MBS Architectural, a business committed to innovation and sustainability within the built environment, has transitioned to Capral Aluminium’s LocAl Green lower carbon aluminium for their Apollo concealed clip aluminium batten system. This industry-leading move offers architects, designers, builders and developers a cleaner, greener, lower carbon aluminium batten solution for their projects.
The Apollo concealed clip aluminium batten system is a modular, highly customisable batten system that can be adapted to suit various project-specific requirements. The innovative system is suitable for wall and ceiling applications, delivering flexible design options to achieve stunning linear features that can add depth and texture to interior spaces.
"The Apollo aluminium batten range comprises eight profile shapes extruded by Capral; across the range, we supply more than 80 tonnes of aluminium into Australian construction projects annually," says MBS Architectural General Manager Daniel Wearne.
It is estimated that the embodied carbon emissions of materials used in Australian construction are 30 to 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per year (for domestic production), approximately five to ten per cent of national greenhouse gas emissions. These numbers are hard to ignore. As architects, building designers, developers, and industry become increasingly aware of the embodied carbon issue, demand for lower carbon building products will continue to rise.
In November 2022, Capral Aluminium introduced LocAl, a lower carbon primary aluminium option, across its locally extruded products. The LocAl offer includes two lower carbon aluminium options: LocAl Green with carbon emissions of 8kg CO2e/kg Al* and LocAl Super Green at 4kg CO2e/kg Al* - amongst the lowest carbon aluminium available globally.
MBS quickly transitioned 100% of their purchases of Apollo aluminium battens to LocAl Green while offering LocAl Super Green to meet specific project requirements, aligning with their commitment to excellence in the built environment.
"We believe in the power of innovation to shape a sustainable future. By reducing the embodied carbon content in our extruded aluminium battens, we are forging a path towards greater efficiency and excellence in our industry and cultivating a greener built environment," says Wearne.
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 during the aluminium smelting process. The current global average carbon emission for primary aluminium is approximately 16.8 kg CO2e/kg Al.*
Capral's introduction of LocAl comes from a significant change in how the business procures primary aluminium. Carbon emissions and sustainability practices are now a big part of the conversation for Capral's aluminium billet contracts as it seeks to source more sustainable aluminium for the Australian market. Capral sources all aluminium it supplies under the LocAl banner from Aluminium Smelters certified under the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Performance and Chain of Custody Standards. Capral holds ASI certification, demonstrating its commitment to responsible production, sourcing, and management of aluminium products.
Luke Hawkins, General Manager of Supply & Industrial Solutions at Capral, comments: "This year, approximately 30% of the primary aluminium billet Capral uses in its eight local extrusion presses have a carbon content lower than eight kilograms CO2e per kilogram of aluminium. This is a strategic change for Capral, driven by our desire to make lower carbon aluminium accessible to Australian manufacturers like MBS. The market is looking for this product, and as Australia's largest extruder of aluminium, we must make it available."
Blake Proud, Head of the Architecture & Design Division at MBS, notes that Capral's introduction of LocAl came at the right time for MBS who were looking for options to improve the sustainability of their product. "We're innovators, which means we're always on the lookout for new materials, sustainable technologies and concepts. Capral's LocAl Aluminium extrusions allow us to continue to offer smarter solutions for Australia's leading architects,” says Proud.
And the solution is indeed smart; at eight kilograms of carbon emissions per kilogram of aluminium, the LocAl Green offer, which MBS now supplies as standard on the Apollo concealed clip aluminium batten system, has 50% lower carbon emissions than the current global average for primary aluminium; yet all other properties and characteristics of the aluminium remain the same.
"The strength, durability and high-quality finish architects expect from our Apollo aluminium batten range remain. There is no need to learn how to use, specify or install a new system by choosing the Apollo aluminium batten system from MBS; architects are instantly making a more sustainable choice for their project," adds Proud.
By switching to Capral's LocAl Green lower carbon aluminium, MBS Architectural is making a conscious effort to minimise the carbon footprint of their projects and respond to industry expectations for improved sustainability credentials of architectural products.
"This move by MBS positions them among industry leaders actively prioritising sustainability for the Australian built environment. This single change in how they procure their aluminium will reduce the carbon emissions associated with their products by 560 tonnes per annum. Adds Alf Ongarato, Account Manager at Capral, "It makes me very proud to work with a business-like MBS, which is prioritising sustainability."
With MBS Architectural's choice to move their Apollo concealed aluminium batten system to Capral's LocAl Green lower carbon aluminium, architects now have access to a sustainable, high-quality material that not only enhances the aesthetics of their designs but also reduces the environmental impact of their projects.
*These figures are based on Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions ex smelter.
