30.11.2023 - Aluminium Association

Artem Asatur, Vice Chairperson of the Aluminium Association, delivered a welcoming address at the Aluminium-21 / FLAT PRODUCTS International Conference organised by APRAL. The conference guests discussed the latest industry issues: status and key trends in the aluminium flat products market, modern achievements in rolling technologies and equipment, flat products applications and more.

The Aluminium Association is a partner of the Aluminium-21 / FLAT PRODUCTS International Conference

As Artem Asatur pointed out, the aluminium rolled products sector has been facing tectonic shifts for several years, due to changes in the structure of demand and the popularity of aluminium. According to expert estimations, the domestic market for rolled products will grow. A key contributor to this is the Government plan to stimulate demand for aluminium industry products for 2025-2030 introduced at the initiative of the Aluminium Association. With exports declining, the growth of domestic demand remains the primary factor for the expansion of the rolled products market in Russia. The Aluminium Association, in collaboration with its partners, is updating the standards to introduce new requirements for semi-finished products, expand their range, improve product quality, and enhance competitiveness in international markets.

Over half of the rolled products consumption is packaging and foil

Snezhana Ravlyuk, an expert from the Aluminium Association, presented a review of the aluminium rolled products market and discussed the key trends and opportunities for Russian manufacturers. Rolled products are still a growing segment in global aluminium semi-finished product production. it represents 30% of all products manufactured worldwide.

In Russia, the construction sector continues to be the main market driver due to preferential mortgages and infrastructure projects. The domestic automotive industry is stimulated through higher production of commercial vehicles from local brands (trucks and trailers). In the coming years, the global automotive industry will grow, with the share of electric vehicles continuing to rise worldwide. When switching to electric vehicles, the aluminium content increases from 172 kg per vehicle (ICE vehicles) to 320-360 kg (electric and hybrid vehicles). Demand for aluminium beverage cans continues to rise, replacing PET and becoming the most popular type of packaging. According to experts, demand for rolled products in the country will increase by 130,000-150,000 tonnes by 2030, with the greatest growth expected in the packaging, transport and construction sectors.

Olga Ogorodnikova, Head of the Construction Sector of the Aluminium Association, representatives of RUSAL, ILMiT, Samara Metallurgical Plant, Kamensk-Uralsky Metallurgical Plant, Bauman University, and China Nonferrous Metals Fabrication Industry Association (CNFA) also spoke at the conference.