1. Market explosion: New energy track drives surge in demand for aluminum bars
The global carbon neutrality goal accelerates the expansion of the new energy industry. As a lightweight, highly thermally conductive "green metal", the demand for aluminum bars in the fields of new energy vehicles, photovoltaics and energy storage is growing exponentially. According to the CRU report, the global new energy aluminum bar market will exceed US$48 billion in 2024, with a year-on-year growth rate of 34%.
New energy vehicles: Tesla, BYD and other automakers are accelerating the use of integrated die-cast aluminum bodies and battery trays, and the use of aluminum bars per vehicle has increased to 150-200 kilograms, driving the global demand for automotive aluminum bars to increase by 26% annually.
Photovoltaic brackets: China and the European Union have seen a surge in photovoltaic installed capacity. In 2024, the global demand for photovoltaic aluminum profiles is expected to exceed 8 million tons, of which the Southeast Asian market accounts for more than 30%.
Energy storage system: CATL, LG New Energy and other companies have deployed liquid-cooled energy storage cabinets, and the demand for matching aluminum radiators has surged, driving the purchase of high-strength and corrosion-resistant aluminum bars by 40%.
2. Technological innovation: low-carbon certification and process upgrade become core barriers
The new energy industry has increasingly stringent performance standards and carbon footprint requirements for aluminum bars, forcing the industry chain to upgrade its technology:
Low-carbon process: The EU carbon tariff (CBAM) requires imported aluminum bars to disclose carbon emissions throughout their life cycle. Chinese companies are accelerating the layout of hydropower aluminum (such as Yunnan Hongtai) and recycled aluminum smelting (such as Lizhong Group), reducing carbon emission intensity by more than 50%;
High-pressure casting breakthrough: The vacuum die-casting aluminum bars developed by Guangdong Hongtu have been used in NIO ET5 battery trays, with a yield rate of 98% and a cost reduction of 12%;
Surface treatment technology: Japan's UACJ launched corrosion-resistant anodized aluminum bars, extending the service life of photovoltaic brackets to 25 years, with a premium space of 8%-15%.
3. Global competition and cooperation: supply chain reconstruction and regional layout
The new energy aluminum bar market presents a competitive landscape of "Europe and the United States set standards, China controls production capacity, and Southeast Asia grabs resources":
Europe and the United States dominate certification: Alcoa, BMW and Siemens jointly develop a zero-carbon aluminum bar certification system, and companies that fail to meet the standards will lose European orders;
China's capacity output: Nanshan Aluminum and China Zhongwang have invested in building a new energy aluminum bar industrial park in Indonesia, directly connecting with Southeast Asian photovoltaic and electric vehicle factories;
Resource competition: Guinea's bauxite exports have surged, and Chinese companies have taken up 60% of the world's bauxite shipping volume, locking in the pricing power of raw materials.
Future trend: Green aluminum industry chain accelerates integration
By 2030, the global new energy aluminum bar market will exceed US$120 billion, and companies with low-carbon production capacity and high-end customization capabilities will dominate the market
