Aluminum is like rare earths: Europe loses its foundries and lists them as important materials
On the Old Continent, the sector has been in decline for decades, undermined by China and rising energy prices. From the gas crisis, a coup d’état: Primary production in Western Europe collapsed to its lowest level in a century.
By Sissy Bellomo
Aluminum is an important material, as are lithium and rare earths. The metal – always one of the most used, but also the most widespread materials in the world – is included in the list of raw materials considered “at risk” by the European Union, through an amendment to the Critical Raw Materials Act. The challenges that the old continent must overcome in order to exceed the decarbonization target are long overdue.
We’ll have to buy more and more minerals, competing with …
