Aluminium key to UK industrial future, says sector body
Aluminium Federation says the UK needs to create the conditions for the existing sector to thrive.
The Aluminium Federation (ALFED) has published the white paper Reindustrialising UK Aluminium.
The report argues for aluminium to be recognised as a foundational material for Britain's industrial future, and is said to highlight practical actions to aid UK investment, competition and growth.
ALFED’s refreshed economic model estimates the UK aluminium industry to directly contribute ~£3.78bln in gross value added and supports 54,200 full-time-equivalent jobs. Including UK supply-chain effects, the estimated contribution increases to £5.97bln in GVA and 81,900 jobs.
The industry spans recycling and remelting, primary production, extrusion, processing, finishing, fabrication, stockholding and distribution, according to ALFED. Thr metal is said to be essential to automotive, aerospace, defence, construction, infrastructure, clean energy, packaging and advanced manufacturing.
Decades of industrial contraction, high energy costs, gaps in processing capability and complex trade and regulatory conditions have affected the UK’s ability to capture more value from aluminium, claims ALFED.
It is calling for coordinated action across five priorities:
- Competitive industrial energy: Address the costs and infrastructure barriers affecting investment across the aluminium value chain.
- Higher-value circularity: Improve material-flow intelligence, sorting, alloy management, recycling and remelting capabilities.
- Connected manufacturing capability: Identify opportunities to strengthen commercially viable UK processing and manufacturing.
- Joined-up trade and carbon policy: Ensure decisions on tariffs, CBAM, carbon pricing and market access reflect their impacts across the industry.
- Strategic resilience and procurement: Connect aluminium capability to the UK’s future industrial, infrastructure and defence requirements.
The report brings together updated economic evidence, analysis of the UK’s industrial capabilities and research undertaken in collaboration with Cranfield University.
The federation says it is an important step in their campaign to Make More of UK Aluminium.
