In this interview, Adam Hunter, the Deputy General Manager at Bridgnorth Aluminium has outlined the company’s key sustainability initiatives aimed at reducing their environmental footprint. He explained that the company already remelts all of its own production scrap, ensuring that aluminium waste from their processes is fully recycled and reused. In an interview for the e-Magazine "World of ALuminium Flat Rolled Products", Adam Hunter has also highlighted the company’s plan to further increase the use of recycled aluminium by incorporating more scrap material into their production. Additionally, the company captures excess heat from its casthouse operations and repurposes it for other parts of the facility, improving overall energy efficiency. Bridgnorth Aluminium also partners with a local anaerobic digestion plant, which generates renewable power from food waste and supplies the company with clean energy.

AL Circle: As the only fully integrated UK operation in aluminium flat-rolled products, how does Bridgnorth Aluminium maintain its competitive edge in the global market?

Adam Hunter: Bridgnorth Aluminium is focussed on softer alloys with superior surface, flatness, conductive or barrier properties, depending on the market application requirements. We work mainly with end-users, developing close technical relationships. We endeavour to remain curious, flexible and collaborative at all times.

AL Circle: The aluminium industry is under increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions. How is Bridgnorth Aluminium addressing these challenges, and what sustainability initiatives are you undertaking to meet industry expectations?

Adam Hunter: Importantly, the company remelts all our own process scrap and is planning to increase scrap inputs in the future. We recycle heat from our casthouse process to use in other areas of our operations, and we have a long-term relationship with a local anaerobic food digestion power plant that supplies us with additional power. BAL is also a member of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative and has added energy usage monitoring on all our equipment and source rolling slab from the UK’s hydroelectric smelter in Scotland to reduce transport as much as possible.

AL Circle: What key trends are you seeing in the global flatrolled aluminium market, and how is Bridgnorth Aluminium positioning itself to capitalize on these opportunities?

Adam Hunter: The world is evolving fast, and there is a near global-wide move by society to become more sustainable, and that presents numerous opportunities for BAL. Taking weight out of products is a key driver and this is something that aluminium can do, with our R&D teams working tirelessly with existing and new customers to look at where we can introduce our material into their products. A number of these projects are inching closer to commercial reality. We have identified sustainable packaging as a potential growth market, and like many firms, we are spending a lot of time exploring the potential of electrification – whether it be in cars, planes, boats, or power storage. Pre-material for battery foils lends itself perfectly to our capability, but this is just the start. If pushed, we probably see this market as the one that could become a major revenue stream for us....

To explore the full interview and gain deeper insights into the global aluminium flat-rolled product market, click here.