Huihuang Metal: A Pioneer in Carbon Reduction for Recycled Aluminum Ingots
"Huihuang Metal: A Pioneer in Carbon Reduction for Recycled Aluminum Ingots"
I. Company Profile and Industry Background
(A) Company Profile
Guangdong Huihuang Metal Products Co., Ltd. was established on December 15, 2009, and is located at E17, Zhaoqing Asia Metal Resources Recycling Industrial Base, Longfu Town, Sihui City, Guangdong Province. The company is a professional enterprise engaged in the production and research and development of recycled aluminum alloys. It currently has more than 260 employees, with a high-quality R&D team composed of more than 30 technical engineers led by doctors (post-doctors) and senior engineers. The company covers an area of more than 180 mu, with a factory building area of 60,000 square meters. It has an annual output of more than 100,000 tons of high-quality recycled aluminum alloys and an annual output value of over 1 billion yuan.(B) Industry Background
The recycled aluminum industry, as an important way for the sustainable development of the aluminum industry, has been continuously growing on a global scale. In 2021, the global production of recycled aluminum reached 35.83 million tons, accounting for about 35% of the total output of the aluminum industry. In China, the production of recycled aluminum reached 8 million tons in 2021 and 9.5 million tons in 2023, with a year-on-year growth rate of 9.8%. However, the supply of primary aluminum still dominates, and the proportion of recycled aluminum is only 17.20%. With the rapid development of energy conservation, emission reduction, and new energy vehicles, the aluminum industry is accelerating its shift towards green, low-carbon, and high-quality development. The recycled aluminum industry has significant social benefits in terms of resource conservation, energy conservation, emission reduction, and environmental protection, and has become an important part of the global aluminum industry. In the future, the trends of capacity expansion, technological innovation, green development, and international development in the recycled aluminum industry will become more prominent.II. Carbon Reduction Measures and Achievements
(A) Technological Innovation Promotes Carbon Reduction
Guangdong Huihuang Metal Products Co., Ltd. has been constantly carrying out technological innovation in the production process of recycled aluminum ingots. In terms of material research and development, according to customer needs, the company provides research services for improving the performance of aluminum alloy materials and has developed a variety of new aluminum alloy materials, such as high thermal conductivity casting aluminum alloys, high-temperature-resistant aluminum alloys, corrosion-resistant aluminum alloys, and high-strength aluminum alloys. These materials reduce energy consumption in the production process while ensuring performance, thereby reducing carbon emissions.
In terms of process research, the company has conducted in-depth studies on the castability, fluidity, and mold erosion of materials. By optimizing process parameters, production efficiency has been improved, and energy waste has been reduced. For example, the optimized casting process makes the fluidity of molten aluminum better, reduces the scrap rate in the casting process, and lowers energy consumption and carbon emissions.(B) Standard Certification Shows Results
The company has successively passed certifications for quality, environment, product carbon footprint, and recycling standard systems. These certifications not only reflect the company's excellent performance in product quality and environmental protection but also provide strong support for the company's carbon reduction work.Through product carbon footprint certification, the company can accurately measure and evaluate the carbon emissions of products throughout their life cycle and then take targeted measures to reduce carbon emissions. Meanwhile, the recycling standard system certification ensures that the company can effectively recycle and utilize waste aluminum materials in the production process of recycled aluminum ingots, reducing the demand for primary aluminum and lowering carbon emissions in the aluminum production process.
(C) Capacity Utilization Helps Environmental Protection
The company has strong production capacities, with an extrusion aluminum production capacity of 6,000 tons per year and an aluminum ash resource utilization and treatment capacity of 60,000 tons per year. The company makes full use of these capacities to achieve the goals of carbon reduction and environmental protection.
In the extrusion aluminum production process, the company adopts advanced production processes and equipment to improve energy utilization efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Meanwhile, the company conducts resource utilization of aluminum ash generated in the production process and processes it into a series of environmental protection products. In this way, the company not only reduces the environmental pollution caused by aluminum ash but also realizes the recycling of resources and reduces carbon emissions.
For example, the company processes aluminum ash into water purification agent products such as polyaluminum chloride, sodium tetrahydroxyaluminate, decolorizing agents, and aluminum sulfate, which play an important role in fields such as sewage treatment. Meanwhile, the company has obtained exemptions for the utilization of hazardous wastes and provides customers with compliant disposal services, further promoting the recycling of resources and environmental protection.III. Significance of Carbon Reduction and Future Prospects
(A) Great Significance of Carbon Reduction
Significance for the Environment: The carbon-reducing production of recycled aluminum ingots is of crucial significance for the environment. In the production process of aluminum, the traditional electrolytic aluminum production method has high energy consumption and large carbon emissions. Taking the production of one ton of electrolytic aluminum as an example, it requires 13,500 kWh of electricity, and the carbon dioxide emission is about 12 tons. However, the production of one ton of recycled aluminum only consumes 400 - 700 kWh of electricity, and the carbon dioxide emission is only 0.23 tons. Guangdong Huihuang Metal Products Co., Ltd. has greatly reduced carbon emissions by vigorously developing the production of recycled aluminum ingots, which helps alleviate global climate change and reduce the adverse impact of greenhouse gases on the atmospheric environment. Meanwhile, it reduces the demand for the exploitation of natural resources and decreases the damage to the ecological environment caused by bauxite mining and other activities, thus protecting the ecological balance. Significance for the Industry: In the aluminum industry, the carbon-reducing production of recycled aluminum ingots has set a benchmark for the industry. On the one hand, it promotes the progress and innovation of industry technologies, prompting more enterprises to increase their investment in the recycled aluminum field, improve production efficiency, and reduce carbon emissions. On the other hand, as the state's requirements for energy conservation and carbon reduction continue to increase, the development of the recycled aluminum industry conforms to the policy orientation and helps optimize the industry's production capacity layout. For example, the "Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction Action Plan for 2024 - 2025" requires the vigorous development of the recycled metal industry, and by the end of 2025, the proportion of recycled metal supply should reach more than 24%. The successful practice of Guangdong Huihuang Metal Products Co., Ltd. in carbon reduction for recycled aluminum ingots provides experience that can be learned from for other enterprises in the industry, leading the industry to develop in a green, low-carbon, and sustainable direction.
Significance for Society: The carbon-reducing production of recycled aluminum ingots also has significant social significance. First of all, it reduces energy consumption, helps alleviate the energy shortage situation, and provides a guarantee for the stable development of society. Secondly, through the recycling of resources, production costs are reduced, which may in turn reduce the prices of related products, benefiting consumers. In addition, the company has created more job opportunities in the process of carbon reduction, such as in the fields of technological research and development and environmental protection treatment, promoting social stability and economic development. Meanwhile, the company actively fulfills its social responsibilities, contributes to promoting the sustainable development of society, and enhances its social image and credibility.
(B) Promising Future Development
Expansion of Application Areas: With the continuous progress of recycled aluminum ingot technology and the improvement of performance, the company will actively expand the application areas of recycled aluminum ingots. In the construction field, taking advantage of the characteristics of recycled aluminum materials such as light weight, high strength, easy processing, and long service life, it will develop more products suitable for building curtain walls, power lines, bridges, and other building structures. In the packaging field, it will increase the research and development efforts on using recycled aluminum materials to manufacture packaging containers such as beverage cans and food cans, and improve their moisture-proof, corrosion-resistant, and fresh-keeping properties. In the electronics field, it will further expand the application of recycled aluminum materials in components such as electronic product shells and radiators, and improve their electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance, and ease of processing properties. Especially in the new energy vehicle field, as the trend of vehicle lightweighting deepens, the company will increase the research and application of recycled aluminum in components such as vehicle bodies, engines, and wheels, providing greener and lower-carbon solutions for the development of new energy vehicles.
Strengthening Cooperation and Exchange: The company will actively strengthen cooperation and exchanges with domestic and foreign enterprises in the same industry, scientific research institutions, and universities. Through cooperation, joint efforts will be made in technological research and development, standard formulation, and market expansion to achieve resource sharing and complementary advantages. For example, it will cooperate with universities to establish industry-university-research cooperation bases, jointly cultivate professional talents in the recycled aluminum field, and provide talent support for the company's future development. It will exchange and learn from advanced domestic and foreign enterprises, draw on their successful practices in carbon-reducing production, technological innovation, and management experience, and continuously improve the company's comprehensive competitiveness. Meanwhile, it will actively participate in domestic and foreign industry exhibitions, forums, and other activities to display the company's technological achievements and product advantages and enhance the company's brand awareness and influence.
Policy Support and Industry Development: As the state attaches increasing importance to energy conservation, emission reduction, and sustainable development, the recycled aluminum industry will receive more policy support. The company will make full use of these policy opportunities to accelerate its development pace. Meanwhile, as global attention to environmental protection continues to increase, the market demand for recycled aluminum will continue to grow. The company will firmly seize this market opportunity, continuously expand its production scale, and increase its market share. In addition, the continuous improvement of the industry's standardization level will also provide a strong guarantee for the company's development. The company will actively participate in the formulation and promotion of industry standards, improve its own standardization level, and promote the healthy and orderly development of the recycled aluminum industry.
