AlCircle News Edited By "Aranya Mondal"
Aranya Mondal is a content writer with two years of professional experience in business writing, technical writing, web content, editing, and research. She handles content creation and editing for online and offline channels to support brand growth and global engagement.
Globus Maritime shareholders back director, auditor and reverse stock split plan
Globus Maritime Limited, a Greece-based dry bulk shipping company, announced that shareholders approved key proposals at its annual meeting held in Glyfada. Image for representational purpose The meeting confirmed the election of Mr. Georgios “George” Feidakis as Class III director, extending his term through the 2028 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholders also endorsed the appointment of Ernst & Young (Hellas) Certified Auditors Accountants S.A. as the company’s independent auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025. In addition, approval was granted for amendments to the company’s Articles of Incorporation, authorising the Board of Directors to implement one or more reverse stock splits of the company’s issued and outstanding common and Series B preferred shares at a...
India’s lithium dream stalls amid failed auctions, China reliance and recycling hope
India’s clean energy push is constrained by its heavy reliance on imported lithium — the rare earth element vital for EV batteries, smartphones, and renewable power. Despite government initiatives, domestic reserves remain untapped, leaving recycling as the only near-term alternative. Image for representational purpose The irony is hard to miss. Lithium, now billed as “white gold,” was first identified in Jammu & Kashmir back in the 1990s — but at the time, it was overshadowed by the search for bauxite, then in heavy demand as the raw material for aluminium production. Lithium’s toxic reputation and limited industrial use meant geologists logged the find and moved on. Fast forward three decades in 2023, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) announced that nearly six million tonnes of...
Bauxite push in Honnavar forests, Karnataka sparks concern near marine sanctuary
India-based PRB Infraprojects Pvt Ltd has applied for clearances to carry out bauxite exploration across 1,100 acres of forest land in Karnataka’s Honnavar division, sparking concerns over potential ecological impact in a fragile coastal belt. Image for representational purpose The company has proposed drilling 25 boreholes and digging 25 pits in the Nittadgi block at an estimated project cost of around INR 1.4 crore. Bauxite , a critical raw material for aluminium production, has seen rising exploration interest nationwide. The move follows a technical committee under the Union Ministry of Mines approving the proposal earlier this year. PRB Infraprojects submitted its request to the deputy conservator of forests, Honnavar division, in March for a preliminary survey. Department sources...
LME aluminium eases; cash offer at USD 2,642.5/t, stocks up to 517,700t
London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices edged lower on September 26 compared to the previous day. The cash bid price declined to USD 2,642 per tonne, down 0.71 per cent from USD 2,661 per tonne on September 25, while the cash offer price slipped by 0.71 per cent to USD 2,642.50 per tonne. The 3-month bid price eased by 0.68 per cent to USD 2,647 per tonne, and the 3-month offer dropped by 0.66 per cent to USD 2,648 per tonne. Further out, the December 26 contract also softened, with the bid price down 0.48 per cent to USD 2,692 per tonne and the offer at USD 2,697 per tonne, compared with USD 2,705 and USD 2,710, respectively, on September 25. Also read: The World of Aluminium Extrusions – Industry Forecast to 2032 Meanwhile, the LME aluminium 3-month Asian Reference Price stood at...
MED Group unveils TYKUN X, a 10.5m aluminium chase boat
Italian shipbuilder MED Group has announced the launch of the first model in its new TYKUN line of high-performance chase boats. Named TYKUN X, the 10.5-metre vessel will make its official debut at the 2025 Monaco Yacht Show. Designed by renowned architect Tommaso Spadolini, the boat combines sleek, dynamic aesthetics with advanced, military-inspired technology. Image for representational purpose Military-grade performance, safety and comfort Built on MED Group’s defence-sector pedigree, TYKUN X features a robust aluminium hull engineered with advanced stability calculations. The vessel is capable of speeds exceeding 50 knots, while maintaining a smooth, safe and comfortable ride across diverse sea conditions. A distinctive carbon-fiber hard-top adds lightweight strength and structural...
ORNL’s RidgeAlloy targets 350,000t auto scrap wave with sustainable solution
A surge of aluminium auto body scrap is expected to hit salvage yards over the next decade as aluminium-intensive vehicles, such as Ford’s F-150 truck series introduced in 2015, reach the end of their life cycles. Image source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory By the early 2030s, this could amount to as much as 350,000 tonnes annually in North America. Much of this material, however, is considered too impure for high-value automotive applications and is often downcycled into low-grade castings or exported. Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed an alloy they say could change that equation. Called RidgeAlloy, the material transforms low-value scrap into high-quality feedstock for critical automotive components, creating what could become...
Novelis scales sustainability strategy in FY25, targeting 75% recycled content by 2030
Novelis has released its sustainability report for fiscal year 2025 (April 1, 2024–March 31, 2025). The report captures the company’s push to make aluminium the backbone of a circular economy through its 3x30 vision — a strategy launched in 2024 to lift recycled content to 75 per cent, cut emissions intensity below 3 tonnes of CO₂e per tonne of flat-rolled product (FRP), and drive industry-wide transformation with different investments. A year of reductions The latest figures show Novelis is steadily closing in on those goals. Greenhouse-gas intensity dropped by 10 per cent in FY25, with overall carbon intensity falling from 4.0 to 3.6 tCO₂e per tonne of FRP. Since 2016, the company has reduced absolute emissions by 32 per cent. Energy use also came down, with a 3.7 per cent reduction in...
Global bauxite trade H1 2025: Guinea tops with $8.9B exports, Brazil and Turkey falter
The first half of 2025 showed a divided picture for the global bauxite trade. Some producers set new records, while others stumbled against logistical and policy headwinds. Guinea and Australia stayed firmly ahead, fuelled by Chinese demand and reliable supply chains. At the same time, Turkey and Brazil slipped back, leaving room for smaller exporters such as Malaysia and Guyana to carve out a bigger role. Export performance: gainers and losers Guinea, the world’s largest supplier, shipped about 99.8 million tonnes between January and June — a 36 per cent jump from 73.4 million tonnes a year ago. Export earnings hit roughly USD 8.9 billion, most of it from China, which alone takes around 60 per cent of the country’s ore. Australia also turned in a solid performance. Volumes rose 11 per...
LME aluminium cash price falls to USD 2,622.5/t as opening stock rises 0.64%
London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices recorded a marginal decline on September 24 compared to the previous day, while warehouse stocks rose moderately. The cash bid price slipped from USD 2,645.5 per tonne on September 23 to USD 2,622.5 per tonne on September 24, down 0.87 per cent, while the cash offer price eased from USD 2,646 to USD 2,623 per tonne, also a 0.87 per cent decline. Similarly, the three-month contract weakened, with the bid price falling from USD 2,639.5 per tonne to USD 2,624 per tonne, down 0.59 per cent, and the offer price moved down from USD 2,640 to USD 2,625 per tonne, a 0.57 per cent decline. The December 2026 contract also posted a slight decrease, with the bid price slipping from USD 2,682 per tonne to USD 2,670, down 0.45 per cent, and the offer price...
Boeing aircraft deal emerges as catalyst for US-China tariff relief
The United States and China are edging closer to a landmark Boeing aircraft deal that could anchor a broader trade agreement between the two powers. US Ambassador to China David Perdue, said the negotiations are in their “final days,” signalling a breakthrough that has been long in the making. Image for representational purpose According to Bloomberg, Boeing is working toward the sale of as many as 500 jets — a transaction that would end a sales freeze stretching back to Donald Trump’s 2017 visit to China. Diplomacy and trade backdrop The talks are unfolding at a moment of renewed diplomatic engagement. In recent weeks, Trump spoke by phone with President Xi Jinping, while negotiators reached a framework for ByteDance to divest its US-based TikTok operations, easing a major flashpoint....
Canned out: America’s food can market declines 16.7% in four years
America’s appetite for canned goods is shrinking, putting the industry under pressure. Between 2020 and 2024 US domestic shipments of food cans fell 16.7 per cent, from 28.45 billion cans to 23.7 billion, as per CMI. Image for representational purpose Behind the decline is a rearrangement of what Americans buy in tins — a retreat from staple human-food categories and a quiet surge for coffee and pet food — and a story about changing tastes, packaging innovation and the mechanics of making the very objects whose fortunes are being reshaped. Winners and losers on the production line Not every can suffered equally. Coffee cans were the clear standout, rising 63 per cent over the four-year span to 0.075 billion cans in 2024 from 0.046 billion in 2020. Pet food also eked out gains, up 3.9 per...
US moves to counter China’s global port dominance with bold maritime strategy
US President Donald Trump’s administration has launched its most ambitious effort since the 1970s to expand America’s maritime influence, with a mission to weaken China’s worldwide port network and bring strategic terminals under Western control, three sources familiar with the plan said. Officials argue that the US commercial shipping fleet cannot provide sufficient logistical support for the military in wartime and that America is too dependent on foreign vessels and ports. Options under review include supporting private US or Western companies to purchase Chinese stakes in ports. The sources, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, pointed to BlackRock’s proposed deal to buy Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison’s port assets in 23 countries, including sites...
Asia struggles to catch up as Europe leads aluminium’s decarbonisation race
The global aluminium industry is at a crossroad, caught between rapidly rising demand from the clean energy transition and the urgent need to decarbonise. As nations scale up solar farms, wind turbines, and electric vehicles, appetite for the lightweight metal is soaring — but producers are under pressure of decarbonising one of the most energy-intensive industries in the world. A study released in September 2025 by Eurasia Group and Alcoa paints a mixed picture. On one hand, aluminium use is set to rise by 40 per cent by 2030 and by 80 per cent by 2050 compared with 2020 levels, cementing its place in the clean energy economy. On the other, the industry is still far off the pace needed for net zero. Aluminium is responsible for about 3 per cent of global industrial emissions, and over...
India slashes GST on renewables to 5%, boosting solar growth and aluminium demand
The Indian government has moved to slash the goods and services tax (GST) on renewable energy equipment, bringing the rate down from 12 per cent to 5 per cent from 22 September 2025. This decision is meant to speed up the country’s energy transition, ease the strain on consumers and developers, and create new jobs in the coming years. The solar sector shows the impact most clearly. Building one megawatt of utility-scale solar currently costs between INR 35 million (USD 398,493) and INR 40 million. The lower GST means each megawatt will be about INR 2–2.5 million cheaper. For a 500 MW solar park, that adds up to more than INR 1 billion in savings — enough to make tariffs sharply more competitive. These cost savings are not limited to developers. By reducing project expenditure, the reform...
CIWM calls for urgent action to drive UK circular economy
The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) has published a new report, “Let’s Not Waste the Next Four Years,” setting out key actions to speed up the UK’s transition to a circular economy. Released in September 2025, the report comes at a time when the government is advancing overlapping reviews linked to net zero, skills, and industrial strategy. Waste sector’s economic weight Every year, the UK’s resources and waste industry handles more than 70 million tonnes of material and provides jobs for 145,000 people. CIWM argues the sector is more than just waste collection — it underpins economic growth, strengthens supply chains, and plays a vital role in hitting climate targets. Its long-standing mission, built on education, training, and policy influence, has made it a...
From Beijing to Washington: Is Mexico’s trade shift a strategic move or survival tactic?
Mexico’s aluminium industry once leaned on China as a way to soften the blow of US trade barriers is now moving on the other side. When Washington imposed tariffs on Chinese goods in 2018, large volumes of aluminium were rerouted through Mexico, some of it processed locally before being shipped on to the US. The opening came a year earlier, in 2017, when the US removed tariffs on Mexican aluminium. With duty-free access under USMCA, Mexico became an attractive route for Chinese producers to slip past American trade restrictions. Imports surged, raising concerns that the sector was becoming too dependent on Asian supply. From the export data, we can see the change: in 2024, Mexico’s exports to China were about USD 9.08 billion, dominated by copper ores and concentrates (USD 5.17 billion),...
Massive fire shuts down Novelis’ Scriba aluminium plant in the US
A massive fire late Tuesday night forced the shutdown of Novelis’ aluminium plant in Scriba after flames tore through the roof and damaged the facility’s hot mill. Image for representational purpose The blaze began just after 10 pm at 448 County Route 1A, according to Oswego County 911 dispatchers. Flames and thick smoke from the rooftop led firefighters to declare a third alarm. Roughly 20 fire departments from Oswego and Onondaga counties responded, with crews still on scene into Wednesday morning. The fire was declared out around 2 am, but some firefighters remained at the site until 10 am Novelis spokesperson Karen Judd said the damage was largely confined to the roof. “We’re still investigating the cause and the extent, but it was mostly isolated to the roof of the factory,” she...
Numbers show resilience: Europe’s aluminium industry navigates the energy crisis with renewables
Against the backdrop of war-driven energy shocks and refinery closures, Europe and Russia’s aluminium industry has managed to keep production on a steady course. Primary aluminium output rose from 3.3 million tonnes in H1 2023 to 3.4 million tonnes in H1 2024, representing a 2.3 per cent increase and climbed further to 3.47 million tonnes, a 1.8 per cent gain compared with H1 2024. The first quarter of 2025, particularly January to March, outperformed earlier years, though February slipped slightly compared with 2024. Alumina production, by contrast, has been more variable. Production jumped from 2.5 million tonnes in 2023 to 2.9 million tonnes in 2024, a year-on-year increase of nearly 14.9 per cent. This sharp momentum faltered in 2025. H1 production slipped marginally to 2.8 million...
