Carbon News | Carbon Emissions Reduced by 95%; Exports of Recycled Aluminum Products Surge 160%

Global Zero Carbon The 'New Youth' of Carbon Neutrality 01 Carbon Emissions Reduced by 95%; Exports of Recycled Aluminum Products Surge 160% According to CCTV News on October 9, recycled aluminum—as a key alternative raw material to primary aluminum—has seen continuously rising market热度 this year. In Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, the recycled aluminum market is experiencing tight supply, with high-quality scrap aluminum in extremely short supply. Purchasers are stationed on-site to secure inventory: “High-grade scrap aluminum is critically scarce; as soon as quality material arrives, we buy it all—otherwise, production halts due to material shortages.” Exports of recycled aluminum products are growing rapidly, with their low-carbon advantage opening up overseas markets. Data show that producing one ton of primary aluminum generates approximately 16 tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions, whereas producing one ton of recycled aluminum emits only about 0.5 tons of CO₂-equivalent—representing a roughly 95% reduction in carbon emissions versus primary aluminum. From January to August 2026, China’s cumulative exports of unwrought aluminum and aluminum products reached 4.665 million tons, up 16.8% year-on-year; among them, unwrought aluminum alloys—primarily recycled aluminum ingots—reached 342,000 tons, an increase of nearly 85% year-on-year. In June alone, exports surged 160.6% year-on-year—the highest level in recent years. (Source: CCTV News) 02 Major Chilean Copper Mine Strike Adds Uncertainty to Global Copper Supply A major copper mine in Chile has halted operations, adding further uncertainty to an already highly strained global copper supply. LME copper prices remain near historic highs, and market concerns over supply deficits continue to intensify. According to media reports dated October 7 local time, after government-led mediation failed to reach an agreement, two unions—Minera Esperanza and Distrito Centinela—at Chile’s Centinela copper mine commenced a strike at 8 a.m. that day. Natalia Corfield, Head of Latin American Corporate Credit Research at JPMorgan Chase, noted in her report that this is the mine’s first-ever strike. The Centinela copper mine is operated by Minera Centinela S.A., 70% owned by Antofagasta PLC—a London-listed Chilean copper mining company. Centinela is one of Antofagasta’s highest-producing copper mines. Media reports indicate the two unions warned that if the strike continues, Centinela could begin cutting output in approximately two weeks. (Source: Caixin Financial News) 03 Brazil Sues Shell Subsidiary for Over $100 Million in Flood Damage On October 9, Brazilian prosecutors filed a lawsuit against Shell’s Brazilian subsidiary, demanding $108 million in compensation for losses linked to severe flooding in southern Brazil in 2024. The suit alleges Shell bears responsibility for climate-related damages caused by its greenhouse gas emissions. At the end of April 2024, torrential rains struck Rio Grande do Sul—the country’s agricultural heartland—triggering catastrophic flooding. By June of the same year, the disaster had claimed nearly 200 lives and displaced 500,000 people, inflicting massive economic losses. Prosecutors argue that Shell has long emitted greenhouse gases through fossil fuel exploration, production, and sales—and that its historical emissions account for approximately 2% of total global historical emissions. Accordingly, the company should bear corresponding environmental and climate responsibilities for its contribution to global warming.

Bowell Alloy’s New ‘Aluminum-for-Copper’ Solution Addresses Cost Reduction and Emission Reduction Challenges in New Energy Vehicles

Theoretically, replacing copper with aluminum in wiring harnesses can reduce weight by over 50% and cut costs by over 40%—with even more pronounced benefits for low-voltage wiring harnesses. Historically, during low-voltage automotive wiring harness manufacturing, 1-series and 6-series aluminum alloys have been used to replace copper—but this substitution has struggled to simultaneously resolve several critical issues: First, galvanic corrosion arises between aluminum wires and copper connectors due to differences in electrode potential. Unlike rusting, aluminum corrosion manifests as material loss—severely compromising vehicle service life and posing serious safety risks to drivers and passengers. Second, aluminum is prone to creep (plastic deformation) under prolonged mechanical stress, causing harness connections to loosen and contact resistance to rise—potentially triggering electrical failures. Earlier this year, a domestic automaker reported two incidents linked to connector failures, possibly attributable to aluminum’s galvanic corrosion or creep. Third, prior material substitutions complicated quality traceability, making it difficult to identify which batches or materials were defective. Even when problems were identified, adjusting production lines took considerable time—directly impacting equipment utilization rates and supply stability. Fourth, new energy vehicles feature hundreds of current-carrying circuits; a single composite material may struggle to match diverse connector types, presenting significant challenges for vehicle design and manufacturing. Some domestic enterprises have applied nanocoatings to mitigate aluminum wire galvanic corrosion—but none have comprehensively resolved all pain points associated with aluminum-for-copper substitution in wiring harnesses. To fundamentally address creep and galvanic corrosion in low-voltage current-carrying wiring harnesses—and thereby achieve healthy cost reduction, carbon reduction, and lightweighting—the breakthrough must come from materials innovation. After years of formula optimization and process innovation, Bowell Alloy has developed an aluminum-for-copper composite material that retains copper’s excellent electrical conductivity while reducing material density to achieve lightweighting. Moreover, Bowell Alloy’s closed-loop application of copper–aluminum composite terminals effectively eliminates galvanic corrosion between dissimilar metals, resolving compatibility issues inherent in copper-to-aluminum substitution at their root. Bowell Alloy’s aluminum-for-copper material achieves creep resistance comparable to pure copper—breaking a longstanding engineering bottleneck hindering lightweight upgrades in automotive wiring harnesses. It represents a healthier, more viable solution for aluminum-for-copper substitution! In developed countries, aluminum-for-copper substitution has already been implemented across body wiring harnesses and battery management systems in low-voltage systems (aluminum substitution rates: ~70% in Japan and South Korea; ~50% in the U.S.). In China, however, aluminum-for-copper adoption in low-voltage wiring harnesses remains in the early market-introduction phase, with low penetration. (China Passenger Car Association) China’s auto wholesale volume reached 13.27 million units in the first half of the year—suggesting an estimated full-year figure of 28.5 million units. Assuming equal shares of new energy and conventional vehicles (i.e., 14.25 million each), From 2019 to 2023, China’s total automotive wiring harness market grew from ¥63.48 billion to ¥107.03 billion. CITIC Securities forecasts that by 2030, the market sizes for standard low-voltage, high-voltage, and high-speed wiring harnesses will reach ¥267 billion, ¥99.8 billion, and ¥81.6 billion, respectively. Assuming 30% of domestically manufactured vehicles adopt the aluminum-for-copper solution—and assuming average wiring harness cost reductions of 30% for both conventional and new energy vehicles—the cost savings for Chinese automakers this year would amount to: (14.25 × 3,000 × 30% + 14.25 × 4,000 × 30%) × 30% = ¥15 billion. As new energy vehicle penetration rises, the aluminum-for-copper solution for low-voltage wiring harnesses is projected to unlock a replacement market opportunity valued between ¥36 billion and ¥48 billion.

Low-Carbon Copper and Aluminium Products

15 hours ago

Commodity Pricing and Analysis Ltd published premiums for sustainable copper and aluminium, while major producers like Alcoa and Rio Tinto showcased low-CO2 products utilizing renewable energy and recycling technologies.

reuters

2026-10-19

Low-Carbon Copper and Aluminium Products

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