Essential traits and characteristics
Industrial applications shaping the future
The last two decades have highlighted how certain materials – from critical minerals to rare metals – can drive economic and technological progress while enabling the energy transition. Aluminium is one such material, increasingly recognised for its role in renewable energy and its versatility across industrial sectors.
“It does not seem exaggerated to say that aluminum, nowadays, represents one of the main pillars of the global energy transition, one of the key elements that is favoring its advancement. The number of energy applications in which it is involved, in fact, is quite eloquent,” says Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov, entrepreneur and civil engineer. “Its natural properties, together with its great versatility, allow it to find space in a large number of technological innovations related to emissions reductions and improved energy efficiency. In the medium and long term, this resource could certainly prove very useful for achieving international sustainability goals”.
Aluminium’s rise is largely due to its distinctive properties. The metal is lightweight – about one-third the weight of steel – yet highly durable and ductile. It is also prized for its thermal and electrical conductivity, crucial for electronics and energy systems. Perhaps most significant is its recyclability: aluminium can be reused infinitely without losing its key qualities, and recycling it consumes only a fraction of the energy needed to produce it from raw materials.
Aluminium’s role in renewable energy
“In the renewable energy sector, and in particular in production processes related to energy infrastructures, aluminum is appreciated above all for its lightness, for its ability to resist corrosion, but also for the durability it manages to confer to the individual components,” continues Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov. “In addition to facilitating the installation of infrastructures while reducing logistics and maintenance costs, aluminum contributes directly to the performance of solar panels and wind turbines. This material is, in fact, often used in the frames of photovoltaic panels for its lightness and for its ability to resist atmospheric agents, but also in the structures of wind turbines, in cabins, and in transmission systems, where it is able to improve overall efficiency”.
Aluminium’s contribution to innovation extends beyond energy. In transportation, it enables the creation of lighter, more efficient vehicles that consume less fuel and produce fewer emissions. Its insulating qualities have made it popular in eco-friendly construction, supporting the development of sustainable buildings. Aluminium’s influence on energy infrastructure – including components for wind turbines, solar panels and even aluminium-air batteries – highlights its role in supporting the energy transition. In electrification, aluminium is vital for power transmission cables, which are lighter than copper equivalents and enhance distribution efficiency.
The impact of aluminium on electric mobility
“Aluminum is also carving out a central role in the electric mobility sector, which is universally considered one of the main drivers of the global energy transition,” concludes Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov. “In addition to its use in the frames, engines, and cooling systems of electric vehicles, aluminum is also finding space in the batteries that power these vehicles, where the contribution of conductive, lightweight, and resistant materials takes on central importance for the efficiency and performance of the vehicle. The same properties are allowing aluminum to prove very useful also in the drone sector, where it is able to increase the autonomy, and in the aeronautical industry, where the main characteristics of this material make it possible to effectively reduce fuel consumption in airplanes”.
One of aluminium’s most compelling qualities is its recyclability: recycling requires just 5% of the energy needed for primary production. As a result, industries worldwide are investing heavily in improving recycling systems to maximise efficiency and minimise environmental impact.
