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.
Rolled aluminium production rise in the US could eliminate imports
According to analysts, US importable beverage can sheet will almost disappear due to the additional production of three major US aluminium rolling mills by the end of 2026. Even though demand for this packaging is expected to grow by then, the three mills will virtually eliminate importable beverage can sheets by that time. As per a report, there will be an increase in production of over 700 000 tonnes per year, which will 'more than meet current US requirements and should satisfy the expected growth in demand.' The American steel producer, Steel Dynamics, whose board of directors has already authorized to construct and operate a 650,000-metric-ton low-carbon, recycled aluminium flat-rolled mill, the stated 45% of its new south-eastern mill (650 000 tonnes per year) will focus on beverage...
Colombia's export of aluminium scrap during 2019-20 signifies enterprising growth; 25% further rise estimated for 2022
Circular economy guidelines dictate that all products should be made in such a way so they can be later demolished and remodelled into end products once the original product has become unusable. Aluminium scrap is one of those foundation materials that can be remodified into a wide variety of new products, so recycling it makes good economic and environmental sense. Aluminium metals are used extensively in construction projects such as roads and bridges. In the transportation industry, it can be used to manufacture automobiles, aircraft and other modes of transportation. Outside Asia, Colombia has one of the largest shipbuilding industries in the world. Modern industries like shipbuilding, electronics, automobile and construction contribute to Colombia's GDP; however, it also generates...
Aluminium ladders support the canopy walkway at Kakum National Park, Ghana
One of Ghana's most visited natural attractions is the Kakum National Park, located in the Central Region. Approximately 33 kilometres from Cape Coast, the capital of the region. This national park covers an area of 145 square miles (375 square kilometres). It was named after the Kakum River, which begins inside the protected park. Founded in 1931, Kakum Park received its National Park designation in 1992. Kakum National Park became home to the only canopy walkway on the African continent in March 1995. Tourists and researchers can enjoy privileged access to the rainforest's canopy via the walkway. There are seven treetops connected by a 350-metre-long wire rope bridge made of aluminium ladders, wooden planks, and safety nets. In order to protect the trees, no nails or bolts pierce the...
New reports reveal Lochaber aluminium lost £4 million in 2020-21 despite claiming the smelter was profitable
According to news reports, the GFG Alliance-owned Lochaber aluminium smelter, also subject to a £586 million Scottish Government guarantee, counted a loss of more than £4 million in FY20-21. As part of the Government's agreement with GFG Alliance, the company has been required to meet specific conditions. This release comes just weeks after the company was revealed unable to meet those conditions. According to the accounts show, the last British aluminium smelter made an operating loss of £4,051,284 in FY20-21; despite statements aroused, the smelter was "performing profitably". However, the losses were primarily imputed to higher raw material costs and diminished demand for the products at the aluminium smelter due to the impact of the Covid pandemic. Even though the smelter spent more...
Hulamin CEO Richard Jacob to step down from his position and plans to retire
The South African company-based company specializing in rolled aluminium products, Hulamin, announced that its Chief Executive Officer, Richard Jacob, will retire at the end of September 2022. His career at the Pietermaritzburg-based company spans 32 years, and he has served as CEO for 12 of those years. While the company searches for a new CEO, non-executive director Geoff Watson has been appointed interim CEO. Over the course of his career, Watson has worked for Alcoa Kaal in Australia, Alcoa Bohai (China), Steelforce (Australia), Seema International (Hong Kong), and UC Rusal (Switzerland). A graduate of the University of Cape Town with an engineering degree, Jacob joined Hulamin in 1990 as an industrial engineer. He was promoted to various positions at Hulamin, including manager for...
AUDI and AMAG's collaboration succeed in developing aluminium wheels with substantial recycled content
Almost every car today comes with light alloy wheels made of aluminium, which, with a weight of over 40 kilograms, account for a significant proportion of aluminium used in vehicles, with a newly developed aluminium recycling casting alloy called AlSi7. For the first time, REC can meet a car wheel's high safety and aesthetic requirements in a CO2-optimised way. In comparison to primary metal solutions, aluminium recycling saves up to 95 per cent of energy. With intensive collaboration from AUDI, AMAG has developed the new AMAG AlSi7.REC alloy with over 70% recycled content according to ISO 14021:2016. The new alloy was then cast into wheels by the Ronal Group. The AlSi7.REC alloy has a new chemical composition that allows for a substantial increase in recycling content, enabling the use...
Jamaica govt. steadfast to sustainable bauxite mining prioritizing environmental safety: Minister Audley Shaw
The Jamaican Minister of Mining and Transport, Audley Shaw, stated that the Caribbean Island government is resolutely guaranteeing sustainable bauxite mining in the country to protect the environment. The Minister said, "I want to assure the country that even as we continue to mine for bauxite, we will pay even more attention to the environmental issues. We will ensure that we do what we must to protect the environment and have proper land reclamation so that our farmers can still use our land and so on." Audley Shaw advocated for the pertinent stakeholders and environmentalists to work closely with the Jamaican government to enact sustainable solutions. "We can work together. I want to say to the environmentalists, let's not be enemies because there are things we can do to improve how we...
Profit-making OMC suffers $7.7 million loss for an incorrect estimate of bauxite floor price
Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), a gold category Public Sector Undertaking established in India, has reported incurring a loss of INR 61 crore ($7.77 million) due to inaccurate costing of bauxite from the Odisha’s Kodingamali block in Koraput and Rayagada districts. The profit-making OMC’s issue was pinpointed by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its compliance audit report for the year ending March 2020, which was tabled in the state Assembly on August 1 2022. As a result of the two e-auctions held on April 4 and October 3 in 2018 and the third auction held on April 3, 2019, the State PSU has determined the floor price for bauxite at 462, 547.50 and 672.65 per tonne, which will lift the mining block to 50 years rather than 21 years. Following these three e-auctions, prices...
Dutch beer brand held up by solid demand, forecasts dip in 2023 profits factoring aluminium price
On 1st August 2022, the world's most premium beer producer Heineken reported H1 2022 earnings, which exceeded more than anticipated, as beer consumers of this famous brand procured more regardless of inflation impacting daily life. However, the most recognizable beer brand in the world forecast confers different insight for 2023, profit margins to dip owing to inflating costs. The Dutch brewer, Heineken, Europe's top-selling lager, and Tiger, Sol and Strongbow cider sold more beer than estimated, expanding all regions and revenue and profit above market solidarity. Dolf van den Brink, the CEO of Heineken International, exemplified, "The beer market appeared very resilient, with no sign so far that increased living costs were curbing drinking." According to Heineken, its margins will...
Imports of aluminium powder and flakes by France during 2019-21 range from a marginal decline to a sharp increase; 10% dip estimated for 2022
The use of aluminium powder is widespread in explosives and fireworks production. Its utilization in manufacturing certain electronics is extensive—powdered aluminium is absorbed in many paints and sealants as primarily responsible for colour and hiding power. Manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and tourism usher in the diversified economy of France. The government has partially or fully privatized many large companies but maintains a strong presence in the power, public transport, and defence sectors. The north-western European nation France imported 16,775 tonnes of aluminium powder and flakes during 2019-21, incurring an expenditure of around $44.33 million for the export. In 2019, as classified by World Bank, a wealthy, high-income nation, France imported aluminium powder and flakes of...
Aluminium is not the only use for which China exports alumina
In the wake of the geopolitical crisis between Russia and Ukraine, China has exported more microchips to Russia and other electronic components and raw materials, some with military applications, entangling efforts by the US and Western allies to isolate Russia's economy and paralyse its military. According to Chinese customs data, chip exports to Russia more than doubled over the previous year's first five months of 2022, while other components such as printed circuits also saw double-digit percentage increases. There is a 400-fold increase in alumina exports (aluminium oxide), the vital raw material for aluminium production and one of the essential materials in weapons production and aerospace. It is possible, however, that inflation may be partly responsible for the jump in reported...
Bosnia Herzegovina’s aluminium scrap export during 2019-21 manifests enterprising growth; 49% upswing predicted for 2022
Aluminium is one of the most profitable metals to scrap and it is the most vital input material to the recycling process. Aluminium scrap is generally labelled as ‘new scrap’ from production processes and ‘old scrap’ from post-consumer use. New scrap arises during the manufacturing of aluminium semi-fabricated and final products. Now, depending on the type of scrap and the desired product quality, various types of furnaces for melting aluminium scrap are used. Bosnia Herzegovina has many mineral resources, including bauxite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, and lignite, despite its relatively nominal size. The metal processing sector, which incorporates ferrous and non-ferrous metals, is the most valuable segment of the mining industry. The mineral industry is the largest of goods by value...
Top Newsmakers for July 2022: Nestlé launched 'Starbucks at Home' coffee capsules made from 80% recycled aluminium; German aluminium industry prepared for the gas crisis, drew up contingency plans
The global aluminium value chain has witnessed some of the best events in the month of July 2022. The aluminium industry's downstream, end-user and recycling segment has produced the top stories in the month. Nestle, the world's largest food and beverage company, has shown that they follow the path of sustainability by rolling Starbucks at Home's coffee capsules made from 80% recycled aluminium. Aluminium is an infinitely recyclable material that acts as a boon for the company as its production process will require less energy. While in Europe, the geopolitical crisis has created a massive dent in the aluminium industry regarding supply chain and production curbs. But the most vital is the European gas supply, which is encountering a big time issue in the decade. In Germany, the...
Aluminium Formwork: A game-changing technology for residential construction
On 29th July 2022, Larsen & Toubro, the Indian multinational conglomerate company with business interests in engineering and construction, stated that it had developed a 12-storey residential tower with 96 apartments in just 96 days by applying its precast extensive concrete panel technique for ultra-rapid construction of public housing. Located in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, the tower is one of approximately 23,432 houses constructed by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO). India's premier infrastructure developer Larsen & Toubro said, "L&T's 'Mission 96' project was achieved using precast technology that is touted as the future of construction of residential towers for rapid mechanized construction with superior quality based on controlled manufacturing in a factory...
Talgo partners with Bharat Forge to make lightweight aluminium high-speed trains
Talgo has partnered with Bharat Forge's subsidiary BF Infrastructure to build high-speed trains in India. With over 75 years of experience in train design, manufacturing, and maintenance, Talgo is a wholly owned subsidiary of Spain-based world-leading high-speed train manufacturer i.e. Patentes Talgo SL. Using the high-speed rail technology and solutions from the collaboration, the Indian Railways and other private companies will be able to serve under the overarching vision of self-reliance. Bharat Forge stated, "The proposed collaboration will also focus on setting-up manufacturing, maintenance and life cycle support hub for new generation, energy efficient, lightweight aluminium high-speed railway trains." This announcement comes when the government is focused on introducing more EMI...
Slovak aluminium producer crippled by high energy prices, plans for a mass layoff
The Central European nation, Slovakia's sole aluminium producer, Slovalco, which Hydro majorly owns, will be laying-off its maximum number of employees due to higher fuel and emissions constraints and lower aluminium prices. As a result, the company's stakeholders are considering shutting down its aluminium smelter completely. As per our regional report, around 300 employees of the company out of 450 will be unemployed. The Žiar nad Hronom-based aluminium company said, "the final number of laid-off employees remains uncertain. A further 2,500 jobs in the region that are tied to aluminium manufacturing are now at risk." The layoff and production curb information has already been floated inside the aluminium producer's site. Even though Milan Vesel, Slovalco's CEO, has warned about the...
Colep Packaging acquires a 40% stake in aerosol manufacturing firm ALM
The leading player in the European aerosol market and the Iberian leader in general Packaging, Colep Packaging have acquired a 40% stake in the more than three decades old Spanish aluminium aerosol provider ALM. As a result of this move, Colep will be able to expand its packaging portfolio and offer a broader selection of sustainable packaging materials. Consequently, it aims to provide the market with more options, flexibility, and customization. Paulo Sousa, the CEO of Colep Packaging, said, “This acquisition represents an important moment in our growth strategy, aligned with the ambition to enlarge the packaging solutions of our company.” “This is one more step in our strategic implementation that allows us to have a more effective answer to the market and a stronger partnership with...
BMW calls for 'Secondary First' to achieve climate neutrality
The German multinational manufacturer of Luxury vehicles, BMW Group, pursues to cling to its zealous sustainability goals and will restrict its carbon emissions by 40 per cent per vehicle by 2030 crosswise the complete value chain equating to 2019. Thomas Becker, the Head of Sustainability and Mobility at the BMW Group, said, “We are consistently driving the issue of sustainability with our innovations.” “The current raw materials debate also validates our drive towards a circular economy. We want to make the best possible use of the raw materials in our end-of-life vehicles and recycle them in producing new vehicles. We will continue to reduce CO2 emissions and conserve natural resources through maximum energy and raw material efficiency.” On average, almost 30 per cent of BMW-producing...
