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.
US includes Russian aluminium extrusions in the 200% tariff bar
The Joe Biden Administration announced a 200 per cent tariff on Russian aluminium imports on February 24, 2023. The Aluminium Extruder Council stated that this order would cover aluminium extrusion imports from Russia. Coupled with the new Aluminum Import Monitoring System (AIMS), importers must now declare their extrusions' import country and the source of the billet and ingot. If extrusions are imported from a third country and made from a Russian ingot or billet , they will also be subject to the 200 per cent tariff. AEC said, "The orders invite other countries to join the 200 per cent tariff by offering them a permanent exclusion from Aluminum 232 tariffs. The language in the order could be more precise in this area, so we expect further clarification." “Tracing extrusions from the...
Trafigura in discussions to procure aluminium from Rusal
The Singaporean-based Swiss multinational commodity trading company Trafigura is in the discussion stage to procure aluminium from the Russian aluminium giant Rusal, as reported by one of the globally renowned media houses. The company is highlighting its willingness to strike deals with Russian companies in the face of resistance from its biggest rival. Trafigura, founded in 1993, trades in base metals and energy. It is the world's largest private metals trader and second-largest oil trader, having built or purchased stakes in pipelines, mines, smelters, ports and storage terminals. The report also reveals that Trafigura and Rusal are in talks for a term contract of about 150,000 tonnes of aluminium delivered-to-China basis. However, the above information has been unveiled following the...
UAE, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain ink multi-billion-dollar industrial agreements, including aluminium value chain
According to our report from the MENA region, over $2 billion in industrial agreements were signed in Amman, the capital and the largest city of Jordan, at the third Higher Committee meeting of the Industrial Partnership for Sustainable Economic Development, a regional initiative involving the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain. The UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technologies, firms from the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain signed 12 agreements covering 9 industrial projects, including some vital industrial projects from the aluminium value chain. The aluminium sector-centric agreements reveal that the $550 million manufacturing project was announced as being launched by the UAE-based automaker M Glory Holding. Three electric vehicle (EV) facilities will be built as part of the...
Rio Tinto warns the world about the struggle to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy
Rio Tinto has warned the world is struggling to build enough renewable energy to replace fossil fuels, and at the speed needed, to hit aggressive emissions targets, as the miner confronts the challenge of sourcing cleaner power for its Australian aluminium smelters. Rio Tinto is one of the most significant consumers of energy and heaviest carbon dioxide emitters on Australia's eastern seaboard due to its aluminium smelters and alumina refineries in New South Wales and Queensland. The Anglo-Australian miner has been sourcing its energy from hydropower in many of its assets globally, while its Boyne and Tomago operations in Australia operate by coal-based electrical grids, causing one of the substantial hindrances to Rio Tinto’s push to cut 50 per cent emissions by 2030. In 2022, the...
US declares a 200% tariff on Russian aluminium effective March 10
On February 24, 2023, the United States administration declared the imposition of a 200 per cent import tariff on aluminium and derivatives produced in Russia from March 10, 2023, in response to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia geopolitical, the world's largest economy retains towards compression of Russia's revenue. Also, starting on April 10, 2023, the White House would impose a 200 per cent duty on imports of "primary aluminium" produced in Russia. President Joe Biden said in a statement released by the White House, “In adopting the tariff adjustment ….I recognise that concerns about aluminium imports from Russia and their impact on our national security are shared by other countries. We need to work with our partners to ensure that the global market distortions caused by Russian aluminium...
BMW unveils the first fully electric MINI Cooper SE Convertible featuring 100% recycled aluminium alloy wheels
The BMW Group is once again setting the standard for the circular economy. The new MINI Cooper SE Convertible, with a combined power consumption of 17.2kWh/100 km according to the 'Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure' (WLTP) and carbon emissions of 0 g/km, will be the foremost series model to be produced with alloy wheels 100 per cent from recycled aluminium. The Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) is a chassis dynamometer test cycle for determining emissions and fuel consumption from light-duty vehicles. Dr Nicolai Martin, Senior Vice President of Development Automated Driving, said, “As a premium manufacturer, we entrenched sustainability in the development from very early on. The light alloy wheels of the fully electric open-top four-seater are a...
White House announces new tariffs on Russian metals, including aluminium
The President of the United States of America, Joe Biden's administration, announced a new round of measures to mark the first anniversary of the Ukraine-Russia geopolitical crisis. The statement said, "The measures will significantly increase costs for aluminium smelted or cast in Russia to enter the US market." A few days ago, AlCircle reported that the US plans to impose a 200 per cent import tariff on Russian aluminium. The rounds of sanctions against Russia that were put in place due to the Russia-Ukraine geopolitical crisis largely spared metals. Russia is one of the leading producers of aluminium ex-China and contributes 6 per cent to global production. However, according to industry experts, this will have a minor impact on the global aluminium market. Russian aluminium, which...
Taiwanese revenue will be reported as coming from ‘Greater China’: Rio Tinto
The Anglo-Australian mining and metal company Rio Tinto has formally changed its designation of Taiwan in its regular revenue reports. Taiwanese client revenues will now be reported as coming from "Greater China" rather than the previous designation of "other Asian regions," which excluded China and Japan. An Australian business-focused print media house reported the change. The financial reporting house also published that Rio Tinto receives over 50 per cent of its annual revenue from China. Additionally, the Chinese state-owned mining and metal company, Chinalco, is Rio Tinto’s largest shareholder, with just over 14 per cent ownership. During the 2008 financial crisis, Chinalco strived to acquire a more significant stake in Rio Tinto, but the Australian government occluded the...
Cita Mineral Investindo Tbk guarantees $250 million for developing the aluminium smelter with Adaro
The Indonesian company engaged in the activity of bauxite mining PT Cita Mineral Investindo Tbk. (CITA) delivered guarantees to associated companies PT Kalimantan Aluminum Industry (KAI) and PT Kaltara Power Indonesia (KPI) worth US$249.5 million (IDR 3.8 trillion). In the information disclosure on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX), CITA's management said, "CITA would seek approval from the shareholders at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in connection with the plan for a guarantee transaction from CITA in the form of a corporate guarantee that KAI and KPI will receive. The guaranteed value is estimated at around US$249.5 million (Rp.3.8 trillion) This guarantee is based on CITA's proportionate shareholding in KAI and KPI for the loan facility that KAI and KPI will receive, with a...
Chinese aluminium giant Tianshan Aluminium moves overseas to acquire three bauxite mines in Indonesia
The Chinese aluminium producer Tianshan Aluminium Group, located in Shihezi, a sub-prefecture-level city in Northern Xinjiang, announced its plan to procure three bauxite mines in Indonesia for USD$30.3 million. On February 23, 2023, the Chinese company engaged in comprehensive aluminium production and sales, Tianshan Aluminum’s units, signed a deal to buy Inti Tambang Makmur and obtain the mining rights of three Indonesian mines with a total of over 30 million dry metric tonnes of bauxite. However, according to the previous announcements, negotiations between the two parties were initiated in August 2021, when they inked a cooperation intention agreement. Tianshan Aluminum stated that acquiring the Indonesian bauxite projects is the Chinese aluminium company's first overseas expansion....
BHEL-Titagarh Wagons only fully Indian consortium eyeing $8.7 billion Vande Bharat contract; coach building will depend heavily on aluminium
On February 22, 2023, the company manufacturing coaches for Indian Railways, Titagarh Wagons Ltd (TWL), publicized that their partnership with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), the largest government-owned power generation equipment manufacturer, has made them the sole fully Indian consortium among the five contenders for the around USD$ 8.7 billion (INR 72,000 crore) Vande Bharat train contract. Vande Bharat is a high-performance train operated by Indian Railways, and it is considered the fastest train in India. Titagarh Wagons Ltd., a major engineering and wagon company, also unveiled plans to invest around USD$ 85 million (INR700 crore) in capital expenditure over the next 4-5 years to increase production capacity and related infrastructure. Prithish Chowdhary, the Chief...
Prohibiting bauxite mining expansion at jarrah forest may result in Alcoa's alumina production declining for two years
In Western Australia, Alcoa will reduce alumina production for two years before the state government permits them to expand bauxite mining at jarrah forests close to Perth's largest drinking water dam. Mike Ferraro, the CEO of Alumina Limited, said, "Once Alcoa could mine the Myara North area, the quantity and quality of bauxite supplied to two of its WA alumina refineries would need to be increased for them to operate at full capacity." Myara North stretches from Jarrahdale to the northern edge of the Serpentine Dam, which supplies 18% of Perth's water, and east to Albany Highway. The sole asset of the $4.4 billion Melbourne-based company is a 40% stake in the joint venture Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals, which US-based Alcoa runs. Owning the expansive Huntly mine area in Western...
Alcoa of Australia terminates joint development project with FYI Resources for HPA
On February 21, 2022, Alcoa announced that its subsidiary Alcoa of Australia Limited (AoA) had terminated a collaborative development project with FYI Resources Ltd for high-purity alumina (HPA). The global leader in the aluminium sector with a vision to reinvent the industry for a sustainable future, Alcoa announced in 2021 that AoA had executed a binding term sheet with Western Australia-based FYI Resources for development activities to produce HPA, which is used to manufacture materials such as synthetic sapphires used in LED lighting and other various applications. Renato Bacchi, the Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, said, "While our work with FYI has demonstrated the merit of the process to produce high-purity alumina, Alcoa has decided not to pursue a...
BMW Group to source aluminium from sustainable Canadian production from 2024
The German multinational manufacturer of luxury vehicles, BMW Group, continues its efforts to reduce CO2 emissions in the supply chain systematically. A particular focus is on CO2-intensive materials like aluminium, steel and plastics. The BMW Group, therefore, intends to source aluminium with significantly reduced CO2 emissions from Rio Tinto’s hydro-powered operations in Canada starting in 2024 and has inked a memorandum of understanding to this effect. This approach can save around 70 per cent of CO2 emissions compared to conventionally manufactured aluminium. The planned supply volumes will be used exclusively in vehicle production at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in the US state of South Carolina, in body components like the bonnet, for instance. Joachim Post, a member of the Board of...
Yunnan province orders aluminium smelters to cut production again
China's Yunnan province has ordered the aluminium smelters in the region to implement another round of production restrictions to stabilise the electricity supply. The protracted drought and low reservoir levels have caused problems for the province's hydroelectric grid. However, On February 19, 2023, Alcircle.com reported the possibility of power rationing in the Yunnan region, which might impede the production of the aluminium smelters. The energy-intensive aluminium producers in Yunnan and neighbouring provinces had been already functioning their smelters with reduced capacity, while a few are trailing down China's national output since September. According to our regional sources, some 740,000 tonnes of yearly production capacity would be affected by the most recent cuts, adding to...
AlCircle launches 14th edition of e-Magazine – “Green Initiatives: Road to a sustainable aluminium industry”
Lightweight, strong, durable, and infinitely recyclable, aluminium is the sustainable material of choice. In addition to contributing billions of dollars to the global economy, aluminium supports countless supply chains worldwide. Yet, due to its energy-intensive production and refinement procedures, claimed to contribute significantly to global carbon emissions, aluminium is under heightened scrutiny, much like all other manufactured products. Aluminium producers worldwide are adopting environmentally friendly production methods in response to being placed under the spotlight on climate change. In order to accelerate their decarbonization efforts, they are shifting to renewable energy, investing in green technologies, and even studying carbon capture and storage solutions. However,...
'Green is the new black' in the high-end auto industry; Rio Tinto partners with BMW Group for supply of responsibly sourced aluminium
The days when premium car purchasers just considered speed, flair, and luxury are long gone. The origin, sustainability, and emissions profile of the materials used to build today's automobiles are topics of growing public concern. "Green is the new black" has become the industry catchphrase for luxury vehicles. Premium car consumers are becoming increasingly pickier about the materials used in their cars, from the leather used for the upholstery to the metals used for the engine parts. This fundamental transition in the automotive market has resulted in a new, innovative partnership between Rio Tinto and the BMW Group , two industry leaders, to develop more responsible, sustainable, traceable, and secure supply chains. Rio Tinto intends to supply responsibly sourced aluminium to the BMW...
Iran's aluminium production rises by 17% in the first 10 months of the fiscal year
As the country's metals sector has boomed, Iran has reported significant increases in aluminium production. On February 20, 2023, IMIDRO, Iran’s state metals and mining company, stated aluminium production in four leading smelters in the country had reached over 528,000 tonnes in the first ten months of the financial year to January 20. IMIDRO confirmed that the figure increased by 17% compared to the previous period. In the ten months leading up to January, the South Aluminum Corporation (SALCO), which produced more than 226,000 tonnes of ingots, produced more than 43% of all the aluminium produced in Iran. Just four years after it was established in the southern province of Fars, SALCO has surpassed all other aluminium smelters in Iran regarding output size. The findings come as Iran...
