Energy savings at several stages

In the long run aluminium saves a lot of energy. The relatively large initial energy input at the production stage of the metal can be in many cases recovered several times over thanks to lighter and more functional products.

 

Lighter vehicles consume less fuel. Products that weigh less are cheaper to transport. And electric conductors made of aluminium allow for smaller loss of energy. The savings are even greater since aluminium is perfect for recycling. When remelting aluminium, only 5% of the energy required for the production of the primary metal is used.

Savings in practice

Lighter vehicles use less fuel. Here is an example of what a savings calculation can look like in practice:

Motor cars
Aluminium often replaces steel elements in motor cars. A weight reduction by 100 kg is quite realistic, which means, for example, that 182 kg of steel is replaced with 82 kg of aluminium.

If no recycled aluminium or steel is used: The aluminium parts require 2,740 MJ more energy in the production process that the replaced steel parts. However, during the entire life of the car, 640 litres of petrol are saved due to the lower weight, which corresponds to as much as 23,000 MJ.

If 90% of both the aluminium and steel parts are made of recycled metal: Aluminium requires less energy than steel already at the production stage.

Energy and environmental benefits

If no recycled aluminium or steel is used: During the lifetime of the car, the extra energy input is saved more than eight times over. In the production process, the aluminium parts cause the emission of 100 kg more of CO2 than the steel parts.

This increased environmental load is compensated for several times over through the reduced petrol consumption, which makes that the CO2 emissions decrease by approximately 1,500 kg during the entire life of the car.