Joachim von Scheele

Global Director Commercialisation, Linde Technology

Flameless Oxyfuel and Hydrogen for Greener Aluminium Production

Commitments to achieve substantial decarbonization across metal producing industries, have put focus on energy-efficiency and use of hydrogen as a fuel. A large part of the aluminium industry’s carbon footprint results from primary operations, which might take long time and huge efforts to address. However, in the melting operations for remelting and recycling there are great opportunities for immediate decarbonization.

One such technology is oxyfuel combustion, which would maximize the heat transfer in the melting process. But it is important that this is carried out in such a way it does not create hot spots and thereby dross formation – this can be achieved by using Flameless Oxyfuel. The features of Flameless Oxyfuel technology are described here together with results from full-scale installations in aluminium melting furnaces. These results include energy-savings and reduction of CO₂ emissions by up to 50%, but also 35% increased melt rate and massively reduced flue-gas volumes.

Recently tests with Flameless Oxyfuel using hydrogen as fuel have been carried out. The tests were done in 10 kg scale together with several aluminium producing companies and for various alloys. The results are encouraging, and this solution could ultimately bring the carbon footprint of aluminium melting down to zero.

Speaker Biography

Joachim von Schéele is a world leading promoter of oxyfuel solutions in the aluminium and steel industries. He received his MSc in Process Metallurgy and PhD in Production Engineering from Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden in 1987 and 1992, respectively.

With a mix of steel research and consultancy background, he joined the industrial gases industry in 1996. Since then, he has served in many different technical and commercial management roles at AGA, BOC, and Linde, and been actively doing business in more than 40 countries around the world. After a decade in Asia, first in India as VP for South Asia and then in China heading Application Development & Sales for Asia-Pacific, he is since 2020 based in Munich, Germany, pursuing his current role at Linde Technology.

Focusing on decarbonisation including use of hydrogen, Joachim von Schéele is very much engaged in driving the sustainability agenda supporting Linde’s customers in steel and other hard-to-abate industries to achieve measurable progress and success.

Joachim von Schéele is a well-known speaker and has published more than 200 papers, mainly on energy and emission conservation (largely on use of Flame Oxyfuel), recycling, and production. He has served as a member of more than 30 boards of companies, associations, and research and education organizations. He is included in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in Engineering, and Who’s Who in Asia, and he holds seven patents related to combustion and recycling. Joachim von Schéele is the author of the chapter on China in the recently launched book ‘Touching Hydrogen Future – Tour Around the Globe’.