In the aluminium industry, “going green” means choosing low-carbon metal that helps shrink your products’ footprint. But is low-carbon aluminium worth the hype? For businesses that need aluminium, the answer is a resounding yes.

How Low-Carbon Aluminium Is Made

Traditional aluminium production is energy-intensive and carbon-heavy. Low-carbon aluminium, by contrast, is produced using cleaner methods that dramatically cut emissions:

Hydro-Powered Smelting: The single biggest way to slash aluminium’s carbon footprint is to use renewable energy for smelting. Aluminium smelters powered by hydroelectric dams (or other green energy) emit far less CO₂ than coal-powered smelters. For example, some hydro-based producers guarantee a carbon footprint below 4 kg CO₂ per kg of aluminium, roughly one-quarter of the global average​. This renewable electricity advantage means the metal is much “greener” from the start.

High Recycled Content: Recycling scrap aluminium uses around 95% less energy than producing primary aluminium from raw ore​. Lower energy means lower carbon emissions – in fact, recycling has a similar ~95% cut in CO₂ output​. By melting down existing metal, manufacturers avoid the carbon cost of mining and refining new aluminium. Many “green aluminium” products today achieve their low-carbon status by boosting recycled content. For instance, an alloy made with 75% recycled post-consumer scrap can have an embodied carbon footprint as low as ~2 kg CO₂ per kg​– an 88% reduction versus standard primary aluminium. In short, scrap is gold when it comes to low-carbon credentials.

Low-Emission Processes: Beyond power sources and recycling, producers are innovating new techniques to cut residual emissions. Emerging technology like inert anode smelting can eliminate direct CO₂ from the smelting chemical process (replacing the carbon anodes so that the cell releases oxygen instead of CO₂)​. Others are experimenting with carbon capture at smelters or using green hydrogen in the upstream alumina refining. While these breakthroughs are still in development, they signal a future where “zero-carbon” aluminium could become a reality. Some tech is already here – in 2022, the first batch of carbon-free aluminium (using inert anode technology) was produced for commercial use​.

By combining renewable energy and recycled material, aluminium makers today can deliver the same high-quality metal with a fraction of the emissions. As a buyer, understanding these production methods helps you appreciate what makes one batch of aluminium “greener” than another.

Who’s Driving the Demand for Low-Carbon Aluminium?

Why all the hype now about low-carbon aluminium? Largely because major downstream industries and policymakers demand it. In recent years, some of the world’s biggest aluminium customers – from car companies to tech giants – have launched initiatives to clean up their supply chains.

Automotive Leaders: The car industry’s shift towards sustainability has put aluminium in the spotlight. Aluminium is vital for lightweight, energy-efficient vehicles (especially electric cars), but producing it can be carbon intensive. Automakers are now insisting on cleaner metal. For example, BMW has partnered to source aluminium made with hydroelectric power, aiming to cut the carbon emissions of its aluminium by up to 70%.

Tech Giants: Big technology companies are also pushing for greener materials. Apple has committed to carbon neutrality across its supply chain by 2030, which means using low-carbon aluminium in its products. In fact, Apple helped fund the development of carbon-free smelting (the “Elysis” project) and has started using that aluminium in select devices​. Similarly, companies like Microsoft and Google are demanding recycled and low-carbon metals for their electronics​​. This corporate leadership from tech is creating a strong demand signal – if you want to be a supplier to these giants, offering low-carbon material is a big plus.

Regulatory Pressures: It’s not just voluntary corporate action – governments are raising the bar too. Notably in Europe, the EU’s new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) targets the carbon footprint of imported materials like steel and aluminium. Importers now must report the embedded CO₂ emissions of aluminium brought into the EU, and by 2026 they’ll have to pay a carbon levy based on those emissions​. In practice, this means high-carbon aluminium will become more costly to import, nudging buyers toward cleaner sources. Regulations like CBAM essentially put a price on carbon, favouring low-carbon metal and pressuring overseas producers to green their processes. Elsewhere, green public procurement rules and building codes are also starting to prefer materials with lower embodied carbon. All these trends make low-carbon aluminium a strategic choice to future-proof your supply chain against carbon costs and compliance issues.

Sustainability Goals Fuel the Push for Green Metal

Another reason low-carbon aluminium is gaining traction is the broader shift in corporate sustainability goals. Across manufacturing sectors, companies have set ambitious carbon reduction targets – and these extend to the materials they buy (Scope 3 emissions).

Many manufacturers have pledged “net zero by 2050” or similar, and interim targets for 2030 are looming. To hit these goals, they can’t ignore the carbon footprint of purchased materials. Aluminium, being emissions-heavy to produce, is a prime candidate for improvement. As a result, procurement teams now seek suppliers who can help cut those embodied emissions. In practice, this means more buyers are requesting data on carbon footprints and giving preference to low-carbon or recycled aluminium in their RFQs and tenders.

The Bottom Line

Low-carbon aluminium is more than a trend – it’s becoming the new normal for forward-thinking businesses. By understanding how it’s made and why it’s in demand, you can make informed purchasing decisions that align with your company’s values and goals. Whether it’s meeting a client’s sustainability criteria, complying with new regulations, or working toward your own carbon targets, choosing greener aluminium is a practical step with outsized impact.

In essence, aluminium that’s produced with hydropower, recycled content, and verified sustainable practices offers the same performance with a much smaller environmental footprint. It enables you to deliver quality products to your customers while cutting emissions behind the scenes. That’s a win-win worth the hype.

As a leading aluminium supplier, Simmal is here to support your transition to low-carbon metal. We can advise on material selection, provide documentation, and ensure you get aluminium that meets both your technical specs and your sustainability standards.