“The role of aluminium in supporting a more circular economy is, of course, key. Secondary aluminium production has up to a 25-times lower carbon footprint,” René Liedtke, Segment Leader Non-Ferrous Europe, Quaker Houghton

René Liedtke, the Segment Leader for Non-Ferrous Europe at Quaker Houghton, shares his insights into the current and future state of the aluminium industry in Europe. He attributes the current boom in investments to the global drive for sustainability. While growth in electric vehicles has been slower than expected, demand remains strong for battery-related aluminium products and lightweight vehicle components. One key trend René highlighted is portfolio diversification in European rolling mills. Unlike new, specialised mills being built in North America and China, European manufacturers tend to upgrade existing mills to cover a wider range of products. This strategy spreads market risk but introduces operational complexity. Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, Quaker Houghton’s European focus will remain on delivering value through innovation. The company plans to build on the success of its hot rolling fluids and share upcoming advancements in cold rolling.

Here is an excerpt of his interview with us.

AL Circle: How do you see the outlook for the aluminium industry in Europe?

René Liedtke: The outlook for the aluminium industry in Europe is very positive. It’s an unprecedented time of investment, fuelled primarily by the global macrotrend of sustainability. Despite slower-than-forecast growth in the e-Mobility market, demand for battery foil and casings, as well as vehicle lightweighting components is still increasing steadily.

The role of aluminium in supporting a more circular economy is, of course, key. Secondary aluminium production has up to a 25-times lower carbon footprint, and in Europe, we’re leading the world in terms of aluminium recycling efficiency rate. For this reason, we continue to see growth in the aluminium packaging industry, particularly beverage cans. The recyclability of aluminium also brings a cost benefit compared to using virgin materials, which can help provide the investment needed for future-fit production capabilities. 

AL Circle: What’s a key industry trend you’re seeing in rolling mills across Europe, and how does this affect lubrication requirements?

René Liedtke: In Europe, a key trend for rolling mills is portfolio diversification. In North America and China, we see greenfield projects with new mills being built that are dedicated to certain growing end markets. In contrast, in Europe, the investment strategy tends to expand production at existing mills. This approach is logical as it helps producers mitigate risk in case specific end markets are softer than forecast, but it also presents practical challenges for operations. 

If we take the example of foil cold rolling in Europe, currently — due to a combination of reduced government incentive schemes, electricity costs, and driving range/charging infrastructure concerns — growth in electric vehicles and battery foil is slower than predicted. However, household foil demand is still strong, and mills want the flexibility to pivot their output for this market. However, the process conditions and lubrication requirements for the two products are typically quite different. The critical concerns for battery foil are hardness, cleanliness and surface quality; household foil is much softer and typically requires FDA-approved lubrication. 

To read the full interview, click here