The popularity of aluminum is rising; it will be driven by recycling Aluminum is one of the most popular metals and is used in many industries such as engineering and construction, or for automotive parts and packaging materials. It is an excellent material and suitable for several applications. And it appears that it is becoming popular right now, despite being used for several decades. David Bečvář, the MTX Group Director for Strategy and CEO of AL INVEST Břidličná, has walked us through aluminum production and recycling. Written by: Luděk Vokáč, photography by: Barbora Mráčková
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fter iron, aluminum is the second most widely used metal in the world, but still by a large margin. While global production of “primary aluminum”, i.e., aluminum produced (mainly) from extracted bauxite ore, currently exceeds 100 million tons per year, the global volume of iron production, which is mainly used for steel production, is an order of magnitude higher, i.e., over a billion tons per year. However, this shows the real potential of aluminum. Although it cannot replace steel in all cases, it is becoming increasingly popular and could eventually become as popular as steel one day. Aluminum has one advantage and one disadvantage in this regard. It is the third most common element in the Earth’s crust, so it might appear abundant. On the other hand, it is not pure aluminum, and mining it from bauxite ore, its predominant source, is quite energy-intensive, which affects its price as well as its carbon footprint. The largest aluminum producers include China, Australia, Russia, and India, but also nations of the Middle East, Africa and, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, countries such as Norway and Iceland, although their share of global production is minimal. “Aluminum production is nothing unusual and takes place practically all over the world. But, in the Czech Republic, we do not produce this metal. We therefore buy primary aluminum,” says David Bečvář, MTX Group Director for Strategy and CEO of AL INVEST Břidličná, which specializes in the production of foil and other aluminum products.
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“We import aluminum mainly from Africa and Russia, but, if necessary, we can provide alternative supplies, which has already proven useful in the past,” Bečvář explains, noting that the global aluminum market is extensive and relatively well interconnected. “African aluminum is ‘purer’, but Russian aluminum is a little cheaper for us, since it is closer to the Czech Republic, and the cost of transport also significantly affects the price of primary aluminum.” He suggests buying aluminum is a complicated process with several variables. “You need to play with those resources a little,” Bečvář says with a smile. However, MTX Group has extensive experience in solving this equation, so the group buys aluminum through METALIMEX both for its own use and for any other consumers in the Czech Republic. According to Bečvář, MTX Group itself consumes about 35,000 tons of primary aluminum, 25,000 tons of aluminum semi-finished products (rods), and a further 15,000 tons of aluminum scrap for recycling. Aluminum recycling has gained a lot of traction recently. That is because it can be recycled easily. Approximately 75% of produced aluminum is circulating, and this number could be even bigger. “The aluminum processing industry is now focusing a lot on recycling, as it should fundamentally help reduce the carbon footprint of final products, which is what our customers are asking for today,” Bečvář explains.
