“[The choice has] got to be low-carbon power as we go forward [in time],” he said.
In a discussion on the energy crisis, Knapp spoke of an expectation that capacity would change location to access low-carbon power.
Show me the power, but show me the low-carbon power – that will be where the industry goes. And there’s not a lot available. Where are you going to get it? Indonesia? The Middle East?
“We are building 4 million tonnes per year of capacity,” he said, in reference to his company’s plans to relocate aluminium production from Shandong to its hydro-powered smelter in China’s Yunnan Province. “But all we are doing is shifting 4 million tonnes of coal out of Shandong to 4 million tonnes in Yunnan for low-carbon energy – that’s the driver.”
The energy crisis was still an issue on a global scale, he said, citing the disruptions it has caused as a key concern.
“Energy is going to continue to drive some of that [disruption]. It’s going to be very difficult to deal with,” he said.
Aside from the major macro-economic issues, tackling carbon was a key factor for the Chinese aluminium industry, he said.
“Carbon – that’s the key for the future. China is committed to becoming carbon-neutral. We are a very large, heavy footprint in carbon, and we must address that. [But] it will be a [long] journey,” Knapp said.
There was a roadmap that would deal with “short quick stuff upfront. Then we get into the hard issues to address, [including] some that we don’t have the answers yet,” he said.
Some of the answers must come from technology, he added. “Some technologies are in the pipeline and other technologies are still way out there [but they] are going to drive us forward,” he said. “It’s research and development [that is needed], it’s innovation, it’s being open-minded about how we see the industry growing.”
The company set out its pathway for climate neutrality earlier this year.
Access to finance for new projects has also changed, with the banking sector also moving toward a more sustainable path.
“The banking finance community has signed up to a net-zero[-carbon] banking alliance which comes out of the Paris [climate control] agreement,” Knapp said. “You take your project [to the bank] and [it] will run the carbon footprint for your project before you get the money. That interaction is very different [and] very new.”
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