Alcoa wins 2021 Platts Global Metal Awards

Alcoa’s industry leadership was recognized by the 2021 Platts Global Metal Awards, which recognize companies that are shaping the future of the metals sector.

The company was recognized in two award categories:
• The Industry Leadership Award: Mining and Raw Materials
• The Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to retired Alcoan David DeYoung, former Director of R&D Breakthrough Technology

Winning both awards is a clear illustration of Alcoa’s Purpose: Turn Raw Potential into Real Progress.

Shown from left - Dr. David DeYoung, who was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award and John Slaven, EVP & COO

Industry Leadership Award: Mining and Raw Materials
At Alcoa, to help realize our vision of reinventing the aluminum industry for a sustainable future, we continuously identify opportunities to improve how we mine and process raw materials. We made significant progress in the refining segment, including year-over-year performance improvements such as increases in productivity. At the same time, we exceeded industry standards in safety and reductions in emissions, energy, waste, bauxite residue, and water use. Our integrated performance improvement system drives close collaboration among operating locations and centers of excellence, meaning that approaches to improvements are shared across our system.

Lifetime Achievement Award
Alcoans are truly at the heart of the company and are key to our success. David DeYoung, who retired in 2020 after 39 years with the company, won the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions to the development and future of the metals sector. DeYoung is responsible for innovation breakthroughs that increased the safety and efficacy of aluminum production, including eliminating beryllium and chlorine from the aluminum casting process and improving the sustainability of hard alloys.

Importantly, DeYoung was also recognized for Alcoa’s discovery of the inert anode, helping bring it forward through our joint venture, ELYSIS. Alcoa discovered a process that eliminates direct greenhouse gas emissions from the traditional smelting process, producing pure oxygen instead. That innovation formed the basis for ELYSIS, which is now ramping up this carbon-free smelting process to a commercial scale. Learn more here .

In addition to these two awards, Alcoa was named a finalist for the ESG Breakthrough Award, which recognizes metal companies that demonstrate best-in-class environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership.