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| Marius Holm is executive director of Zero Emission Resource Organization (ZERO). (Photo Zero.no) |
So says Marius Holm, executive director of ZERO. The Zero Emission Resource Organization is an independent, not-for-profit foundation working for zero-emission energy solutions that safeguard the environment and biodiversity.
"Petroleum will be important for many years to come, but we need to phase out the use of this type of product. The situation for materials is the opposite. Choosing the best possible materials will become even more important, whether it involves buildings, motor vehicles or windmills. Politicians need to take this seriously – and from this perspective it is obvious that Hydro has a key role, both as a global aluminium supplier and as a major industrial enterprise," says Holm.
On the right track
"Hydro is facing challenges on several levels," Holm continues, "both as a major producer and consumer of energy, and as a company that can show us when aluminium is the right material to choose. The company is on the right track when it comes to working continuously on improving its production technology and making it even more energy-efficient. Society must challenge industry on this issue, but there's also a political responsibility to enable industry to make the necessary investments. Renovation and heavy investment are dependent on stable conditions," he points out.
Holm believes that a corresponding perspective is called for when it comes to smarter use of materials: "Good long-term solutions can often sound risky and idealistic. If you make the wrong investment decision, you may risk putting jobs at stake. One of Hydro's tasks must be to tell society what improvements are possible to realize – and what is needed to move forward. New initiatives such as the Powerhouse project are good examples of how to go about it. On the back of its huge investments in research and development, Hydro should communicate the possibilities that aren't immediately commercial but that could be – if the right conditions were put in place," says Holm.
"When it comes to Hydro's ambitions as an energy consumer, the company should recognize the fact that the energy production of the future must be emission-free. Hydro should adopt a more critical attitude towards sources of pollution and take an active role in further development on the upstream side. If the company is to use the environmental gains of a metal as part of its marketing strategy, then it's wrong to use energy that produces CO2 emissions,” he says.
Choices that commit
"It's all very well if Hydro sees itself primarily as an aluminium company – but then it must focus on the tasks which it is best positioned to resolve – not least in terms of metallurgical expertise. This type of expertise could be invaluable in developing other key areas, such as solar energy and wind power products. There's also a heavy burden of responsibility tied to the fact that producing aluminium is energy-intensive. Aluminium is not the most environmentally friendly material in all cases, so the industry's challenge is to be able to come with convincing documentation when aluminium is the right choice. Then the industry must be able to make alloys and products in such a way that they work well during their useful life but are also well suited for recycling," says Holm.
