The UK Government has announced a £50 million investment to strengthen domestic critical minerals supply chains, reinforcing the country’s industrial resilience and reducing reliance on imported raw materials. The funding, introduced under the Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy, will support projects across extraction, processing, recycling and supply chain development to secure materials essential for advanced manufacturing, defence, clean energy technologies and future economic growth.

The announcement has been welcomed by the Aluminium Federation (ALFED), which described the investment as further recognition of aluminium’s strategic importance to the UK economy. In 2024, aluminium was formally designated as both a Critical Mineral and a Growth Mineral under the Government’s Vision 2035 framework following years of engagement between ALFED, government departments and industry stakeholders.

The federation has consistently highlighted aluminium’s importance to manufacturing competitiveness, national resilience and supply chain security. The latest funding package also places greater emphasis on strengthening domestic processing capabilities, expanding recycling infrastructure and improving long-term supply chain resilience.

ALFED believes future critical minerals policy must extend beyond primary extraction to include recycling, remelting and secondary material processing as core elements of the UK’s resource strategy. Aluminium can be recycled indefinitely without loss of quality while requiring only around 5% of the energy needed to produce primary metal, making it a key material for circular manufacturing.

As the Government advances the next phase of its Critical Minerals and Industrial Strategies, ALFED is calling for increased investment in recycling, sorting and advanced processing facilities, stronger policy alignment across trade and manufacturing, and continued support for innovation throughout the aluminium value chain to strengthen domestic production and retain greater economic value within the UK.