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Beyond aluminium smelting capacity, we propose to incentivise emissions cuts to support wider decarbonisation: Ed Boyd, Mission Possible Partnership
As the European Council seeks political alignment on the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), the debate over how to accelerate aluminium decarbonisation in bringing emissions accounting and demand for low-carbon metal into focus. Against the backdrop of Mission Possible Partnership’s (MPP) open letter, AL Circle speaks with Ed Boyd, MPP’s Global Policy Lead, about the policies needed to support the European aluminium industry’s transition. Boyd argues that effective decarbonisation must account for emissions from alumina refining and track Scope 2 emissions associated with purchased electricity. On mandatory green procurement and lead-market thresholds of at least 50 per cent for aluminium, he says producers are ready to supply low-carbon metal at scale and considers the proposed threshold...
EU-India FTA, CBAM and carbon costs: Can Indian aluminium crack the European market?
A former Deputy Secretary General of the European Parliament and Director of the EPP Group, Paolo Licandro, has extensive experience in European policymaking, international relations, industry, energy and EU affairs. He is currently the Founder and CEO of eEuropa Belgium and Editor of eEuropa.Blog. He has worked with European prime ministers, ministers and EU commissioners and has held senior roles covering EU enlargement, Mediterranean and Middle East relations, and industry, research and energy. A nuclear engineer, he holds a master’s degree from Politecnico di Milano and has worked with ENI, ARS-Pragma and the EU Joint Research Centre. In this interview, Paolo Licandro shares his perspective on EU–India aluminium trade, CBAM and the opportunities for Indian producers in Europe. AL...
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There is real tightness of aluminium in Europe, but it is a supply shock rather than a CBAM-driven deficit
Europe’s aluminium market is navigating a new carbon-cost reality as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) enters its definitive phase. Since 1 January 2026, the policy has brought fresh questions over import costs, domestic versus imported aluminium pricing, low-carbon premiums and changing procurement strategies. In search of these answers, AL Circle has engaged in a candid conversation with Nick Ogilvie, CBAM Lead at CarbonChain, in which he has unpacked how these dynamics are playing out in the market. He explains that while CBAM is designed to close the carbon-cost gap between EU-produced and imported aluminium on direct emissions, its pricing impact remains relatively modest. According to Ogilvie, the current tightness in European aluminium supply is being driven far...
5083 aluminium holds durable growth potential, but real demand will hinge on marine, transport and defence programmes
In an interview with AL Circle, Rafael Suchan, CEO and co-founder of Metycle, a vertically integrated secondary metals company headquartered in Cologne, Germany, has shared his thoughts on the European Union’s aluminium scrap sourcing strategy and the demand trends of scrap grades. According to Rafael, the EU must aim for more scrap sourcing options since the bloc’s tighter non-OECD waste-export rules may lead to scrap material leaving Europe. Regarding aluminium scrap grades in demand, UBC scrap, clean extrusion scrap and segregated sheet are the highest consuming grades. Upon asking about the growth opportunities of 5083 high-magnesium aluminium alloys, he further said the pace will follow actual marine, transport and defence programmes. Before co-founding Metycle, Rafael Suchan served...
“We would not describe Europe as undergoing a uniform deindustrialisation”: Norbert Bürger on Europe’s aluminium industry
Norbert Bürger brings more than 30 years of experience in the global aluminium industry, with a career spanning Austria, Germany, Hungary, Japan and the United States. His expertise covers aluminium rolling and extrusion, plant management, sales, strategy, investments and M&A, with senior roles at AMAG, Pankl and Alcoa. Today, Bürger is a founding partner of Lightmet Consulting, a Vienna-based independent consultancy focused on the aluminium industry. Led by Bürger and Markus Plakolm, Lightmet brings together eight senior partners with technical, operational and commercial expertise across the aluminium value chain. The firm advises aluminium companies on strategy, operational excellence, investment projects, feasibility studies, M&A, recycling, sustainability and digitalisation. In this...
More domestic aluminium, recycling and energy needed to strengthen US supply chain
With 18 years of experience in the aluminium industry, Charles Johnson brings a deep understanding of the policy, trade and sustainability issues shaping the US aluminium value chain. As President and CEO of the Aluminum Association, he represents an industry seeking to strengthen domestic supply while maintaining reliable access to imports. In this interview with AL Circle, Johnson discusses why the US needs an “all-of-the-above” approach, combining greater primary production, expanded recycling, stronger energy infrastructure and targeted trade enforcement, to build a larger, more resilient aluminium supply base for American manufacturing. AL Circle: How serious is the US aluminium supply gap right now, and which parts of the value chain are feeling the pressure most acutely? Charles...
The combination of lightweighting, manufacturability and cost-effectiveness makes the stamped rolled-aluminum approach attractive
How can aluminium make electric trucks lighter without compromising safety? In this recent conversation, Marco Ricci, Global Innovation, Engineering and Operational Excellence Director at Maxion Structural Components, explained how aluminium is being re-engineered to solve one of electric mobility’s toughest challenges: heavy commercial-vehicle battery systems. Developed with Novelis, the Maxion InVolt stamped rolled-aluminium housing is approximately 35 per cent lighter than a comparable extruded-aluminium design while delivering around 11 per cent higher energy density. Ricci also highlighted its potential to improve payload, range and operating efficiency while enabling safer, more serviceable and cost-effective high-volume production. AL Circle: Maxion Structural Components and...
Can Oklahoma reshape US aluminium supply? EGA’s Ziad Fares explains the project
As the US seeks to rebuild its domestic aluminium production capacity, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Century Aluminum are advancing plans for a new primary aluminium smelter in Inola, Oklahoma, targeting more than 750,000 tonnes of annual production. In this exclusive conversation with AL Circle, Ziad Fares, Project Director for Oklahoma Primary Aluminum , discusses the project’s strategic rationale, progress towards a targeted construction start in early 2027, planned smelting technology, power and infrastructure requirements, investment considerations, and its potential impact on US aluminium supply chains. He also addresses environmental safeguards and stakeholder concerns. Fares brings more than 20 years of experience across engineering, strategy, finance, metals and mining, and...
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