No renewable-energy auction requirement.
Aluminium
How low-carbon and Union-origin rules could affect aluminium costs
Start with a published production-cost estimate and trace the proposed 25% qualifying share into car and construction costs.
01 · Proposed requirement
At least 25% of the total aluminium volume must be low-carbon and of qualifying Union origin
The share applies to aluminium used in covered buildings, infrastructure and civil motor vehicles.
The emissions limits have not yet been set.
Procurement / public support, measured at the downstream product or procurement level.
02 · Production
Primary and secondary aluminium
Primary route
From bauxite
- Bauxite
- Alumina
- Smelting
- Casting + fabrication
Secondary route
From aluminium scrap
- Scrap
- Sorting
- Remelting
- Casting + fabrication
03 · Explore the model
Choose a cost estimate
Low-carbon production-cost gap
18% of the report's EUR 1,500/t conventional production cost.
Proposed volume share
Qualifying aluminium used
Meets the proposed 25% share.
Car assumptions
04 · Construction
A central estimate for a typical construction project
Using average aluminium use per euro of EU construction, the selected scenario adds +0.01% to total project cost — about EUR 100 per EUR 1 million, with 25% of aluminium replaced.
This estimate covers construction as a whole. It assumes a typical project uses about 1.44 tonnes of aluminium per EUR 1 million; individual buildings and infrastructure projects will vary.
Basis of the construction average
European Aluminium reports 11 million tonnes of EU aluminium demand in 2023. Applying its 22% European construction share gives 2.42 million tonnes. FIEC reports EUR 1.683 trillion of EU construction investment for 2023. Dividing the two gives the material intensity used here.
The European end-use share approximates the EU mix. This is a derived sector average, with full pass-through of the production-cost gap and other costs held fixed. It does not measure the mix of public projects separately or forecast 2030 construction spending.
As a scale check, Ramboll/CRU’s broader European construction volumes of 2.3–3.0 million tonnes produce around 0.01% under the default cost assumptions. Using FIEC’s 2024 spending figure also leaves the rounded result around 0.01%.
Calculate using a project’s quantities
Apply the selected EUR 270/t gap to your project. This assumes full pass-through; prices for profiles, sheet and castings may differ.
Enter both quantities to calculate the cost effect.
Sources
Evidence used on this page
Open a source for details.
Industrial Accelerator Act
The proposed 25% share and origin requirement.
E3G and ITA
18% production-cost premium and the car assumptions.
Transport & Environment
EUR 63/t with process-emission reductions and carbon costs included.
Commission impact assessment
EUR 292/t inferred from its vehicle example.
From aluminium to final cost
The quantities and calculations behind the results.
Average aluminium use per euro
EU demand, the construction share and construction investment.
Primary and recycled aluminium
The two production routes and their energy needs.