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.
Machine tool orders dip in Q1 2023, but Italy remains confident
Order intake for Italian machine tool manufacturers fell significantly in Q1 2023 when compared to the same phase in 2022, both in domestic and foreign markets. Regardless, the Italian producers of machine tools used more than 86 per cent of their available manufacturing capacity, and their order backlog covered 8.6 months of production. Machine tool orders submitted by UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE's Economic Studies Department & Business Culture Centre fell by 23.7 per cent in Q1 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. The index was 125.1 at the time. Reduced order intake in domestic and international markets was the cause of the decline. With a score of 125.9 on the index, orders from global markets decreased by 22.9 per cent. On the other hand, the domestic order intake, measured in...
2023: Green Bonds to dominate sustainability-linked debt
Green bond issuance is likely to climb further in 2023 as major governments and transnational institutions increase sales, while other types of sustainable debt are expected to develop much more slowly. The Climate Bonds Initiative estimates that green bond issuance totalled $487.1 billion last year, down from $522.7 billion in 2021. According to Moody's Investors Service, the broader sustainable bond market, which includes green, social, sustainability, and sustainability-linked bonds (GSSS), witnessed a fall year on year in 2022 for the first time since 2011. Apple Inc. invested $4.7 billion in the form of green bonds , which have supported revitalizing the development of new low-carbon manufacturing and recycling technologies. Since 2016, Apple has issued three green bonds, with...
Power rationing hit China's primary aluminium production by 1.24% in April, dipping MoM
On May 16, the National Bureau of Statistics of China's data revealed that China's primary aluminium output in April 2023 declined by 1.2 per cent when analyzed with March 2023 due to an energy restriction policy in southwest China that restrained aluminium production. The National Bureau of Statistics reported that China produced 3.33 million tonnes of primary aluminium in April, down from 3.37 million tonnes in March but up 0.8 per cent from the same phase of the previous year. The National Bureau of Statistics is a deputy-cabinet-level agency under the China State Council. Established in August 1952, the bureau collects, investigates, researches and publishes statistics concerning the nation's economy, population and other aspects of society. Yunnan, China's fourth-largest aluminium...
Bauxite export ban from Indonesia drives Guinea's demand; Lindian Resources inks supply deal
The Australian-listed company with world-class bauxite and rare earth assets, Lindian Resources, has signed a supply agreement with a new cash-rich partner. The company has announced a new six-year arrangement with freight shipping firm C&D Logistics to provide 23 million wet metric tonnes of bauxite from its Gaoual plant in Guinea , West Africa. However, the supply agreement states that the two companies will negotiate annually to determine the price, quantity, product quality, payment terms, and delivery specifics over the six-year deal period, which begins in 2025. C&D Logistics' parent business, Xiamen C&D, has a healthy financial standing and is eager to hasten the construction of the Gaoual project. In the previous year, Xiamen recorded net assets of USD$23.77 billion and net...
It's official: RUSAL approves the Sustainability Strategy for 2035
The Russian aluminium giant and one of the world's leading producers of low-carbon aluminium Rusal's Board has approved the 2035 Sustainable Development Strategy. The strategy states the audacious objective of making sustainability accessible to all stakeholders in the aluminium supply chain. The company wants to develop a new class of non-ferrous metals assets that are future-proof by meeting the demands of the circular economy and the low-carbon transition (ready to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and reasonably well balanced between primary and secondary material resources) based on an adaptive, equitable, secure, and inclusive value chain, and cutting-edge technological solutions. Evgenii Nikitin, the General Director of RUSAL, outlines the purpose of this long-term strategic plan...
China's Shandong Nanshan plans to expand the Indonesian alumina refinery site to a $6 billion aluminium smelting complex
According to our source, China's Shandong Nanshan wants to expand its new Indonesian alumina refinery site to a USD$6 billion aluminium smelting complex by 2028, making it one of the most significant foreign investments in the country. Shandong Nanshan is incorporated among many private Chinese organizations making multibillion-dollar investments in Southeast Asia in fields such as metal processing and oil refining, despite a slowing Chinese economy and more regulatory scrutiny at home. In the Galang Batang special economic zone (SEZ), located on the island of Bintan, the company began operating its 2 million tonnes of alumina refinery annually in November 2022. Currently operating at full capacity, Nanshan sources bauxite for its alumina refinery from Indonesia's Kalimantan province and...
Technology can transform challenges into opportunities: UAE Climate Tech
The platform that offers to transform, decarbonize, and future-proof economies UAE Climate Tech brings together over 1,500 leaders from technology giants, major industries, finance, government, civil society, and the energy sector in Abu Dhabi. Technology has the ability to transform one of the biggest problems the world is currently facing into one of the most significant opportunities for long-term socioeconomic growth. The world needs a massive course correction to continue making economic progress while drastically lowering emissions and achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. The necessity of putting what everyone agrees on outside of the COP negotiation rooms into action. Technology is the most important source of innovative solutions the world needs. Although the potential is...
Storvik wins Mosjøen aluminium smelter capacity expansion contract from Alcoa
Storvik Group has been given many significant and central contracts by Alcoa Mosjen, the American aluminium giant Alcoa's subsidiary. The contracts are in connection with previously announced investments targeted at increasing production capacity at the Mosjen smelter. Storvik believes the contract value is significant. The deliveries are specifically related to a complete refurbishment of nearly 8,000 anode yokes, which is a large and complex task as they are continuously used in the production of aluminium. The projects are already well underway and will continue in close collaboration with Alcoa Mosjøen until mid-2025. Stein Kjartan Vik, the CEO of Storvik, said, "We are humbled and proud that Storvik has been chosen as the supplier. We are highly motivated to ensure that the projects...
Russia’s alumina imports from India under the radar, nil to 3rd largest consumer
According to the latest data from the Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India reveals that the alumina exports to Russia escalated to 0.258 million tonnes in April-February of the financial year 2022-23 (FY23) from zero in the previous period of FY22. The surge in India-Russia trade with the mentioned commodity has been under the global export-import radar. Russia is one of the world's leading aluminium producers (ex-China) and a significant alumina consumer. Russia was shut off from important supply sources like Australia and Ukraine-Russia geopolitical crisis as both nations chose not to send alumina to Russia. Australia stated it prohibited the supply of alumina and bauxite to Russia because they were vital components in manufacturing and developing weapons. Other suppliers, including...
Adaro Minerals' aluminium smelter will be open in 2025
The planned renewable energy-sourced aluminium smelter of PT Adaro Minerals Indonesia Tbk (ADMR) in Green Industrial Park Indonesia, North Kalimantan, is anticipated to be functional in Q2 2025 with a total investment of US$2 billion. Totok Azhariyanto, the Director at Adaro Minerals, said, " Currently, ADMR has explored cooperation with local players to supply 50 per cent of the alumina needs for the smelter while the rest will still rely on imports." "The total investment value, including power plants, reaches US$ 2 billion. Meanwhile, the alumina supply agreement will be finalized around six months before the commercial operation date [COD]." The aluminium smelter is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2025, with a capacity of 500,000 tonnes in the first phase. Christian Ariano...
Alcoa appoints Matt Reed as Vice President Operations - Australia and President of Alcoa Australia
Alcoa Corporation, the world's eighth largest aluminium producer, has appointed seasoned resource executive Matt Reed as Vice President Operations – Australia and President Alcoa Australia effective 6 th June 2023. Matt will be based in Perth and will be a key member of Alcoa's worldwide Operations Leadership Team, overseeing the experienced teams who run the company's bauxite mining and rehabilitation, alumina refining, and aluminium smelting operations in Western Australia and Victoria. Matt has over 25 years of expertise in the Australian and international mining sectors. He was most recently the Operations Executive of OZ Minerals, overseeing running assets and brownfield projects in Australia and Brazil. Bill Oplinger, Alcoa's Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer,...
American consumers are big on sustainability
Aluminium is becoming more popular among businesses and consumers as they prioritise sustainability in their products, according to the Aluminum Association, the industry’s leading voice, representing companies that make 70 per cent of the aluminium and aluminium products shipped in North America. Choosing aluminium means selecting an indefinitely recyclable material that supports good-paying jobs while also helping the region in meeting climate and energy goals. When talking about packaging, aluminium beverage cans contain 3X to 12X more recycled content than competing packaging types, which is one reason aluminium is counted as the best sustainable solution. Again, when commenting on aluminium's usage in buildings and construction, aluminium structures can weigh substantially less than...
Aluminium ground wire alternative to copper from NKT, AX PRO
Copper ground wires have long been the industry standard for underground wire installations in distribution networks. NKT, the leading cable and cable accessories supplier to the energy sector, has developed an option made of corrosion-resistant aluminium. NKT is ready to deliver AX PRO after ten years of development, including multiple trial installations and patent work. AX PRO is an aluminium ground wire with a low total cost of ownership and enhanced corrosion resistance while maintaining good reliability and performance. AX PRO is made up of seven separate coated aluminium wires. All wires are cabled to a single coherent product that requires no additional material to hold it together. Spreading the wires apart is only beneficial because the contact surface to the ground rises,...
ARCC progressing to build truly zero-emission buses
ARCC, a technology and manufacturing brand in its seventh year, is continually advancing its future thinking regarding reimagining how a bus with zero emissions should be built. Aluminium Revolutionary Chassis Company (ARCC) has sometimes produced zero-emissions buses and coaches like other companies in the industry. ARCC personnel were heavily involved in designing and deploying its first aluminium body on a Toro electric bus for Sydney Airport and further units for Brisbane Airport in 2015. The lessons learned from these initiatives formed the basis for the concepts that ARCC's engineers and management team recognised as having the potential to alter the future of zero-emissions bus and coach manufacture in Australia. Peter Murley, the Founder and Managing Director of ARCC, said, "We...
MaterialLoop project aims to cut down the environmental impact of vehicles by recycling
Metallurgists and chemists are working on a less fantastical but comparable problem: recycling materials to the same grade 'A' quality they began life in. For instance, recycling steel may seem simple. Still, it isn't, and according to the German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles Audi, just a tiny portion of the materials removed from used automobiles, including steel, are used in new cars. Therefore, recycled steel from discarded automobiles is more likely to be used in the building and construction industry rather than being reused for body skins, chassis, suspension, or other components. The MaterialLoop project , in which Audi is a partner, explores this downgrading of materials when they are recycled, whether they be metals or plastics. It is known as "downcycling." The...
Balco IPO likely to be discussed between the Govt. of India and Vedanta
According to persons familiar with the issue, the government of India will likely begin informal negotiations with Vedanta about Balco's future stock market listing before making a solid recommendation to the aluminium company's board. The government of India still holds a 49 per cent stake in Balco after divesting a 51 per cent stake in 2001 to Sterlite Industries, a subsidiary of Vedanta. According to the people quoted, the government of India wants Vedanta to list Balco so that it can sell a portion of its stake through an IPO before quitting the business later. However, it was reported in March 2023 that the mining ministry sought further advice from Dipam on the roadmap for the disinvestment of Balco, which has been in the works for some years. Upon finalizing this, the process of...
Apollo Global Management to acquire Arconic Corp.
On May 4, 2023, Arconic Corporation announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by funds managed by Apollo Global Management, Inc. affiliates in an all-cash transaction that values the Company at an enterprise value of approximately US$5.2 billion. The acquisition involves a minority investment from funds managed by Irenic Capital Management affiliates. The deal states that Arconic stockholders will receive $30.00 in cash per share, reflecting a 36 per cent premium to the Company's undisturbed closing stock price on February 27, 2023. However, after the transaction is completed, Arconic's shares will no longer trade on the New York Stock Exchange, and the company will become private. Fritz Henderson, the Arconic Board of Directors Chairman, said, "This...
Aluar Aluminio Argentino ropes Bomchil to issue US$100 million worth of notes
The sole producer of primary aluminium in the Argentine Republic, Aluar Aluminio Argentino, has engaged Bomchil to issue US$100 million worth of notes. Bomchil is a highbrow firm with considerable clout in the Argentine legal industry and beyond. Since its inception, it has tripled its aluminium production capacity of 140,000 tonnes thanks to a constant investment plan. The aluminium company enables it to export the remaining 70 per cent to nations like the United States while providing the local market with about 30 per cent of the total volume produced, including the United States, Brazil, Japan, and Germany. Most of Aluar's operations are carried out in the primary segment, with a primary aluminium production capacity of 460,000 tonnes per year at its Puerto Madryn plant. AL Circle’s...
