Aurora borealis over ISAL

ISAL

100

%

Ownership

Aluminium

Product

209

Kt

Production

1969

Started

Hafnarfjörður

Our ISAL aluminium smelter in Hafnarfjörður in Iceland began operations in 1969, with a capacity of 33,000 tons. Today, it produces 209,000 tonnes of some of the highest quality aluminium billets with the lowest carbon footprint aluminium in the world. 100% of our electricity is generated from clean, renewable hydropower, supplied by the National power company Landsvirkjun.

Reducing emissions

We are committed to continually finding ways to reduce our impact on the environment. One of the ways we do this is by focusing on reducing our emissions of carbon dioxide. Through ongoing education, improved maintenance and use of technology, since 1990 we have reduced such emissions by around 75% per tonne of aluminium produced.

In 2021, we partnered with Carbfix to implement a technology for capturing carbon and permanently storing it underground at our ISAL aluminium smelter. Carbfix will help us further decarbonise our operations, by using our land surrounding the ISAL smelter for onshore carbon dioxide injection in the world’s first carbon mineral storage hub, the Coda Terminal. With safe and economic carbon storage at its doorstep, ISAL is an ideal site to become the first smelter where carbon capture and storage is implemented in the aluminium industry. We are working together with Carbfix to advance carbon capture solutions that are already being tested in production cells at ISAL, with the aim of using the Carbfix technology to further decarbonise the plant.

ISAL communities

We support and partner with community-led initiatives in Hafnarfjörður. Most of our support and sponsorship focuses on sports development for young people.

We also sponsor the annual Icelandic Optimist Award. The award has a long history in Iceland – it was established in 1981 – and is awarded by the President of Iceland to an Icelandic artist who, through their art, has contributed to an optimistic outlook on life, inspiring others.

Responsible aluminium

In 2021, the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) granted its Performance Standard and Chain of Custody certifications to our ISAL aluminium smelter. ASI certification means customers can be assured that the aluminium they purchase has been produced to the highest environmental, social and governance standards, ranging from greenhouse gas emissions to human rights.

Latest ISAL releases

Contact ISAL

E: ISAL Enquiries
T: +354 560 7000
W: riotinto.is