Capral offers low-carbon aluminium LocAl® to Australian manufacturers for accessing sustainable projects

Australia's leading provider of aluminium products and associated services, Capral, introduced LocAl®, a lower-carbon primary aluminium option available across Capral's locally manufactured extruded aluminium products.

The nation's largest extruder provides Australian manufacturers access to cleaner, greener, more sustainable aluminium for their projects.

The LocAl® offer includes two low-carbon aluminium options amongst the lowest carbon aluminium available globally:

• LocAl® Green with carbon emissions of 8kg CO2e/kg Al*
• LocAl® Super Green at 4kg CO2e/kg Al*

As part of Capral's 2022 commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, the company is driving rapid innovation and cultural evolution throughout the organization, particularly within procurement and operations. LocAl® represents a deliberate shift in Capral's procurement strategy for primary aluminium billets.

Luke Hawkins, the General Manager of Supply & Industrial Solutions, said, “In 2022, 22% of the primary aluminium billet Capral uses in its eight local extrusion presses has a carbon content lower than eight kilograms CO2e per kilogram of aluminium. Approximately 300 tonnes have a certified carbon content lower than 4 kilograms of CO2e per kilogram of aluminium. This is a strategic change for Capral, driven by our desire to make lower Carbon aluminium accessible to Australian manufacturers. The market is looking for this product, and as Australia's largest extruder of aluminium, we must make it available."

Aluminium is often referred to as a "Sustainable metal" due to its versatility and recyclability. The carbon emissions produced by smelters during primary aluminium production vary widely - one might argue that some aluminium is considerably more sustainable than others.

As a result of the electrolysis process used in aluminium smelting, aluminium contributes a significant amount of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

The four aluminium smelters within Australia that produce primary aluminium consume approximately 10% of the nation's energy grid, which may surprise some.

According to the energy sources used in primary aluminium production, carbon emissions range from under 4kg CO2e/kg Al to over 20kg CO2e/kg Al. Approximately 16.8 kg CO2e/kg Aluminium is the global average carbon emission from primary aluminium.

Michael O'Keefe, the General Manager of Marketing & Technology, said, "At eight kilograms of carbon emissions per kilogram of aluminium, the LocAl Green offer has 50% lower carbon emissions than the current global average for primary aluminium. At 4 kilograms, LocAl Super Green is 75% lower; this is a significant reduction. It gives Australian manufacturers an important opportunity to make more responsible procurement decisions when they source extruded aluminium."

Aside from lower carbon emissions, the primary aluminium offered under the Local® brand is exclusively sourced from ASI-certified smelters.

"Being able to offer LocAl aluminium sourced from ASI-certified smelters gives us the added assurance that the aluminium we buy has been produced responsibly with consideration given to sustainability and societal impact. It helps us stand behind the product we sell and tell our customers we've done our best to deliver a responsibly produced product at all stages in the value chain, Luke said.

Industry sectors, including construction, renewable energy, transport and marine, are increasingly looking for lower carbon options for their products to meet customer expectations. Capral is now ready to support these sectors with access to aluminium with up to 75% lower carbon emissions than global averages.

Michael said, "There are many reasons businesses would consider using LocAl for their projects. Reducing carbon emissions is critical for our environment, and Capral is proud to be in a position to deliver the LocAl Green and Super Green to the industry right now so that businesses can actively choose cleaner, greener options for their aluminium."

LocAl® aluminium is available across Capral's locally manufactured extruded aluminium products, including custom-designed aluminium sections, standard extrusions, geometrics, transport sections, solar rail, and marine. LocAl® Green will be supplied as standard on all Capral proprietary window and door systems from November 2022.

"It's ready. All our customers need to do is ask. Capral is ambitious about offering LocAl® to Australian manufacturers and hopeful that the demand for lower-carbon aluminium will continue to grow”, Michael added.

"We hope that in 2023 more and more of the aluminium we source will be LocAl to meet our customer's demands," Luke said.