Novelis Inc., a sustainable aluminium solutions provider, on 27 August 2025 announced that it has completed the UK’s first full scale hydrogen fuel switching demonstration in the aluminium industry at its Latchford plant, marking a major step towards industrial decarbonisation.
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.
Allan Sweeny, Plant Manager at Novel Latchford, stated: “This trial has been a major achievement for our team. It demonstrated that we can adapt our existing infrastructure to run on hydrogen without compromising safety, quality, or performance. It’s a practical step forward in reducing our site’s carbon footprint and preparing for a low-carbon future.”
The demonstration confirmed that hydrogen can be safely delivered and combusted in aluminium recycling furnaces. Existing infrastructure was 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-decarbonise sectors and sustainable fuels. Novelis was selected as the first winner among 13 global entries. The ceremony took place during the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) event, attended by energy leaders and government officials from over 24 countries including the US, UK, Germany, China, Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, and the European Commission.
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 decarbonisation in the North-West.
The execution of this programme gives Novelis the technical confidence to eliminate up to 45 000 tpy of direct CO2 emissions 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.
In parallel, Novelis is investing approximately US$90 million to double the recycling capacity for used beverage cans (UBCs) at Latchford. This expansion will increase capacity by 85 000 tpy and reduce Novelis Europe’s CO2 emissions by more than 350 000 tpy.
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 t of CO2 per tonne of 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.