Alfa Laval Partners with Boliden to Produce More Sustainable Heat Exchangers

Swedish manufacturer Alfa Laval has partnered with Boliden – a Swedish mining and smelting company – to produce more sustainable heat exchangers, according to a statement from the companies.

Alfa Laval has said it will use Boliden’s low-carbon copper – which is produced, using clean energy, from copper mined in Sweden and recycled materials – to manufacture brazed heat exchangers with a lower carbon footprint than available alternatives.

The manufacturer’s brazed heat exchangers are used in a range of heating and cooling applications, including heat pumps. It also produces industrial semi-welded heat exchangers and gasketed plate-and-frame heat exchangers for ammonia (R717)- and CO₂ (R744)-based refrigeration systems.

Alfa Laval aims to have its first heat exchanger using Boliden’s low-carbon copper ready by the end of 2023.

Low-carbon materials

Alfa Laval’s partnership with Boliden is part of its efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its raw materials, with the ultimate goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, it said.

“To drive the transition towards a more sustainable society, it’s vital that we find partnerships and collaborations that complement the ambitions that we have as a company,” said Tom Erixon, President and CEO of Alfa Laval. “Bringing together Boliden’s copper and our energy-efficient heat exchangers means we can contribute to the industry’s transformation towards net zero.”

“Bringing together Boliden’s copper and our energy-efficient heat exchangers means we can contribute to the industry’s transformation towards net zero.”
Tom Erixon, Alfa Laval

According to Boliden, its production method has produced a raw material with one of the lowest carbon footprints of any refined copper in the world.

“With our Green Transition Metals, we create a foundation for Europe’s climate transition as they represent some of the most sustainable options on the market,” said Mikael Staffas, CEO of Boliden. “If we want to enable the society of tomorrow, we need to start today. And Alfa Laval is now utilizing the fact that our offering is available today, and by that they are part of leading the industry.”

This latest collaboration follows Alfa Laval’s partnership with SSAB, a Sweden- and U.S.-based steel company, to develop and commercialize the world’s first heat exchanger made wit h fossil-free steel, which was announced in May 2022.

Greener supply chain

Alfa Laval aims to achieve a 50% absolute reduction in its scope 3 (supply chain) emissions by 2030, compared to its 2020 baseline. According to the company’s 2022 Annual and Sustainability Report, it has made progress towards this goal.

Part of the manufacturer’s efforts to reduce its upstream scope 3 emissions its to source materials from suppliers that offer products with a lower carbon footprint. The company is also working towards a target of 30% recycled material content in its products by the end of the decade.

For downstream scope 3 emissions, i.e., when products are being used, Alfa Laval is committed to reducing energy use through its energy-efficient heat exchangers, which also play an important roll in heat recovery and reuse.

“[Our] innovative technologies contribute to improved energy efficiency and heat recovery, better water treatment, and reduced emissions,” it said. “Thereby, Alfa Laval is not only accelerating success for its customers, but also for people and the planet. Making the world better, every day.”