Alfa Laval has teamed up with Boliden, a Swedish mining and smelting company, to use their low-carbon copper to produce heat exchangers. The goal is to have the first heat exchanger made using Boliden’s copper ready during 2023, which should enable Alfa Laval to produce heat exchangers with a reduced carbon footprint. This works toward the company’s multi-channel plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
“To drive the transition towards a more sustainable society it is vital that we find partnerships and collaborations that complement the ambitions that we have as a company. Bringing together Boliden’s copper and our energy-efficient heat exchangers means we can contribute to the industry’s transformation towards net-zero,” said Tom Erixon, president and CEO of Alfa Laval.
The cooperation with Boliden is part of Alfa Laval’s strategic ambition to reduce the environmental impact of raw materials. Boliden’s Low-Carbon copper is produced from copper mined in the north of Sweden and recycled material such as electronic waste, using clean energy which reportedly gives the raw material one of the lowest carbon footprints of any refined copper in the world. The copper will mainly be used in Alfa Laval’s brazed heat exchangers which are used for heating, cooling, evaporation and condensing in numerous applications, including heat pumps. By using Boliden’s copper, the carbon footprint of the heat exchangers will be reduced compared to other available alternatives.
“With our Green Transition Metals, we create a foundation for Europe’s climate transition as they represent some of the most sustainable options on the market. If we want to enable the society of tomorrow, we need to start today. And Alfa Laval is now utilising the fact that our offering is available today, and by that they are part of leading the industry”, says Mikael Staffas, CEO of Boliden.
Energy efficiency is one of the main factors in reaching the Paris Agreement, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Alfa Laval’s energy-efficient heat exchangers, used in industrial processes worldwide, can play an important role as they can recover and reuse heat and energy. They are used in heat pumps and are crucial components in processes for hydrogen, biofuel and long duration energy storage – thereby Alfa Laval supports the transition towards more sustainable energy sources.
