ALFED’s House of Lord Lunch discussed challenges affecting the aluminium industry

The voice of the UK aluminium industry ALFED (The Aluminium Federation) on June 20th hosted members from throughout the aluminium supply chain in the House of Lords for its annual legislative lunch. The event, hosted by Lord Rupert Redesdale, highlighted critical challenges affecting the industry at the highest levels of the UK government.

The lunch on the Cholmondeley Room Terrace included three keynotes from industry thought leaders. Mike Dines, director of Tandom Metallurgical Group, spoke about the opportunities and challenges facing the aluminium supply chain. At the same time, Miles Prosser, secretary general of the International Aluminium Institute, gave a powerful presentation about the industry's future and the role of sustainability. The programme was ended by Paul Voss, director general of European Aluminium, who provided intriguing views from a European viewpoint.

Tom Jones, chief executive officer of the Aluminium Federation, said, “ALFED’s annual parliamentary lunch is a highly regarded event in the industry calendar. The sector plays a vital role in the UK economy and our members relish the opportunity to raise key issues with the highest levels of UK government. We work hard to secure keynote speakers who are respected within the industry and this year was no different.”

“I was delighted to speak at ALFED’s annual House of Lords lunch to discuss the European aluminium market outlook with ALFED members representing the entire value chain. Unfortunately, the current state of affairs does not paint a rosy outlook. The EU’s aluminium industry has suffered a significant blow, with a distressing decline of 50% in its primary production since the energy crisis unfolded. This decline starkly contrasts the growing demand for aluminium, driven by its crucial role in countless clean technologies, from solar panels to electric vehicles,” said Paul Voss, director general at European Aluminium.