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.
Aldel Aluminium nominates CLAFIS Ingenious as permanent supplier for engineering services
CLAFIS Ingenious is nominated as the permanent supplier of engineering services for Damco Aluminum Delfzijl Cooperative (Aldel) in the coming years. CLAFIS and Aldel have set foot into a structural agreement that will run at least up to the end of 2022. The projects carried out under the direction of the engineering bureau include feasibility studies, concept engineering assignments, basic engineering, detail engineering and assignments in the field of implementation, environment and permits. Aldel aluminium smelter in the Oosterhorn industrial area near Farmsum in Delfzijl was put into operation by the then Royal Blast Furnaces in 1966. Aldel is the last company in the Netherlands to make aluminium. The craft factory had some difficult years. Under the leadership of a new investor, the...
RUSAL concludes first 2020 Ruble bond placement
RUSAL one of the leading global aluminium producers declares the conclusion of the book-building process for the new placement of its 10-year ruble-denominated bonds with a three year put option on the Moscow Exchange, the nominal value of 10 billion rubles and a coupon rate of 6.5% per annum, a record low for the Company. During the book building, the coupon rate guidance was lowered twice from the initial 6.55-6.75% range with the final coupon rate fixed at 6.5%. The new rate transcended the record low bond rate set by RUSAL last year and became the lowest bond rate in the history of the Company’s placements. Oleg Mukhamedshin, RUSAL’s Director for Strategy, Business Development and Financial Markets said: “The successful issue of our ruble bonds coupled with the interest from the...
Aluminium Center Foundation is now the Dutch Aluminium Association
The Aluminium Center Foundation on 1 st April’20 has integrated into a new sector group under Koninklijke Metaalunie. A new name has been set up for this new initiative: the Dutch Aluminum Association (DAA), the organization for the aluminium industry in the Netherlands. At the start, the new sector group had ten members: Almet Benelux, Aludex , Aluminium Service Breukelen , Bersselaar Constructie , Garfield , Gové, Highrise , Norsk Hydro , Melis Gietschappen and Willems Boven-Leeuwen . They welcomed two new members this week at the very first member meeting, which took place online: Comhan Holland Aluminium and Marteq . The DAA aims to represent the collective interests of the chain of aluminium-producing, trading and processing companies and their specific suppliers. The first members'...
Romania’s import of Aluminium alloy remains positive during 2017-20
The economy of Romania is a fast developing, upper middle income mixed economy with a very high Human Development Index and a skilled labour force, ranked 15th in the European Union by total nominal GDP and 10th largest when adjusted by purchasing power parity. Major industries in Romania are precision machinery, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electric goods, food, fashion, clothing, petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining and defence. The aluminium alloy importation of Romania during 2017-19 was recorded at 212,908 tonnes as volume and the expenditure occurred stood at $362.47 million. The projected import volume for 2020 has also been analysed with growth as the volume of import...
Norsk Hydro: Executive Vice President for Extruded solution Egil Hogna to leave
Egil Hogna, Executive Vice President for the Extruded Solutions business area in Hydro, has decided to leave. Hydro Extruded Solutions is a manufacturer of extruded aluminium profiles. Egil is likely to take over as CEO for Norconsult, a Norwegian consultancy firm. The process to find a new leader for the Extruded Solutions business area has started. Hogna will continue as executive vice president until a new leader is in place, until 1 st December’20, at the latest. Hilde Merete Aasheim, President and CEO, Hydro: “Egil Hogna has played a vital role for Hydro as head of Extruded Solutions, demonstrating strong leadership skills, and taking firm actions to position the business for the future.”
Romanian beer brand Albacher benefits from Multi-Color's aluminium foil can lid label
The Romanian beer brand Albacher is receiving benefit from Multi-Color’s aluminium foil can lid label. The design of the label secures that the beer is clean at the moment a buyer selects it from the shelf. The hygienic lid keeps the top of the can clean and protects from dust and germs. Consumers can be assured to relish their beer with maximum safety and hygiene. Mihaela Draghici, PR Director, Romaqua Group said: “Romaqua Group and Multi-Color Corporation have been business partners since 2008 when we launched Albacher beer, and we opened the beer plant in Lancrăm. The green-field project and the eagerness to produce a premium beer in one of the most modern breweries in the world, inevitably has led to our purpose to also have reliable and highly professional partners.” “Moreover,...
Energy-saving furnace for Heck + Becker at its die-casting technology centre in Germany
At its Die Casting Technology centre in Germany, toolmaker Heck + Becker carries out casting tests for tool acceptance testing and fine-tuning innovative casting processes. It does this with the help of a fully automated die casting cell with a clamping force of 3,200 tonnes. Around 150 tonnes of aluminium, a year are processed here in small batches that are up to 3,000 parts. The company purchased a new melting furnace for this die casting unit in 2019, with keeping the top priority of improved energy efficiency and increased melting capacity. Previously, a natural gas-fired furnace had been used for melting and an electrode furnace for holding, which together kept the aluminium at a temperature of about 670 °C around the clock. As well as high energy consumption, the gas-fired furnace...
Northvolt and Norsk Hydro joining hands to set-up car battery recycling plant
The World’s Greenest battery maker Northvolt and the Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company Norsk Hydro are joining hands to recycle batteries from Norway’s hundreds of thousands of electric cars as part of Europe’s effort to build a green battery industry to take on Tesla and Asian rivals. The Swedish battery maker in 2019 raised more than €1billion from the likes of Volkswagen, Goldman Sachs and Ikea. The Norwegian aluminium company will open an NKr100m ($10m) recycling hub in the south-eastern Norwegian town of Frederikstad by 2021. Arvid Moss, Head of Hydro’s energy business “We believe we can be a frontrunner.” Emma Nehrenheim, CFO, Northvolt said: “With electric car sales set for hockey-stick growth soon, there’s going to be a similar trend in the recycling market a few...
Belarus export of Aluminium Bar Rods and Profiles reflects growth and stability during 2017-20
Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. The economy of Belarus is the world's 72nd largest economy by GDP based on purchasing power parity (PPP), which in 2019 stood at $195 billion or $20,900 per capita. The manufacturing industry, which includes sectors such as metallurgical, light, food, chemical & petrochemical, and mechanical engineering, contributes 37% of the GDP of Belarus. The country’s export market for aluminium bar rods and profiles has been reflecting a stable growth during 2017-19, as the total export stood at 104,105 tonnes and the revenue earning was recorded at $377.03 million. The projected export for 2020 has been analysed at 47,523...
PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminum to acquire Vale Indonesia's divestment shares
PT Vale Indonesia is dedicated to completing the divestment of the company's shares by June’20 as this has missed the original target. Bernardus Irmanto, CFO, Vale Indonesia explained: “The joint management with partners, namely Vale Canada Limited and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd. stated that they had reached an agreement with PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminum (Persero) to extend the signing date of the definitive agreement until the end of June 2020. This discussion was delayed another because of the Covid-19 pandemic which impeded the discussion process between the two parties.” On 31 st May’20 Irmanto said: "All parties remain committed to signing a definitive agreement, however, the current pandemic has presented challenges that have caused delays.” This extension gives the parties more...
Fight against “COVID-19”: Bel Air Bauxite mining in Guinea continues to support the cause
Bel Air Mining SAS, a member of the Alufer Mining Limited group, developer and producer of bauxite in the prefecture of Boffa, endures supporting local communities and local health centres as well as employees with material and technical support in prevention against the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic in its impact area. Joining hands with its medical contractor Medequip, the bauxite company Bel Air Mining provided a series of supports, in hygiene equipment, medical equipment and training to communities and local health structures in its impact area, as well as to employees and their respective families. This support covers nearly 2,500 hand-washing stations and 13,000 bibs, distributed to local communities and employees, 500 thermo-flashes, 1,000 rapid screening tests and the training...
Slovenian Aluminium producer Talum records profit in 2019: Projected 2020 as turbulent
Slovenian Aluminium producer Talum generated EUR 327 million in net revenue and almost EUR 680,000 in net profit in 2019. General Manager Marko Drobnič has told: “More than EUR 290 million came from aluminium product sales with 87% of the sales made in foreign markets.” As an ultra-modern company, Talum is one of the world's most efficient producers of electrolytic aluminium and aluminium alloys. The aluminium manufacturer also projected 2020 will be a turbulent year ahead as the industry is facing hardest hit due to the COVID-19 epidemic. With more than 60 years of hard work in Kidričevo is reflected in enviable facts. The company is among the 15 largest exporters in Slovenia and producing more than 84,000 tonnes of aluminium per year and boasting more than 10,000 employees from the...
Ivory Coast: The Port of Abidjan floats its first shipment of Bauxite export to China
On 29 th May’20, the Director-General of the Autonomous Port of Abidjan (PAA), Mr Hien Yacouba SIE witnessed the launch of the first shipment of 20,000 tonnes of Bauxite, at the bulk terminal. It is a first in Ivory Coast. The ore is now one of the products exported from the port. The cargo bound for China and it comes from mines operated by the company Lagune Exploitation Bongouanou (LEB), directed by Mr BICTOGO Moumouny. The second shipment of 50,000 tonnes will be shipped very soon. Annual production is estimated at 750,000 tonnes. For the first official of the Autonomous Port of Abidjan, the exploitation of bauxite in Côte d'Ivoire will not only contribute to increasing traffic in the port of Abidjan but will also bring added value to the Ivorian economy. The launch happened in the...
Alcoa considers to lay-off 534 workers from its San Ciprian aluminium plant in Spain
On 28 th May’20, the aluminium producer, Alcoa announced that it is considering to lay-off 534 workers San Ciprian aluminium plant in the Spanish region of Galicia. However, a final decision is yet to be made. The high energy costs and low aluminium prices led to persistent losses and left the plant unable to compete internationally, the company said Workers representatives will meet with Alcoa's management for three weeks of talks to discuss what challenges the plant faces and the options available. "No decision will be taken until this consultation period has finished," Alcoa said. Union representative Jose Antonio Zan blasted the company's actions as "shameful" and attacked the government for failing to support the highly energy-intensive industry. He also said: "We have been asking...
India’s supply of Hydroxychloroquine to US might turn up with a smaller trade deal, includes the demand to reduce tariff on Aluminium
Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s ambassador to the US stated that India and the US could strike a “smaller” trade deal in the coming weeks. This was conveyed by him while acknowledging that the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic have been a "bit of a setback" in moving ahead as the governments are focused on tackling the health crisis. Addressing the virtual West Coast Summit of US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), Sandhu said that: “India's supply of antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to the US has given the two countries enough confidence and have played an important foundation.” Sandhu said: “The top leadership has also been talking about it and I feel that perhaps in the coming few weeks, we should be able to strike the smaller trade deal.” “I...
Nissan to close Barcelona plant, Aluminium downstream suppliers to auto industry stands down-hearted
Gianluca De Ficchy, Chairman, Nissan Europe said: “Nissan intends to close its Barcelona main plant and two nearby facilities starting in December’20, but it will keep open two facilities in northern Spain.” The Chairman also said: "There was no viable solution for the future of the Barcelona factory.” On 28 th May’20, hundreds of workers barricaded the plant followed by the Nissan’s announcement that it would close down the factory as part of a global restructuring plan to reduce costs. The decision came as a blow to Spain at a time when unemployment is spearing and a steep recession is emerging due to COVID-19 pandemic. As per the labour union, the plant and the nearby facilities employ 3,000 workers and the closures could indirectly affect up to 25,000 jobs. The car industry accounts...
Switzerland’s aluminium scrap import remains enterprising during 2017-19: Steep downfall by 34.69% projected for 2020
Switzerland, a country that espouses neutrality, is a prosperous and modern market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labour force, and a per capita GDP among the highest in the world. The economy of Switzerland is one of the world's most advanced free-market economies. The service sector has come to play a significant economic role, particularly the Swiss banking industry and tourism and industries like machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments, pharmaceuticals also has a vast contribution towards the economy of the country. The aluminium scrap import of Switzerland in 2017-19 reflected an enterprising market as the total import volume recorded at 181,190 tonnes and the expenditure recorded was $344.12 million. But the projected for 2020 import has been...
"COVID-19" strike: India Ratings and Research demotes Vedanta’s credit rating to IND AA-
On 27 th May’20, the mining company, Vedanta Limited made public that credit rating agency, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has demoted the long term issuer rating of the company to IND AA- from the earlier rating of IND AA, revising its outlook from stable to negative. The demotion contemplates likely slip in Vedanta's credit profile following a considerable fall in economic activity due to the lockdown imposed by COVID-19, with the balance sheet leverage remaining rose in FY21 and FY22. The negative outlook reflects the risk of an additional spread of the epidemic and the resultant global demand shock, most likely leading to an extended subdued pricing environment. Further, it displays the growing risk of refinancing with material debt repayments soon becoming due at both, Vedanta...
