Alumina producers
Alumina production is essential to meet the growing needs of the aluminium industry. In 2024, China produced 84 million metric tonnes of alumina, confirming its position as the world’s largest producer. Global demand for alumina continues to rise, supported by the expansion of the aluminium market, which is expected to reach roughly USD 330 billion by 2034. However, alumina production is energy-intensive and generates significant CO₂ emissions.
Why co-locate a Blue Capsule on your production site?
Take a reference plant with an alumina production capacity of one million tonnes per year. It has three key needs that Blue Capsule can address: steam (Bayer process), electricity (plant operations, including grinders), and hot air (preheating before calcination).
Steam
One Blue Capsule should be enough to meet around 80% of the steam requirement. Gas-fired boilers would be retained for redundancy and to cover peak demand. In this reference scenario, the LCOE (Levelised Cost of Energy) of the Blue Capsule solution is about €60/MWh of steam. Compared with natural gas when carbon taxes are applied, this price is clearly competitive.
If your plant is located in the EU or exporting to the EU, carbon taxes will apply, and a secure supply of low-carbon steam will be a distinct advantage.
Electricity
Blue Capsule fully deployed for electricity generation is sufficient to meet the entire demand of your site. In the reference scenario, the LCOE of the Blue Capsule solution is around €150/MWh of electricity. Of course, Gas turbines would be retained for redundancy where the grid is unreliable or not connected to the plant.
High-grade heat
To reduce gas consumption of the calcination process, high-grade heat from Blue Capsule could be used to preheat hydrated alumina before it enters the calciner. Around one-third of the output of a single capsule would be sufficient to meet this need, with an LCOE of about €50/MWh of hot air/heat.
So, is this competitive in Europe ... and elsewhere?
Blue Capsule’s The advantage of Blue Capsule for alumina producers depends on geography and regulations. In the European Union, the EU ETS and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) clearly enhance the economic attractiveness of a nuclear energy solution. For refineries exporting to the EU, Blue Capsule avoids carbon penalties while securing energy supply.
In regions where natural gas remains cheap and unconstrained by carbon costs, Blue Capsule’s competitiveness would require gas prices above €45–60/MWh depending on the application.
This picture is evolving rapidly, driven by volatile energy prices and an ever-growing imperative to enhance energy sovereignty across our economies.
