EMR-led project backed by UK Government
Plans spearheaded by EMR to revolutionise the aluminium supply chain in the UK have been supported by a £3.4 million grant from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC).
The grant from the APC’s latest collaborative research and development funding round will provide support to an innovative research project aimed at creating the requirements for a world leading metals processing facility.
The planned facility will be able to produce aluminium extrusion billet with less embodied carbon. This material can then be used to make various new metal parts. The facility will also use post-consumer metals, replacing the conventional primary based supply and greatly reducing emissions.
Led by EMR, the project brings together key players in the supply chain: Constellium, BCAST, BCW Treatments and Riskoa, with Stellantis, a technical advisory group leader on the project.
End-of-life aluminium will be processed within the consortium to provide a range of high-strength, impurity tolerant billets for the manufacture of structural automotive components, designed to meet or exceed the same quality and performance standards as those produced from primary based materials and validated through rigorous qualification protocols established by the OEM partners.
Bruce Miller, Commercial Director at EMR, said:
“This project represents a landmark moment for the aluminium industry and the automotive sector. By proving that high-performance automotive components can be produced from recycled materials, we are helping to create a more circular vehicle manufacturing industry in the UK.
“The support from the APC enables us to push the boundaries of what recycled aluminium can achieve. This collaboration will not only reduce the carbon footprint of UK manufacturing, but also deliver significant economic benefits, securing future investment and jobs.”
Martin Jarrett, Technology Director of Constellium’s Automotive Structures and Industry business unit, commented:
“The APC-funded Constellium-led CirConAl project, together with the consortium partners, has pioneered the use of post-consumer scrap in a range of impurity tolerant alloys providing the foundation for ReCircAl, which is aimed at developing the end-to-end recycled aluminium supply chain as a strategic resource for low-carbon aluminium production, creating a paradigm shift in the industry.”
Dr Andy Wilson, BCW Treatments Managing Director, added: “At BCW Treatments, we are proud to contribute our surface treatments expertise to a project that is transforming the aluminium supply chain. By advancing the use of post-consumer scrap, we are helping to drive the transition to a circular economy, reducing carbon emissions, and ensuring that high-performance materials can be sustainably sourced for future generations.”
