful execution of this program gives Novelis the technical confidence to eliminate up to 45,000 tonnes of direct CO₂ emissions annually at the Latchford site, contingent on hydrogen availability. Future deployment depends on connection to the HyNet hydrogen network, expected from 2031, or on-site electrolytic production, the company said.
In parallel, Novelis is investing approximately $90 million to double the recycling capacity for used beverage cans (UBCs) at Latchford. This expansion will increase capacity by 85 kilotonnes per year and reduce Novelis Europe’s CO₂e emissions by more than 350,000 tonnes annually.
As part of its Novelis 3×30 vision, the company has set ambitious sustainability targets to achieve by the end of 2030, including increasing recycled content to 75% from today’s 63%, reducing carbon emissions to less than 3 tonnes CO2e per tonne aluminium shipped, and continuing to lead the industry to circularity through first-mover investments. These are in addition to the company’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2050 or sooner.
Source: Novelis
