Business News Shropshire

Shropshire aluminium mill signs transatlantic battery deal

BAL Lotte – from left: Michelle Elliott and Eunseong Chang (both Lotte Aluminium Materials USA) with Gerhard Trilling and Adrian Musgrave (both Bridgnorth Aluminium). Handout image.

Bridgnorth Aluminium agrees five-year contract with US materials giant to supply next-generation electric vehicle batteries

Shropshire’s Bridgnorth Aluminium (BAL) has signed a landmark five-year deal with Lotte Aluminium Materials USA to supply battery-grade aluminium to one of the world’s leading advanced materials companies.

The agreement, signed at Lotte’s site in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, marks a significant milestone for BAL, the UK’s last remaining aluminium rolling mill, which employs 368 people at its Bridgnorth production facility.

The deal is the culmination of extensive joint development work and qualification activities between the two firms, establishing a strong foundation to support the evolving battery supply chain across North America.

Growing role in the green economy

Adrian Musgrave, Head of Sales at BAL, said: “The transition to electrified transportation and energy storage presents one of the most significant industrial opportunities of our generation, and our technical expertise, agility and green production methods are at the forefront of this transition.”

Mr Musgrave added that battery foil plays a critical role in battery performance, making secure, high-quality supply partnerships increasingly important to manufacturers serving the electric vehicle and energy storage sectors.

The deal follows a successful 18 months for BAL, which has returned to 24/7 production, created new jobs, and invested more than £2m in cast house technology and a dedicated slitting line.

Backed by the Viohalco Group, the company now serves customers across printing, packaging, construction, energy and electrification.

Dave Pettifer

Columnist
Dave is a former Royal Marines Commando who served on three tours in Afghanistan. He now works as a telecoms and security specialist.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *