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.
France export of aluminium containers during 2018-20 showcase volatility
In the mid of March 2021, the Bank of France stated, that the economy of France is crumbling the COVID-19 pandemic, while the government is putting the restrictions better than the previous forecast, driving it on a path for better growth in 2021. The western European nation recorded an export of 673 tonnes of aluminium containers during 2018-19 and the revenue generated from the export raised to $5.53 million. The export for 2020 stood at 287 tonnes and earnings remained at $3.60 million. However, when the export volume and earnings of 2020 get assembled with the previous two years, it displays 960 tonnes and $9.13 million respectively. France export of aluminium containers in 2018 was registered at 295 tonnes and the revenue generation accounted for $3 million, whereas, in 2019, the...
Shelf-edge technology firm Aerofoil Energy bags Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation
The developer of the energy-saving aerofoil shelf strips, Aerofoil Energy, has been awarded Queen’s Award for Innovation in Enterprise, as it gets shelf-edge technology installed on open-fronted multi-deck supermarket fridges. The UK supermarkets industry comprising Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Scotmid Co-op, Waitrose, WH Smith, and M&S has widely secured the Aerofoil product. It is evaluated since 2016, Aerofoil has conserved the sector around £100m in energy costs and already evaded some 150 thousand tonnes of CO2 emissions. Paul McAndrew, CEO, Aerofoil Energy said: “We are honoured to have been recognized by Her Majesty with this award for our energy-saving technology and commercial success. Open-fronted supermarket fridges are a great way to display food and make it easy for customers to...
Qamco posts net profit of QR124 million for Q1 2021, a rise of over 1000%
On 28 th April 2021, Qatar Aluminium Manufacturing Company (Qamco) posted a net profit of QR124 million for the first quarter (Q1 2021). This is considered as a record increase ever in the history of organization for quarterly performance as it crossed over 1000% compared to QR11 million Y-o-Y. Earnings per share (EPS) rose at QR0.022 compared to QR0.002 for Q1 2020. Qamco’s enhanced financial result during the period was driven by growth in global aluminium prices on the back of improved macroeconomic dynamics. The overall growth in average realized selling prices increased by 15% in the first quarter against the same period in 2020 which contributed QR83 million positively to the net profits in Q1 2021 compared to the same period last year. QAMCO, a 50% shareholder in Qatalum also...
RUSAL appoints Roman Andryushin as Deputy CEO for sales in Russia, the CIS and China; Steve Hodgson returns as Director of Sales and Marketing
On 29th April 2021, RUSAL announced that it had appointed Roman Andryushin as Deputy CEO of sales in Russia, the CIS and China. The Company is also gratified to see the return of Steve Hodgson as Director of Sales and Marketing. The dual appointments are an indication of the Company’s refreshed and innovative growth plans. Roman Andryushin in his new role will be shouldering the responsibility for developing one of the strategic sales areas – the domestic market, introducing new innovative products manufactured by RUSAL, as well as managing export sales to China and interacting with RUSAL's key traders. This appointment will strengthen the Company's presence in these markets and will deliver fresh input to the development of RUSAL's sales process. Since 2000, Roman Andryushin has been...
Austria: Multi-million dollar aluminium structures import market exhibits gradual downfall during 2019-20; estimated 0.70% drop in 2021
The economy of Austria is counted as one of the most stable in Europe, as the country anticipates a very strong network of export-focused SMEs, excellent academic standards and significant spending for research and development. The COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures have strongly affected the Austrian economy. It countered an economic setback, registering a negative growth of -6.6% in 2020. According to the IMF's updated April 2021 forecast, GDP growth is expected to rebound to 3.5% in 2021 and 4% in 2022, subject to the post-pandemic global economic recovery. The landlocked East Alpine nation in the southern part of Central Europe registered 145,205 tonnes of aluminium structures importation during 2019-20 and the revenue expended for the import stood at $747.33....
WAP company workers protest over renewal of union office in Guinea, bauxite transportation halts
On 28 th April 2021, at the Dapilon bauxite mining site in Boke tension rose high, as the workers from the WAP company blocked the road to the mining port, halting the transport of bauxite. As per our report, the workers' primary demand in particular is the renewal of their union office whose mandate has expired. Following their demonstration in the previous week, workers from the mining company WAP made their voices heard again on 28 th April. They stormed the Dapilon mining road, blocking access to the site and preventing any bauxite transport activity. The demonstrators demanded: “Renewal of our union office whose mandate has expired and the improvement of their working conditions.” The workers are astute to have a new union office before the commencement of rail transport which many...
US Commerce Department uncovers four countries sold aluminium foil at unfairly low prices
On 28 th April 2021, the U.S. Department of Commerce declared its preliminary determinations has uncovered imports of aluminium foil from four countries are being sold at less than fair value (or “dumped”) in the United States. Subsequently, the department will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) to require U.S. importers of certain aluminium foil from Armenia, Brazil, Oman, and Russia to deposit estimated antidumping duties at the time of importation. Tom Dobbins, President and CEO of the Aluminum Association, said: “We are grateful for today’s decisions by the Commerce Department demonstrating Secretary Gina Raimondo’s and the Joe Biden administration’s commitment to addressing unfair trade.” “Unfortunately, we are all too familiar with foreign producers pouring imports...
GMG, University of Queensland collaborates to manufacture graphene aluminium-ion batteries
The clean-technology company, Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG), which has developed and proved its proprietary production process to manufacture Graphene powder from readily available low-cost feedstock, manifested a research agreement with the University of Queensland’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) for the manufacture of graphene aluminium-ion batteries. The prototypes of the commercial battery will be developed for watches, phones, laptops, electric vehicles, and grid storage. GMG has also set foot into a license agreement with Uni Quest, the University of Queensland’s commercialization company, for exclusive license of the battery cathode technology. AIBN Professors Michael Yu, Dr. Xiaodan Huang, and postdoctoral student Yueqi Kong’s technology...
2020: UK’s aluminium beverage can recycling records all-time high of 82%
According to the data published by Environment Agency (EA) earlier this month, reveals that aluminium beverage can recycle recorded all-time highest ever rate in 2020 – an impressive 82%. This represents a Y-o-Y rise of 6% in a market that saw significant growth. As the COVID-19 pandemic leading to a significant growth in at-home consumption, which resulted in more aluminium packaging was collected and recycled than any year on record. PRNs were issued for a total of 151,515 tonnes, an increase of 31% compared to 2019 figures (115,808 tonnes). Breaking down these figures, 106,047 tonnes of separately collected aluminium packaging was recorded in 2020 (compared to 89,543 in 2019), while the volume recovered from incinerator bottom ash (IBA) increased from 26,265 (2019) to 45,468 (2020)....
Zimbabwe’s import of aluminium cans during 2019-20 reveals enterprising growth; 2021 projected with marginal rise, while expenditure to surge
The economy of Zimbabwe rooted in recession already before the COVID-19 pandemic and exhibited with 6% shrink in 2019. Output dropped due to economic uncertainty and the withdrawal of subsidies on maize meal, fuel and electricity prices, while the other factors were suppressing foreign exchange earnings and excessive currency printing. The genesis of the COVID–19 pandemic and continued drought led to a 10% contraction in real GDP in 2020. Inflation soared, averaging 622.8% in 2020, up from 226.9% in 2019. Adequate economic recovery is predicted in 2021, only if effective measures are taken to stabilize foreign exchange and avoid excessive money creation, but the outlook remains gloomy by several factors. The landlocked nation in the southern African region recorded the importation of 3557...
Rio Tinto’s Tiwai aluminium smelter to curtail its electricity consumption, shortfall of rain mounts pressure on hydro generation
Rio Tinto owned Tiwai Point Aluminium smelter consumes around 13% of New Zealand’s electricity produced, however, it has now outreached an agreement with Meridian Energy to curtail its usage by up to 30.5 megawatts per hour (MWh) until the end of May 2021. Tiwai aluminium smelter has a supply contract with 100% renewable energy supplier, Meridian Energy New Zealand to deliver with cheap power until 2024. According to data from the energy consultancy firm Energy Link, this decision has come into force, as hydro storage levels had dropped by a third last year, and are sitting around their lowest point in 25 years at 1840 gigawatts per hour. The wholesale power prices have surged nearly eight-fold in the recent weeks, as the dry weather crops up with lack of rain causing the plunge in hydro...
China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association appoints ‘Fan Shunke’ as its new aluminium head
On 27 th April 2021, a spokeswoman of the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNIA) said that Fan Shunke is appointed as the new head of aluminium, succeeding the retirement of the long-serving Wen Xianjun a few days earlier. A deputy secretary of the party committee at the CNIA, Fan Shunke has taken charge of the light metal department, the spokeswoman added. The 57-year-old Fan, with an engineering background, has worked at the CNIA in various senior roles for almost 10 years and has also held positions at a research institute. Fan Shunke has owned the new role at a time when China stands as the world’s largest aluminium producer and consumer and is expanding with a record amount of the metal used in everything from cans to cars while straining to low the emissions from the...
Former economy minister of Montenegro detained over Podgorica Aluminum Plant guarantees
On 26 th April 2021, the Montenegrin police detained former Economy Minister Branko Vujovic for damaging the state budget to service guarantees given for the failed Podgorica Aluminum Plant, KAP, in 2009. As per our report, the State Prosecutor interrogated Vujovic and former government officials Damir Rasketic and Refik Bojadzic on suspicion of misuse of office. Nikola Martinovic, the Lawyer, informed: “The former officials denied those accusations. The State Prosecutor decided to declare this case an official secret, which is why we cannot disclose more information.” From 2009 to 2013, Vujovic was Economy Minister, a phase when the government inked a contract of guarantees with Hungarian OTP bank and Deutsche Bank to support 135 million euros in loans to KAP. The Montenegrin government...
Oman’s import of aluminium bar rods and profiles during 2018-19 displays steady growth; 2020 records a drastic downswing
Oman’s economy countered a double shock in 2020, the covid-19 pandemic and the drop in oil prices. IMF projected that the country’s non-oil gross domestic product will grow by 1.5% in 2021 and could improve to 4% by 2026 if fiscal measures are successfully carried out. The oldest independent state in the Arab world registered an import volume of 25,863 tonnes of aluminium bar rods and profiles and the foreign revenue expended for the import was $75.52 million. The import for 2020 stood at 721 tonnes only and the expenditure remained at $2.57 million. However, when the import volume and expenditure of 2020 get footed with the existing two years, it displays 26,584 tonnes and $78.09 million respectively. Oman’s import of aluminium bar rods and profiles in 2018 was documented at 12,455...
70 years old MBF Aluminium foundry rescued for a limited time, the region collectively votes for aid of €500,000
On 26 th April 2021, located in the eastern region of France, Burgundy-Franche-Comté’s Regional Council held an unprecedented standing committee meet, organized over videoconferencing, where the exclusive resolution of this committee was to extend rescue aid for the MBF Aluminium in Saint-Claude. The 70 years old foundry, MBF in Haut-Jura is now confronting a plunge in production due to the shrink in the heat engine market and the Covid-19 pandemic, which is hitting hard on the automotive sector. The current owner’s financial and administrative management has steered to the drying up of the organization’s treasury and now it is being placed in compulsory liquidation on 27 th April 2021 by the commercial court. The situation is gloomy, as the future of the 284 employees hangs on the...
RUSAL begins mining at a new quarry in the Komi Republic with reserves of over 14 million tonnes of bauxite
The global leader in bauxite production, RUSAL, commences mining at a new quarry at the Vezhayu-Vorykvinskoye deposit in the Komi Republic, with reserves of over 14 million tonnes of bauxite. The new open-pit No. 4 will be the largest at the Sredne-Timansky bauxite mine. Mining capital works (the preparation works) lasted three years, during which the miners of Timan Bauxite successfully confronted with a significant volume of stripping operations which amounted to 19.5 million cubic meters. Furthermore, treatment facilities were developed and put into operation, and the requisite mining equipment and machinery were purchased. There were noteworthy investments made in the mining capital works at the Vezhayu-Vorykvinskoye deposit amounting to almost 2.5 billion rubles, the purchase of new...
EGA initiates Al Taweelah aluminium smelter’s first section of expansion
On 26 th April 2021, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) announced the activation of the first section of an expansion to the company’s Al Taweelah smelter. The ramp-up of the 26 new reduction cells at potline 1 at Al Taweelah will be followed to produce some 30,000 tonnes of aluminium per year. The company stated: “In total EGA is building 66 new reduction cells to extend all three potlines at Al Taweelah. The project will increase production capacity at Al Taweelah by some 78,000 tonnes of hot metal per year. The start-up of the extension to potline 2 and then potline 3 will take place later this year.” Despite the Covid-19 challenges, overall project accomplishment stands at 70% on schedule. Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO, EGA, said: “This project to expand our production at Al Taweelah is...
€2 million loans guaranteed by the State to Sanjeev Gupta’s Alvance wheels plant
On 25 th April 2021, Marc Fesneau, serving as Minister Delegate for Relations with Parliament and Citizen Participation, met the union representatives from Alvance Wheels (CFDT, CFE CGC, UNSA), in the process of judicial liquidation. The State of France had undertaken to stand beside the employees of rattled businessman Sanjeev Gupta’s aluminium wheel plant in Diors for three months so that a solution can be worked out. Minister Marc Fesneau delivered the details of the measures taken: “It is a loan guaranteed by the State so that the structure can operate until the period of the first observation which is in June. Therefore, approximately two million euros will be allocated by the State to ensure the cash flow. It is an emergency loan that makes it possible to preserve the essential, the...
