E-MAX GROWS WITH LOW-CARBON ALUMINUM DEMAND
Since switching to recycled aluminum, the production of E-MAX, headquartered in Dilsen-Stokkem, has quadrupled. With an annual output of 100,000 tons, the company is among the three largest low carbon profile producers in Europe. “More and more sectors know how to find us, and the demand low carbon aluminum is rising sharply,” he says.
As CEO of E-MAX, Dimitri Fotij manages a company with seven branches in Europe and 800 employees. Headquartered in Dilsen-Stokkem, the recycled aluminum that comes from scrap companies from all over Europe is melted into billets at the foundry in Kerkrade (NL). These billets of up to seven meters in length and 203 and 254 millimeters in diameter are then formed into aluminum profiles by extrusion. Recycled, low-carbon aluminum comprises 80 percent of its raw materials.
The CEO calls extrusion, in which billets are pressed through a die at high pressures and temperatures, a “cost-effective production process” that is also highly multifunctional. “On the same extrusion machine you can make numerous different products,” he says. For these reasons, demand for aluminum profiles has increased by an average of three percent per year in recent years.
More and more sectors served
While the extrusion company initially supplied aluminum profiles primarily to the construction industry for windows and frames, it currently has numerous other sectors as customers. For example, the profiles are processed in trailers, trucks and also increasingly in the automotive industry. From its three branches in Germany, E-MAX supplies the major German car brands. “Recently we have also been discovered by the solar panel builders sector. Our profiles are used to build the substructure.”
Ten years ago, the company looked different. “We were founded in 1996 and for a long time worked with primary or classic aluminum. Our lean organization allowed us to face the competition from low-wage countries,” says the Limburger. The company decided in 2011 to switch to recycled or circular low carbon aluminum as a raw material. The company’s moto changed from “lean and mean” to “lean and green”.
The switch to sustainable aluminum did not hurt the company. Through organic growth and acquisitions, output rose from 25,000 tons per year to 100,000 tons per year in ten years. “This puts us among the three largest producers of low carbon aluminum profiles in Europe,” says Fotij, who still sees room for more growth.
Growing interest in circular low carbon aluminum
Not only is the company benefiting from the growing demand for profiles, above all it is also hitching a ride on the demand for sustainable aluminum. “Customers are increasingly asking for circular low carbon aluminum to reduce the climate impact of their production and product,” says Fotij, who points to the climatic benefits of secondary aluminum. “Globally, an average of 18 tons of CO² is released per ton of aluminum produced. In Europe the figure is 8 tons. With our process, it is only 2.03 tons.”
The low CO-2 emissions from the production process at E-MAX were established by certification company DNV, which provided the “Statement Verification of CO2 Emissions. Earlier studies by the Free University of Brussels showed that all the mechanical and surface properties of X-ECO are at least equivalent to classic aluminum. “This means that with X-ECO we have in our hands a high-quality aluminum with a high recycling content and a very low carbon footprint,” it sounds.
“Primary aluminum is an energy-intensive raw material,” continues the Limburg CEO. “However, in the production of recycled aluminum, the energy consumption is only 5 percent.” This and the fact that used aluminum also lends itself well to recycling (“aluminum has no memory”) makes it a popular raw material. This is evidenced in part by the large price increases in recent years.
Reducing climate footprint in manufacturing
While E-MAX is contributing to a reduced carbon footprint in numerous sectors through the use of recycled aluminum, the company has also taken sustainability steps in process operations. “In Dilsen-Stokkem, we generate 90 percent of the electrical energy we need ourselves with solar panels and a windmill,” says Fotij. In time, he also sees opportunities to make the operation of the foundry in Kerkrade more sustainable. Currently, gas is still used here, but if hydrogen technology develops and more hydrogen becomes available at better prices, he says that has the future in the foundry.
The CEO of E-MAX sees a bright future. The demand for circular low-carbon aluminum could get a further boost in time if the Green Deal and the push for a carbon-neutral economy is put into a legal framework. “Currently it is still relatively non-committal and companies are making a price comparison with primary conventional aluminum.”
No worries about aluminum scrap supply
Sufficient raw material is one of the company’s challenges. With the growing demand for this durable aluminum, many competing companies have also emerged. In addition, aluminum has a long life after production and is released into the market only sparsely. Nevertheless, a steady supply of recycled aluminum is indeed guaranteed, according to Fotij. Also, “Aluminum is the second most abundant raw material in the world after three elements.
In addition to recycled aluminum, E-MAX also processes some of the primary aluminum it purchases. “We purchase about 20,000 tons,” says Fotij. This low-alloy aluminum purchased in also helps reduce alloy-rich recycling streams. “When collecting aluminum, you always have other raw materials such as iron, zinc or copper. If you know that in advance, it’s not a problem because you can adjust your downstream processes accordingly,” he concludes.
