Top 5 uses of recycled or low-carbon aluminium in the transportation sector

Recycling of end-of-life materials is gaining utter importance in the automobile sector. The primary reasons behind this can be traced back to the fact that the automotive industry is quite raw material intensive. Moreover, once out of the production house and running on the streets, any vehicle can take more than ten years to be completely dilapidated for disposal. Therefore, it is imperative for car makers to secure an industry-certified place for their raw material needs. This is the part where big aluminium organisations like Capral, EGA, Hydro and Alcoa come into play. They have the necessary equipment and facilities to nurture recycled strains of aluminium, which can perform even better than a fresh batch. Aluminium is 45% lighter than steel and 100 % recyclable, which has earned it prominent recognition in the car-making industry. 

With the transforming diorama of automobiles, the need for lightweight raw materials is increasing vehemently. Also, the Electric vehicle revolution is fundamental in heightening aluminium's position in the transportation industry. Since EVs are battery-run, the weight of the vehicles should be under constant check. Aluminium can provide an incredible power-to-weight ratio to a car, which helps in maintaining optimum speed and torque. The heat-resisting property of aluminium also comes into play as battery-run cars might get overheated under fluctuating weather conditions.

Recycled aluminium has its own benefits:

• Its production cycle saves 95% of the energy conventionally used in primary aluminium production.
• Aluminium can retain its original properties; therefore, the material integrity remains the same after rigorous transformational rounds.
• It must be mentioned that the aluminium, once used, can be churned back into the production cycle very easily without the fear of huge material loss, inducing a circular economy in the long run. 

OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers revere aluminium for its malleability and cost-effectiveness. The automobile and aviation industries depend heavily on the additive manufacturing sector, using aluminium powder as their main ingredient. Tesla has spearheaded the innovation of the latest technologies like Giga press casting that can produce aluminium monocoque structures. Other car companies are following the trend, and the demand for the metal is gradually increasing. However, the need to make the manufacturing process free of carbon footprints has never been so profound. 

Over the past decade, the aluminium industry has been searching for greener production methods as environmental evils like GHG and carbon emissions have turned the world into a lava bed. With the advent of the Paris Environmental Act of 2015, the entire world economy took a turn as fossil fuel industries were forced to subdue their command over the heavy metal sector. Renewable powerhouses began to flourish to bridge the energy gap in this ultimate time of crisis. In simple words, low-carbon aluminium is a strain of raw material that uses green energy during production. It is much more sustainable than primary aluminium, which uses the elaborate Bayer process and Hall-Héroult electrolysis, generating huge amounts of red mud or bauxite residue along the way. 

Below you'll find listed some of the automobile sector's most innovative low-carbon or recycled aluminium projects. The companies indulging in these projects have an unrivalled commitment to sustainability and are looking forward to building a greener world: 

Alcoa: Alcoa Corporation partnered with RONAL GROUP to provide sustainable and eco-friendly aluminium for the high-performance alloy wheels of Audi's first electric sports car, the e-tron GT. The wheels will be produced using a combination of Alcoa's low-carbon EcoLum metal brand and metal from ELYSISTM zero-carbon emissions smelting technology, making them environmentally responsible. Alcoa's EcoLum metal is manufactured with less than 4.0 metric tons of CO2e for every ton of metal produced, ensuring that it meets the highest environmental standards. Additionally, Alcoa's zero-carbon emissions technology for smelting is being scaled up to commercial production by ELYSIS, solidifying its commitment to a sustainable future.

Hydro: Hydro partnered with Watt Electric Vehicle Company to manufacture electric vans using low-carbon and recycled aluminium. Hydro's low-carbon aluminium has a significantly lower CO2 footprint of just 4.0 kg per tonne compared to 16.7 kg found in conventional strains. Hydro and WEVC are taking a step towards creating low-carbon electric vans in the UK by utilising recycled aluminium. Hydro also collaborated with CAKE and Vattenfall on the 'Cleanest Dirt Bike Ever' initiative to reduce carbon emissions in the automobile industry. Hydro's low-carbon aluminium is quite famous in the automobile sector, with well-known car brands like Mercedes, Porsche, and Gränges collaborating with the Norwegian aluminium giant to use its flagship CIRCAL 100R for their luxury car lines.

EGA: In 2016, EGA entered into a three-year agreement with BMW to supply them with aluminium, which was extended until 2022. EGA has been providing BMW with aluminium for car parts since 2013. But in 2021, Emirates Global Aluminium secured BMW as the first customer for its solar-powered CelestiAL aluminium. EGA will annually supply BMW with 43,000 tonnes of this aluminium, which is produced using solar power. This will help BMW to reduce around 222,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. CelestiAL Aluminium will meet half of the annual requirements of BMW Group's light metal casting facility in Europe. EGA also agreed to supply Kobe Steel with CelestiAL, which will be used in the manufacturing of automotive body sheets for Nissan vehicles. This will introduce CelestiAL to one of the largest rolling mills in Japan, meeting the increasing demand for aluminium sheets for vehicle body components. This partnership is a step towards sustainable and eco-friendly manufacturing, using renewable solar energy to produce high-quality aluminium products.

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has joined forces with Gulf Extrusions and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) to make use of CelestiAL solar aluminium in space. The MBRSC's MBZ-SAT, the region's most advanced commercial satellite in the field of high-resolution satellite imagery, is set to use CelestiAL aluminium, which is due to be launched in 2024.

Capral: The Volgren joint venture, established by Volvo and Grenda, is dedicated to building reliable, comfortable, and durable buses at a lower cost than traditional options. The company is exploring the use of Capral's LocAl low-carbon aluminium to create lightweight electric buses to reduce its environmental impact. Since 2018, Volgren has delivered hybrid and electric buses to Australian operators and is now expediting the delivery of Australia's first European hydrogen fuel cell buses. The Optimus E-Bus, which is one of the lightest zero-emission bus bodies available, meets the highest safety and flammability standards for buses in Australia. The company's innovative Co-Bolt system uses bolted gusseted joints, while aluminium is preferred over steel for bus bodies. Capral Aluminium has initiated a zero-emissions delivery program in collaboration with Goldstar Transport, its freight partner, and has already launched the program with the delivery of a Fuso eCanter to Bull Motor Bodies, one of Capral Aluminium's local customers.

Polestar: A counterpart of the Chinese-owned Geely Group, Polestar, the Swedish automotive brand, has been making significant efforts to minimise its carbon footprint in all aspects of car manufacturing. The company is proud to announce that it has successfully reduced relative CO2 emissions in 2022 by 8 per cent compared to the previous year. Polestar has set an ambitious goal of halving its car-making emissions by 2030. To achieve this, the company plans to increase traceability on risky materials and engage new partners in business activities centred on what it calls Polestar 0 technology (zero). One excellent example is the supplier of the aluminium used in the Polestar 2's wheels and battery trays, which has shifted to a hydro-powered smelter, resulting in a 1.2-tonne reduction per vehicle. Other factors contributing to the reduction in emissions include the Polestar 2 factory, which now runs on 100 per cent renewable electricity, and a diversified product portfolio that includes a more significant share of single motor vehicles with lower energy demand during production. These efforts prove that Polestar is committed to sustainable car manufacturing and is actively working towards a cleaner future.

In summary, the primary difference lies in the environmental considerations and production methods. Low-carbon aluminium and recycled aluminium aim to address the environmental challenges associated with primary aluminium production by adopting more sustainable and eco-friendly practices.