Journal of Green Energy Research and Innovation
Quarterly

Instability in Hall–Héroult Electrolysis Cells: Problems, Challenges, and Operational Impacts

Articles in Press

Document Type : Applied article

Authors

Ali Farahani 1
Ali Madadi 1
Mohammadreza Taghizadeh Milani 2

1 Department of Electrical Engineering Faculty of Engineering, Tafresh University, Tafresh, Iran.

2 Department of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Saveh Branch, Saveh,39197-15179 Iran.

10.61186/jgeri.2025.2069050.1070
Abstract
The Hall–Héroult process is the only industrially and economically viable method for primary aluminum production, and its stable operation critically depends on a continuous supply of direct current (DC) electricity. Short-term power instabilities can lead to significant technical issues, including voltage fluctuations, anode burn-off, anode effects, and localized freezing in cell corners, which disrupt current distribution and reduce cell efficiency. A case study from the Iran Aluminum Company (IRALCO) shows that even brief power interruptions compromise cell stability, increase energy consumption, and reduce daily production. To mitigate these effects, the installation of a 146 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) system is proposed to cover daytime temporary outages during the four-month peak period. The estimated investment cost for this project is approximately 209 million USD, with a payback period of around 6.5 years. Implementing this solution can reduce losses from production decline and anode effects while improving operational stability and safety.Index Terms- Hall-Héroult process, Aluminum electrolysis cell, Instability in electrolysis cell, Power outage in potlines, Anode effect.

Keywords

Hall-Héroult process
Aluminum electrolysis cell
Instability in electrolysis cell
Power outage in potlines
Anode effect
Journal of Green Energy Research and Innovation

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 07 December 2025

  • Receive Date 16 August 2025
  • Revise Date 11 September 2025
  • Accept Date 07 December 2025
  • Publish Date 07 December 2025

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