Life Cycle Assessment of Primary Aluminium Production: OpenLCA-Based Hotspot Analysis and Regional Comparison

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an important analytical method used to evaluate the environmental impacts of products, services, or processes throughout their entire life cycles—from the extraction of raw materials and production to use and end-of-life treatment. LCA enables the identification of stages with the highest environmental impact burden (hotspots) and supports strategic environmental initiatives, the circular economy, standards, and policies aimed at improving sustainability. This paper analyses the application of LCA in metallurgy, with a focus on primary aluminium production. It outlines the principles of life cycle thinking and explores decarbonisation opportunities within the aluminium industry. This study includes a life cycle impact assessment case study comparing the most significant environmental impacts of primary aluminium production in different regions of the world, including Europe and Asia. The analysis was performed using openLCA software 2.5 with the OzLCI2019 database. Environmental impacts were calculated using the ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H) method. The results indicate that primary aluminium production mainly affects impact categories related to high energy consumption, the use of carbon anodes, and associated emissions. The highest impacts were identified in ecotoxicity, followed by global warming, land use, ozone formation, and fossil resource scarcity. No significant regional differences were observed.