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.
Metso Outotec secures contracts from Nalco to supply two flash evaporation plants for the Alumina refinery
Metso Outotec, the frontrunner in sustainable technologies, end-to-end solutions and services for the minerals processing, aggregates and metals refining industries globally has been awarded a contract for the engineering and delivery of two 170 t/h Bayer process flash evaporation plants to the National Aluminium Company’s (Nalco) Damanjodi Alumina Refinery in Odisha, India. The value of the order is approximately $15.7 million and it has been booked in the Metals segment’s orders received in Q1 / 2021. Dr Alessio Scarsella, Director, Light Metals, Metso Outotec pointed: “We are excited for Nalco having chosen us as the supplier for the two energy-efficient flash evaporation plants complementing our market position in the Bauxite and Alumina sector.” “Previously, we have delivered three...
India: The Aluminium industry seeks for at least a 5% RoDTEP rate to foster exports
The Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India declared the implementation of the RoDTEP Scheme and extending the benefit to all export goods w.e.f 1 st April 2021. The announcement is considered a huge relief for exporters post-withdrawal of the MEIS and will deliver a much-needed push to boost Indian exports. Although, the undecided of notifying the sector-wise remission rates under the RoDTEP Scheme is framing a precarious situation and uncertainty for Indian exporters due to uncertainty in regards to the pricing of goods and thereby affecting Indian exports. The 2021-22 Indian Union Budget has kept a provision of INR 13,000 crore for RoDTEP, which has been exceptionally curtailed from INR 50,000 allocation for the RoDTEP Scheme when initially it was announced in September 2019 by the Finance...
France import of Aluminium containers for Compressed Gas during 2018-20 bespeaks steady growth
France has been sorely affected by the global pandemic, both in terms of health and economic impact. The vital priority for the country remains saving lives while minimizing the economic costs of the pandemic. The pandemic and lockdown measures caused the deepest post-war recession and continue to cloud the outlook. The Western European nation’s import of aluminium containers for compressed gas during 2018-19 has been recorded at 2648 tonnes and the expenditure that occurred for the import stood at $23.85 million. The import for 2020 remained at 1752 tonnes and the revenue expenditure captured was $12.91 million. However, when the import volume and expenditure for 2020 gets assorted with the existing two years, it resembles 4400 tonnes and $36.76 million respectively. France import of...
Latem Aluminum injects €238 million in León and Zamora plants, creates 660 jobs
The Spanish company Latem Aluminum has disclosed that it will invest €238 million in the Villandagos Del Páramo (León) and Villabrázaro (Zamora) plants and the outcome of it will create 660 direct jobs. The Minister of Employment and Industry of the Junta de Castilla y León, Ana Carlota Amigo said: “priority industrial project ". Macario Fernández, Executive President of Latem Aluminum, explained in a telematics press conference together with the Minister of Employment and Industry, Ana Carlota Amigo: “The company is dedicated to producing green aluminium from scrap, which already has a plant in Villadangos del Páramo, where it will invest €100 million.” In the Villabrázaro industrial estate, the production will commence during the H2 2023 and has an area of 300,000 square meters, while...
Sanjeev Gupta’s Alvance Aluminium counts additional live sessions for consultation of smelter expansion
Sanjeev Gupta’s Alvance Aluminium, a subsidiary of GFG Alliance is going to hold two extra live sessions in regards to the consultation on plans for a new £94 million recycling and aluminium billet plant at its Lochaber smelter in Fort William. Until 15 th March 2021, the public consultation will be running and following the first live consultation event last week, Alvance will host two further online sessions from 10.30-11.30am on 9 th March and from 4-5 pm on 11 th March 2021. The project team members will be on hand to answer any questions through a live chat function. Brian King, Chairman, Alvance British Aluminium, said: “We are encouraged by the response so far but also conscious that the current pandemic restrictions and the requirement to conduct the consultation virtually present...
Plastic Free Port Stephens introduces Aluminium water bottles to reduce environmental footprint
Plastic Free Port Stephens has developed a product that will help to lessen landfill. In the times when we forget a reusable water bottle, Plastic Free Port Stephens have grouped up with Bluesky Beverages to develop Port Stephens Plastic Free Water. Alicia Cameron, Founder of Plastic Free Port Stephens, said: “The bottles are reusable and recyclable and they can go in the dishwasher.” The Port Stephens Plastic Free Water Bottles feature a stunning image of Tomaree Headland and future production runs are set to also highlight the Incredible by Nature tourism campaign which promotes Port Stephens. These innovative fundraisers may prove to become tomorrow’s collectables all while helping the environment. “Far more aluminium cans are recycled than plastics at the moment.” The Port Stephens...
Mexico’s export of Aluminium cans showcases strong potentiality during 2018-20, earnings cross $1 billion
Mexico ranks as the world's 15 largest economies and is the second-largest economy in Latin America. The country is highly dependent on the United States, its largest trading partner and destination of nearly 80% of its exports. In its most recent January 2021 update of the World Economic Outlook, the IMF has revised its GDP growth projections for Mexico to 4.3% in 2021 and 2.5% in 2022. The Latin American nation’s export of aluminium cans during 2018-19 remained at 6.38 million tonnes and the earnings recorded for the export stood at $572.40 million. The export for 2020 was spotted at 10.60 million tonnes and the revenue generated stood at $728.28 million. However, when the export volume and earnings of 2020 get assorted with the existing two years, it showcases 16.98 million tonnes and...
Guinea ranks No.3 at African jurisdiction in mining policies for 2020, says Fraser Institute
The world’s largest bauxite exporting nation, Guinea has made an astonishing entry in the 2019 Fraser Institute ranking, crowing first in the world in terms of mining potential. Notwithstanding, the poor discernment of its mining policies obstructed the country from appearing in the top 10, in terms of overall attractiveness. According to the Fraser Institute, the top think-tank in Canada and which now ranks in the top 15 among all think-tanks worldwide pointed that Guinea ranks as the 43 rd most attractive jurisdiction globally in 2020, while the West African nation was at 20 th place in 2019. If this position marks a relapse to the country that was both continental leader and 1 st in the world in terms of mineral potential, it must be stressed that the first African producer of bauxite...
ATO slaps huge bill in a latest tax dispute with Rio Tinto
Global mining and metal giant Rio Tinto has been slapped with a $406.5 million bill as part of its latest dispute with the Australian Taxation Office. Jakob Stausholm, the new CEO of Rio Tinto was in Melbourne lately, as the mining company is trying to remodel its reputation in the wake of the Juukan Gorge caves incident last May and now the new ATO row is another blow. With totalling almost $939 million, Rio and the ATO are now in dispute on three matters. While in the latest row, the ATO has issued the mining giant with amended assessments of $359.4 million in primary tax and $47.1 million in interest over money paid by its Australian entity to its United Kingdom entity. The assessments relate to the denial of interest deductions on an isolated borrowing used to pay an intra-group...
Ampal, Loewy Institute accomplish Phase 1 project to optimize Aluminium powder for Additive Manufacturing
The USA based Ampal, Inc., a fully-owned subsidiary of U.S. Metal Powders, Inc. and Lehigh University’s Loewy Institute in Pennsylvania, USA, has accomplished the Phase 1 Ben Franklin project on the ‘Optimization of Aluminum Alloy AA6061 powder for Selective Laser Melting Process’. U.S. Metal Powders, Inc. has been supplying aluminium alloy powders produced by air and inert gas atomization to the additive manufacturing industry for several years. The demand for aluminium alloys has been on the rise and AA6061 (Al-Mg-Si) is one of the most sought after alloy systems in the AM industry, with applications in several industries including the automotive and aerospace sectors. However, the production of sound parts using AA6061 alloy powder in Selective Laser Melting has been challenging due to...
Bosnia Herzegovina’s import of Aluminium Tubes and Pipes during 2018-20 illustrates an uneven movement
Bosnia and Herzegovina's gross domestic product to grow by 2.8% in 2021, which is 0.6% points below, as predicted by the World Bank in June’20. Bosnia's economy sunk by an estimated 4% in 2020, more than the 3.2% fall in GDP forecast in June, the World Bank said in its January 2021 Global Economic Prospects report. The nation at Balkan Peninsula in south-eastern Europe recorded 2088 tonnes of aluminium tubes and pipes import during 2018-19 and the revenue expended for the import remained at $6.88 million. The import for 2020 stood at 533 tonnes and the expenditure occurred for the import noted at $3.67 million. However, when the import & expenditure for 2020 gets assorted by the existing two years, it signifies 2621 tonnes and $10.55 million respectively. Bosnia and Herzegovina's import...
CBG paid $471 million in taxes during 2015-19, says Ministry of mines
One of the world's largest exporters of metallurgical bauxite, operating mines located in the northwest of the Republic of Guinea, Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG) has paid a total of $471 million during 2015 and 2019, as reported by the senior officials from the Ministry of Mines and Geology. Following the efficient mechanism for several years, in 2019, CBG paid every month, one-twelfth of the total amount of taxes budgeted and fixed in advance. Indeed, at the end of the year, this amount is often different from the overall amount achieved and which is the only one to be taken into account in the reconciliations carried out to consolidate the figures. Hence, over the past five years - the 2020 figures are being reconciled - the company paid $149 million in 2015; $108 million in...
Hydro to implement blockchain-powered service developed by DNV GL “Tag. Trace. Trust.”
The Norwegian Aluminium company, Hydro and the international accredited registrar and classification society, DNV GL headquartered in Høvik, Norway are initiating a blockchain pilot to document product representations for Hydro CIRCAL and Hydro REDUXA. Bjørn Kjetil Mauritzen, Head of Sustainability, Hydro, said: “We see that our customers and their customers request trusted information documenting the footprint from our materials and production. The aim of the pilot is to test a platform that supports manufacturers and brands to back their sustainability claims with verified data. This will allow them to trace the metal from the factory gates until it reaches the customer.” The emphasis on more sustainable products, standards and operations has increased dramatically in recent years....
Indian Railway: The anti-corrosive Zinc-Aluminium metallizing alloy on tracks to start its journey soon
The world's fourth-largest railway network by size, the Indian railway, has its first application of anti-corrosive zinc-aluminium metallizing alloy on the tracks to improve its service life and secure safety is expected to begin soon in the Nagpur, Maharashtra division of the Central railway. Following the approval by the research, designs and standard organization (RDSO) based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, the alloy is being produced and applied at the Warora flash butt welding plant at Chandrapur. Built with 85:15 ratios, the newly-developed denser and more ductile zinc-aluminium metallizing alloy would outperform the earlier only zinc-based anti-corrosive coating on the web and foot of the rails. As per the feasibility studies, the newly-developed alloy is being considered highly...
RUSAL bags RUB 45 billion loans for Taishet Aluminium smelter project completion
RUSAL has made public that it has inked and started the drawdown of a syndicated loan agreement for RUB 45 billion with VTB and Gazprombank. The funds raised will be used to finance capital expenditure towards the completion of the first start-up complex of the Taishet aluminium smelter (TaAZ). Following the success of the first Russian sustainability-linked syndicated pre-export finance facility for $1 billion as part of the loan agreement, VTB will provide RUB 30 billion, whilst Gazprombank will provide RUB 15 billion. The tenure of financing is up to 15 years. The funds raised will be supported to finance the completion of the start-up phase of the TaAZ smelter and partial refinancing of investments made in 2020. Oleg Mukhamedshin, RUSAL’s Director of Strategy, Business Development and...
Alumina Ltd., GFG Alliance expected to follow Green Aluminium path at San Ciprián
The workers of San Ciprián Aluminium smelter has unlocked the door followed by the meeting with Alcoa authorities in a possibility that the negotiations between the American multinational and the State, through the Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales ( SEPI ), reach an agreement for the sale of San Ciprián Aluminium plant before 30 th April 2021. The works council is clear that once SEPI has the ownership of the San Ciprián smelter, it will proceed to transfer it to the GFG Alliance conglomerate. A three-way operation in which, if no other move is made, the Pittsburgh giant will retain ownership of the alumina factory, whose shareholding shares with Australia's Alumina Limited, and the British group will end up acquiring the primary aluminium plant. However, with the on-going...
Zambia’s import of Aluminium wire during 2018-19 exhibits uniform; 2020 records robust growth
In 2019, Zambia’s real GDP growth decelerated to an estimated 2%, which was down from 4.0% in 2018. The economy was hit by drought in the south and west that lowered 2018/19 agricultural production and hydropower electricity generation considerably. Severe electricity rationing followed, and long periods of electricity load shedding dampened activity in almost all economic sectors. Zambia also faces slower mining, with reduced output and lower copper prices. Economic activity is expected to remain weak, with growth rebounding moderately to 2.4% in 2020 and 2.9% in 2021. The landlocked nation at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa has recorded 1548 tonnes of aluminium wire import during 2018-19. The import for 2020 stood at 1258 tonnes. However, when the import volume of...
Inalum budgets a CAPEX of $ 318 million for 2021; eyes to sell aluminium in domestic market
The Indonesian state-owned company specialized in aluminium smelting, PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium, colloquially known as Inalum has budgeted a capital expenditure of $ 318 million for 2021. The investment will be major to finance several downstream projects and increase aluminium production capacity. Oggy Achmad Kosasih, Managing Director, PT Inalum (Persero) accented: “The CAPEX of $ 318 million was used for Inalum as operating capital, not on a consolidated holding basis (MIND ID). This year's Capex is also a continuation of the CAPEX that was not absorbed last year.” "In 2020 several work contracts that have been agreed upon cannot be executed due to limitations in entry and exit between regions and between countries due to the Covid-19 pandemic. So that the realization of the CAPEX...
