- The ASI management team led by Fiona Solomon, Chief Executive Officer of ASI, has visited Aludium’s Amorebieta plant during their stopover in Spain, to gain an in-depth knowledge of sustainability and innovation in the company’s aluminium value chain.
- In 2022 the Amorebieta and Alicante plants obtained for the first time the ASI Chain of Custody (CoC) standard, certifications that join the ASI Performance Standard (PS) that the three Aludium sites already have. At present, the Castelsarrasin plant has completed the audit for CoC and is on track to obtain the certificate in due course.
1 June 2023. Last 31 May Fiona Solomon, CEO of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), and her management team visited Aludium’s Amorebieta plant. The meeting has taken place at a key moment due to Aludium’s consolidation of its sustainable performance. In 2022 the Amorebieta and Alicante plants obtained for the first time the ASI Chain of Custody (CoC) standard, certifications that join the ASI Performance Standard (PS) that the company’s three sites already have. Furthermore, at the moment of writing, the Castelsarrasin plant, located in France, has completed the CoC audit and is on track to obtain formal certification within the next months.
During the visit, the Management and Experts of Aludium and ASI discussed and exchanged views about the aluminium value chain’s present and future in the light of sustainable development. Following the meeting and visiting the plant, Fiona Solomon declared: “The tour provided us with a solid understanding of the processes involved in rolled aluminium production and the aspects of quality and safety that are integrated throughout the facility. The tour has given us valuable insights into the capabilities of the plant and how the policies and processes align with ASI’s goals and certification criteria”. “We were pleased to learn that Aludium has a range of lower-carbon products at levels that are in line with the ASI Performance Standard criteria, and that the company has made transparency of its emissions data a priority. We also appreciated hearing about the company’s setting of targets to reduce average carbon footprint per ton by 50% by 2025, alongside investments in recycling capacity and efficiency, and plans to increase renewable electricity consumption to 100%,” Solomon added.
On the occasion, Lionel Chapis, Aludium’s CEO, expressed his enthusiasm following the very productive encounter. “We are happy to receive ASI at our plant in Amorebieta. We think it’s important that certification bodies continuously keep contact with the ‘Real Life’. Over the last years we have spent many hours for ASI related aspects and it’s good to see the persons behind this and to have the opportunity for a direct exchange and feedback,” Chapis asserted.
In line with the above, visiting Aludium offers “a learning opportunity for the ASI Secretariat members that don’t necessarily have an industrial production background to learn about the production processes and techniques used along the aluminium value chain,” highlights Fiona Solomon. “Discussions with ASI members on site also provide the opportunity for exchange on implementation of ASI’s Standards, and for members to be able to articulate their progress and challenges. As we collectively work to foster responsible production, sourcing, and stewardship of aluminium, we hope that hosting the ASI visit enables Aludium to enhance connections with our team and to share their story of change and evolution more broadly,” she concluded.
Sustainable leadership in the value chain
Obtaining the ASI Chain of Custody (CoC) certification, the most important standard in terms of sustainability throughout the entire aluminium value chain, makes it possible for the company to adopt a much more transversal approach, aligned with sustainability, since it defines the requirements for materials to flow along the value chain, from recycling to the final product, in order to ensure sustainable production. “The PS and the CoC certification help us to have a more structural approach of many sustainability related aspects. This also covers a better understanding of the relevant KPI and the corresponding targets,” revealed the head of Aludium. “Even though sustainability is a fundamental part of Aludium’s strategy, ASI provides a clear structure and the certification a good visibility in the marketplace. Being an ASI member and becoming certified for PS and CoC is a clear commitment towards our stakeholders that we take the sustainable development of the company, the processes and the product offering very serious,” Chapis added.
In addition to the ASI certifications, Aludium’s good governance is based on other seals of quality that guarantee its commitment to excellence such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 18001, IATF 16949 and ISO 50001, among others. Other key factors in the company’s environmental sustainability such as the Life Cycle Analysis, a formal assessment of the Biodiversity and the Mass Balance System were the subject of special focus when audits were carried out. The voluntary adoption of these certifications, together with the actions carried out in recent years and intensified in 2022 in terms of sustainability, demonstrate Aludium’s social, environmental, and ethical commitment and responsible leadership. Within these actions we can highlight the publication of clear and quantified sustainability goals for 2025, structured around the two hubs of the company’s sustainability framework: ‘Climate Transition’ and ‘People and Community’. These include fields such as gender equality, measuring Aludium’s total carbon footprint and developing a new, externally certified, low-carbon aluminium brand called ‘Aludium Eco’.
————–
About Aludium With more than 60 years of industrial experience, ALUDIUM is a leading manufacturer of aluminum flat- rolled products in Europe. The company employs approximately 1,000 employees, offers to the market a diverse portfolio of high-quality aluminum sheets and coils. ALUDIUM’s products are distributed to clients worldwide, in architecture, energy, insulation, equipment, packaging and transportation sectors. Aludium develops innovative products and production processes through its Cindal R&D center.
