Production and demand

The demand for aluminium is increasing year by year. Many applications and developments require a material that is lightweight but nevertheless strong – requirements that aluminium can fulfil optimally. In addition, it is an extremely versatile material.

Production and demand for raw aluminium

In Germany, about 1,199,800 tonnes of raw aluminium were produced in 2019. This is seven percent below the level of the previous year. During this period, the production of raw aluminium was split between 507,900 tonnes of primary aluminium and 691,900 tonnes of recycled aluminium. Compared with the previous year, the production of primary aluminium fell by four per cent, while the production of recycled aluminium fell by nine per cent.

Shaped aluminium castings

Shape casting is used to produce finished products and various casting processes are used (sand, pressure die or chill casting) depending on the product, the size of the production series and the dimensional accuracy required. The car industry is the most important customer group for shape-casting foundries. The production of aluminium mould castings (pressure die casting, gravity die casting and sand casting) totalled 996,100 tonnes in 2019. In the previous year 2018, 973,200 tonnes of aluminium mould castings were produced. This represents a two percent increase in production in 2019.

Production of shaped aluminium castings

In tonnes 2018 2019
Total 973,200 996,100
Die-casting 590,900 603,600
Chill casting 306,800 303,500
Sand casting 68,700 80,500
Other casting processes 6,800 8,500

Semi-finished aluminium products

The production of aluminium semi-finished products in 2019 totalled 2.58 million tonnes. Compared with the previous year, this is an increase of five percent. The product portfolio includes rolled products, extruded products, wire and forgings. Semi-finished products is the most important section of the German aluminium industry in quantitive matters.

A total of 2,029,900 tonnes of rolled products were produced in Germany in 2019. This is an increase of nine percent over the previous year. In addition, 522,700 tonnes of extruded products, 18,400 tonnes of technical wire and 5,900 tonnes of conductive material were produced in 2019.

Production von semi-finished aluminium

In tonnes 2018 2019
Total 2,459,500 2,576,900
Rolled products 1,854,900 2,029,900
Rod and bar 51,600 50,700
Profiles 518,200 461,300
Tube 9,200 10,700
Wire 19,700 18,400
Open-die and drop forgings N/A N/A
Conductor material 5,900 5,900

Aluminium converting

Packaging for foodstuffs, medication and body-care products is subjected to the highest possible demands. Aluminium is a flexible, multifunctional and lightweight packaging material here. Aluminium packaging is also a material par excellence for the circular economy and can be recycled without any losses after use to conserve resources.

Aluminium processing includes the production of aluminium foil (2019: 278,200 tonnes), the manufacture of tubes, cans and aerosol cans (2019: 42,900 tonnes) and the production of aluminium powder (2019: 32,800 tonnes).

Aluminium converting

In tonnes 2018 2019
Total 378,000 353,900
Foil and thin strip 297,400 278,200
Tubes, cans, aerosol cans 45,700 42,900
Aluminium powder 34,900 32,800

Contact

Andreas Postler

Communcations - Markets - Economic Policies

T +49 211 4796-118
andreas.postler@aluinfo.de