Aluminum industry in the United States

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US production of aluminum, 1940-2014. Data from USGS US Aluminium Production 1940-2014.png
US production of aluminum, 1940–2014. Data from USGS

The aluminum industry in the United States in 2023 produced 860 thousand metric tons of aluminum from refined metal ore (primary production), at six smelters. In addition, US industry recycled 3.4 million tons of aluminum (so-called secondary production aluminum). [1] Total annual imports of metal and alloy for use in secondary production stood at 2.6 million metric tons in the year to August 2023, with the previous decade seeing a fundamental shift toward recycled production. [2]

Contents

Primary production

In 2014, primary aluminum, which is produced from bauxite, was produced by three companies at nine smelters. Primary aluminum is preferred for high-quality uses such as aircraft. The leader in US production was Alcoa. Also operating multiple primary plants was Century Aluminum.[ citation needed ]

Primary production volume in 1999 was 3.8 million metric ton and by 2023, it has dropped to an annual volume of 785,000 metric ton. [3] By March 2024, there are four operating plants with a combined yearly capacity of 650,000 metric tons. [3] In 1980, there were approximately 30 smelters in operation in the US. [4] US had a global market share of under 2% of primary aluminum in 2022. [5]

Primary Aluminum Smelters in the US

NameLocationOwnerStatus and Date
Warrick Plant Evansville, Indiana AlcoaOperating, July 2022 [6]
Massena Plant Massena, New York AlcoaOperating, April 2014 [7]
Mt Holly Plant Mount Holly, South Carolina Century AluminumOperating, December 2014 [8]
Sebree Plant Sebree, Kentucky Century AluminumOperating, May 2015 [9]
Noranda Plant New Madrid, Missouri Magnitude 7 MetalsCurtailed, January 2024 [10]
Hawesville Plant Hawesville, Kentucky Century AluminumIdled, June 2022 [11]
Intalco Plant Ferndale, Washington AlcoaClosed, March 2023 [12]
Ravenswood Plant Ravenswood, West Virginia Century AluminumClosed, July 2015 [13]
Ormet Plant Hannibal, Ohio Ormet Closed, August 2014 [14]
Columbia Falls Plant Columbia Falls, Montana Glencore Closed in March 2015 [15]
St. Lawrence Plant Massena, New York AlcoaClosed
Wenatchee Plant Wenatchee, Washington Alcoa Closed
Rockdale Plant Rockdale, Texas Alcoa Closed

Secondary production

Secondary production is the recycling of metallic aluminum derived from scrap. Secondary production can be from either new scrap (from aluminum manufacturing), or from old scrap (post-consumer scrap such as recycled aluminum cans).

By 2021, secondary production accounted for 78% of US aluminum production. [16]

Raw materials

Proportion of US aluminum production from various raw materials. Data from USGS. Sources of Aluminium Produced in the US 1950-2014.png
Proportion of US aluminum production from various raw materials. Data from USGS.

The principal raw materials for aluminum production are bauxite (for primary production) and scrap (for secondary production).

Primary aluminum production consumes a great deal of electricity, which makes up about a third of the cost. Making a ton of primary aluminum consumes at least 12,500 kW-hr, and most plants consume 14,500 to 15,000 kW-hr per ton of primary aluminum. [17]

Secondary production of a given unit of aluminum requires about 10% of the electricity of primary production.

The United States mined production of bauxite for primary aluminum production is insignificant. In 2013, the US mined only 1.3 percent of the bauxite it used, US mined production being less than 0.1 percent of world production.

International trade

The US imported nearly all the bauxite (the only commercial aluminum ore) used in producing primary aluminum. For years, the US has produced less than 1% of the bauxite used to make aluminum.

The US also imported 33 percent of the aluminum that was used in 2014. Of the imported aluminum, 63% came from Canada. [1] [18]

2015 Imports for consumption by country [19]
No.CountryQuantityValue
metric tons%k$ %
1Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 2,820,00055.56,130,00050.2
2Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 395,0007.81,120,0009.2
3Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 297,0005.8683,0005.6
4Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  United Arab Emirates 294,0005.8665,0005.5
5Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 162,0003.2383,0003.1
6Flag of Bahrain.svg  Bahrain 109,0002.1269,0002.2
7Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 85,9001.7187,0001.5
8Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 78,2001.5324,0002.7
9Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela 68,9001.4128,0001.0
10Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 57,3001.1179,0001.5
11Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea 38,4000.8109,0000.9
12Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 27,8000.5122,0001.0
13Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 27,0000.556,9000.5
14Flag of France.svg  France 21,5000.4155,0001.3
15Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 19,8000.447,7000.4
16Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 19,3000.470,4000.6
17Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 17,1000.359,3000.5
18Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 14,0000.332,1000.3
19Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 9,3600.221,4000.2
20Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 8,8100.243,8000.4
21Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 5,0100.17,0700.1
22Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 4,9800.121,9000.2
Other496,0009.81,390,00011.4
Total5,080,000100.012,200,000100.0
2015 Exports by country [19]
No.CountryQuantityValue
metric tons%k$ %
1Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 882,00029.31,570,00018.6
2Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 821,00027.32,530,00029.9
3Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 657,00021.82,050,00024.3
4Flag of South Korea.svg  Korea, Republic of 205,0006.8532,0006.3
5Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Taiwan 46,7001.6106,0001.3
6Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 38,2001.3275,0003.3
7Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Hong Kong 32,1001.152,4000.6
8Flag of France.svg  France 22,2000.7161,0001.9
9Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 20,7000.7134,0001.6
10Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 19,2000.6164,0001.9
11Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 9,0300.355,4000.7
12Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand 8,0900.332,9000.4
13Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia 6,0700.227,8000.3
14Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore 5,0100.241,2000.5
15Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 3,0800.139,8000.5
16Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 2,2900.112,2000.1
17Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela 1,2400.011,2000.1
18Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines 6130.05,6600.1
19Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 3590.01,4800.0
20Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 2020.02,0100.0
21Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  Kazakhstan 650.04630.0
22Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 40.0360.0
Other231,0007.7641,0007.6
Total3,010,000100.08,450,000100.0

History of US aluminum production

The US used to be a much more important factor in the world primary aluminum market. As recently as 1981, the US produced 30% of the world's primary aluminum, and for many years up through 2000, the US was the world's largest producer of primary aluminum. In 2014, by contrast, the US ranked sixth in primary aluminum production, and provided only 3.5% of world production.

US production of primary aluminum peaked in 1980 at 4.64 million metric tons. Since then, US primary aluminum production has fallen by more than half, but secondary production has increased, making up much of the difference. In the 1950s and 1960s, primary production made up about 80% of the aluminum output. In 2014, primary production made up 32%, while secondary from new scrap made up 36% and secondary from old scrap made up 32% of US aluminum production. [1]

Climate impact and market competitiveness

The development of tools which calculate upfront carbon emissions is expected to bring changes to the relative competitiveness for US-produced aluminum products, and result in states with cleaner electric grids gaining a competitive advantage both for sourcing aluminum construction materials, and for siting of new aluminum industry facilities. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alcoa</span> American materials company

Alcoa Corporation is a Pittsburgh-based industrial corporation. It is the world's eighth-largest producer of aluminum. Alcoa conducts operations in 10 countries. Alcoa is a major producer of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum, and alumina combined, through its active and growing participation in all major aspects of the industry: technology, mining, refining, smelting, fabricating, and recycling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scrap</span> Recyclable materials left over from manufactured products after their use

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aluminium recycling</span> Reuse of scrap aluminium

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volta Aluminum Company</span> Aluminium company

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aluminium smelting</span> Process of extracting aluminium from its oxide alumina

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining industry of Ghana</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bauxite mining in the United States</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of aluminium</span> History of the chemical element aluminium

Aluminium metal is very rare in native form, and the process to refine it from ores is complex, so for most of human history it was unknown. However, the compound alum has been known since the 5th century BCE and was used extensively by the ancients for dyeing. During the Middle Ages, its use for dyeing made it a commodity of international commerce. Renaissance scientists believed that alum was a salt of a new earth; during the Age of Enlightenment, it was established that this earth, alumina, was an oxide of a new metal. Discovery of this metal was announced in 1825 by Danish physicist Hans Christian Ørsted, whose work was extended by German chemist Friedrich Wöhler.

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