ON SUSTAINABILITY
With the increase in global population; industrialization and urbanization problems, especially in developing countries, rapid consumption of natural resources and expansion of settlement areas due to population ratio have been caused. These problems also result in increased energy consumption caused by the production of materials and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The rising demand for materials to be consumed quickly and the expansion of residential areas by causing damage and destruction to the texture of nature increases our carbon footprint. To maintain vital activities in the world, it is necessary to protect natural resources and ensure their sustainability.
The glaciers near the poles are melting due to the temperature rise, causing a change in the ecosystem, including but not limited to the loss of species. Furthermore, carbon emissions must be fallen by half in 2030 and must be completely ended by 2050 according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) August 2021 report. Otherwise, rising temperatures will cause extensive disasters and irreversible damage, including rises in forest fires of 20% to 30%, as well as changes in the marine ecosystem caused by rising seawater temperatures.
Industrial and energy facilities are major causes of climate change. Since Sistem Teknik is among the world's largest technology providers, we are conscious of our responsibility to ensure sustainability, and our R&D works are focused on recycling technology, to make the aluminum industry more environmentally friendly. This is only possible with secondary aluminum production because we know that primary aluminum consumes more energy and emits more greenhouse gases than steel. Taking all of this into consideration, the core purposes of the secondary aluminum industry are: 1-to recycle more aluminum materials, 2-ensure that the secondary aluminum production rate increases, particularly on a closed-loop basis, and 3-minimize metal loss in melting and processing operations
Closed-loop recycling is a method of cyclic production in which the material used to make a product is saved for reuse in new products. The protected material must be of the same quality as the actual input to provide endless recycling cycles in a closed loop. In other words, it defines a closed conversion in which a used product is converted and a new one of the same product is obtained. When the energy and other resources spent on primary and secondary aluminum production processes, as well as aluminum's infinite recyclability, are considered, we see that aluminum is ideal for closed-loop recycling. As a result, bauxite ore and other ores used in the production of primary aluminum would have been reduced, as would consumption.As a result, it is very valuable in terms of energy, time, and efficiency. Closed loop recycling is expected to become more widespread in the near future.
Historical Examination of Material Requirements
There are numerous opportunities to improve material efficiency at every stage of the life cycle; from design to the end of the service life. Taking advantage of these opportunities can significantly reduce demand for several basic materials, depending on the material properties. It may, on the other hand, increase demand for certain materials due to the benefits of lower emissions.
The conversion of raw materials into materials requires a lot of energy and carbon dioxide (CO2). With the increase in material demand, the energy and emission effects of material production have increased more than 1.5 times in the last 25 years. In 2017, industry accounted for roughly 40% of total final energy consumption and a quarter of direct CO2 emissions.
There has been a significant increase in material demands when it is compared to the population growth rate. The fact that people's needs are limited, but their desires are limitless, resulting in unsustainable consumption patterns as well as serious environmental problems due to CO2 emissions.
The world has renewable resources that will remain sustainable if used wisely. However, we over-consume these resources, by interfering with how nature works. If we do not change our consumption patterns, we will leave our planet in a sickly condition for future generations.
Source: International Energy Agency. (2019). Material efficiencyin clean energy transitions. https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/52cb5782-b6ed-4757-809f-928fd6c3384d/Material_Efficiency_in_Clean_Energy_Transitions.pdf
Aluminum Production
(Primary and Secondary)
Primary aluminum production, as shown in the flowchart, is an energy-intensive process. It should be noted that approximately 3.5-4 tons of bauxite are required to produce one ton of aluminum. Two tons of alumina are extracted from this bauxite, yielding one ton of aluminum. Moreover, the global average electricity consumption required for each ton of aluminum produced remains at 15700 kWh. The world's total bauxite reserves are estimated to be around 30 billion tons, with Turkey having about 70 million tons. This demonstrates that primary aluminum production is indeed costly for Turkey, both because raw materials are imported from elsewhere, and when all environmental issues are considered, it can be viewed as a reason and advantage for increasing secondary aluminum production. In addition; post-consumer recycling of aluminum scrap meets the needs of approximately 20 million tonnes of primary aluminum and thus saves 80 million tonnes of bauxite ore as well as eliminates 300 million tonnes of CO2 emissions by preventing the red mud, which causes biological and ecological problems, being formed. More importantly, recycling aluminum can save up to 92% to 95% of the energy required for primary metal production.
The Role of Aluminium
for a Sustainable Life
-Aluminium is a popular material in the transportation sector, including high-speed trains and airplanes, due to its capacity to absorb energy and its lightweight. -Since aluminum alloys are suitable for hot and cold forming methods such as extrusion and forging, the use of a very small amount of aluminum for safely packing food can be counted among the benefits of aluminum therefore it can easily take shape for sustainable food consumption due to rising demands. - When aluminum surfaces are exposed to air, they form a thin, invisible oxide skin that protects the metal from further oxidation. As a result of this property, aluminum can self-protect against corrosion, and thanks to its corrosion resistance, aluminum products have a long service life. -The energy required to recycle aluminum, an infinitely recyclable metal, is only 5% of the energy required to produce the primary metal. Currently, 75 percent of the commercial aluminum produced since the 19th century is still in use. -The economy of aluminum is a cycle economy. The scrapped aluminum material is reworked under proper conditions to reclaim all of its lost properties and re-enter the system. As a result, aluminum is known as a green metal.
The solar panel market is becoming more and more crucial to the future of clean energy. Aluminum is increasingly being used in solar energy panels. One of the primary reasons for the use of aluminum in solar panels is its lightweight. Instead of steel or other metals, demand for aluminum extrusion has increased since aluminum materials reduce construction load and have a long service life. According to the researchers, by 2050, the production of solar panels will require half of the global aluminum. However, since the primary aluminum used in solar panels can result in high energy costs and massive emissions, secondary aluminum production is increasing and will continue to increase.
We need 85 times more solar energy than is currently produced to limit global warming to safe levels. This, in turn, increases the demand for aluminum. Due to the increase in demand for solar energy, over 40% of current global aluminum production will be needed to install solar panels by 2050. Considering all this, it is possible to say that the aluminum industry should focus on the energy sector. It's exciting to see aluminum, a renewable material, being transformed into panels that generate renewable energy!
At Sistem Teknik, we put sustainability at the center of our strategic decisions. Sustainability is not only about reducing emissions but also about being able to continue designing and producing the future of the aluminum industry. To that end, we have three main goals: 1- strengthening our team with continuous technical education, international academic collaborations, and site experience, 2- reducing the cost of our products by integrating lean engineering and production methods, and 3- developing innovative solutions that minimize energy use as well as metal loss during melting and heat treatment processes.
As a part of our roadmap for the Green Deal and its policy on the aluminum industry, our HSEQ department has started a project for the detection and reduction of the carbon footprint of all our products. By January 2023, we will be able to quantify, monitor, and validate the carbon footprint of our products according to ISO 14064 standards.
In addition to the innovations we apply to our technology, we will further improve our performance on climate reduction by using solar energy. Our commitment to a net-zero carbon future by 2050 has driven us to this investment and will be instrumental in achieving our strategic roadmap for the Green Deal as well.
With a young and energetic team, Sistem Teknik is an innovative working environment. More than 60% of the products we have delivered in the past three years were developed as a result of R&D projects. As most of our R&D work focuses on recycling technology, our fundamental goal is to make the aluminum industry eco-friendlier. With great enthusiasm for cooperation with research partners around the world, our R&D center is a significant participant in Horizon Europe with several projects such as Retrofeed.
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