Demand for aluminium made with renewable energy may bring firms to UK

COMPANIES that rely on aluminium for products such as drinks cans should start expecting consumers to demand the metal is environmentally friendly, energy experts predict.

Lord Barker, chairman of aluminium producer EN+ Group, also suggested this could lead to a surge in new jobs as the industry looks to onshore production with plants powered by renewable electricity. He said: “As the energy transition rolls forward, the demand for low-carbon materials and particularly aluminium will soar.

“Roll forward 10 years, I can see heavy industry coming home after four decades of decline in UK manufacturing, as manufacturers strive to decarbonise and move their operations to jurisdictions where there is a plentiful supply of affordable, renewable electricity.

“This has the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs here in the UK by the end of the decade and beyond. This would be a very welcome, yet unexpected, industrial dividend from the UK’S world leadership in ... offshore wind.”

The vast majority of aluminium is produced in China, where nearly all production plants run on coal. However, with global warming becoming a key issue for younger generations, it is thought they may start shunning firms that continue to use materials from coal-fired sources.

The aluminium industry currently accounts for 2 per cent of global CO2 emissions – equal to whole of Germany.

Lord Barker pointed out that there are several low-carbon aluminium producers in Europe and Russia where electricity is derived from hydropower.

This includes using “inert anode” technology, which experts say reduces carbon emissions by 85% compared to traditional methods.

The former Tory minister for energy under David Cameron added that some companies are addressing how they produce the metal, including drinks and deodorant cans maker Ball Corporation, which recently singed a deal with EN+ to make low-carbon aluminium.