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.
Norway’s budget proposal for 2023 impacts Norsk Hydro’s domestic activities
On October 6 2022, the Government of Norway presented a budget proposal for 2023, and the draft incorporates several elements affecting Hydro's activities in the Norwegian market. The Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company Norsk Hydro headquartered in Oslo, produces 9.4 TWh of equity power annually during an average year. It operates five wholly-owned primary production facilities in Norway, with a combined capacity of about 1.1 million tonnes of primary aluminium. Moreover, Hydro has an aluminium extrusion plant in Magnor. The overall company employs around 4500 people in the country. The national budget for 2023 includes proposals to raise resource rent taxes on hydropower and clarify the CO2 compensation scheme. On September 28, the government proposed an additional resource...
'Two-tiered' working conditions led to a 48-hour strike by Worsley alumina refinery electricians
The workers at a major West Australian refinery have walked off their jobs over what they call a "two-tiered" workplace. In a significant escalation of ongoing industrial action, workers at South32's Worsley alumina and bauxite facility have downed tools for 48 hours. Previously, the workers staged four-hour walkouts but escalated the situation after South32 responded. In addition to the 48-hour walkout, night shift employees are not showing up to work. Adam Woodage, the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) spokesman, said, "The action had not been taken lightly. It is a big escalation. What the company has been putting up is garbage, so we felt we had no choice but to send a powerful message. It will have a significant impact because these electricians are highly skilled, highly trained."...
Rusal strongly refutes the recent reports on planning large-scale deliveries to LME warehouses
The world's leading aluminium producer Rusal, further to a recent media report, refutes in the strongest terms any suggestion that it is planning to deliver large quantities of metal on the LME, in Europe, the U.S. or any other location. Rusal also commented that the statements otherwise are highly speculative and irresponsible. The company's sales book is solid and does not need to deliver metal to LME warehouses. The Russian aluminium giant also notes the alarmist views expressed by other interested parties that it is damaging to the industry's confidence as a whole. Rusal stated, “We want to point out that there is no basis upon which to take any action regarding the warrantability of RUSAL's metal, and any decision otherwise could have long-lasting adverse effects on the market,...
Russian aluminium giant Rusal approves the company's 'Health and Safety strategy' until 2030
The Russian aluminium giant RUSAL's Board of Directors approved the metal company's Health and Safety strategy until 2030. RUSAL's Health and Safety strategy aims to enhance all elements of occupational health, considering the best corporate practices. According to the strategy, the frequency of occupational accidents and major incidents will be at least halved at the organisation's production facilities by 2030. Targets also incorporate the complete elimination of fatal injuries and significant fires. In order to achieve its goals, Rusal plans to improve the occupational health culture among its employees. This requires the development of line managers' leadership competencies and each employee's safe behavioural skills. Special attention is given to encouraging employees' personal and...
China's Eplus3D certifies Constellium's Aheadd CP1 aluminium alloy for use in its AM machines
The Hangzhou, China headquartered organization, Eplus3D, has certified the Aheadd®CP1 aluminium alloy from the Paris, France-based Constellium for use on the company’s Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) Additive Manufacturing machines. The innovative global manufacturer of aluminium products, Constellium, designed the Aheadd CP1 solution, particularly for the PBF-LB process. It offers excellent strength and thermal conductivity, suitable for automotive, semiconductor, aerospace and spare parts applications. Using Aheadd's silicon-free chemistry, additively manufactured components can be anodised to excellent quality, making it a perfect choice for semiconductor equipment manufacturing. Eplus3D states that its large-scale and multi-laser metal AM machines have attained exquisite build...
LME’s dialogue on considering to outlaw Russian metals from trading creates disquiet among aluminium producers
The London Metal Exchange's (LME) consultation a few days back on whether outlaw from trading of a powerful metal-producing nation has stimulated disquiet about an upturn twirl in the price of aluminium and diminishing demand for the metal. The London Metal Exchange is a futures and forwards exchange with the world's largest market in standardized forward contracts, futures contracts and options on base metals. On 29th September 2022, LME stated that it reviewed a dialogue on whether Russian aluminium, nickel and copper should pursue to be traded and stored in its system. However, to be much surer about it, a globally renowned and recognized media suggested that LME could not prohibit Russian metals without sanctions being struck on the companies that produced them. Yet, anxiety created...
SIG rolls out ‘Recycle for Good’ in Egypt, a new recycling initiative for used aseptic carton packs
The country linking northeast Africa with the Middle East, Egypt, witnessed the launch of SIG's 'Recycle for Good', an innovative new recycling initiative to enable immediate household and food service industry collection of used aseptic carton packs through tech-based solutions. However, this initiative involving SIG and Tagaddod is the pioneer in the Egyptian market. Through a mobile app, consumers can arrange for their used cartons to be collected from their homes or workplaces in exchange for rewards. The project eyes to incentivise the recycling of used beverage cartons, ensuring high-value resources remain in circulation while benefitting local communities. SIG is functioning with Tagaddod on this project while they are conducting the collection of cartons. The company Tagaddod was...
Wroclaw will benefit from Alstom's EUR 10 million investment in aluminium welding line
The largest producer and exporter in the Polish railway industry, Alstom, which employs over 4000 people in 11 sites and has operated for over 25 years in Poland, launched an aluminium welding line at its rolling stock production plant in Wrocław. As part of the sustainable mobility strategy and development trends in the rail industry, this investment replaces heavier and more challenging to process steel with lighter and more efficient aluminium, e.g. due to its high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. An investment of almost €10 million in Alstom's Wroclaw aluminium welding line includes new equipment and machinery, infrastructure upgrades, and employee training. Alstom's Wroclaw plant will be able to acquire new projects and produce aluminium boxes for regional trains in...
Japan's aluminium buyers negotiate for lower premiums in Q4
According to our report, two industry associates directly involved in pricing discussions stated that a premium of $99 a tonne had been agreed between Japanese aluminium buyers and at least two global producers for October-December shipments, a decrease of 33% from a year ago. This is a decrease from $148 a tonne paid in the July-September quarter and marked the fourth consecutive quarterly drop. The price is also lower than the producers' initial offers of $115-$133. Among Asia's top metal importers, Japan is defined by the premium PREM-ALUM-JP negotiates each quarter over the benchmark London Metal Exchange (LME) metal price CMAL0. The aluminium industry in Japan is a complete processing business with the exclusion of smelting. Therefore value addition is less. However, with the rapid...
Top Newsmakers for September 2022: Hydro's Karmøy facility operations on hold due to low demand for aluminium; Australia's largest aluminium smelter plans to fast-track its decarbonization drives
The global aluminium industry continues to stay in the limelight again in September. Yes, off-course, Aluminium 2022 - Dusseldorf stands to be a key event that the aluminium industry has been waiting for for some time but was postponed due to the Covid pandemic. However, other than this gala event, the industry also witnessed the LME aluminium price hit 18 month low, and the production cut continues but majorly in Europe. Aluminium industry leaders are also concerned about the delay in bookings for 2023 as customers want to clean up their stockpiles. This downward demand trend for silver metal is also an indicator that the world economy is stepping into a slowdown, which is anticipated to cause a worldwide financial crisis. As always, AlCircle brings its readers the best news from the...
Mitsubishi Power secured a long-term service agreement from Alba to ensure reliable power supply
On 3rd October 2022, Mitsubishi Power, a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (M.H.I.), announced that it had inked a long-term service agreement (LTSA) with Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the first aluminium smelter in the Middle East. Parts, repairs, and services are covered under the LTSA for Mitsubishi Power's innovative J-series gas turbine power block, which has a 680.9 megawatts (M.W.) capacity. It will enhance Alba's aluminium production, a cornerstone of Bahrain's economic growth and development, by improving reliability, efficiency, and availability of power supply. Alba recently signed a contract with Mitsubishi Power & SEPCOIII to design, engineer, procure, construct and commission a new combined cycle gas turbine power block for Bahrain's Power Station...
Aluminium demand is declining, indicating a challenging economic climate
The North American aluminium market, known as the pre-eminent maker across-the-board from beverage cans to automobiles to space components, is delaying their 2023 orderings for raw materials. However, a few days back, this issue was even illustrated by a chairman of a major aluminium producer in the Middle East. It was gloomy at this year's conference in Washington, with producers, recyclers, and metal product makers discussing government policy and end-use markets, unlike a year ago when the industry enjoyed its best stretch in a decade. During the negotiation process for 2023 requirements, buyers and sellers inclines to extend the season into the fall later than last year as uncertainty over inflation, supply chains, and economic growth causes buyers to be undecided about booking more...
Energy crisis forcing Slovenia's aluminium producer Talum to axe its production
On 29 th September 2022, the Slovenian aluminium producer Talum, also one of the leading energy-consuming industries in the country, declared that the company had decided to reduce its primary aluminium production w.e.f 1 st October 2022 due to the energy crisis. Europe is facing a massive energy crisis following the Ukraine-Russia geopolitical, and already the aluminium producers in Europe have scaled down their productions, while a few closed down completely. Aluminium production is a high-energy-intensive process, constituting around 40% of the production cost. The Kidričevo located Talum has been producing aluminium for more than 60 years and belongs to the category of top-notch producers. Talum, as the contemporary production company, belongs to a narrow range of the most efficient...
German industrial company TAKRAF delivering two conveyors for CBG Phase 2 bauxite expansion project
As part of a fast-track EPC project in Guinea, TAKRAF will supply two conveyors to Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG). In Phase 2 expansion, this conveyor system package was brought forward, and TAKRAF's award follows the successful execution of an EPC contract for Phase 1 of that project at the end of 2016. Earlier this year, the EPC order was received. One conveyor is expected to be commissioned at the end of the year, followed by the second shortly thereafter. The contract's scope covers replacing two existing conveyors to serve for the upcoming and planned Phase 2 expansion, which aims to increase bauxite production capacity to 5,400 tonnes per hour. TAKRAF supplies both conveyors as complete new installations from the head to the tail end, packed with various other unique...
SUVO Strategic Minerals intends to acquire a 26% stake in sustainable HPA production company
The Australian hydrous kaolin producer and exploration company Suvo Strategic Minerals has publicized its plan to secure a 26% stake in low-carbon high purity alumina (HPA) production. Through a private placement, the ASX-listed company will acquire a stake in Australian proprietary company Dingo, which intends to produce HPA from recycled aluminium feedstock. In order to complete the placement, Suvo will acquire 220, 000 shares at A$1 each. Aside from the placement, Dingo will grant Suvo a clear path to acquire up to 76% of the company's issued capital. As soon as the Stage 3 earn-in period ends, Suvo will have an exclusive opportunity to negotiate a share purchase acquisition of Dingo, subject to further regulatory approvals. A concept study is currently being conducted on Dingo's...
Space-travel-ready Mumm Cordon Rouge Stellar's champagne glass bottle wrapped in aeronautical-grade aluminium
Octave de Gaulle, the ENSCI graduate designer interested in space objects and interiors has wrapped a glass bottle in an aeronautical-grade aluminium shell for French champagne house Maison Mumm, to grant champagne to be consumed in space. Mumm Cordon Rouge Stellar champagne was created by Maison Mumm for Axiom Space's flights to be "the first champagne bottle and tasting experience designed for space travel and human spaceflight". In addition to being contained in a bottle designed by De Gaulle, who founded an agency specialising in space designs called SPADE, it will also be supported by CNES and Comat. The "high-tech" bottle is designed to counter space-specific issues, including how champagne acts in the non-existence of gravity, while still clinging to the regulations of Champagne...
Hydro appoints Trond Olaf Christophersen as Executive Vice President for Corporate Development
Norsk Hydro has appointed Trond Olaf Christophersen, Executive Vice President for Corporate Development. As a member of the Corporate Management Board, Christophersen will report to President and CEO Hilde Merete Aasheim. Helena Nonka, who has decided to pursue opportunities outside Hydro, will be replaced by him on November 1. In the past, Christophersen held the position of Senior Vice President and Head of Recycling in Aluminium Metal. He has extensive experience in various roles within Hydro since joining the company in 1997. The roles include senior commercial leadership from Hydro Energy, Hydro Aluminium Metal, and several commercials, business development, and project roles from Hydro's previous oil and gas activities. His academic background includes a Master of Science from the...
Vimetco Extrusion celebrates its 16th anniversary by increasing production
The leading vertically integrated aluminium producer in Europe, Alro, measured by production capacity, declares that Vimetco Extrusion, Alro's downstream subsidiary in charge of the extrusion business line, commissioned a new state-of-the-art automated extrusion line, following a EUR 10 million investment. With this new line, Vimetco Extrusion will be able to increase its production capacity of value-added and high-value aluminium products by about 11,000 tonnes, reaching a total capacity of over 35,000 tonnes by 2022. In addition, the new line has been developed in partnership with Presezzi Extrusion spa, which has the lowest guaranteed gas consumption on the market, thanks to its energy-saving system, which supports resource allocation efficiency and reduces business risks associated...
