We think in life cycles
Integrated Sustainability – that’s our strategy
To protect our planet as best we can, we are pursuing an ambitious sustainability strategy with a strong focus on the CO₂ footprint and transparency of our products and operations.
This commitment is also highlighted by our membership in the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), where aspects such as human rights, resource reduction and employee well-being are all aspects of our certification against ASI’s Performance & Chain of Custody Standards.
Speira has strong connections to the areas in which we work and live. We have worked hard over the years to promote our business operations and are proud of the relationships we have built with local organizations and community groups to further develop these areas.
We think in life cycles
Integrated Sustainability – that’s our strategy
To protect our planet as best we can, we are pursuing an ambitious sustainability strategy with a strong focus on the CO₂ footprint and transparency of our products and operations.
This commitment is also highlighted by our membership in the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), where aspects such as human rights, resource reduction and employee well-being are all aspects of our certification against ASI’s Performance & Chain of Custody Standards.
Speira has strong connections to the areas in which we work and live. We have worked hard over the years to promote our business operations and are proud of the relationships we have built with local organizations and community groups to further develop these areas.
SUSTAINABILITY
The full potential of aluminium
How we optimize production, processing, and recycling
At Speira, we take sustainability very seriously. A prime example can be seen in our external metal sourcing, where we have reduced our CO₂ emissions footprint by 25% over the last five years by carefully selecting suppliers who provide us with aluminium featuring a low CO₂ footprint.
We work closely with our partners to analyze each stage of aluminium production to identify new possibilities, and to share the data together along with our expertise. In this way, we are continuously striving to produce our products efficiently and with the environment in mind along each step of the process.
We do all this with the aim of creating a circular society that not only benefits of our customers but to also ensures the necessary resources for future generations.
TRANSPARENT AMBITION
Analyzing, identifying, improving – with absolute precision
Our processes for resource-saving products
Aluminium is the perfect material for our ambitions! For example, it provides safe, lightweight components for the automotive industry, which helps to reduce overall emissions. However, the way aluminium is produced and processed is also a crucial success factor.
Our labels for the most sustainable products
Aluminium – for today and tomorrow
A young metal with growing influence
Makes it possible to integrate different technologies into one solution, e.g. in buildings
1/3 density of steel means lighter vehicles, lower energy consumption and reduced emissions
A superb conductor for heat and electricity, more cost efficient than copper, enabling energy-efficient systems for electrical transmission, such as transfer components
Aluminium can be made hard, soft, stiff, bendable, smooth, temperature resistant etc. depending on the actual need, by developing tailor-made alloys
Natural oxide layer protects the metal against corrosion and makes it virtually maintenance free
The recycling of aluminium consumes only 5% of the energy of primary production. And a full 75% of the aluminium ever produced is still in use.
RESPONSIBLE USE OF RESOURCES
Taking aluminium to the next level
Using data analysis and monitoring to achieve ambitious climate goals
It is our responsibility to use resources carefully and conscientiously. This philosophy shapes everything we do. As an aluminium company, we manufacture a wide range of products that vary in terms of production and energy requirements.
Reducing our footprint along the value chain
Step by step
We are committed to reducing our CO2 emissions, which include the full value chain from the mine or scrap to the final product manufactured in our plant. Through a careful selection of suppliers and an increasing share of recycled content, our metal input mix is 70% lower than the global primary metal average. And our actions are already having an impact. Momentum is on our side: our emissions fell from 7.3 to 5.3t CO2/t Al from 2018 to 2023, and forecasts indicate that we will be able to reduce this figure by a further 20% by 2027. With 4.8 t CO2/t Al (in 2023), the emissions from our metal supply are lower than the European average and far lower than the worldwide average. And with Speira ORBIS we're even lower than primary aluminium produced from 100% renewable energy.
Speira's CO2 emissions*
Speira's metal supply CO2 footprint*
RECYCLING
Our material has no end
How we make aluminium re-usable, again and again
Responsibility for our products does not end at the manufacturing stage. We are actively committed to creating a closed-loop material flow. As such, we support several initiatives to ensure that more and more aluminium products are properly recycled at the end of their life. Currently, the average recycling rate for aluminium beverage cans in Europe is 76%. Together with our industry partners, we want to increase this figure and ensure by 2030 that all our aluminium products are fully recovered and recycled.
And that’s not all: by 2025, we aim to see the use of recycled metal in our production exceed 40%. Innovative sorting and recycling technologies as well as close collaboration with our direct customers in the food and beverage industry will help us on this journey.
Recycling Friendly Alloys (RFA)
Similar Properties with a lower CO₂ footprint
- Higher recycling share has significant impact on CO₂ footprint
- Alloy development aims for similar or better material properties compared to state of the art primary based alloys.
Steps towards a lower CO₂ footprint
- Multiple steps towards lower and lower CO₂ footprints
- Recycle friendly alloys ready to absorb pre & post consumer scraps
EFFECTIVE PROCESSES
Our shared path to the future
Efficient production, powerful innovations, further development
At Speira, we are all about aluminium, the material of the future, and not just for our sake. Replacing other materials with aluminum can encourage greener mobility and more sustainable transport routes. A potential that we enthusiastically promote! For example, we have invested €130 million in a new production line at our headquarters in Grevenbroich, enabling us to increase our capacity for aluminium-based car bodies from 50,000 to 200,000 metric tons.
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT 2022-2023
Hydrogen trials
Hydrogen potential located at alumina production, anode baking & melting processes
The success of hydrogen as enabler for decarbonization will depend on availability of renewable energy for hydrogen production and technological feasibility of hydrogen in our furnaces.
Trials 2022-2023 in R&D Bonn are aiming to:
- understand and assess the hydrogen impact on melt quality (hydrogen pickup, inclusions) and oxidation of melt (dross generation)
- investigate the impact of hydrogen combustion on lining and refractories in the furnace as well as on steel skeleton
- address technical challenges and NOx emissions resulting from using hydrogen burners in the aluminium furnaces
- identify synergies with other sectors
- status: safety risk assessment and equipment purchase
COOPERATION
Clear positioning
Sustainability goals defined in concrete terms
Focus on areas such as renewable energies, investments in energy efficiency.
Focus on areas such as the use of natural resources, increased recycling of metals, reduction of waste, sustainability reporting.
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Over the years, Speira has invested in numerous projects to improve our energy efficiency, including the introduction of the EnEffCo energy management software system at our Grevenbroich manufacturing plant in NRW. This enables us to improve efficiency in real time, while having maximum transparency on energy usage across our production lines. Our teams of specialists at the manufacturing sites and in our R&D operations are continuously investigating new opportunities and technology to reduce our overall energy consumption.
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
The benefits of aluminium recycling are well known - infinitely recyclable with no loss of quality, and only requiring 5% of the total energy consumption when compared to primary aluminium production. These characteristics fit perfectly to Speira’s commitment to sustainable operations, which is why we are significantly expanding our recycling capacity in the coming years. And we are looking forward to telling this story and many more via our future sustainability reporting efforts!
Focus on areas such as renewable energies, investments in energy efficiency.
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Over the years, Speira has invested in numerous projects to improve our energy efficiency, including the introduction of the EnEffCo energy management software system at our Grevenbroich manufacturing plant in NRW. This enables us to improve efficiency in real time, while having maximum transparency on energy usage across our production lines. Our teams of specialists at the manufacturing sites and in our R&D operations are continuously investigating new opportunities and technology to reduce our overall energy consumption.
Focus on areas such as the use of natural resources, increased recycling of metals, reduction of waste, sustainability reporting.
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
The benefits of aluminium recycling are well known - infinitely recyclable with no loss of quality, and only requiring 5% of the total energy consumption when compared to primary aluminium production. These characteristics fit perfectly to Speira’s commitment to sustainable operations, which is why we are significantly expanding our recycling capacity in the coming years. And we are looking forward to telling this story and many more via our future sustainability reporting efforts!
Sustainability
Speira GmbH
Aluminiumstraße 1 41515 Grevenbroich Germany Email sustainability@speira.com
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