Sustainable Metals Manufacturing Opportunities in Indiana

Indiana is home to more than a quarter of the United States’ steelmaking capacity and has more manufacturing jobs per capita than any other state. It also houses one of only five remaining U.S. primary aluminum smelters. These primary metals manufacturing facilities are the basis of many supply chains and are especially critical to the emerging electric vehicle industry.

In this white paper, we analyze the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for Indiana’s steel and aluminum manufacturing industries. Leaders from state and local government, communities, organized labor, and industry must come together to chart a path forward for sustainable metals manufacturing in the state and ensure that Indiana leads the U.S. into the future of sustainable domestic manufacturing. The state can accomplish this by building new manufacturing facilities, expanding access to clean energy, and ensuring a well-trained workforce that is ready to engage with new, advanced manufacturing technology.

Luckily for both the iron-and-steel and aluminum manufacturing industries, clear technological roadmaps have already been established to produce these metals with minimal carbon emissions and pollution. This technological transition, however, will require massive capital expenditures. Investing now provides the opportunity to capture early-adopter incentives, which include billions of dollars in federal funding opportunities as well as fixed private contracts for high-value, low-carbon goods that are still in scarce supply.