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.
GIADEC adds two new hills to enhance bauxite mining capacity
The Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development, popularly known as GIADEC, has announced its keen interest in expanding the country’s bauxite production and enhancing its capacity in line with the growing demand for primary aluminium raw materials. In June 2024, GIADEC received approval for a mining lease from the Ghana Parliament, which is expected to turn into a crucial development in the country’s mining sector. The approval for a new mining lease will likely boost local economies and employment, depending on how the mining operations are managed and regulated. Under the approval, GIADEC has added two new hills to mine bauxite in a bid to support the government and the people of Ghana. Bauxite mining at these two new hills will ensure to meet the most significant volume that GIADEC needs...
A fatal accident at a Chhattisgarh alumina refinery kills four migrant workers
On Sunday, September 8, a hopper filled with coal collapsed at an alumina refinery owned by Maa Kudargarhi Group in Chhattisgarh's Surguja district, taking away the lives of four workers. A hopper, which is also referred to as a bunker by workers, is used to store fuel like coal or rice husk in large quantities. As per preliminary information, one such steel hopper collapsed on ten men working beneath it. Four lost lives were retrieved from the site, while the remaining six were found survived. Of them, one was critically injured and rushed to the hospital, and the five others managed to escape unharmed, said a police officer. He added the accident took place due to negligence as per the first impression. The police officer also said the deceased were from Madhya Pradesh and Bihar....
Vedanta reports progress in its demerger, having received significant approval from NCLT
Vedanta Limited’s demerger process has progressed further, with the company submitting its plan to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) after receiving approval from 75 per cent of its secured creditors, said Chairman Anil Agarwal. He also said the company expects to accomplish the demerge process by the end of FY204-25. The demerger will separate Vedanta’s six business units into individual entities, each focused on specific areas like aluminium, oil and gas, power, steel, and base metals. Only the existing zinc business and newly started ventures will remain under the wings of Vedanta Limited. On accomplishing the demerger, Vedanta’s shareholders will get one new share in each of the five companies, strengthening the company’s business model and economy. Also, this demerger will...
Kolkata Metro Rail starts installing aluminium third rail; completes 200-metre-long corridor overnight
On Saturday, September 7, Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation reportedly started installing the aluminium third rail replacing steel on the North-South corridors, aiming to reduce energy loss by about 84 per cent. Metro Railway has set a target of two years to complete the entire replacement project with aluminium. In addition to reducing carbon footprint, this initiative will save around INR 1 crore a year per km of the 35-km corridor. On Sunday, Metro Railway updated that it already completed the replacement of a 200-metre-long third rail, which is claimed to have superior electrical conductivity, lessening voltage drops and energy losses. On completion of the initiative, Kolkata Metro Railway will be at par with Singapore, London, Moscow, Berlin, Munich, and Istanbul Metros, where the...
Beijing accuses Canada of WTO rule violations over tariffs on aluminium, steel and EVs
Beijing has requested talks with Canada at the World Trade Organization, a global trade referee, accusing the latter on the ground of violating WTO rules by imposing 100 per cent tariffs on China-origin electric vehicles and 25 per cent tariffs on aluminium and steel. The news came on Friday, September 6, after China’s Trade Ministry said, “China lodged a request for consultations with Canada at the WTO regarding Canada’s additional tariffs on electric vehicles and steel and aluminium products.” The Ministry further said, “Canada has disregarded WTO rules and violated its commitments within the WTO by proposing to impose additional tariffs of 100 per cent and 25 per cent.” It is the second response from China this week, which has added a new twist to the dispute. On Tuesday, September 3,...
Ecovery to commission a 60,000-pound capacity secondary aluminium furnace in September 2024
Metal recycling company Ecovery LLC has targeted to put into operation a secondary aluminium furnace with a 60,000-pound capacity at its processing facility in Loxley, Alabama, in September 2024. This furnace is Ecovery's second major capital expenditure project in 2024 and a second on-site rotary furnace. Earlier this year, Ecovery installed an X-ray sorting line to supply furnace-ready aluminium scrap to rolling mills in the Southeast and Midwest. Ecovery claims this new furnace will increase the company's melting capacity while enhancing dross processing and toll conversion services provided to customers. The company's CEO, Brack Norris, has shared that his family-owned business has diversified and expanded its operations several times in its 16-year journey. Originally, Ecovery used...
China’s alumina production continues an upward trajectory in August, marking a 2.8% Y-o-Y rise
After surpassing 7 million tonnes in July 2024, China's metallurgical-grade alumina production continued its upward trajectory in August, showing a month-on-month increase of 0.67 per cent, according to the Shanghai Metals Market. On a year-on-year basis, the output in August registered a hike of 2.82 per cent. According to SMM data, China's alumina production in August 2024 stood at around 7.22 million tonnes versus 7.173 million tonnes in July. At the end of August, China's metallurgical-grade alumina capacity stood stable at around 100.6 million tonnes, with the operating capacity up by 0.81 per cent M-o-M. The operating rate was 84.63 per cent, compared to 83.5 per cent in July. From January to August, China's total alumina production amounted to approximately 54.686 million tonnes,...
Ducab Metals mulls over doubling aluminium production capacity to position itself as UAE’s top industrial manufacturer
Ducab Metals Business, the largest metal manufacturing company in the UAE and a subsidiary of the Ducab Group, is striding towards business expansion to meet the increasing demand for aluminium across the globe by doubling its production capacity from 55,000 tonnes per annum to 110,000 tonnes per annum. This expansion aligns with the UAE’s diversification efforts outside the non-oil trade and its long-term goals to lead the global industrial manufacturing sector. Ducab Group’s chief executive officer, Mohammad Almutawa, said: This expansion increases our ability to meet global demand, adds value to the ‘Made in the Emirates’ brand, and increases our international competitiveness, while driving sustainable business growth and building resilience in industry.” Mohamed Al Ahmedi, CEO of DMB,...
Sundaram Clayton Ltd commences aluminium die-castings production at its new facility in Tamil Nadu, India
Sundaram Clayton Limited, part of the $6.5 billion TVS Group, has officially put its newly-commissioned aluminium die-castings facility into commercial production. The facility is located in the SIPCOT industrial area in Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, India. The plant, with an annual production capacity of 7,750 tonnes, is in its initial phase. Sundaram Clayton has announced the start of the facility and will keep updating the facility’s progress and potential capacity expansions in the future. For now, Sundaram Clayton has said in a regulatory filling, "We wish to inform that the Company has commissioned the commercial production of Aluminium Die Castings effective today situated in the industrial area of the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) in Thervoy...
China’s aluminium processing industry PMI hovers below 50% in August despite M-o-M growth
China’s comprehensive Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the aluminium processing industry witnessed an increase of 1.8 percentage point month-on-month, yet stood below the 50 per cent mark during August 2024, owing to the persistent traditional off-season in the domestic market. According to the Shanghai Metals Market survey, China’s PMI for the domestic aluminium processing industry was recorded at 43.6 per cent, with a few sectors standing as an exception above the 50 per cent mark. While the PMIs for China’s domestic construction aluminium extrusion and plate/sheet, strip and foil segment were below the 50 mark, the industrial extrusion segment and aluminium wire and cable sector witnessed PMIs of 51.97 per cent and 50.5 per cent. Although certain sectors recovered from the...
July 2024: Alumina production in Africa & Asia grows 4.5% Y-o-Y, raising its share of global output to 9.95%
In July 2024, alumina production in Africa & Asia (ex-China) recorded a month-on-month decline of 1.95 per cent, yet stood above 1.2 million tonnes, unlike in April and May when the region's alumina output was at 997,000 tonnes and 1.117 million tonnes, respectively. However, on an annual basis, the output grew by 4.49 per cent, leading to a greater contribution to the world alumina production, accounting for 9.95 per cent in July 2024 versus 9.5 per cent in July 2023. According to the International Aluminium Institute, alumina production in Africa & Asia (ex-China) during July 2024 was 1.209 million tonnes versus 1.233 million tonnes in June and 1.157 million tonnes in July 2023. The daily average production in July 2024 was 392,100 tonnes, down by 2.37 per cent from 401,600 tonnes a...
Costa Coffee partners with Podback for aluminium coffee pod recycling programme
Costa Coffee, a British coffeehouse chain with headquarters in Loudwater, Buckinghamshire, England, has reportedly entered into a partnership with Podback to trial run coffee pod recycling. Podback, a UK-based coffee pod recycling service provider, will offer recycling assistance in 142 Costa Coffee stores across the UK. During the trial, customers at Costa Coffee stores will pick up free Podback recycling bags for coffee pod collection and return them once full for recycling. Podback recycling bags will be available in all 133 Costa Coffee stores located within Tesco stores across the UK and 9 Costa Coffee stores in the Swindon area. The objective of this programme is to offer a recycling option for packaging items what cannot be easily recycled at home or kerbside. To enable consumers...
EGA, the first in UAE, implements a centralised digital GHG emissions tracking system
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) is the first company in the UAE to have implemented a digital greenhouse gas emissions tracking system. This technology will significantly accelerate the company’s decarbonisation drive, enhancing the transparency in recording GHG emissions aligned with the UAE’s National MRV Transparency System. EGA has deployed the technology following the Ministry of Climate Change & Environment mandate that companies must report greenhouse gas emissions data to track the fulfilment of their commitments towards the 2050 net-zero emissions goal. EGA’s emissions tracking technology is a centralised digital platform that will measure, report, and verify Scope 1 and 2 emissions data. As the system is a digital platform, it will completely automate the greenhouse gas...
China’s alumina spot price stands at a 3-year high; A00 aluminium ingot price sheds off RMB160/t
China’s domestic average alumina spot price has continued to increase for the third day in a row, accumulating RMB 6 per tonne on Wednesday, September 4. According to the Shanghai Metals Market, the price has settled at RMB 3,938 per tonne, marking a week-on-week jump of RMB 17 per tonne and reflecting a 3-year high. The amalgamation of limited supply and high demand in the domestic Chinese market has buoyed the alumina spot price, taking it to a 3-year high compared to RMB 3,119 per tonne on September 6, 2021. Alumina prices across provinces Among the major alumina markets, Henan province has witnessed an overnight increase of RMB 10 per tonne in alumina spot price, reaching RMB 3,925 per tonne, up by RMB 30 per tonne W-o-W. The average prices are estimated to range between RMB...
Volkswagen on cost curtail drive with plant closures amid raw material and production challenges
Volkswagen Group, a German public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of passenger and commercial vehicles, is reportedly considering closing one of its large vehicle plants and one component factory in Germany as part of the ongoing cost-cutting drive at its core VW brand. Cost curtail goal Through this cost curtail goal, Volkswagen Group aims to save €10 billion ($11.07 billion) by 2026 to save up for electric car manufacturing. Moreover, this move is much needed to streamline the production costs given higher logistics, energy, and labour value. Amid the economic upheaval impacting consumers’ purchasing power, Volkswagen Group recorded the H1 2024 brand margin falling to 2.3 per cent versus 3.8 per cent during the corresponding period of the previous year. Recently, the automaker,...
EGA updates UAE’s largest recycling plant is slated to come into operation in 2026
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the world’s leading producer of premium aluminium, updated last week that its first and the UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant would start producing hot metal in 2026. The construction of the plant, adjacent to EGA’s existing Al Taweelah smelter, officially began in November 2023 and is progressing ahead of scheduled time, said EGA while announcing the H1 2024 financial results. The recycling plant will have an annual capacity of processing 170,000 tonnes of pre and post-consumer aluminium scrap into low-carbon, high-quality aluminium billets. These primary products will be sold by EGA under the brand name RevivAL, according to the present statement by EGA. EGA believes this project will efficiently meet a substantial part of the surging global demand...
China’s alumina price accumulates RMB11/t in two days; A00 aluminium ingot price loses RMB250/t W-o-W
According to the Shanghai Metals Market survey, China’s average alumina spot price has increased for the second day in a row by RMB 5 per tonne to reach RMB 3,932 per tonne as of Tuesday, September 3. In two days, the price has accumulated RMB 11 per tonne, marking a week-on-week increase of RMB 16 per tonne from RMB 3,916 per tonne. Alumina price overview & analysis In Shandong and Henan, alumina price has increased by RMB 10 per tonne, marking the second consecutive day of rise. The prices in Shandong and Henan have amassed a total of RMB 20 per tonne in two days to settle at RMB 3,925 per tonne and RMB 3,915 per tonne on September 3. The average prices are estimated to range between RMB 3,880-3,970 per tonne and RMB 3,850-3,980 per tonne, respectively. In contrast, alumina prices in...
Vibrantz Technologies acquires Massachusetts-based speciality alumina manufacturer Micro Abrasives
Vibrantz Technologies, Inc., a leading global technology leader in colour solutions, functional coatings, and speciality minerals, announced on August 30 that it acquired Micro Abrasives Corporation, a Westfield, Massachusetts-based speciality alumina manufacturer. Micro Abrasives specialises in making calcined alumina used in the automotive refinishing, optics polishing and industrial lapping markets. The company operates two facilities, one in Westfield, Massachusetts, and the other in Alexandria, Louisiana, with over 50 employees. Established in 1957, Mirco Abrasives has developed 25 different product lines in 60 years that have applications in our everyday items like cellphones, computers, flooring, countertops, toothpaste, and automobiles, as well as in high-tech products such as...
