Did you know that Canada is a global leader in aluminum production? Aluminum is used in a full spectrum of applications including in many day-to-day consumer products. The lightweight metal is a crucial component in vehicles, planes, appliances, cans, kitchen utensils, smartphones, computers, beer kegs and window frames to name just a few examples.
Canada is currently the fourth-largest producer of primary aluminum (produced from mined ore) in the world. In 2020, approximately 28,800 Canadian jobs were directly or indirectly supported by the aluminum mining sector in Canada, with Canadian exports totalling $11.3 billion that same year.
Learn more about Canadian aluminum mining below, and be sure to check out more great facts on other minerals and metals as well!
12 Canadian Aluminum Mining Facts
#1 - Canada produced approximately 3.12 million tonnes of primary aluminum in 2020. (Natural Resources Canada - NRC)
#2 - Canada exported $7.3 billion of primary aluminum in 2020, 83% of which was sent to the United States. (Aluminum Association of Canada - AAC)
#3 - As of 2020, the aluminum sector supported about 28,800 direct and indirect jobs across Canada. (AAC)
#4 - Aluminum represented 2% of the value of Canada's total merchandise exports in 2020. (AAC)
#5 - Canada was the world's fourth-largest primary aluminum producer following China (1), India (2), and Russia (3) as of 2020. (NRC)
#6 - By utilizing hydroelectricity and other technologies, Canadian aluminum producers have one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world compared to other large producers, with a world-leading average of 2 tons of CO2 equivalent per megatonne of production. (NRC, AAC)
#7 - As of 2020, Canadian aluminum miners had 10 active smelters: one in Kitimat, BC, and the other nine in Quebec. (NRC)
#8 - The Canadian aluminum industry directly employs more than 7,700 people in Quebec. (AAC)
#9 - Canada's aluminum industry brought $3.6 billion in local spending to Quebec in 2020. (AAC)
#10 - Canadian aluminum mining saw more than 17,000 jobs in Quebec in the processing industry and over 4,000 jobs in the equipment supply sector. (AAC)
#11 - Quebec is home to approximately 2,500 suppliers and 1,400 aluminum manufacturers. (AAC)
#12 – Aluminum accounted for 8% of Quebec's manufacturing merchandise exports in 2020 (AAC)
Where Is Aluminum Found in Canada?
Aluminum Mining in Canada - Natural Resources Canada
Canada's aluminum smelters are mainly found in Quebec, with 10 out of 11 located within the province. The largest aluminum smelter in Canada is also in Quebec; the Alouette facility in Sept-Îles produces roughly 623,000 tonnes annually.
Kitimat, British Columbia is also home to an aluminum smelter. With a total contribution of over $842 million to the British Columbia economy, Rio Tinto's BC Works facility was one of the largest contributors to the province's manufacturing GDP in 2019.
What Is Aluminum Used For?
Aluminum is known for being lightweight and durable, making it an ideal material to manufacture countless products. It is used in several everyday and industrial applications, including (but not limited to):
- Motor vehicles
- Kitchenware
- Power lines
- Medicine and food packaging
- Furniture
- Aircraft
- Power lines
- Spacecraft
- Trains
- Consumer electronics
- Ships
- High-rise buildings
- Household and industrial appliances
According to NRC, the most prominent uses of aluminum globally in 2020 were:
- Construction: 25%
- Automotive and transportation: 23%
- Foil and packaging: 17%
- Electrical engineering and electronics: 12%
- Machinery and equipment: 11%
- Consumer goods: 6%
- Other applications: 6%
Aluminum mining in Canada and elsewhere around the globe is also here to stay. Projections show global aluminum demand may increase by nearly 40% between 2020 to 2030.
According to a report by International Aluminum, electric vehicle production, renewable energy projects and urbanization within Asia are key growth drivers of demand.
For example, CRU analyst James Wren estimates that EVs use on average 30% more aluminum in production than internal combustion (ICE) vehicles. Additionally, as of 2020, aluminum accounted for more than 85% of most solar panel components.
History of Canadian Aluminum Mining
Canada's aluminum industry began in Quebec, near Shawinigan Falls on the Saint-Maurice River. The Pittsburgh Reduction Company, known today as Alcoa, poured Canada's first ingot of aluminum in October of 1901.
Looking west, in 1951, Alcan started a $500 million project, the most substantial public-private partnership ever in Canada at the time near the Kitimat River. An aluminum smelter in Kitimat began production three years later in 1954.
Over the years, many major aluminum projects have been developed in Quebec. Public and private trust in the sector is evident through upgrades, expansions, and the Québec Aluminium Development Strategy 2015-2025.
Learn a more detailed past at the Aluminum Association of Canada's historical timeline.
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'The basic metal of electrification': Why famed energy analyst Daniel Yergin sees a copper crunch looming https://t.co/n65QJGnf4Y
— Canada Action (@CanadaAction) July 15, 2022