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.
Argentina’s import of Alumina during 2017-20 reveals losing its pace
Argentina's economy, which is one of the more powerful in the region, is dependent on services and manufacturing, although agribusiness and ranching dominated the economy for much of the 19th and 20th centuries. Aluar is the only aluminium smelter in Argentina and one of the largest in South America. The Latin American nation’s alumina import during 2017-19 reflects both growth and fall, as the import volume stood at 21,64,530 tonnes and the expenditure occurred during the phase on the alumina import remained at $866.99 million. The import for 2020 has been marked at 694,797 tonnes and the expenditure to stand at $223.66 million. However, when the import volume and expenditure for 2020 gets added to the existing three years, it denotes 28,59,327 tonnes and $1.09 billion respectively....
Vedanta’s Chairman Anil Agarwal joins hands with Centricus Asset Management for turnaround fund
Indian mining and metal tycoon Anil Agarwal, who made a fortune acquiring, state-owned companies and revamping them, is drawing up to raise an investment fund targeting turnaround opportunities in the country, as per industry sources. The Founder and chairman of Vedanta Resources Ltd. is working with Centricus Asset Management Ltd. on the plans. They have started approaching potential investors for the proposed India Direct Investment fund, which will buy stakes in government companies being sold as part of the country’s INR 2.1 divestment program. According to the industry source, the fund will also target companies restructuring under India’s bankruptcy regime and it will look at both private and public firms. Agarwal and London-based Centricus plan to contribute as much as 10% of the...
“US imposition of tariff on Canadian Aluminium was invalid, we knew from the start”: President of the National Union of Aluminum Employees of Baie-Comeau
"Honestly, we knew from the start that it was invalid", reacts the President of the National Union of Aluminum Employees of Baie-Comeau, Michel Desbiens, following the decision of the United States to finally withdraw the imposition of tariffs on Canadian aluminium exports. Michel Desbiens said: “The news reassures the union and happy with the outcome. Even if he indicates that the 10% surtax imposed since mid-August did not have time to hurt the Alcoa aluminium smelter in Baie-Comeau, the situation could easily have been different over time.” "When you pay a tax, you certainly have less capital to invest", specifies the one who feared the repercussions on the long-term investments in the plant. The president of the union, which represents some 700 members, is optimistic that the...
Jamaica’s importation of Aluminium cans during 2017-20 reveals a positive trend
According to the IMF, Jamaica's GDP grew 1% in 2019, against 1.9% in 2018. According to the updated IMF forecasts from 14th April 2020, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, GDP growth is expected to fall to -5.6% in 2020 and pick up to 3.5% in 2021, subject to the post-pandemic global economic recovery. The economy of Jamaica is heavily reliant on services, accounting for 70% of the country's GDP. Jamaica’s primary natural resource is Bauxite. Jamaica is the 3rd largest packaged food market in the Caribbean, excluding Puerto Rico. It is also forecasted that Jamaican retail food market to expand to $857 million by 2021, an increase of nearly 35% or $222 million. The nation’s aluminium cans import during 2017-19 has been recorded at 66,998 tonnes and the revenue expended remained at $16.74...
China's economic propel is manifesting to be a bonus for Indian metal Industry, incorporates aluminium sector
China has performed into a net importer of aluminium and other metals for the third consecutive month in August’20. Since the country’s infrastructure blow-out in 2009 after the financial crisis, this was the first time in 11 years. The drift may boost India’s metals and mining sector which has been staggering under high debt amid volatile earnings. Chinese demand has shown a surging effect on Indian metal companies in the past. After the session of strong demand in 2009 from China, the Nifty Metal index had more than tripled to 4800 in March 2010 within a year. Aluminium companies such as Vedanta, Hindalco, NALCO, etc. are expected to benefit from the current trend in Chinese demand. Steel companies such as JSW Steel, Jindal Steel and Tata Steel have reported a strong jump in exports at...
Secat Inc. appoints Todd Boggess as President, hires Nick Nanninga as Technical Director
Secat, Inc., a metallurgical research laboratory specializing in aluminium product and process technologies, appoints Todd Boggess as President and hires Dr Nick Nanninga as Technical Director. Todd Boggess joined Secat Inc. in 2001 as Business Manager, where he was responsible for HR, Finance and Accounts. In 2012, he was promoted to VP Business Development and General Manager. Todd received a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from Western Kentucky University. Todd states “Secat is the leading independent provider of metallurgical services for the aluminium industry. The incredibly talented and dedicated staffs are the core strength of our business, and I look forward to building on the many successes that have already been accomplished.” Dr Nick...
Shawinigan Aluminum: Once abandoned by Rio Tinto, is set about on large-scale aluminium recycling with an investment of 10 million.
A new smelter will be built adjacent to its billet manufacturing facilities to recycle scrap aluminium from Rio Tinto and its customers who turn ingots into value-added products. The facilities will have the capacity to remelt 30,000 tonnes of scrap per year to manufacture new billets. The billets cast from this scrap will be identified as a recycled product, which now has a value in the market. Ghita Ouaziz, General Manager of Shawinigan Aluminum, said: "The traceability of the billets will be established and we can provide this information to our customers who request it.” In 2014, in support with the Quebec Government, a Quebec consortium took over the casting centre that Rio Tinto wanted to pull down. Shawinigan Aluminum continues to manufacture billets there and did some recycling....
Chile’s import of Aluminium Bar Rods and Profiles during 2017-20 reflects rapid growth with steady fall; expenditure remains high
The industrial sector in Chile contributed 30% of GDP in 2019 and employed 22.8% of the working population, the same as in 2018, according to the World Bank. However, the sector has increased by 4.3 in 2019, showing signs of great productivity. According to the updated IMF forecasts from 14th April 2020, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, GDP growth is expected to fall to -4.5% in 2020 and pick up to 5.3% in 2021, subject to the post-pandemic global economic recovery. The Latin American nation’s importation of aluminium bar rods and profiles during 2017-19, reflects a sudden growth with a gradual fall, as the import volume recorded during the phase remains at 39,677 tonnes and the revenue expenditure occurred stands at $147.14 million. The projected import for 2020 has been marked at...
US pulls-back 10% tariff on Canadian Aluminium, following the rise of retaliation from Ottawa
On 15 th September’20, the United States of America declared that it would no longer impose a 10% tariff on Canadian aluminium imports. It has been presumed that following the rise of retaliation from Ottawa, Donald Trump administration has changed its mind. The duty-free treatment will be retroactive to September 1. The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), however, has published a list of expected maximum monthly shipments of aluminium and warned it will re-impose the tariff if imports exceed those amounts. USTR said in a statement: "After consultations with the Canadian government, the United States has determined that trade in non-alloyed, unwrought aluminium is likely to normalise in the last four months of 2020, with imports declining sharply from the surges experienced...
Aluminium alloy make Airbus 350-1000 receives warm celebration on its first-year on-board by IAG Cargo
It’s now been over a year since IAG Cargo, the cargo handling division of International Airlines Group took delivery of the A350-1000, the latest reprisal of the future-facing, wide-body aircraft from Airbus. The aircraft A350-1000 made from a combination of carbon composites, titanium and aluminium alloys, offers lower fuel burn and less carbon dioxide emissions than other aircraft, with its nitrogen oxide emissions nearly a third below the current industry standard. The aircraft features the most powerful engine within the Airbus fleet with 97,000 pounds of thrust on take-off, and, at over 240 feet long, measures close to the length of a football field. The additional payload capability and range means that the A350-1000 can manage long-haul IAG Cargo routes such as to Austin, Dubai,...
Rio Tinto to expand responsible aluminium offering with closed loop recycling; to liaison with Shawinigan Aluminium
Rio Tinto will initiate its first closed-loop recycling solution to complement its low carbon footprint aluminium billet production, delivering consumers with a sizable choice to meet the rising consumer demand for sustainable products. The service will be available from 2021, offering customers in North America a new scrap take-back solution and production of high-quality alloys made with recycled content. Tolga Egrilmezer, Rio Tinto Aluminium Vice President Sales and Marketing said “Our focus is on working with customers to deliver high-quality products that respond to their needs and we have developed this new recycling solution after requests from customers who want options to reprocess their extrusion scrap. It’s an offering that combines responsibly produced primary aluminium and...
Tankoa floats all-Aluminium 50m Olokun superyacht
Born from a passion for the sea, Tankoa Yachts embodies the concept of “thinking big” and this time it has floated a highly anticipated 50m all-aluminium superyacht M/Y Olokun. The third hull of Tankoa’s S501 features exquisite exterior design by Francesco Paszkowsk and interiors by Casadio Miami/London. Floated this weekend from the boutique yard in Genoa, the S501 series has been fine-tuned and perfected to a new standard of technical and aesthetic prowess on M/Y Olokun. With a semi-displacement hull, Olokun is powered by conventional diesel propulsion to reach top speeds of 17.5 knots and cruising speeds of 14 knots. It features a similar layout to the existing launches in the range, including fold-down balconies in the owner’s suite on the forward main deck, a side-loading tender...
Finland’s import of Alumina during 2017-20 remains oscillating
In 2019, the share of agriculture in Finland's gross domestic product was 2.22%, the industry contributed approximately 23.97% and the services sector contributed about 60.35%. The Northern European nation’s importation of alumina remained oscillating during 2017-19, as the import volume recorded was 8446 tonnes and the expenditure occurred during the importation remained at $10.87 million. The import for 2020 has been analysed to be at 3058 tonnes and expenditures to stand at $3.77 million. However, when the 2020 import volume and expenditures get assorted with the existing three years it exhibits 11,504 tonnes and $14.64 million respectively. Finland’s import of alumina in 2017 remained at 1774 tonnes and the expenditures stood at $2.16 million, whereas in 2018 the import saw growth by...
Switching to low-cost renewable energy could bail out the Australian Aluminium sector
The aluminium sector of Australia could become the model for the sustainable heavy industry by switching to low-cost, zero-emission electricity and investing in plant modernisation. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), an accomplished think tank for renewables, believes that not only is the cost of electricity a major obstacle to the industry’s global competitiveness, it is also one of the most emissions-intensive globally. The IEEFA highlighted in a new report, which focused on the aluminium smelters in Gladstone, Queensland: “An Aluminium-Led Energy & Industry Renewal for Central Queensland” that with operators losing money and considering closure, some 4,500 jobs in the region could be under threat.” “This failure is linked to their enormous electricity...
“Thyssenkrupp Elevator” collaborates with “Amplus” for a solar plant at Pune facility in India, carport entirely made of Aluminium
Thyssenkrupp Elevator, one of the global leaders of elevator technology, has collaborated with Amplus Solar, a member of the Petronas Group to layout an onsite solar power unit at their Pune facility in Western India. Thyssenkrupp Elevator (India) has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Amplus Solar to procure 820 kWp of solar power for 20 years. Amplus Solar, headquartered in Gurgaon, India lately commissioned the 820 kWp solar power plant at the facility which includes 755 kWp of rooftop solar and a 65 kWp carport. The carport is unique in its construction, made up entirely of low weight, high strength Aluminium and has a premium design to match the aesthetic requirements of thyssenkrupp Elevator. Through this initiative, thyssenkrupp Elevator (India) will generate 1,067 MWh of...
Fine Wine rolls-out Monk fruit wine in aluminium bottles bound for Australia
Fun Wine, the Miami-based low alcohol flavoured wine drink firm rolls-out Monk fruit wine collection range in single-serve aluminium bottles bound for Australia. The monk fruit range features six flavours, including Peach Passion Moscato, Cappuccino Chardonnay and espresso Cabernet. Fine Wine uses 330ml recyclable aluminium bottles which it proclaims to handle the chemical characteristics of the wine. The bottles feature artworks designed by renowned Miami graffiti and pop artist, Miguel Paredes. The brand aims to distribute the new collection in the US and key global markets. Joe Peleg, Founder and CEO at Fun Wine, said: “In addition to our US expansion, we are on a fast track to growing overseas, where we are continuing to nurture relationships with key importers, distributors, and...
Low carbon Aluminium demand is on higher side for the Construction sector
Crossing through the “Corona crisis”, governments are seeking businesses to engage in a "green recovery" whereby sustainability is prioritised and put at the centre of the rebuilding of global economies. With businesses and individuals re-assessing their attitudes to the risks faced by global threats such as climate change, there is indeed no better time to convert words into actions by building and delivering new infrastructure in a way which kick-starts and supports the low-carbon transition. These examples are still only a minority however and more must be done. That is where low-carbon aluminium comes in. Construction carbon specialists, Bionova, published that: “Low-carbon Aluminium: Solution for sustainable construction and renovation, which welcomes low-carbon aluminium as an...
Czech Republic’s Bauxite import demonstrates rapid downfall during 2018-20
The Czech Republic's prosperous market economy, led by automobile exports, boasts one of the European Union's highest GDP growth rates, one of its lowest unemployment levels, and a rising standard of living. Industrial Production in the Czech Republic averaged 2.88% from 2001 until 2020, reaching an all-time high of 14.50% in February 2007 and a record low of -33.70% in April of 2020. The Central European nation’s bauxite importation during 2018-19 demonstrates rapid downfall, as the import volume recorded was 68,381 tonnes and expenditures stood at $10.41 million. The projected import for 2020 has been marked at 17,414 tonnes and revenue expenditure to stand at $2.40 million. However, when the 2020 import volume and expenditure gets summed up, it depicts 85,795 tonnes and $12.81 million...
