Decarbonising aluminium: Hydrogen fuels recycling furnace in UK first

Novelis has successfully completed the UK’s first industrial-scale hydrogen fuel switching trial in aluminium recycling at its Latchford site in Warrington. The two-week project, supported by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, converted a natural gas furnace to run flexibly on hydrogen.

The trial confirmed that hydrogen can be safely delivered and combusted in aluminium recycling furnaces without compromising product quality. Existing infrastructure was adapted, and dual-fuel burners provided operational flexibility.

If scaled up, the switch could cut up to 45,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually at the site, subject to hydrogen availability. Future deployment will depend on connection to the HyNet network, expected in 2031, or on-site hydrogen production.

Delivered in partnership with Progressive Energy, the project earned Novelis recognition for innovation in hard-to-decarbonise sectors at the IEA Hydrogen TCP Awards of Excellence 2025.

Read more: UK’s first industrial-scale hydrogen fuel switching in the aluminium industry