Growth in transport drives demand

New data from the European Aluminium Association (EAA) predicts a bright future for aluminium in the European market, driven primarily by thriving demand for its applications in transport.

End-use demand for aluminium in Europe will almost double in the coming decades, from 12 million tonnes per year today to a staggering 20 million tonnes by 2050. This is mainly a result of aluminium’s growing use in transport, which has almost tripled since the 1990s. Indeed the European market is expected to grow from around 3.8 million tonnes per year (mt/y) today to 7 million tonnes in 2050, with the average use of aluminium per European citizen rising by nearly 64% to 36kg by 2050.

On the occasion of the Aluminium 2014 Fair (7-9 October, Düsseldorf), Director-General of the European Aluminium Association Gerd Götz made the following statement:

“Our new data shows that Europe is a long-term growth market for aluminium. Consumers seek high-quality, innovative products that meet their evolving needs whilst reducing their environmental footprint. No other material can match the performance and sustainability of aluminium in answering this demand. Aluminium’s success story in the areas of transport, buildings and packaging is just the beginning”.

The transport and packaging sectors are driving demand for flat and rolled aluminium products, with a growth rate of 3.1% foreseen in 2014 and 3.3% in 2015. Demand is also slightly picking up for extruded products, particularly in the building sector, with forecasts projecting a rise of 1.5% this year and 1.6% in 2015.

EAA data also shows that Europe has become the world champion of aluminium recycling, producing 11kg of recycled aluminium per person per year vs. approximately 4kg for the rest of the world. “We have a significant recycling capacity of 12.3 million tonnes per year, but we can do even better if we secure Europe’s supply of recycled material”, Gerd Götz added.