Green metallurgy and cement from red mud could cut aluminium industry waste and emissions

A new review highlights that red mud, the alkaline by-product of alumina production, could be processed to recover iron and produce low-carbon cement materials. Global stockpiles exceed 4 billion tonnes, with China alone accumulating over 1.3 billion tonnes. The iron content in some red mud exceeds 30%, offering a secondary resource that could reduce reliance on imported ore. Emerging methods like hydrogen-based reduction and biomass reduction are being explored to lower the carbon footprint of iron recovery from red mud. Combining iron extraction with cement production could turn a long-term environmental liability into a valuable input for construction and steelmaking, while cutting emissions across both the aluminium and cement sectors.