L'hydroélectricité et l'aluminium partenaires du développement durable

Hydroelectricity and aluminium partners in the sustainable development

Président de l'Institut pour l'histoire de l'aluminium IHA, Tour Manhattan, 92087 Paris La Défense Cedex

Auteur de correspondance : m.laparra@histalu.org

Abstract

Aluminium was produced for the first time in 1854 through a very expensive chemical process. So it was only used in jewelry until the discovery of an electrolytic process, using hydropower, which paved the way for its industrial development. The first aluminium smelters, in the turn of the century, were located close to the Alpine and Pyrenean waterfalls, with the addition in the thirties of regulative dams and interconnecting power lines. But after the nationalization in 1946 the aluminium companies had to turn to overseas hydropower resources. Hydroelectricity and aluminium are jointly participating in the sustainable development. Hydroelectricity is still the most appropriate power for aluminium smelting. The metal is easily recycled and useful for power savings. On the other band aluminium has to be very often associated to the financing of huge hydroelectric works which deliver electric power throughout large areas.