AlCircle News Edited By "Debanjali Sengupta"
Debanjali Sengupta is a passionate content writer with 10 years of experience in Business writing, Web Content writing, Blogging, Editing and Research. She is responsible for generating and editing content for AlCircle Newsletter and other online and offline content for enhancing the brand value and its visibility among global users.
Alcoa and IGNIS Equity’s energy supply JV comes to fruition, bringing stability to San Ciprián’s operations
The long-awaited joint venture between Alcoa Corporation and IGNIS Equity Holdings, SL (IGNIS EQT) has officially been established to ensure the continued operation of Alcoa’s San Ciprián complex. Initially announced in October of the previous year, the joint venture has come to fruition as of March 31, 2025, following extensive discussions with the Spanish National Government, having all agreements remain intact. Alcoa, as a major shareholder of the JV with a 75 per cent stake, has contributed USD 81 million, and IGNIS Equity, with a remaining 25 per cent share, has invested USD 27 million in forming the joint venture under a financial and mergers & acquisitions (M&A) advisory by FTI Consulting Spain and FTI Capital Advisors Spain. Going ahead, Alco will invest up to USD 108 million if...
Certification from BIS now mandatory for certain aluminium products
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), India’s National Standards Body, has reportedly mandated certain products, mostly belonging to the aluminium industry, to adopt BIS standards and obtain licenses to sell products in the domestic market. BIS plays a crucial role in product certification schemes, offering third-party assurance of quality, safety, and reliability to consumers. Although the BIS certification scheme is typically voluntary, the Central Government has made it mandatory for certain products to obtain licenses in the interest of consumer protection, environmental safety, fair trade practices, and national security. This mandate comes after two consecutive raids by BIS at aluminium casting factory , Ibex Engineering Pvt. Ltd. in Karnataka, and at aluminium alloy ingot...
US reciprocal tariffs are about to make entry, and EU is ready with its ‘blow-for-blow’ tactics
As the countdown begins for Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs on April 2, several of the United States' major trade partners are preparing countermeasures. The European Union, which shares a long-standing trade relationship with the US, is also working on its strategy to respond to fresh tariffs. Image source: Shutterstock Brussels, the EU's administrative centre, known for its tit-for-tat tactics in response to US tariffs, ensuring that their retaliatory actions match, but never exceed, the US administration's moves, is again gearing up for a similar strategy. In 2018, the target of the countermeasure was the iconic American brand Harley-Davidson, which saw a 25 per cent additional tariff on imports, while this year, the sights are set on big tech companies such as Elon Musk's social...
Value of India’s engineering goods exports, including aluminium, declines. Are US tariff exemptions a last resort to mend it?
India's engineering goods exports experienced a decline in value during February 2025, marking the first monthly fall since April 2024, affected by slower exports of aluminium, steel, copper, and iron. According to the Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC), India's export value stood at $9.4 billion in the specific month, compared to $9.08 billion a year ago. That reflected an 8.62 per cent decline, bringing the past nine-month growth streak to an end. However, despite the monthly fall in February, cumulative export value for the past ten months continued to show growth, with a moderate year-on-year increase of 7.98 per cent. Interestingly, the export value for the period from April to February FY2025 reached an all-time high, amounting to $105.85 billion versus $98.03 billion...
Vedanta's demerger deadline moved to September 30: what’s the reason?
The demerger date for Vedanta is now set for September 30 instead of March 31. In an exchange filing on Friday, March 28, the Anil Agarwal-led company announced that the deadline had been extended due to pending approvals from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and other government bodies, expected to be received by April. If the plan is implemented in September, it will mark the completion of a two-year cycle since its announcement in September 2023, when the proposed scheme was demerging the company's business units into six independent entities to secure big-ticket investments for each newly formed organisation. By September 2024, Vedanta had already received some key approvals from the Bombay Stock Exchange, the National Stock Exchange, and NCLT . However, a few months later, in...
Alcoa found guilty of caustic chemical spill and fined $400,000
On March 25, Alcoa Corporation received an order to pay a fine of $400,000 plus an additional $5,536 from the Rockingham Magistrates Court as a verdict of an incident at its Kwinana refinery in September 2022. The incident involved a caustic chemical spill that resulted in burns to both workers of the refinery and year 12 students who visited the site from Gilmore College. This spill incident in 2022 was one of 40 similar occurrences at the Kwinana refinery within less than two years. An investigation by WorkSafe WA found the accident occurred due to a miscommunication between two workers. One worker noticed smoke and debris from a pump and opened the discharge valve to prevent pressure buildup. Meanwhile, another worker unknowingly pressed the start button on the pump when the discharge...
Rajiv Kumar fills the void of Vedanta Aluminium’s CEO position just ahead of demerger
Vedanta Limited, a leading natural resources and technology conglomerate, has confirmed the appointment of Rajiv Kumar as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the aluminium business, just ahead of the demerger of Vedanta Aluminium as an independent entity. The appointment is for three years, starting March 26, 2025. The news came after the company said in a regulatory filing that "The board of directors at its meeting held on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, has inter alia considered and approved appointment of Rajiv Kumar as CEO - Aluminium Business and designating him as senior management personnel at Vedanta Ltd effective March 26." Rajiv Kumar has joined to fill the void of the CEO position since his predecessor, John Slaven, stepped down last September . John Slaven served Vedanta...
Alcoa’s prediction proves true as Canadian aluminium industry faces job losses due to US tariffs
Alcoa's job loss prediction in late February 2025 has come true, as evidenced by hundreds of job cuts in Canada due to US tariffs targeting aluminium and steel. Companies operating in Canada's aluminium and steel sectors have already started reporting significant impacts of tariffs, including job cuts in both sectors. Permanent and temporary workers are being laid off, with some receiving early retirement notices and certain companies freezing hiring processes altogether. Bill Oplinger, CEO of Alcoa, had conveyed at the BMO Global Metals and Mining Conference in Florida that the tariff implementation could lead to a massive job loss of about 20,000 employees within the US aluminium industry and a further 80,000 jobs across the value-chain sectors that support it. This projection was...
Q4 2024 sees over 30% surge in US bauxite imports, yet annual decline persists
According to the US Geological Survey, the United States experienced a 6.31 per cent decline in crude and dried bauxite imports in 2024, despite a 31.58 per cent year-on-year increase in the fourth quarter. Year-on-year decreases in the second and third quarters primarily drove the annual drop. Total imports for the year amounted to 2.08 million tonnes, down from 2.22 million tonnes in 2023. While fourth-quarter imports rose from 380,000 to 500,000 tonnes, the increase was insufficient to offset the yearly decline. Additionally, imports in the fourth quarter saw a quarter-on-quarter drop of 53,000 tonnes, or 9.58 per cent, further contributing to the overall decrease in import volumes. After a year-on-year increase in the first quarter, with imports rising from 462,000 tonnes to 501,000...
Press Metal’s subsidiary debuts in Hong Kong Stock Exchange with an IPO offer HKD 26.6
Nanshan Aluminium International Holdings Limited, partly owned by Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd, has reportedly made it to the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Bearing the stock code 2610, the company has debuted with an initial public offering (IPO) of HKD 26.60 (RM 15.18), expecting to generate a net value of HKD 2.22 billion. This amount will be primarily used for building and expanding the second 1 million tonnes alumina production facility in Bintan, Indonesia, including constructing ancillary equipment at a deep-water port, expanding capacity in the coal gasification plant, and acquiring machinery and equipment. In July 2024, Press Metal acquired a 25.59% stake in Nanshan Aluminium International Holdings through a share swap in...
Technology and sustainability – the twin pillars of progress for the Middle East aluminium industry
The Middle East is now a name that we closely associate with low-carbon aluminium production, cutting-edge smelting technology, digital innovations, and sustainability initiatives. The region has evolved from an oil-dependent economy to a burgeoning hub for aluminium manufacturing, supported by abundant energy resources and sustainable production practices. While leading companies like Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), and Ma’aden Aluminium are steering the growth, numerous organisations from outside the region are playing a key role in advancing the industry. Such is the company INNOVAL Technology, which is helping to propel the expansion of the aluminium sector in the Middle East through its essential services. From knowledge sharing to materials design &...
World primary aluminium production sees limited growth in two months, weighed down by February’s drop
In the first two months of 2025, the world's primary aluminium production represented a year-on-year increase of 0.85 per cent, amounting to 11.88 million tonnes, which was significantly offset by declines M-o-M, according to the International Aluminium Institute's data. Following January when the world output was 6.235 million tonnes, slightly down by 0.30 per cent from 6.254 million tonnes, the production in February reached 5.645 million tonnes, further down by 9.46 per cent M-o-M. Fewer operation days likely contributed to the decline, even though daily production slightly increased from 201,100 tonnes in January to 201,600 tonnes. Alongside, reduced output in some of the primary aluminium-producing regions played a critical role in the overall drop for February. Even on a...
Ball shakes up its business by handing off a major stake of Aluminum Cup ® to Ayna.AI
Ball Corporation, a global leader in sustainable aluminium packaging solutions, has recently announced the formation of a strategic joint venture aimed at advancing the growth of the aluminium cup category. Image source: Ball Corporation The joint venture, named Oasis Venture Holdings, LLC, is a collaboration with Ayna.AI (Ayna), with Ball Corporation holding a 49 per cent stake and Ayna owning 51 per cent. This venture will oversee the Ball Aluminum Cup ® business, including its commercial operations, supply chain, manufacturing teams, and production facility in Rome, the largest city in Georgia, which will serve as the new headquarter for the venture. The aim of this partnership is to broaden the customer base for the Aluminum Cup ® while delivering exceptional customer service and...
AL Circle x CETIZION Verifica: Internet of Things is indeed a strong pillar of sustainability and ESG initiatives
AL Circle presents an enriching conversation with Ganga C Sharma, Managing Director & CEO of CETIZION Verifica Pvt Ltd, wherein he shares his personal views on the sustainability practices of the Indian and global aluminium industry. According to Mr Sharma, India is leading by example, and the world is closely watching its activities and following its footsteps. He says IoT plays a critical role in sustainability and ESG initiatives, and also offers an exciting outlook on CBAM, describing it as a balance of risk and opportunities, depending on how the companies adapt to the new regulation. To know more of his unique and valuable insights, read the full interview. AL Circle: Could you please provide a brief overview of your company and the services you offer? Ganga C Sharma: Cetizion...
Here’s an update from GIADEC for the integrated aluminium industry in Ghana, develops a partnership for funding
Mr. Reindorf Twumasi Ankrah, the newly appointed Acting CEO of the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC), has hit the ground running in his efforts to advance the nation's integrated aluminium industry. Within less than three weeks of assuming his role, he has outlined a clear vision to contribute over $2 billion to Ghana's economy . In a call to potential investors, Mr. Ankrah announced that GIADEC is now open to forming partnerships with those who share the goal of establishing a robust integrated aluminium sector in Ghana. He emphasised that investors must also demonstrate both financial capability and industry expertise as key criteria for collaboration. Image source: LinkedIn (GIADEC) Mr. Ankrah has already determined that GIADEC will require over USD 6 billion...
Hindalco unveils plans to invest INR 45,000 crore ($5.22 million) in aluminium and copper, leaving share price up
Thursday, March 20, marked a significant milestone for the Indian aluminum industry. NALCO reported a 2.1 per cent growth in a single day, while Kumar Mangalam Birla-led Hindalco unveiled plans to invest INR 45,000 crore (USD 5.22 million) in its aluminum and copper segments. Image source: Hindalco Industries At Hindalco Industries' new brand identity launch, Birla said: We are committing INR 45,000 crore across the aluminium, copper and specialty alumina businesses to deliver upstream and next-gen high precision engineered products to our customers." While announcing the plans, Birla reiterated Hindalco's position as a global leader in aluminium, copper, and specialty alumina. He said Hindalco is India's largest fully integrated company, with primary aluminium production expanded from a...
Attention! NALCO sees a strong rebound, with a 2.1% growth in just one day
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has outperformed its sector, reaching an intraday high of INR 192.15 at 1:00 PM on Thursday, March 20. This surge in stock price signals strong long-term growth potential for the company. Additionally, NALCO's attractive dividend yield offers shareholders a solid return and reflects a positive overall market trend. Despite a slight pullback as the day progressed, the stock remained resilient, closing at INR 190.27. Compared to Monday, March 17, NALCO's stock price has risen by 2.63 per cent, moving up from INR 185.39. The stock reached its peak on March 7, hitting INR 195.17, but then experienced a decline in following days, dipping as low as INR 186.38 on March 19. However, in just one day, the company's stock has rebounded by 2.1 per cent per...
GCC imposes anti-dumping duties on Chinese aluminium imports to limit $1 billion foreign goods
More anti-dumping duties are on the way to Chinese aluminium products. After India, now the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are imposing duties on China for flooding their countries with aluminium products at unfair prices. The news came on Thursday, March 20, after the GCC Ministerial Committee, composed of industry ministers, announced the move officially. This decision follows the recommendation from the GCC Permanent Committee for Anti-Injurious Practices in International Trade to impose import tariffs on aluminium alloy products originating from China. The duties being levied on Chinese aluminium products include flat or grained rectangular (including square) aluminium alloy sheets, plates, coils, strips, coated or coloured, with a 2-8 mm thickness. Why this move? The growing...
