Aluminium may sit quietly in the background of modern life, but its production sits right at the centre of some of the most volatile forces in today’s global economy.

For an industry that underpins everything from transport to defence to clean energy, long-term planning becomes increasingly complex when one variable – energy – is so unpredictable.

Our Managing Director, Tom Uppington, has this week been speaking with the BBC Radio 4 ‘Today Programme’ and BBC Radio 5 Live’s ‘Wake Up to Money’ about exactly this: what it takes to produce aluminium in the UK today, and why energy has become the defining factor in whether we can operate competitively.

The reality is straightforward, but challenging; primary aluminium production is highly energy intensive. Electricity is not just a cost line – it is the single most critical input in the process. When power prices are unstable or unaffordable, it directly impacts how much we can responsibly produce.

At present, we are operating at around 70% capacity; not by choice, but by design – because beyond that point we become exposed to market electricity prices that make production uncompetitive. In short, we are forced to balance output against economic reality, not demand.

This creates wider ripple effects across the system:

• Volatility in production feeds volatility in supply
• Supply influences premiums and pricing on Global Exchanges
• And ultimately, it shapes how confidently businesses can plan, invest and grow

Tom’s conversations this week brought that message further into the public domain: British aluminium is not standing still, but it is operating within very real constraints that need to be understood for the security of British manufacturing.

It is no longer an industrial discussion – it is a question of energy, resilience, and national capability.

Listen here:

BBC Radio 5 Live – Wake Up To Money (14 mins in) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002t86b?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

BBC Radio 4 – Today Programme (25 mins in)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002tbk8?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

Read more on the energy challenge shaping UK primary aluminium: https://alvancebritishaluminium.com/news/the-energy-challenge-facing-british-aluminium/