Secondary Aluminum: A Remedy for the Enduring Energy Crisis

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NEW DELHI--May 20, 2024--Aluminum is a versatile metal prized for its lightweight and pliable properties and is used to produce numerous everyday items like cans, foils and window frames. However, the primary-aluminum manufacturing process demands substantial energy input, predominantly from natural gas and electricity.

The primary method for aluminum production consumes approximately 62 cubic meters of natural gas per ton of aluminum production.

Following the disruption in gas supply due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Germany has faced significant challenges in securing its energy needs, leading to economic repercussions. This dependency on alternative energy sources has resulted in pricing concerns, impacting the German aluminum industry. According to a report by the German Aluminum Association in August 2022, the majority of companies (90%) lacked immediate alternatives as natural gas became unavailable, and companies faced unexpected production halts.

As of March 2024, the European gas market had not seen a significant recovery in industrial gas use since the 2022 global energy crisis. In light of this, the adoption of secondary aluminum appears to be the most viable solution to address this persistent issue.

Secondary production involves recycling aluminum scrap to make new products and uses only 5-6.5% of the energy required for primary production. This process involves two main stages: scrap pretreatment and smelting/refining. Pretreatment encompasses activities like sorting, processing and cleaning the scrap, while smelting/refining involves cleaning, melting, refining, alloying and casting the recycled aluminum. These steps may vary in sequence or be combined based on factors such as scrap quality, its origin, available equipment, furnace design and desired product specifications, ultimately leading to the creation of lightweight aluminum alloys for various industrial applications.

Secondary production can save 90-95% of the energy used in primary production and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Industrial Info is tracking 123 operational aluminum plants in the DACH region with 538 functional management contacts. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Metals & Minerals Plant Database can click here for a list of plant profiles.

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