AlCircle News Edited By "Rupankar Majumder"
A professional with a technical background, specialising in producing insightful content centred around metals, particularly aluminium, passionately engaged in the intricacies of the recycling sector.
Bahrain’s export of Aluminium Plates, Sheets and Strips during 2018-20 reveals speedy growth with a drastic downfall
The crucial turmoil by COVID-19 and the augmented sharp fall in oil prices weighed heavily on Bahrain’s economy in 2020. Fiscal and external deficits slumped, reversing the narrowing path observed in 2019. Worldwide access to the vaccine, higher oil prices, and commitment to implement policies under the Fiscal Balance Program, particularly those about tackling budget rigidities and providing financial support to the most vulnerable, will improve the outlook. Downside risks arise from the further resurgence of COVID-19 outbreaks, volatility in hydrocarbon prices, and delays in fiscal reforms. The island nation on the Persian Gulf exported 269, 655 tonnes of aluminium plates, sheets and strips during 2018-19 and the generated foreign revenue of $881.79 million. The export for 2020 stood at...
Samsung initiates recycling program to safeguard UAE’s environment; Aluminium lists among others in maximum recovery
The South Korean born global electronics giant, Samsung electronics’ Gulf arm launched a new initiative to promote sustainability and providing customers with an opportunity to safeguard the environment. Samsung in collaboration with the world's largest electronics recycler in Dubai, Enviroserve, is now collecting mobile phones from any brand across the UAE and assuming responsibility for the recycling process as part of the “Samsung Recycling Program.” However, the participation remains quite simple, mobile and tab owners are required to remove data from their devices, visit a designated Samsung Recycling Program service location, and fill up a recycling form. Following the understanding of the statement by the device owner, they are then required to drop devices inside the collection...
Recycled aluminium weekly recap: Aluprof joins German Sustainable Building Council; US aluminium scrap imports from Canada decline 4.56% in 1Q2021; Imports in March rise 18.77%
The US aluminium scrap imports from Canada in 1Q2021 totalled 98,300 tonnes – 478.24% higher than 17,000 tonnes a year ago but 4.56% less than 103,000 tonnes a quarter ago. While in March 2021, the United States aluminium scrap imports from Mexico stood at 19,300 tonnes, indicating a month-on-month hike of 5,800 tonnes or 42.96%, found the US Geological Survey. The leading producer of aluminium systems in Europe, with branches in many European countries, Aluprof has joined the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). The United States aluminium scrap imports from Canada in 1Q2021 totalled 98,300 tonnes – 478.24 per cent higher than 17,000 tonnes a year ago but 4.56 per cent less than 103,000 tonnes a quarter ago. In March, the United States imported 34,800 tonnes of aluminium scrap...
Lion Aluminium in Ghana rewards mothers and wives of long-serving staffs
The renowned aluminium utensils and roofing sheet manufacturer in Ghana, Lion Aluminum Company has rewarded its long-serving staffs. Charles Ashka, Chairman of Lion Aluminium, said: “Those who received the products are a selected few who have shown their dedication since the start of the company.” “It’s a mother’s day so we decided to award the mothers and the wives of workers who have worked with us for over 25 years.” “So we are awarding them for being the women behind the men who have taken care of the men all this time. So it’s a mother’s day presentation,” he said. The Chairman also added: “The Company has been supporting its workers in many ways possible. We’ve taken care of them where medicals are concerned we pay their medical bills for them and their families as well. The usual...
Weekly Alumina recap: Altech Chemicals submits patent with IP Australia for alumina coating of battery materials; Alumina spot price in China further gains RMB4/t to settle at RMB2476/t
The alumina price in China performed higher this week. The price stood higher by RMB 3 per tonne to stand at RMB 2465 per tonne on Monday, May 31 2021. The price on 2 nd June and 3 rd June increased by RMB 7 per tonne and RMB 4 per tonne to RMB 2472 per tonne and RMB 2476 per tonne after remaining flat on 1 st June. On the other hand, Altech Chemicals Limited has declared its submission of a patent with IP Australia, for its invention of methods for coating anode active materials with alumina. Altech Chemicals Limited has declared its submission of a patent with IP Australia, for its invention of methods for coating anode active materials with alumina. The patent illustrates Altech's technology for alumina-containing coating. The alumina coating layer, when applied to anode materials such...
Reynaers Aluminium rolls out MasterWall, a wonder for high-rise projects
The leading European supplier of sustainable architectural aluminium solutions, Reynaers Aluminium, lately rolled out a new façade system known as MasterWall, which furnishes fast-installation, high-performance and flexible unitised solution for high-rise projects. The solution is established on the MasterLine 8 platform, designed to accommodate extreme building tolerances, of up to 1.5 inches of floor slab deflection. MasterLine 8 is a distinctive window system that is asserted to blend diverse design opportunities with first-in-class performance in terms of thermal insulation, air- and water-tightness and production speed. Ali Khalaf, Managing Director, Reynaers Middle East, said: “MasterWall is designed to merge extreme building tolerances with highly accurate aluminium joinery...
Malaysia’s import restrictions on metal scrap may lose out recycling investments: Industry Association
On 4th May 2021, the officials of the Industry Association stated Malaysia’s proposal for restrictions on imports of scrap metal like aluminium among others might lose out to its neighbouring nations on the highly desired investment in the recycling sector. Lately, Malaysia has cropped up as a scrap metal centre, importing aluminium and copper waste from countries like the United States and European region for processing into a form and will be absorbed by China, the global highest metal consumer. Presently, China permits only very high-grade scrap to enter, due to environmental reasons. Malaysia being cautious of becoming the waste dumping yard of Asia has taken the same path and this year proposing further stricter guidelines on imports. Eric Tan, President of the Malaysia Non-ferrous...
Weekly Downstream recap: HAI reveals €38 million investment for extrusion facility expansion at Ranshofen; Hydro completes the sale of its aluminium rolling business to KPS Capital Partners
The global aluminium downstream sector remained quite strenuous this week, Hammerer Aluminium revealed its €38 million investment towards the expansion of Ranshofen extrusion unit. Hydro accomplished the sale of its aluminium rolling business to American investment company KPS Partners. The leading Austrian manufacturer of premium quality aluminium, AMAG shipped the first ASI certified sustainable aluminium to the Audi plant in Neckarsulm. While the most valuable news remains the EU’s leaked draft, which reveals to introduce so-called carbon import tariffs on aluminium as a part of the initiative fight against climate change. The decline in operating rates of primary and secondary aluminium alloy enterprises last week pulled down the operating rates of major aluminium processors by 0.6...
Fight against climate change, EU plans CO2 import tariffs on aluminium among others
The EU Commission’s draft proposal which is now available to a global media agency reveals that the European Union will introduce so-called carbon import tariffs on aluminium among other commodities as a part of the initiative fight against climate change. This is purposeful in regards to safeguard European companies from CO2 -intensive cheap imports. The full effect of the taxes could initiate from 2026. Since the community has set itself more aggressive climate targets that make production more expensive, imports from countries without such conditions are to be subject to CO₂ border tariffs. The exporters from these countries would then have to buy CO₂ certificates, for example, that corresponds to the number of greenhouse gases emitted for their product. Their price should be based on...
South Korea’s import of aluminium wire during 2019-20 manifests marginal decline; 2021 predicts further drop with a surge in expenditure
South Korea remains the fourth largest economy in Asia and its growth is driven by exports of chips and electronics and a rise in investments. The governor of the Bank of Korea, Lee Ju-yeol said earlier in April that ‘mid-3%’ growth was very possible this year, up from a previous forecast for 3% growth in 2021. The East Asian nation’s import of aluminium wires during 2019-20 was recorded at 20,783 tonnes and the expenditure accounted for the import was $79.85 million. In 2019, South Korea’s import of aluminium wires was registered at 10,503 tonnes and the expenditure occurred was $33.23 million, whereas, in 2020, the import manifested a marginal decline by 2.12%, as the import volume dropped to 10,280 tonnes, while the expenditure grew to $46.62 million. South Korea’s import of aluminium...
Road to $5 trillion economy, India’s untapped bauxite reserves to play a vital role
The metal aluminium stands as a crucial role player for all the major sectors that will shoulder the Indian economy to reach the goal of $5 trillion. The mammoth mineral resources and their exploitation have always remained as the backbone of the Indian metal sector including downstream production. In addition, to fulfil the surge in demand for these commodities, the mineral sector remarkably stands as a vital contributor to the national economy and also delivers job to more than five crore people attached to direct and indirect employment status. However, if strategically nurtured, the contribution of the mineral sector to the nation’s GDP can be boosted from the current 1.75% to 6%-8%, while the government has envisioned 2.5%. The Govt. of India’s $5 trillion aspiring growth plan...
GE Digital Smelter: Software to boost digital transformation of the Middle-East aluminium industry
The provider of software and IIoT services to industrial companies, GE Digital has announced the accessibility of its latest Process Analytics solution, the Digital Smelter. GE Digital said: “The software creates a Digital Twin of the aluminium smelting process to deliver insights and prescriptive guidance to safely maximise production, reduce raw material costs, and optimise energy consumption.” The technology boosts the digital transformation strategy of aluminium smelters in the Middle East region, which holds 8% of aluminium production globally. The new Digital Smelter can encourage the region’s aluminium industry to secure higher levels of productivity as well as preventive insights to enhance the uptime of the plants. The solution also strengthens GE Digital’s position in the metals...
Latvia’s import of aluminium tubes and pipes during 2018-20 denotes speedy growth with a sharp drop
The Ministry of Finance, Latvia has revealed in their latest financial positions the measures the country will initiate to recover from the damage wreaked by Covid-19 during coming years. The forecast is based on the Covid-19 vaccination plan, which foresees that 70% of the Latvian population will have been vaccinated by the end of this summer; therefore a rebound of the disease in autumn 2021 is not expected, or if vaccination targets fail to be met, there would be an obvious downside risk to forecasts. The Ministry has developed macroeconomic indicator forecasts for the period up to 2024. According to the updated forecasts, Latvia's gross domestic product (GDP) growth will reach 3.0% in 2021, accelerating to 4.5% growth in 2022. The nation located in the Baltic Baltic region of Northern...
Altech Chemicals submits patent with IP Australia for alumina coating of battery materials
The company on a track to become one of the world's leading suppliers of 99.99% (4N) high purity alumina (Al2O3), Altech Chemicals Limited has declared its submission of a patent with IP Australia, for its invention of methods for coating anode active materials with alumina. The patent illustrates Altech's technology for alumina-containing coating. The alumina coating layer, when applied to anode materials such as graphite and silicon would serve as an artificial solid electrolyte interface (SEI), which is expected to reduce lithium-ion losses during each charge and discharge cycle of a rechargeable lithium-ion battery (e.g. as used in electric vehicles), and also retard degradation of battery capacity. Altech made public on 12th September’20 that as an outcome of its ground-breaking...
Amapola project eyes marketable polymer-based aluminium-sulphur battery for vehicles and aircrafts
Amapola project, which is funded by the EU with two million euros and is scheduled to run until 30th September 2022 eyeing on a marketable polymer-based Al-S battery has declared it will be emerging with an aluminium-sulphur battery for vehicles and aircraft. The intent is to develop an Al-S cell that carries out very high energy density values (660 Wh/l or 400 Wh/kg) and uses the benefits of innovative polymer gel electrolytes. The project is governed by a consortium coordinated by the Hempol Group and incorporates the British universities of Leicester and Southampton, Graz University of Technology, the Technical University of Denmark and the battery company Varta Microinnovation. The Amapola project is constructed on the prototype project Salbage which concluded at the end of 2020....
Sweden’s export of aluminium container during 2018-20 reflects express growth
The Swedish per capita gross national product (GNP) is among the highest in the world, but so are its taxes. The economy of Sweden is a developed export-oriented economy. As reported by Bloomberg, the country’s economy returned to its pre-pandemic level in the first quarter as the recovery in the largest Nordic economy is outpacing most of its wealthy peers. The Scandinavian nation’s export of aluminium containers during 2018-19 recorded at 79 tonnes and the earnings generated from the export was $1.26 million. The export for 2020 reflected a big jump to 157 tonnes and the earnings remained at $1.18 million. However, when the import volume and earnings of 2020 get added with the existing two years, it signifies 236 tonnes and $2.44 million respectively. Sweden’s export of aluminium...
Guinea: First railway link commissions between Dapilon-Santou, milestone development for bauxite mining activities
The Franco-Guinean bauxite tycoon Fadi Wazni chaired SMB-Winning Consortium has been building a railway track for more than 2 years to be used for the exploitation of its mining activities. On 25th May 2021, the first rail link which connects the mining area of Santou to the new river port of Dapilon was carried out, as a curtain-raiser to the official commissioning of this line, announced for 16th June 2021. The 125 km long traditional gauge railway which will be dedicated to the transport of bauxite from Santou (in the Kindia region in north-western Guinea) to the international market via the port of Dapilon, should be subsequently integrated into the Guinean rail network. The construction works initiated in March 2019 and was carried out by the 18th Bureau and 14th Bureau subsidiaries...
HAI reveals €38 million investment for extrusion facility expansion at Ranshofen
The supplier of high-quality aluminium, Hammerer Aluminium Industries (HAI) reveals an investment volume of € 38 million towards the expansion of the extrusion facility in Ranshofen. HAI intends to root the investment by executing the operation of the 60 MN extrusion press at its facility at Ranshofen, Upper Austria. The aluminium specialist Hammerer Aluminium Industries (HAI) delivers a strong signal for the Ranshofen site and thus intensifies its pioneering role regarding sustainability and technology. The €38 million are invested in expanding the capacity of the extrusion site in Ranshofen. However, 80 % of this investment sum is assigned to contractors in Austria and Germany. HAI’s investment in a highly automated 6,000 tonnes (60 MN) extrusion press as well as upstream and downstream...
