Critical Metals
Dependency· Critical Metals · Link

Airbus, Toulouse, Occitania

Toulouse, France43.63°N 1.37°E
computed criticality49/100
reading
final assembly; Russian titanium dependence cut to ≈20%
2024
Fault line

The European assembler concentrates downstream the fragilities of titanium (residual Russian dependence ≈20%), of niobium superalloys and of Chinese aluminium-magnesium. Requalifying alternative forgings takes years, so much so that no European sanction has ever directly targeted VSMPO. The record A320neo build rates amplify every upstream strain.

Actors
Airbus (Toulouse)
Safran (Paris)
Depends on 7
Aluminium smelting, Binzhou, ShandongCritical Metals · Critical anchorVSMPO-AVISMA, Verkhnyaya Salda, UralsCritical Metals · LinkCBMM, Araxá, Minas GeraisCritical Metals · Critical anchorFramatome zirconium-hafnium, Jarrie, IsèreCritical Metals · Critical anchorCarbon fibre, Toray (Japan)Chemicals & Materials · Critical anchorLynred, Veurey-VoroizeCompute · Critical anchorAubert & Duval, Les Ancizes siteChemicals & Materials · Critical anchor
Shocks endured
Power rationing: Chinese magnesium collapsesSep 20, 2021
Sources