Conversion of wastes to energy and other value-added products is considered as a suitable method towards energy security. Wastes from various sources are becoming potential feedstocks for energy production through different techniques. The economy and sustainability of these processes demand the use of low-cost catalysts. Red mud (RM) is one of the most abundantly produced industrial wastes from aluminum industries. Such a huge production of RM, its alkaline nature and the presence of a small quantity of radioactive elements make it an environmental liability. Out of various utilization methods, RM as a catalyst for different chemical processes has been very successful. Presence of many valuable metals in RM, in particular, Fe makes it a suitable catalyst for energy production through processes such as pyrolysis, hydrotreating, transesterification and H-2 production from biomass and other sources. This article critically reviews the advances in sustainable energy production through different processes mentioned above by RM based catalysts. Different characterization, activation and stability study of RM along with outcomes and mechanism of these processes are discussed. Furthermore, drawbacks associated with the low catalytic activity of RM and works that need to be carried out in the future for the improvement of its catalytic activity are discussed in detail. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.