UK to Get New Secondary Aluminum Plant with Funding from Diageo

Europe: Spirits producer Diageo, based in the United Kingdom, has announced plans to invest in a state-of-the-art facility capable of producing hundreds of thousands of tons of recycled-content Aluminum within the nation. Diageo, recognized for their well-liked product range that includes Guinness beer, is set to provide financial support to establish the British Aluminium Consortium for Advanced Alloys (BACALL), a collective of industry specialists collaborating to develop a circular economy for Aluminium within the UK.

According to Diageo, a consortium will spearhead the construction of a plant in the U.K. that will roll hundreds of thousands of metric tons of Aluminum sheet, enough to produce over 400 million cans of Guinness and pre-mixed Gordon's and tonic. BACALL has revealed that the project is currently in the design, engineering, and site selection phase. Presently, manufacturing recycled-content Aluminum cans in the U.K. is dependent on an energy-intensive supply chain that involves exporting and importing Aluminum, as per the company's statement.

Diageo has announced that the proposed plant will create a novel circular-economy supply chain for Aluminum, promoting recycling of Aluminum in the United Kingdom. This initiative aims to bolster the country's reputation as a leader in Carbon reduction and manufacturing. Diageo intends to collaborate with the government and businesses to reduce Aluminum's Carbon footprint and bring this segment of the Aluminum supply chain back to the UK.

Diageo has announced that its upcoming plant will play a significant role in the company's 10-year sustainability action plan. The plant will increase the use of recycled Aluminum in Guinness cans and reduce Carbon emissions required for importing and exporting Aluminum sheet. Despite being one of the most recyclable materials, Aluminum production for the 15 billion plus cans made in the UK involves an energy-intensive supply chain, with Aluminum being transported in and out of the country.

Through sourcing, recycling, manufacturing, and supplying Aluminum flat-rolled sheet in the U.K., we aim to establish a localized supply chain that significantly reduces Carbon emissions. This will pave the way for a greener, more sustainable Aluminum industry and ensure the production of ultra-low Carbon alloys in the future. The collaboration between Diageo and BACALL originated from a feasibility study jointly funded by Diageo and the U.K. government's Innovate UK program back in 2021. The study explored the possibility of implementing a large-scale circular economy strategy in the Aluminum sector in the U.K.

It's been found that Aluminum has the potential to become a zero-Carbon material, but for this to happen, the entire supply chain must take significant steps to reduce its emissions. Interestingly, the UK currently exports a large portion of its Aluminum scrap while importing most of its Aluminum sheets. By reversing this trend, we could see a substantial reduction in the Carbon footprint associated with Aluminum production.