In the battle to reduce CO2 emissions, recycling is the order of the day. This has long been part of the daily life of the Ranshofen-based aluminum producer AMAG, which is rewarded with the trust of well-known brands. The people of Innviertel have already convinced premium car manufacturer Audi.
“Another important piece of the mosaic on the road to green steel production.” This is how Voestalpine boss Herbert Eibensteiner describes the project with car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz and recycling company TSR. Pure old scrap metal must be collected and then processed to become steel for the side walls of the Mercedes A-Class sedan models.
Where possible, the recycling content is increased
Almost 120 kilometers from Voest’s headquarters in Linz, aluminum producer AMAG in Ranshofen is a good example of how well scrap can be done. Aluminum recycling has been part of the daily lives of Innviertel residents for decades. But because reducing CO2 emissions is now the order of the day in all industries, scrap is being seen in a new light: efforts are now being made to increase the recycling content where possible.
“Very convincing”
“It takes a lot of convincing before a customer dares to replace an established alloy with another made from more scrap and which is not much different in chemical composition, but is different,” reveals CEO Helmut Kaufmann.
Aluminum rim with a recycled content of more than 70 percent
Audi is now developing an aluminum wheel rim for the Q4 e-tron with a recycled content of more than 70% – the result of a collaboration between AMAG, the Ronal foundry and the vehicle manufacturer itself.
Bottlenecks are inevitable
The growing demand for scrap will lead to bottlenecks, Kaufmann expects: “Because, contrary to general expectations, aluminum is found in products with a very long lifespan: for example in buildings, in electricity lines, in cars.”
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
