KAP Minerals and Cymat Technologies are exploring a partnership to produce scandium-aluminium master alloy in Ontario, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding. The partnership would use scandium oxide from KAP’s Kapuskasing critical minerals project and Cymat’s aluminium-processing technology to produce alloys for aerospace, defence and manufacturing applications. To know the global production, demand and consumption forecasts of aluminium extrusions, explore our report " The World of Aluminium Extrusions to 2035 " Scandium-aluminium alloys can improve strength, performance and weldability while reducing weight. The companies aim to use the proposed venture to establish a domestic supply chain, converting Canadian critical minerals into value-added industrial materials....
India’s renewable energy transition is gathering pace, with installed renewable power capacity surpassing 300 gigawatts (GW) in 2026, almost quadrupling over the past decade. The country has also achieved its target of sourcing 50 per cent of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources five years ahead of schedule, strengthening its position as one of the world’s fastest-growing clean energy markets. The expansion is beginning to deliver measurable energy security benefits by reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels, while competitive renewable power costs and expanding domestic manufacturing are opening new investment opportunities. However, sustaining this momentum will require substantial improvements in electricity transmission, storage infrastructure and...
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Lightweight, strong, durable, and infinitely recyclable, aluminium is the sustainable material of choice. In addition to contributing billions of dollars to the global economy, aluminium supports countless supply chains worldwide. Yet, due to its energy-intensive production and refinement procedures, claimed to contribute significantly to global carbon emissions, aluminium is under heightened scrutiny, much like all other manufactured products. Aluminium producers worldwide are adopting environmentally friendly production methods in response to being placed under the spotlight on climate change. In order to accelerate their decarbonization efforts, they are shifting to renewable energy, investing in green technologies, and even studying carbon capture and storage solutions. However,...
The days when premium car purchasers just considered speed, flair, and luxury are long gone. The origin, sustainability, and emissions profile of the materials used to build today's automobiles are topics of growing public concern. "Green is the new black" has become the industry catchphrase for luxury vehicles. Premium car consumers are becoming increasingly pickier about the materials used in their cars, from the leather used for the upholstery to the metals used for the engine parts. This fundamental transition in the automotive market has resulted in a new, innovative partnership between Rio Tinto and the BMW Group , two industry leaders, to develop more responsible, sustainable, traceable, and secure supply chains. Rio Tinto intends to supply responsibly sourced aluminium to the BMW...
On Tuesday, February 21, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative announced that Mineração Rio do Norte (MRN) has received ASI Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard V1 (2017) Certification for the planning, mining, transport, processing, and river transportation of bauxite, as well as power generation, at the MRN site in Porto Trombetas, Brazil. In January 2022, the facility received ASI Performance Standard V2 (2017) Certification. With an annual production of approximately 12 million tonnes, the firm is the largest Brazilian producer and exporter of bauxite. For Guido Germani, CEO of MRN, certification means that the firm will continue to monitor market and societal shifts in addition to the fundamentals of sustainable growth in the Amazon Rainforest. "We are in continuous search for the best...
Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., an American manufacturer of discrete semiconductors and passive electronic components, reportedly launched a new series of low impedance automotive grade miniature aluminium electrolytic capacitors last week. The new Vishay BC Components 172 RLX capacitors are AEC-Q200-qualified capacitors that deliver higher performance in smaller sizes. The product has high ripple currents up to 4.9 A, high temperature operation to +105°C, and a long useful life of 10,000 hours in 14 case sizes ranging from 10 mm by 12 mm to 18 mm by 40 mm. Thus, compared to the previous edition of the product that used to offer a ripple current of 1100 mA at a CV rating of 1000 F / 10 V in the 10 mm by 16 mm case size, the 172 RLX series delivers 1700 mA in smaller size casing. This offers...
Three-month LME aluminium opened at US$2,395 per tonne on Monday and closed at US$2,462 per tonne, an increase of US$72 per tonne or 3.01 per cent. On Monday, February 20, LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price skyrocketed by US$55.50 per tonne and US$57 per tonne, respectively, to stand at US$2,390 per tonne and US$2,392 per tonne. That marked an increase after three consecutive days of fall from US$2,391 per tonne on February 14 to US$2,335 per tonne on February 17. 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price surged by US$56 per tonne or 2.36 per cent to clock at US$2,428 per tonne and US$2,430 per tonne. December 24 bid price and December 24 offer price totalled US$2,598 per tonne and US$2,603 per tonne. LME aluminium opening stock continued to decline...
As the country's metals sector has boomed, Iran has reported significant increases in aluminium production. On February 20, 2023, IMIDRO, Iran’s state metals and mining company, stated aluminium production in four leading smelters in the country had reached over 528,000 tonnes in the first ten months of the financial year to January 20. IMIDRO confirmed that the figure increased by 17% compared to the previous period. In the ten months leading up to January, the South Aluminum Corporation (SALCO), which produced more than 226,000 tonnes of ingots, produced more than 43% of all the aluminium produced in Iran. Just four years after it was established in the southern province of Fars, SALCO has surpassed all other aluminium smelters in Iran regarding output size. The findings come as Iran...
On February 14, 2023, a top executive of the Norwegian aluminium giant stated during a discussion with international media that Hydro wouldn't increase production merely due to a decline in power costs. The company will ramp up when it feels comfortable and see that demand is more robust than expected. In August 2022, when European gas prices reached an all-time high of €345 per MWh, Norsk Hydro and several other primary aluminium producers in Europe announced significant output reductions for the remainder of 2022. This was in response to the significant decline in domestic demand. Hydro Karmoy and Hydro Husnes in Norway temporarily lowered their combined capacity by 110,000 to 130,000 tonnes. Also, the company declared that due to excessive energy costs, it would halt primary aluminium...
Introduction We are living in an interesting time, facing a multitude of variables. On the one hand, the world is coming out of the pandemic and trying to regain the level of economic activities of the pre-pandemic time, only with more zeal and vigour. On the other hand, ignorance cannot be an excuse; forget about bliss when it comes to the effect of greenhouse emissions on the climate and its impact. The governing bodies, activists as well as customers are being increasingly informed and asking about the carbon footprint of any product or service before reaching them and after being served. For example, before buying cloth, today’s knowledgeable customers are increasingly mindful of whether the material is recycled and recyclable after usage. Before going to a hotel, some customers, if...
Shanghai Metals Market survey found China’s average operating rate across leading aluminium processing enterprises rose 1.7 percentage points last week to 61.5 per cent. Aluminium plate, sheet, strip, foil and construction extrusion sectors recorded operational growth with the gradual arrival of the peak season. In contrast, primary and secondary aluminium alloy and industrial aluminium extrusion sectors recorded muted operating rates due to the sluggish automobile market. The average operating rate of large secondary aluminium alloy companies failed to recover the pre-CNY levels despite growing by 3.1 percentage points to 47.5 per cent. Slow demand recovery from various industrial sectors resulted in constrained operations. In addition, raw material shortages also plagued secondary...
With a focus on the aluminium beverage can production chain, Ambev has planned various initiatives for the benefit of around 30 thousand partners, street sellers, and recyclable collectors targeted at the Carnival blocks. The initiative started together by the National Association of Collectors and Collectors of Recyclable Materials (ANCAT) project in collaboration with beverage maker Ambev, will combine enjoyment with employment as street parties are typically the most lucrative for these professionals. Waste pickers in Brazil are the real leaders in collecting recyclable solid trash, including aluminium, cardboard, glass, plastic, and other materials. Some 1,100 individual and cooperative collectors will participate in the "Bloco dos Catadores" in So Paulo and Recife, taking advantage...
“Aluminum recycling is essential for sustainability,” says Andrew Stein, CEO of TST. “It saves over 95 per cent of the energy to recycle aluminium versus creating new primary aluminium. However, the process of melting aluminium scrap creates dross and salt cake that is difficult to recycle without having waste end up in a landfill. [Hydrova’s] technology solves that problem by utilizing 100 per cent of this co-product into valuable products.” Julian Davis, Co-Founder and CEO of Hydrova Without recycling, it would be virtually impossible for the industry to achieve sustainability targets. However, processes for recycling aluminium generate dross and salt cake waste streams, which have long been a headache for secondary aluminium producers. Hydrova sees a unique opportunity in these...
AMAG Austria Metal AG, the biggest company in the Austrian Aluminium Industry sector, has achieved a record annual result for 2022, exceeding the previous year’s mark. The company’s 2022 revenue superseded the former year’s EUR 1,259.4 million by registering a growth of 37.1 per cent. In 2022, AMAG reportedly earned revenue of EUR 1,726.7 million despite restrained shipments at 442,000 tonnes compared to 442,300 tonnes in 2021. The company’s net income after taxes also increased by 69.1 per cent Y-o-Y from EUR 64.6 million to EUR 109.3 million in 2022, a record figure until now. The revenue and net income growth could be attributed to higher global aluminium benchmark prices, premium levels, and consistent price adjustments due to higher energy and raw material costs. Personnel and plant...
The sustainable development strategy of the RUSAL United Company aims at making, by decoupling our business growth from the environmental footprint, sustainability affordable across the entire aluminium value chain and creating a new class of assets in the non-ferrous metal sector. This means building by 2035 such a business model that is future-fit and addresses the needs of low carbon and circular economy, is based on an agile, fair, safe and inclusive supply chain, and is built on the most advanced technologies. Irina Bakhtina, Chief Sustainability Officer at Rusal Therefore, a sustainable supply chain is at the heart of the Company's ESG transformation. Understanding our suppliers and the degree of their ESG maturity is the key element to start with. RUSAL is sourcing raw materials,...
The Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC), Nagpur, has created Poly Aluminium Chloride (PAC) from aluminium dross, a step towards achieving zero waste in the aluminium industrial sector. PAC can be used in water treatment facilities to treat wastewater. Dross, a hazardous waste product of the aluminium industry, may now be recycled using JNARDDC's technology to produce PAC. “The smelting process in the primary aluminium industry generates around 2% to 5% of dross, which is a complete waste. Similarly, in the secondary processing industry, it increases by 5% to 10%, which is again disposed off in landfills,” said Dr Upendra Singh, Senior Principal Scientist and Principal Investigator of the project. According to Dr Anupam Agnihotri, Director of JNARDDC...
Climate change around the world is causing great catastrophes, with no continent left untouched. The heatwaves, droughts, typhoons, and hurricanes are causing mass destruction around the world with disasters such as the heatwave in the UK, the West’s water crisis, hurricane Ian in the US, and many more. Mohan Agarwal, MD, CMR Green Technologies Ltd Countries around the globe are now shifting their focus on sustainability with real and measurable actions. The focus is now on developing sustainable products and services and supply chain practices to increase revenue, satisfy investors and regulators, and improve their reputation. Countries as well as companies are allocating funds to addressing environmental issues. McKinsey and Company recently said that India can increase green...
ASI was incorporated in 2015, making 2023 the ninth year of our collective journey. We are proud now to number 275 ASI Members across our 6 membership classes. There have been 238 ASI Certificates issued to certifying Members for both Performance and Chain of Custody. But what is the direction and purpose for this increasing scale of implementation? In October 2022, the ASI Board held a full-day workshop to reflect on ASI’s strengths, opportunities, aspirations and desired results and review the existing framework for change as part of ASI’s annual strategy processes. ASI’s new Strategy on a Page below illustrates our ‘theory of change’ – the mechanisms through which we aim to contribute to sustainability-enhancing changes in the aluminium sector. ASI’s four strategic foundations...
As the world faces a climate crisis amidst a shortfall of energy supplies and critical metals, difficult decisions are being made to meet growing supply gaps without risking new dependencies on unsustainable producers or compromising for geopolitical factors. Best resource practices shouldn’t be dictated by current events, but that’s not always simple. A hard lesson being learned in the aluminium industry with the effects of short-term thinking has been felt. In addition to the increases in inflation, energy cost rise and supply shortfalls, we have seen the EU import ban on Russian oil, the USA’s proposal for a potential 200% tariff on Russian aluminium, European production closures (see below), and more scrutiny than ever on ESG credentials for investment. European Production Closures...
Green, carbon footprint, energy optimization, net-zero are currently key topics across meeting rooms in most industries, particularly in our aluminium sector. While a lot of great dialogue and action has been happening in the recent past, AlCircle started to build one of many roads towards sustainability for the aluminium industry over a decade ago. Started in 2010 with a vision to bring the global aluminium value chain online, AlCircle has since established a worldwide presence, shown proof of concept and continues to innovate around how not just AlCircle, but the entire industry can work towards reducing their carbon footprint through adopting digital tools and processes. With a vision of ‘Think Aluminium, Think AlCircle’, we are growing each day towards our ultimate goal of promoting...
