Spanish racing driverFernando Alonso has added a one-off Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse to his growing collection of rare cars. Known as chassis 8.100, the car is distinguished by bespoke aluminium bodywork that required more than 20 tonnes of aluminium to produce, along with dedicated CAD programmes developed by Bugatti. Its history is equally distinctive, being produced after an original customer pushed Bugatti to create something it had initially considered too expensive. For Alonso, the automobile fits closely with an approach to luxury he outlined in 2024 about choosing manufacturers that treat individual customers differently rather than simply producing cars in larger numbers. To know the aluminium casting demand forecast in the transportation sector, explore our report "Global...
China Rare Earth Group is in talks to acquire a controlling stake in Shenghe Resources, a move that could bring the Chinese rare earth producer under tighter state control while giving Beijing influence over Shenghe’s overseas holdings, including a stake in US rare earths company MP Materials. Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that discussions between the companies have been underway since earlier this year. One source said China Rare Earth Group is seeking a controlling stake, although neither source knew when the acquisition could be announced or completed. If the deal goes through, China Rare Earth Group would take control of Shenghe’s interests in foreign companies, including its 3 per cent stake in MP Materials. The US rare earths company counts the US Department of...
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Global aluminium wire rod consumption has risen steadily across the world. Aluminium's unique properties make it a key material in the electrical and electronics industries, enabling a wide range of applications. The global wire and cable market, valued at US$ 191.6 billion in 2022, is anticipated to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3 per cent between 2023 and 2032. The global aluminium wire rod market was valued at $22.6 billion in 2023 based on consumption and regional trade flow. It is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 3.7 per cent from 2024 to 2030. The increasing demand from the power, automotive, and aerospace sectors is a substantial factor driving this market. Aluminium wire rod usage is driven mainly by the growth of worldwide electrical transmission and...
Romet's integrated facility for aluminium frame production, painting, and assembly gives it a unique edge in Europe's bicycle manufacturing sector. Five years after launch, the factory operates at full capacity, offering logistical advantages over competitors importing frames from Asia. Despite this, Romet still paints large quantities of Asian-sourced frames due to limited in-house capacity. Image Source: https://romet.uk/ "Our goal is to focus on e-bike frame production and accelerate innovations," says Wiesław Grzyb, the brand's President. Proximity between frame production and assembly lines remains a key competitive advantage. The company sources high-quality aluminium 6061 from two Polish suppliers. Processes like laser cutting, hydroforming, and robotic welding are completed...
Ball Corporation, a company that has made noteworthy strides toward its 2030 sustainability goals with progress in recycling, climate action, and diversity while tackling challenges in resource efficiency and supply chain accountability, has had a positive year (2024) both in terms of financial and operational success. Image Source: https://www.ball.com/ Ball Corporation, a global leader in aluminium packaging, has a strong focus on circular economy, renewable energy, and social impact. The company has outlined measurable progress while maintaining ambitious targets for 2030. Financial results in 2024 (so far) The company reports a strong performance in 2024 with continued growth in the aluminium packaging sector. Ball Corporation (NYSE: BALL) has reported solid financial results for the...
Vedanta Aluminium has once again proved its leadership in sustainable industrial practices by saving 1.3 million Giga Joules (GJ) of energy, aligned with India’s energy conservation goals. This achievement was possible due to a continuous effort towards enhancing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Image Source: Vedanta Aluminium As per the report, Vedanta has achieved a 10.16 per cent reduction in GHG intensity compared to the 2021 baseline, demonstrating a perpetual dedication towards building a cleaner and more sustainable operational framework. The company has also secured 1.3 GW of renewable energy capacity, stepping closer to sustainable practices. The innovative measures taken by Vedanta for sustainability achievements are as follows: · Vedanta has...
The Australian-based company specialising in producing ultra-high purity alumina (HPA), Alpha HPA, has achieved a significant milestone by securing $400 million in debt financing to advance its High Purity Alumina (HPA) First Project in Gladstone, Queensland. The funding, supported by Export Finance Australia (EFA) and the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF), paves the way for Alpha HPA to develop Australia’s first large-scale high-purity alumina processing facility. The financing package includes a $320 million construction loan and an $80 million contingency fund for potential cost overruns. The company announced that both facilities have competitive interest rates and an 11-year repayment term starting from the financial close. Alpha HPA's Managing Director, Rimas...
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has reportedly certified Sanyuan Aluminium Co., Ltd. against the Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard V2 (2022) Certification for its Zouping Xinsanyuan Aluminium Co., Ltd. and Shandong Longkou Sanyuan Aluminium Co., Ltd. facilities. Both facilities have certification for processing aluminium coils and sheets in Shandong Province, China. The facilities collectively produce and supply aluminium tab stock and end stock for the fabrication of ends of beverage and food metal cans, with a combined annual production capacity of about 100,000 tonnes. The facilities have acquired the ASI CoC Standard Certification after conforming to appropriate policies and due diligence processes to identify and address critical issues, such as corruption, human rights abuses,...
METLEN Energy & Metals SA ("METLEN") (ATHX: MYTIL) (formerly MYTILINEOS), a leading global industrial and energy group, announces that a draft listing prospectus in connection with the listing of the shares of a newly UK-established company, METLEN Energy & Metals Limited (“METLEN Limited”), has been filed with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for their review. It is intended that METLEN Limited would become the ultimate parent company of the METLEN group, in line with similar precedents in the Greek market. This is the first step in the regulatory process required for a potential listing on the London Stock Exchange in 2025. The filing with the FCA follows the conclusion of a strategic review by METLEN, announced in April of this year, which considered a potential listing on an...
On December 17, 2024, Chevron, one of the world's leading integrated energy companies with a presence in Australia for over 70 years, Chevron Australia announced that it will supply aluminium producer Alcoa with 130 petajoules of natural gas over a 10-year period starting in 2028. Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation specialising predominantly in oil and gas. According to Chevron Australia's statement, the gas will be sourced from its Gorgon and Wheatstone facilities, which have a combined capacity of 530 terajoules per day, and the North West Shelf Venture, all located in Western Australia. As reported by Reuters, Alcoa confirmed that the gas will power its alumina refineries in Western Australia. In 2020, Alcoa secured gas supply agreements with Chevron,...
The world’s first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) dedicated to aluminium, ‘Aluminium Unveiled: A Comprehensive Journey from History to Sustainability’, is now available for free on FutureLearn . This global initiative, led by European Aluminium, brings together leading academics and industry leaders to provide a comprehensive exploration of one of the world’s most versatile materials. Developed by professors from the University of Padova and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), this five-week course combines academic expertise with real-world insights. It features engaging content, including exercises, 30 articles, 24 video lectures, and 16 interviews with industry experts, offering participants a thorough understanding of aluminium’s history, properties,...
In three months, from September to November, the Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) saw a price swell in the aluminium segment that was unmatched in the long past. It was attributed to a range of factors, from international supply shortages to heightened domestic production capacity in China. However, the third week of December shows a trait of the prices going back towards a range deemed somewhat normal by the traders. Image Source: Iran Alumina Company Primary aluminium ingot pricing As per the SMM listing, the price of A00 primary aluminium ingot has witnessed a descent of RMB 260 per tonne, standing at RMB 19,900 per tonne on December 17. The second week of December, (13th of the month) closed with the aluminium's A00 primary ingot's average pricing listed at RMB 20,320 per tonne, and the...
According to a recent report, ten European Union member states have jointly appealed for stricter sanctions on Russian metals, including aluminium. The demand is led by Poland, who will assume the rotating presidency of the European Union Council from January 2025. Poland joins the Baltic States, Denmark, Ireland, Romania, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Finland. This initiative aims to curtail Russia’s revenue from metal exports since it is a critical source of income after fossil fuels. Poland is playing a prominent role in it as it is expected to prioritise support for Ukraine. Currently, the European Union has sanctions on some specific Russian aluminium products like wire, pipes, and foil, which account for less than 15 per cent of the bloc’s total metal imports. Like the United...
The 2024 (22nd) China Business Leaders Annual Conference, hosted by China Entrepreneur magazine, took place in Beijing. Among the distinguished speakers, Zhang Bo, Chairman and CEO of China Hongqiao Group, delivered the opening keynote speech. In recognition of his leadership and impact, Zhang Bo was named one of the "25 Influential Business Leaders of 2024," an accolade awarded by China Entrepreneur. The four-month selection process considered multiple perspectives and evaluated the business performance and social impact of leaders from top companies across various industries over the past year. The selection criteria spanned a broad spectrum, encompassing business achievements, strategic vision, innovation, and social responsibility. The selection of Zhang Bo is a testament to his...
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the first aluminium smelter in the Middle East and the world's largest smelter ex-China with a production of more than 1.548 million tonnes per annum has achieved several milestones in 2024 and marked many crucial benchmarks for the entire global aluminium industry. From enhancing its Industry 4.0 transformation and entering into strategic partnerships for new ventures to attaining 25 million safe working hours without lost time injury (LTI) and robust profit, Alba has outperformed in all spheres. Image Source: Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) Key milestones achieved In May 2024, Aluminium Bahrain launched a new low-carbon aluminium product line called EternAl with two variants: EternAl-30 and EternAl-15. As the names suggest, they have 30 per cent and 15 per cent...
The World Bank identified aluminium as the 'high-impact, cross-cutting metal'. As a result, today's world intensely competes over securing bauxite ore, the raw material used to produce aluminium. "I read... that every clay bank was a mine of aluminium and that the metal was as costly as silver. I soon after began to think of processes for making aluminium cheaply," said Charles Martin Hall, an American inventor, businessman, and chemist. He is best known for his invention in 1886 of an inexpensive method for producing aluminium. This process was also discovered at nearly the same time by the Frenchman Paul Héroult, and it has come to be known as the Hall–Héroult process. Henceforth, the demand for non-ferrous metal, which was once even pricier than gold, has seen continual growth. Guinea...
As a global mineral and agricultural equipment manufacturer, McLanahan's recent collaboration with a leading mining company has become a key driver behind the expansion of a bauxite project in Queensland. This collaboration has been instrumental in enhancing production performance at a major mining operation in Queensland, increasing its bauxite project capacity to an impressive level. McLanahan's innovative solutions, including the wobbler feeder and cross-belt sampling system, are at the heart of this success. They are engineered to efficiently and precisely tackle the specific challenges of bauxite processing. Peter Bone, Regional Manager of Wet Processing at McLanahan, said, “McLanahan worked collaboratively with the mining company and its engineering partner to investigate solutions...
Owing to the continual growth in Thailand's premium beer segment, the country's second-largest brewer, Chang, has strengthened its market position as it launches its unpasteurised beer in an innovative screw-top aluminium bottle. Image Source: https://x.com/jitTang5/ (Credit: สาธุ ทานตะวันของคุณชา) This launch, the result of a strategic collaboration with Thai Beverage Can Co. Ltd., marks the debut of Thailand's first-ever screw-top aluminium bottle in the beverage industry. The innovative packaging offers advantages like reusability, contents' temperature stability as compared to conventional cans, and a 100 per cent recyclablility. Speaking at a recent press conference, Songwit Sritham, ThaiBev's first vice president and chief of its beer business, emphasised that this grab-and-go...
The Madhya Pradesh State Government in India has allocated land to multiple companies to transform the state into a manufacturing hub, particularly for solar aluminium frames, PV modules, cells, ingots, wafers, etc. Numerous proposals have been received from manufacturers of solar PV modules, cells, and other solar panel components to establish production facilities in the state. Image Source: www.flickr.com (Credit- Jeffrey Pohlmann) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav recently distributed land allotment letters for various solar manufacturing projects in the Mohasa-Babai industrial area of the Narmadapuram district. Among the beneficiaries, Ahmedabad-based Grew Energy received 60 acres to develop a PV cell and module facility, with a proposed investment of INR 2,540 crore (USD 305...
Iran's major state-owned holding company, IMIDRO, which is active in the mining sector, reported that the country's four aluminium smelters produced 400,425 tonnes of aluminium ingots during the first eight months of the Iranian calendar year starting March 20, 2024. This marks a decrease compared to the 419,573 tonnes produced during the same period last year. South Aluminium Corporation (SALCO) was the nation's top aluminium producer, producing an impressive 162,459 tonnes of ingots. Following SALCO, Iranian Aluminium Company (IRALCO) produced 115,624 tonnes, while Almahdi Aluminium Company contributed 99,954 tonnes. Iran Alumina Company rounded out the list with a production of 22,388 tonnes of ingots. The only producer of alumina powder in the nation, Iran Alumina Company achieved...
