The IEA has a nice graphic on whence the energy (thermodynamically degraded electricity) to make aluminum comes:
Composition of electricity used in aluminum production compared with total electricity consumption, 2010 and 2021.
In 2021, 56.9% of the aluminum manufactured in the world was from electricity generated by burning coal and degrading its thermodynamics. 9.7% was made from from electricity generated by burning dangerous natural gas. 31.3% was made from hydroelectricity, with the result that fossil fuels were burned to make up the electricity that might have been used for other purposes.
All of these processes required exergy destruction that wastes energy.
I do understand that people attempting to market fossil fuels by rebranding them as "hydrogen" hold science in contempt, but the dissolution of aluminum in NaOH is a reaction kids can and do perform in high school chemistry classes. I'm sure I did that reaction 40 or 50 years ago. The electrolysis of seawater to make NaOH solutions also generates toxic chlorine gas, not that the fossil fuel industry, including the junk science free advertising squad here trying to claim that fossil fuels are really "green hydrogen" give neither a shit about the environment, nor health and safety.
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