Africa-Press – South-Africa. Pietermaritzburg-based aluminium company Hulamin – which counts Tesla as one of its customers – says it has made “significant inroads” as a supplier to the fast-growing electric vehicle market.
According to Counterpoint Technology Market Research, 10.2 million passenger electric vehicles were sold globally in 2022, led by China, the US and Germany. The research group expects sales to reach nearly 17 million units in 2023, thanks in part to new subsidies in the US and an expected decline in lithium prices.
Hulamin said in its annual report it has been supplying sheet material for “quiet aluminum” applications – which refers to aluminium used to reduce the weight of electric vehicles while also making them quieter.
Among other customers, the company has been supplying this product to “a major North American luxury electric vehicle”. It did not provide further details.
“The global demand for aluminium products should remain supportive in the 2023 financial year, as low-carbon transition spurs the interest in using aluminium in lithium-ion batteries, the body of electric vehicles and in aluminium cans which are a greener, recyclable alternative to plastic,” chairperson Thabo Leeuw said in the report.
Due to strong demand, European customers are paying a premium for aluminium products in some instances, and Leeuw said demand for cans would continue to increase due to a shift away from plastic and glass packaging.
“On the domestic front, we continue to engage the government to further promote the growth of the aluminium industry in South Africa and development opportunities in the high-end automotive sector,” Leeuw said.
But Leeuw said the South African government’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, which prioritises manufacturing among other interventions, had been progressing too slowly.
“This is unfortunate since a thriving manufacturing industry – anchored by those manufacturers who require raw aluminium materials for their fabrication processes – has the potential for further growing the aluminium industry in South Africa whilst concurrently growing the employment.”
To contend with rolling blackouts, Hulamin has focused on reducing electricity usage through energy efficiency projects, and is considering sourcing power from renewable energy providers.
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