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.
Belarus import of Aluminium Bar Rods and Profiles during 2018-20 unfolds steady rise
The economy of Belarus was already grappling to power growth before both the corona pandemic and the political protests following the August’20 presidential election. As forecasted, the GDP is supposed to grow by just 2% in 2021 amid country-wide protests and Belarus's isolation on the international stage. Belarus will require further financial support from Russia to maintain macroeconomic and financial stability. The Eastern European nation’s import of aluminium bar rods and profiles during 2018-19 was recorded at 23, 160 tonnes and the expenditure occurred for the import stood at $93.71 million. The import for 2020 remained at 14,887 tonnes and the expenditure accounted for $92.23 million. However, when the import volume and expenditure for 2020 gets totalized, it reveals 38,047 tonnes...
Amid COVID-19 economic crisis, ALVANCE Aluminium Duffel continues to support the lightweight vehicles industry
The COVID-19 pandemic is still restraining certain sectors of the economy and as a result, the Brussels motor show is not taking place, but ALVANCE Aluminium is pursuing to work on innovation and development of aluminium supply for the industry. The demand for lighter vehicles, vehicles with reduced emissions and fuel consumption, electric and autonomous driving vehicles is a trend that ALVANCE is closely monitoring to support its customers in this evolution. Belgium based ALVANCE Aluminium Duffel, previously owned by Aleris, has over 30 years’ experience in the use of aluminium in the automotive sector and supplies major car manufacturers and suppliers around the world. This factory can continue to invest in innovation and automation to deliver an even better, more tailored product, as...
Rio Tinto launches START, a ‘nutrition label’ for responsible aluminium
Rio Tinto, an industry leader in responsible aluminium production is positioning a new standard in transparency and traceability for the aluminium industry with the roll-out of START, a ‘nutrition label’ for responsible aluminium. START will help customers meet the demand from consumers for transparency on where and how the products they purchase are made. It focuses to empower end-users to make informed choices about the products they buy, enabling them to contribute to a sustainable future and to differentiate between end products based on their environmental, social and governance credentials. Customers will receive a digital sustainability label, which is similar to a nutrition label found on food and drink packaging – using secure blockchain technology. It will provide key...
Aluminium die-casting auto components firm ‘Endurance Technologies’ kicks-off production at new plant in Tamil Nadu, India
On 2 nd February 2021, the leading auto components manufacturer, Endurance Technologies declared its commencement of commercial production at the Company's new plant situated at SIPCOT Industrial Park in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. The new plant will manufacture aluminium die-castings and carry out the integration of disc brake components with control brake modulators. However, the plant has an annual installed capacity to produce 9,000 metric tonnes of aluminium die-casting components for application in two and four wheelers and the required infrastructure for machining of such castings, and to integrate 720,000 sets of disc brake components for application in two-wheelers. On 2 nd February 2021, the integration of disc brake components with control brake modulators has commenced and...
Global manufacturing giants “BMW Group, Tetra Pak, Schuco” join the movement against bauxite mining in Atewa forest
BMW Group, Tetra Pak and Schuco International KG, the three global manufacturing companies have countered to agitate over the usage of aluminium produced from bauxite mined at the Atewa Forest in Ghana. The global manufacturers have communicated in letters their stand to the Concerned Citizens of Atewa Landscape (CCAL), the grassroots movement advocating against bauxite mining in Atewa Forest. As all the three companies are members of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) established to certify members and their products in the bauxite-aluminium supply chain that meet its sustainability standards. Although the companies appreciate the Ghana government’s desire to develop the aluminium sector for economic development and poverty reduction, they have strongly stated that their...
Honduras export of Aluminium Scrap during 2018-20 displays gradual upswing
The economy of Honduras is highly impacted with the combined strike of COVID-19 pandemic, weak healthcare, endemic corruption, damage and property loss caused by Hurricane Eta and limitation of scope for a post-pandemic recovery in 2021. The Central American nation’s export of aluminium scrap during 2018-19 was recorded at 6715 tonnes and the revenue earnings stood at $7.58 million. The export for 2020 remained at 3893 tonnes and the earnings accounted for the export stood at $4.28 million. However, when the export volume and earnings of 2020 get summed with the preceding two years, it denotes 10,608 tonnes and $11.86 million respectively. Honduras export of Aluminium scrap in 2018 stood at 3132 tonnes and the revenue generated was $4.00 million, whereas, in 2019, the export saw upswing...
EGA, Mubadala and Dubal Holding completes major milestone by firing Siemens Energy H-Class gas turbine
On 3 rd February 2021, Emirates Global Aluminium, Mubadala and Dubal Holding accomplished a major milestone with the first firing of the Siemens Energy H-class gas turbine at a new AED 1 billion state-of-the-art power plant under development at EGA’s Jebel Ali site. The Siemens Energy H-class gas turbine, a leading technology in efficient power generation, is the heart of the new power plant. Over the coming months, other facilities of the plant will be completed and integrated to achieve a generation capacity of over 600 megawatts of electricity. However, full completion of the project is expected in the summer. The new power block at EGA is being developed by JA Power & Water Co, a joint venture formed by Mubadala and Dubal Holding. EGA intends to purchase power from the joint venture...
En+ Group's metals segment Rusal partners with Taiwanese Aluminium alloy firm Hodaka for low carbon aluminium
The metal segment of En+ Group, Rusal, the world's largest producer of low carbon aluminium, has announced its partnership agreement with Hodaka, a Taiwanese innovative producer of high-quality aluminium alloys, to supply aluminium products with low carbon footprint. RUSAL and Hodaka partnership drives together the technological excellence of both companies to develop a new generation of products using low-carbon aluminium under RUSAL's ALLOW brand. However, in their operations, both companies prioritize sustainable development, compliance with international standards, and adherence to the best available production practices. In 2002, Hodaka was founded in Taiwan, which is dedicated to the production of high-quality billets and precision extrusions and supplies top-quality aluminium...
Bauxite mining assures to boost development in Adamawa Region, Cameroon
It has been now declared that more than 1 billion tonnes of bauxite are detected in the mining towns of Minim, Martap, Ngaoundal and Makan in the Adamawa region, Cameroon. It emerges from the research work of the Australian mining company Camalco, a subsidiary of Canyon resources as reported on 25 th January 2021 by the Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development (Minmidt). However, according to Camalco officials, the exploitation of the ore is scheduled for the end of 2022. According to the estimate made through metallurgical and geological tests, the project contains resources classified almost totally in the “indicated” category and considered to be extremely reliable according to the JORC standards (Australasian code of communication of the results of exploration,...
UAE Aluminium Tariffs: Donald Trump pulled back, Joe Biden wants it live
The newly elected President of USA, Joe Biden will sustain a tariff rate of 10% on aluminium imports from the United Arab Emirates, reversing Ex-President Donald Trump’s move to terminate the tariffs on his last day as president, as reported by the White House. On January 20, 2021, Joe Biden’s Republican predecessor had announced that he would exempt the UAE from the tariff on most aluminium imports, saying the two countries had reached a quota agreement that would restrict them. However, the exemption was due to take effect on 3 rd February 2021. Donald Trump ceded the exemption soon after designating the UAE a ‘major security partner’ and inking a deal to sell its 50 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets. The Biden administration last week communicated that it would also temporarily...
Bangladesh import of Aluminium Foil during 2018-20 reveals an enterprising market
Bangladesh has recorded as one of the rapid growth rates in the world in the past few years with a stable economic performance that has helped to reduce poverty and social inequalities. According to the updated IMF forecasts from 14 th April 2020 GDP growth was estimated to have reached 7.9% in 2019 and is forecast to fall to 2% in 2020 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 and pick up to 9.5% in 2021. The post-pandemic global economic recovery and the private consumption boosted by strong remittance flows from the Bangladeshi diaspora around the world are expected to be the key drivers of growth in 2021. The South Asian nation’s import of aluminium foil during 2018-19 was recorded at 6798 tonnes and the expenditure occurred towards the import was $21.73 million. The import for 2020 stood...
2021: This January was Extra-ordinary! AlCircle crosses 10 million hits in a month
The month of January 2021 has been an extra-ordinary for AlCircle; it accomplished a new milestone by surpassing 10 million hits on its website. AlCircle stands strong as the most popular web-based property in the global metal industry, as it comprises readership across all 195 countries. The web-based property which has the infrastructure to cater the global aluminium value chain and working on the mission to be a virtual aluminium eco-system. It covers the industry starting from bauxite mining to alumina refining and goes to aluminium smelting, finished and semi-finished products and recycling. AlCircle has always kept itself on the move for constant innovation which drives the portal to bring together the total aluminium ecosystem of raw material suppliers, lead producers, midstream...
Rio Tinto signs multi-year enterprise agreement with Big Data analytics specialist Palantir Technologies
On 28 th January 2021, the US-based Big Data Analytics Company Palantir Technologies announced that it has signed a multi-year enterprise agreement for its ‘Foundry Platform’ with global mining and metal giant Rio Tinto. Palantir Technologies software will integrate raw data from a multitude of dissimilar sources into a representation of critical mining operations. Rio Tinto will be able to make decisions and take actions using a single source of truth that incorporates operational and transactional data. This data resource will be available, with the necessary security and privacy controls, to its frontline and office-based workers. Fay Cranmer, CIO, Rio Tinto, said: “This partnership is an important step in our digital transformation; enabling fast-paced, forward-looking decision making...
Serbia’s import of Aluminium Cans during 2018-20 displays significant growth
On 19 th January 2021, Aleksandar Vucic, President of Republic of Serbia said that Serbia ranked first among 38 European economies in terms of Y-o-Y growth in the gross domestic product in the first quarter. In a statement from Serbia's Foreign Ministry, Vucic said: “Serbia is the first in Europe in terms of economic growth, which was possible owing to the reform measures taken since 2014 and the rapid opening of the country after the first wave of the novel coronavirus.” The landlocked country situated at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe has recorded with 4276 tonnes of aluminium cans importation during 2018-19 and the expenditure occurred for the import stood at $17.07 million. The import for 2020 remained at 3252 tonnes and the expenditure accounted for $16.04 million....
South America’s top three Primary Aluminium producers
The primary aluminium producing nations of South America are Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela. Once Venezuela used to lead the primary aluminium industries in South America like that of Argentina nowadays, besides from Brazilian giants with greater production rule. Later on, Venezuela faded away from the industry due to its non-commercial focus on the market and high cost of power. However, in this article we will majorly focus on the top three primary aluminium producers of South America: Aluar Aluminio Argentino (Argentina) Companhia Brasileira de Aluminio (Brazil) Albras Alumínio Brasileiro S.A. (Brazil) Aluar Aluminio Argentino Aluar Aluminio Argentino is the only aluminium smelter in Argentina and one of the largest in South America. Aluar is a company with national capitals managed...
Indian Aluminium Industry invested INR 4 lakh crore, expects Govt. to support the sector in 2021 budget: AAI President
Rahul Sharma, President, Aluminium Association of India and Deputy CEO of Vedanta Aluminium stated that the aluminium production cost has risen to more than double amid COVID-19 pandemic, whereas, LME prices are still improving from the April-June fall of $1,500 levels, the upcoming 2021 union budget needs to support the industry to rejuvenate. Sharma was loud enough to say: “In India, we have sufficient capacity, we have invested around INR 4 lakh crore, but still imports are around INR 30,000 crore, today. As the economy moves up gradually, we expect the government to support this industry in the upcoming budget.” “The metals sector is fundamental to the revival of the Indian manufacturing ecosystem, the realization of the dream of a ‘Self-Reliant India’ and we need to position India as...
Expansion plans at GFG Alliance’s Locabher Aluminium smelter boost employment opportunities
In November’20, the £94 million investment and expansion plans announced by Alvance British Aluminium’s owners GFG Alliance, at its Locabher aluminium smelter in Fort William, which is encouraging up to 70 new jobs, while 20-25 jobs already created in the first three years of its acquisition. In the first instance, it was consecrated for aluminium alloy wheel production, however, the expectation of £120 million injection with 300 jobs faded due to the plunge in demand in the automotive sector. The plans were then given a second thought to develop a plant for casting blocks of aluminium termed as billets to supply for the UK construction sector, with the prospect of a water canning facility also to come on the smelter site. Planners said: “The site proposed is similar to that of the alloy...
Aspen Pumps acquires high-end Aluminium parts manufacturer firm LNE in Malaysia
The English company Aspen Pumps based in Hailsham has acquired Malaysian-based manufacturing company of high-end aluminium and metal-based components for the lighting, air conditioning and electrical industries, LNE Group. LNE was founded in 2002 by an Englishman named Mark Rampling, while the company is managed by Europeans and it employs over 50 staff in two factories in Kuala Lumpur. The company produces, sources and assembles products for export to clients in Europe, Australasia, USA, Middle East, and South-East Asia. Aspen said in a statement: “The acquisition of LNE increased Aspen’s manufacturing capabilities and gives the company a foothold in the rapidly growing Asia Pacific region. It also said that, as part of the transaction, Mark Rampling had committed to remain with the...
