Sloanebuilt embraces LocAl? -Lower Carbon Aluminium

For over 35 years, Sloanebuilt has been a leading manufacturer of custom rigid bodies and truck trailers. This 100% Australian-owned family business prides itself on the design and manufacture of quality heavy vehicle trailers, nationally renowned for their strength, durability and reliability. However, with companies facing increasing pressure to prioritise decarbonisation and sustainability, Sloanebuilt's dedicated leadership team is determined not to have the business rest on its laurels. It is making industry-leading strides toward more sustainable aluminium trailer construction with a switch to LocAl? Lower carbon aluminium from Capral.

Sloanebuilt recognises the significance of sustainable manufacturing in the transport industry and has taken proactive steps to integrate sustainability into its operations. In a major shift, the business has decided to switch 100% of its aluminium purchases to Capral's LocAl?, including extruded and rolled products used extensively in their aluminium trailer builds.

Lightweight, strong and resilient Aluminium has become an increasingly popular material for use within the transport sector. Through its innate ability to achieve payload reductions, Aluminium, in particular, offers great potential for reducing carbon emissions by replacing traditional steel and cast-iron components with lightweight Aluminium. The weight of a vehicle's body and chassis can be reduced by up to 50%. This reduction directly translates into lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

Whilst its versatility makes it a popular choice for trailer manufacturers nationwide. It is essential to understand that Aluminium itself can be energy-intensive to produce, with significant variations in the carbon emissions generated by smelters during the production of primary Aluminium - one might argue that some aluminium is considerably more sustainable than others.

The main contribution to the carbon emissions of Aluminium comes from the electrolysis process used in aluminium smelting. Around 60% of the aluminium sector's GHG emissions are from the production of electricity consumed during the aluminium smelting process.

The carbon emissions in primary aluminium production range from under 4kg CO2e/kg Al to over 20kg CO2e/kg Al, largely dependent upon the energy sources used. The current global average carbon emission for primary Aluminium is approximately 13.9 kg CO2e/kg Al.*

In October 2022, Capral introduced LocAl?, a lower-carbon aluminium option available across locally extruded aluminium products. At eight kilograms of carbon emissions per kilogram of Aluminium, the LocAl? Green offer has substantially lower carbon emissions than the current global average for primary Aluminium. The offer was expanded to include rolled products in November 2023 with Capral LocAl? aluminium plate now available. With a comprehensive lower carbon aluminium offer now open to Sloanebuilt, the business did not hesitate to make the industry-leading move to switch all its aluminium purchases to this cleaner, greener option.

"Sloanebuilt's commitment to supporting the Australian economy and using locally sourced materials is part of their ethos. I'm not surprised they are the first trailer manufacturer in Australia to switch to locally supplied lower carbon aluminium for their builds, making them a clear industry leader in this space"?comments Mark Murray Capral Industrial Solutions State Manager NSW

By choosing Capral's LocAl? Green lower carbon aluminium, Sloanebuilt is demonstrating its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint while maintaining the high-quality builds they are known for. This strategic move will allow Sloanebuilt to meet the increasing demand for sustainable transport options and set an example for the industry.

"We view this as an exciting and important move for Sloanebuilt"?Comments Sloanebuilt's Managing Director, Fred Marano.?"Sloanebuilt trailers are used by some of the largest transport fleets in Australia, servicing some of the largest businesses in Australia across a wide range of industry sectors. As more and more businesses prioritise decarbonisation, the ability to offer a lower carbon option for trailer builds is becoming increasingly important,"?he adds.?"This is a simple change Sloanebuilt can make that has a huge impact on the total carbon emissions associated with our builds without compromising the quality, durability or performance of our trailers."

Part of the Sloanebuilt quality commitment is that suppliers of materials and components used in Sloanebuilt trailers must pass stringent performance criteria; durability, reliability and, increasingly, sustainability are critical factors in the team's material selections.

Earlier this year, Capral became the first Australian aluminium extruder to achieve Aluminium Stewardship Initiative Performance and Chain of Custody certifications for the extrusion, warehousing and distribution of aluminium products and services. The certifications apply to all of Capral's 26 facilities, composed of mills, distribution centres and aluminium centres, spread across every state and territory in Australia. These certifications recognise Capral's commitment to responsible production, sourcing, and management of aluminium products.

"It was great to see Capral achieve their ASI certifications"?added Fred.?"This ticks a box for Sloanebuilt, giving us added assurance about the responsible sourcing of our aluminium".?

?Sloanebuilt's dedication to sustainability goes beyond just their choice of materials. They have implemented various sustainable manufacturing practices, including energy-efficient processes, waste reduction initiatives, and responsible sourcing. By integrating sustainability into every aspect of their business, Sloanebuilt is setting a new standard for the industry and leading the way in environmentally conscious manufacturing within the Australian heavy-vehicle transport sector.

For more information about LocAl?, visit lowcarbonaluminium.com.au

* CO2e emissions stated are ex-smelter based on kilograms emitted per kilogram of aluminium produced – Aluminium Smelting and Casting