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.
Atlas Renewable Energy, Hydro Rein collaborates to build 438-MW solar park to power Albras aluminium smelter
On 2 nd May 2022, the largest producer of primary aluminium in Brazil, Albras Alumínio Brasileiro S.A. (ALBRAS), which has been catering for the domestic and external markets with high purity ingots since 1985 will be procuring power from a new 438-MW solar power plant to supply its smelter in the state of Para, Brazil. The worldwide leader and investor in renewable energy sources Actis Group supported Atlas Renewable Energy in collaboration with Hydro Rein, the renewable energy solutions for more sustainable industries are establishing a joint venture to build the US$320 million (EUR 297million) Boa Sorte solar park in Paracatu, Minas Gerais. The solar plant will comprise over 800,000 bifacial modules. A bifacial solar cell (BSC) is a photovoltaic solar cell that can generate electrical...
Gränges first to invest in battery foil manufacturing in the US
The aluminium technology company Gränges which has been driving the development of lighter, smarter, and more sustainable aluminium products and solutions are reported expanding its Newport, Arkansas, production facility to enable the production of battery cathode foil. In the transition to electric vehicles, such foil is a crucial component necessary for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries. Gränges will be making this foil for the first time in the United States. The investment comprises finishing and cleanroom equipment with commercial deliveries planned to begin in 2024. Commercial deliveries are anticipated to begin in 2024, including finishing and cleanroom equipment. The century-old innovative engineering company, Gränges is focusing on the battery cathode foil segment, depicting...
Additional stake in MRN bauxite mine acquired by South32
The Perth, Western Australia headquartered mining and metal company, South32 Limited has unveiled the accomplishment of acquisition of an additional 18.2% stake in the Mineração Rio do Norte (MRN) bauxite mine in the northern part of Brazil from Alcoa Corporation (Alcoa). However, the acquisition of the additional stakes excels the ownership of the mine to 33% and secures the bauxite requirements for South 32’s integrated aluminium supply chain in Brazil. On 6 th January 2022, the company formed by spun out of BHP Billiton, South32 disclosed the plan to participate in the resumption of the Alumar aluminium smelter in Brazil in cooperation with joint venture partner Alcoa, with its first production to be achieved in the June 2022 quarter. The Brazilian aluminium smelter will be powered by...
Bauxite transportation by Rocksure International in Ghana to avoid roads
In the West African nation Ghana, Rocksure International Limited, a contract mining company has over the years developed a substantial capacity and flexibility for executing measures to encounter the challenges of planning, equipping and staffing several mining sites. The Accra headquartered company, Rocksure International has manifested not to transport bauxite by road to save the country’s road network from shattering by heavily loaded trucks. Kwesi Enyan, the Executive Director of Operations for Rocksure International publicized this in Tarkwa when the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) held a special convocation for 27 students. “The Ghana Integrated Aluminum Development Corporation (GIADEC) had selected Rocksure International to develop one of the three blocks, block ‘b’ of...
Hazardous waste recycler Befesa delivers strongest quarterly results in its 35-year history
As a leading provider of hazardous waste recycling services to the aluminium and steel industries, Luxembourg-based Befesa S.A., recently reported the strongest quarterly results in its 35-year history, with an EBITDA of 61.1 million euros ($64.4 million). Befesa said, “In addition, it was 25 % greater than the company's Q1 2021 EBITDA of 48.8 million euros, which supports a positive outlook for 2022.” Based on the company's findings, its year-over-year positive earnings performance this quarter was primarily driven by strong base metal prices and good volume performance. This encompassed the contribution from its Unites States zinc operations and foremost volume from its first facility in China. These costs more than offset energy inflation and higher treatment charges of $230 per tonne...
Locally sourced ores can reduce Vedanta's cost of aluminium production by up to $300 per tonne: CEO
Mining major Vedanta is taking multiple steps this year to upgrade its margins, from increasing its portfolio of value-added products to sourcing raw materials from captive mines. During its recently completed fiscal year, the company had an EBITDA margin of almost 35%. The Indian multinational mining company, Vedanta has lately secured two iron ore mines in Odisha through auctions. As per the statement of Sunil Duggal, the Chief Executive Officer of Vedanta Limited, “Once these mines get operational, they will not only secure its iron ore supplies for its steel arm ESL Steel and reduce the raw material cost, but also provide a consistent quality.” The CEO further stressed by saying that the Vedanta has three coal mines which are anticipated to functionalize one after the other in the...
Middle East's mining giant Ma’aden posts record Q1 profit of $772 million, with aluminium business contributing 24%
One of the fastest-growing mining companies in the world, the Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) has booked a net profit of SR2.9 billion ($772.2 million) for Q1 2022, reflecting a growth of 246% in comparison to the same phase previous, a benchmark of its own created. An announcement of its financial results for the first quarter resulted on 31 st March 2022, Ma’aden stated, “Our sales scaled up by 64% to SR8.9 billion from the same phase existing year, while EBITDA stood at SR4.4 billion, soared by 101% compared to the previous year.” The group ranked among the global top ten mining companies by market value, Ma’aden indicated that the company’s phosphate business contributed 70% to the group's EBITDA for Q1 2022, accordance by aluminium 24% and gold segment contributed 6%...
Alba achieves the highest ever ‘Safety Performance’
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the world’s single-site largest aluminium smelter outside China embellished new records in safety on 30 April 2022 as it excelled 25 million safe working hours without Lost Time Injury (LTI) for the first time in the history of its commercial operations. However, this landmark is achieved apace with exceeding 25 million metric tonnes (MT) in overall production since the Bahraini aluminium company initiated its operations in 1971. Ali Al Baqali, the Chief Executive Officer of Alba, while commenting on this highest-ever safety performance said, “Alba is the author of its destiny. Achieving 25 million-milestone, in both Safety and Production, allowed us to sign up in history books for our Golden Jubilee of Operations.” “Safety and Production are mutually...
Hydro announces bid for all the shares of Polish recycling firm Alumetal SA
On 29 th April 2022, the Norwegian aluminium company with its headquarters in Oslo, Norsk Hydro has announced a tender offer for the acquisition of 100% of the shares of Alumetal S.A, a company listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange for 68.4 PLN per share in cash (the “offer price”), representing an aggregate equity purchase price of approximately 1.066 PLN million (approx. EUR 232 million). Alumetal is one of the biggest, ultra-modern and constantly developing manufacturers of secondary aluminium casting alloys and primary alloys. However, the transaction oblique an Enterprise Value of approximately 1.332 PLN million (app. EUR 290 million) based on newly reported net debt as of FY2021 and dividends payable of 106 PLN million (app. EUR 23 million) dividend payment date on 27 th July 2022....
Imports of aluminium foil by Austria during 2019-22 represent consistent growth
A total of 75% of aluminium foil is used to package foods, cosmetics, and chemical products, while 25% is used for industrial applications like thermal insulation, electrical cable, and electronics. Aluminium foil is easily recycled and it succeeded tin foil in the mid-20th century. Aluminium foil is tasteless and odourless. Aluminium foil is extremely dimensionally stable even in the soft state. The paper-thin, shiny sheet of aluminium metal is made from aluminium alloy which consists of between 92% and 99% aluminium. In the production of modern foil, aluminium is rolled through continuous mills, resulting in a thin and longer product. This process reduces the thickness of the aluminium product, which is then wound into a coil at the end of the production line. Afterwards, these coils...
The Australian Government awards a $7.5m modern manufacturing grant to ABx subsidiary Alcore
The 83% stakeholder of Alcore Limited, ABx Group Limited made public that its subsidiary has been granted $7.5 million from the Australian Government’s ‘Modern Manufacturing Initiative’ to support its proposed $16.4 million aluminium smelter bath recycling plant in Bell Bay, Tasmania. The proposed plant is acknowledged to be the world’s elemental commercial plant to recycle aluminium smelter bath into valuable chemicals. The plant is propounded to transform 1,600 tonnes per year of aluminium smelter bath into hydrogen fluoride and other industrial chemicals. However, most of the hydrogen fluoride will be further processed into aluminium fluoride, a vital chemical for aluminium smelting, for which Australia presently imports 100% of its requirements. A remarkable benefit of this project is...
The European Aluminium Association and energy experts call for a bold EU energy agenda
The European Aluminium discussed with industry experts and policymakers the future of Europe’s energy infrastructure following the ongoing energy crisis during its annual Spring Meetings 2022, where both the industry and energy sector stressed the need to facilitate affordable and low-carbon energy uptake for industrial users to support navigate the current crisis while meeting the EU’s target for climate neutrality. European Aluminium commenced its 2022 Spring Meetings with a cross-industry stakeholder debate on “Fit for net-zero: Industrial decarbonisation in an energy-sensitive environment”. The event, bringing together Europe’s aluminium players from more than 600 facilities in 30 European nations, welcomed officials and industry experts from the energy sector, including the...
Hungarian aluminium structures exports are buoyed by a robust light metal market from 2019 through 2021 but show a slight decline of 1.6% in 2022
The metal aluminium is now extensively used in building and construction due to its inherent property of lightness and corrosion resistance. It is applied in the form of external facades, roofs and walls, windows and doors, staircases, railings, shelves and other several applications. Aluminium is also broadly utilized in airframe structures and is increasingly being used in automotive frames to diminish weight and enhance fuel efficiency. An export-driven economy, Hungary revealed that the global slowdown and fluctuating demand in its primary export markets have harmed economic growth, particularly in the export-orientated automotive and consumer electronics sectors. The Central-European nation Hungary exported 56,016 tonnes of aluminium structures from 2019-to 21, attracting foreign...
Nalco's alumina export policy impacts domestic aluminium producers: IIVCC
According to the Indian Industrial Value Chain Council (IIVCC), the group representing the organizations involved in the industrial production and consumption supply chain activities across India stated that the state-owned integrated aluminium company Nalco, whose surfeit quantity of alumina produced remains inaccessible to the domestic aluminium manufacturers, now that manoeuvring them towards considerable dependency on imports and inflating their cost load. Ashok Kumar Agrawal, the National Convener of IIVCC, Nalco was allotted bauxite mines in gratis to uplift the national aluminium industry. Consequently, the surplus alumina that is not being absorbed by Nalco needs to be supplied to other aluminium producers rather than exporting the raw material. The domestic alumina demand of...
Alba turns out to be the first Bahraini organization to refinance its syndicated loan facility with sustainability linked terms
The initial aluminium smelter in the Middle East region, which commenced its journey with a production of 120,000 tonnes per annum in 1971, Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), at present, is the world’s largest single-site aluminium smelter ex-China has evolved as the first Bahraini Company to have successfully achieved sustainability-linked refinancing for its US$1,247,475,000 syndicated loan facility in connection to the Line 6 Expansion Project. The US$1,247,475,000 senior-unsecured Conventional and Islamic Facility carries an interest margin of 235 basis points per annum over the sum of the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) and the Credit Adjustment Spread (CAS). However, this new facility comes up with an 8-year tenor and the principal amount will be repaid in 16 semi-annual...
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Alba CEO Ali Al Baqali rolls out the company’s ESG Roadmap
The Chief Executive Officer of Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), Ali Al Baqali rolled out the company’s approved Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Roadmap by the Board of Directors, to underline the company’s strong commitment to Bahrain’s, an island country in Western Asia towards the objective of ‘Net Zero Emissions by 2060’ under the leadership of HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On 27 th April 2022, the first aluminium smelter in the Middle East region, Alba’s CEO held a presentation on the company’s ESG Roadmap in a hybrid format -- both in-person and via the virtual platform. It was attended by Company’s Executives, Directors, and Management team as well as numerous employees and contractors’...
Greece's import of aluminium powder and flakes during 2019-22 exhibits a volatile trend with low demand
The Bank of Greece, which is the central bank of the country, in its annual report stated a slash in prediction for economic growth to 3.8% in 2022 from 4.8% earlier and elevated its forecast for the inflation rate to 5.2% under the base scenario, in its annual report. As a nation, in 2020, Greece emerged to have countered a very deep recession and even under optimistic assumptions, a full recovery is going to take beyond 2021. Furthermore, the recession and the cost of the measures to diminish it have already navigated to a further sharp rise in Greece's already excessively high public debt. The South-eastern European nation Greece imported 265 tonnes of aluminium powder and flakes during 2019-21, disposing of foreign earnings of $734,467 tonnes for the aluminium product. In 2019, Greece...
India’s Reliance Industries signs agreement with TA’ZIZ for Ruwais chemicals project, focusing on Chlor-alkali
On 26 th April 2022, the Indian multinational conglomerate company, headquartered in Mumbai, Reliance Industries (RIL) and the Abu Dhabi Chemicals Derivatives Company RSC (TA’ZIZ) signed a shareholding agreement for a chemical project in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi. However, this development delivers high significance, as it will eye on Chlor-alkali, ethylene dichloride (EDC) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production, which are used in an extensive variety of industrial applications. Furthermore, it is anticipated to unfold new revenue paths for RIL as well as the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company, who are strategic partners in TA’ZIZ, a joint venture organization. According to an industry expert, who states that chaired by Indian...
