AlCircle News Edited By "Sarnali Chakraborty"
Sarnali Chakraborty is a content writer with 2 years of experience. She has written articles on various genres like technical, creative, medical, to name some. Here in Alcircle she will be curating articles on the metal industry, writing newsletters and other online and offline content.
Dubai plays host to ‘Every Can Counts Global Managers Meeting,’ an event promoting aluminium recycling
For the first time in the Middle East, Dubai played host to the ‘Every Can Counts Global Managers Meeting’ a dynamic four-day event that brought together sustainability champions and communications experts from more than 21 countries. This landmark gathering marked a pivotal moment for the innovative programme, which is dedicated to inspiring people to recycle their aluminium cans wherever they are. Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the UAE’s largest industrial company outside the oil and gas sector, joined forces with leading can-makers Crown and CANPACK to introduce the Every Can Counts programme in the UAE during COP28. This initiative is designed to encourage consumers to sort and recycle aluminium cans, supporting efforts to reduce emissions and conserve valuable resources. A global...
Iranian researchers develop aluminium fluoride to boost energy efficiency in metal production
Specialists at the Khomein branch of Islamic Azad University in Iran have successfully produced aluminium fluoride, a compound that helps lower the melting temperature of aluminium. Aluminium fluoride (AlF₃) is a colourless, inorganic compound typically found as a white powder or granules with a density greater than that of water. "In line with the development of Islamic Azad University, we are pursuing projects that not only contribute to scientific progress but also meet the vital needs of the country," said Mohammad Baqer Tavakkoli, the president of Islamic Azad University in Markazi province. Its main application is in aluminium production, where it serves as a flux to lower the melting point and enhance the conductivity of the molten electrolyte, leading to reduced energy consumption...
Sun Metalon aims to reduce emissions from aluminium & steel production with its breakthrough technology
A Chicago-based startup Sun Metalon is taking on one of the world’s biggest climate challenges with a bold solution of turning industrial waste into a valuable resource. The company says its breakthrough technology can removes gunk and grime from discarded metal slivers, enabling their reuse and helping cut emissions in aluminium and steel production that together account for roughly 7 per cent of global carbon emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. Decarbonising these heavyweights is no small task. It will require a sweeping transformation of industrial systems rooted in more than a century of tradition, along with costly upgrades to massive steel and aluminium mills. But by tapping into overlooked waste streams, this startup hopes to chip away at emissions one dirty...
Ghana president declares nationwide ban on Styrofoam plastic, emphasising the use of aluminium food containers
President John Dramani Mahama has announced the government’s intention to ban the importation, production, and use of Styrofoam plastic takeaway containers in the country. He made this declaration during the formal launch of the One Tree Per Child Initiative at Kwabenya Community Senior High School in Accra as part of the World Environment Day celebrations. The President informed manufacturers and importers of Styrofoam about the government’s decision, emphasising that, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, they would ban both the importation and production of Styrofoam in Ghana. President Mahama added that food packaging in the country would instead be made from paper and aluminium materials. “One of the most pernicious polluters is...
Emballator announces the construction of its new packaging facility in Lempäälä
Emballator, an aluminium packaging company, has announced the construction of its new 8,000 m² facility in Lempäälä, Finland. This new project will be a part of the strategy to support growth and optimise material flows for the company. Developed in partnership with Meijou Oy, the factory aims to enhance service for existing and new customers and is scheduled for autumn 2026. With a long-standing reputation for high-quality packaging solutions, Emballator reinforces its commitment to innovation and sustainability through the new factory. By investing in advanced technology and environmentally friendly practices, the company aims to boost production capacity while minimising its environmental footprint. Christian Höglund, Head of Paint & Construction, Emballator, said, “We want to continue...
NALCO’s INR 30,000C smelter expansion plan is on track, defies delay report
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), a 'Navratna' company under the Schedule 'A' category of CPSEs, announced on Thursday, June 5, that its INR 30,000-crore capital expenditure plan for smelter expansion with captive power is still on track. This announcement was made to clarify the previous announcement that NALCO would delay the project by approximately a year. The company stated that the detailed project report (DPR) for the brownfield smelter expansion and related facilities, such as the captive power plant integrated with renewable energy, is being updated to reflect the latest business needs. NALCO stated that discussions with technology partners like Rio Tinto Aluminium (RTAL) are on track and not delayed. "The Nalco management refutes the report. It added that discussions...
US Army & Georgia Tech unlocks new potential to transform aluminium scrap into hydrogen energy
Aluminium scrap is a common byproduct on military bases and aircraft carriers worldwide. Now, the US Army is partnering with Georgia Tech to convert that waste into a powerful, off-grid energy source. Backed by a $20 million grant from the Army Research Office, Georgia Tech and its collaborators are developing scalable, efficient technologies to transform aluminium into hydrogen energy. The initiative aims to create a low-cost, clean, and reliable energy solution using discarded aluminium materials. Aaron Stebner, professor and Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. Chair in Manufacturing at Georgia Tech’s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and also a professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, will lead the multi-year project alongside Scott McWhorter, who heads...
Fraunhofer researchers bag the Joseph von Prize 2025 for breakthrough in aluminium quality control analysis
Foundries operate in extreme environments marked by high temperatures and large, hard-to-reach equipment. Handling molten metal like aluminium in such conditions demands exceptional resilience and adaptability from both people and machines. While several quality control systems for molten aluminium already exist, they tend to be costly, require specialised expertise, and are time-intensive, limiting their use to occasional spot checks. This need sparked the idea at Fraunhofer IZFP to develop a mobile, ultrasound-based measurement system specifically for molten aluminium. The team has also bagged the prestigious Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize 2025 for their groundbreaking development. Ultrasound-based measuring system for aluminium production Recognising these challenges, a team of...
Mechatherm completes installation of custom hydraulic furnace doors at Alba
Mechatherm International has successfully installed custom-engineered hydraulic furnace doors on five furnaces at Aluminium Bahrain (Alba). Specially designed by the UK-based technology provider, the doors were tailored to fit seamlessly with Alba’s existing furnace infrastructure. Owing to spatial constraints from an overhead crane support beam, Mechatherm’s standard door configuration was not viable. To overcome this, the engineering team developed and implemented a custom hydraulic lift solution, ensuring smooth and efficient operation within the limited space. The newly installed doors were seamlessly integrated with Alba’s existing control systems, featuring upgraded panels that enable safe and remote operation. Mechatherm also developed a custom door trolley to streamline...
This world environment day, discover how aluminium is reinventing industry’s hazardous waste into useful resources
In a world waking up to the urgency of climate action, World Environment Day stands as a global call not just to protect what we have, but to rethink how we build, consume, and innovate. At the heart of this transformation lies a remarkable element - aluminium. Light in weight but mighty in purpose, aluminium is quietly powering the green revolution. From solar frames that harness the sun, to electric vehicles that glide cleaner and farther, to buildings that breathe efficiency aluminium is the material of endless possibility and zero compromise. What makes it extraordinary? It’s infinitely recyclable retaining its strength and quality no matter how many lives it lives. Talking about recyclability, recycling lies at the very soul of aluminium. Unlike most materials, it can be melted down...
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CANPACK’s 2024 sustainability report reinforces a circular economic achievement backed by 96% reduction in its Scope 2 emissions
CANPACK, one of the leading global manufacturers of high-quality packaging solutions, with a legacy that began over 30 years ago has shown remarkable results in their sustainability report for 2024. Headquartered in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, the company is touted as the fourth largest supplier of aluminium beverage cans in the world. In 2024, CANPACK bagged the position as the second largest supplier of aluminium beverage cans in Europe. This is not just it; the company has also managed to reduce its Scope 2 emissions by 96 per cent in 2023 and has unlocked several other milestones followed by bagging prestigious recognitions. Renowned for its advanced technology, deep industry expertise, and strong commitment to sustainability, CANPACK continues to set new standards in packaging...
DECO Australia champions sustainable architecture with ASI-backed aluminium commitment
DECO Australia leads the way in sustainable architecture by prioritising ethical sourcing, low-carbon aluminium and traceable supply chains as an ASI member. Their dedication to environmental responsibility and community values sets a benchmark in innovative, sustainable building materials. The energy-intensive process of producing virgin aluminium, especially during smelting, highlights the critical need for lower-carbon solutions. DECO has become the first building company to adopt Capral Aluminium’s LocAl® Green lower-carbon aluminium across its entire Capral supply, setting a strong example for the industry. “Growing environmental pressures, increased regulatory scrutiny and the rising demand from consumers and stakeholders for responsible sourcing are all key factors,” stated Richard...
Giga Storage announces construction of 1.2 GWh project on the grounds of a closed aluminium plant
Giga Storage, a Dutch developer of battery energy storage systems (BESS), has commenced construction on its largest project to date, the Giga Leopard. This standalone BESS will have a capacity of 300 megawatts (MW) and an energy storage capacity of 1,200 megawatt-hours (MWh), equivalent to 1.2 gigawatt-hours (GWh). The project is located in Delfzijl, Groningen, in the northeast of the Netherlands, on the site of the former Damco Aluminum Delfzijl (Aldel) smelting plant. In September 2024, the news of the plant's shutdown was announced due to continuous high energy costs and insufficient government support. Giga Storage's flagship project The construction for Giga Storage's flagship project began after securing €300 million (approximately US$342 million) in project financing from eight...
Western Yilgarn expands its bauxite asset portfolio with acquisition of Cardea 3 project
Western Yilgarn has expanded its bauxite asset portfolio by acquiring the Cardea 3 Bauxite Project in Western Australia's Darling Range for $25,000. This acquisition, finalised after completing vacuum drilling, involves an initial cash deposit followed by a payment in company shares. The Cardea 3 project is situated approximately 17.5 km east of Western Yilgarn's existing Julimar West Bauxite Project, which holds an estimated 168 million tonnes of bauxite. Exploration efforts at Cardea 3 included 433 vacuum drill holes, with 139 showings available alumina content exceeding 34.5 per cent and average reactive silica content of 3.14 per cent. These results suggest promising bauxite quality. The project's proximity to a multi-user railway offers logistical advantages, especially amid high...
Century Aluminum making significant strides towards energy independence at its Jamalco alumina refinery
Century Aluminum is making strong strides toward energy independence at its Jamalco alumina refinery in Jamaica, with the installation of a steam power generation turbine on track for completion by the end of this year. The new turbine will enable the refinery to become fully self-sufficient in power generation, significantly lowering operating costs by reducing reliance on third-party energy suppliers. According to Century Aluminum, the cost savings from the project are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026. In its Q1 2025 financial report released on May 8, CEO Jesse Gary announced that approximately $16 million is being invested in the facility, with the bulk of the funding allocated to the steam turbine project. The refinery is currently running at an annual production rate...
Franklin County transfers ownership of Moon property to an aluminium extrusion company for $135 M
The Franklin County Commission has transferred ownership of the Moon property to the Industrial Development Board to facilitate its sale to a potential aluminium extrusion company. The move aims to attract a $135 million investment and create up to 275 jobs. On May 19, the commission unanimously approved a resolution in a 14-0 vote, authorising the Industrial Development Board to negotiate the sale. If the deal is finalised, the proceeds will be returned to the county government's budget. Commissioners Lydia Curtis Johnson and David Eldridge were not present at the meeting. The resolution also grants the Industrial Development Board the flexibility to lease the Moon property instead of selling it, with the option to establish a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement. This would offer...
Romania doubles down on green goals: Aluminium can recycling rates soars to 74% in 2025
Every Can Counts, a global initiative committed to encouraging aluminium drink can recycling, has analysed data from the first four months of 2025, based on official monthly reports by RetuRO, Romania's Deposit Return System (SGR) operator. The findings reveal that Romania is making significant strides in sustainability. Between January and April 2025, the national recycling rate for aluminium cans soared to nearly 74 per cent, more than double the 35 per cent reported by European Aluminium for the country in 2022. Which country scored the big? Not only this, during the first four months of 2025, Romanian countries like Bucharest, Timiș, Cluj, Ilfov, and Constanța emerged as national leaders in aluminium can returns, both in terms of volume and consistency. These regions benefit from...
EGA up its ‘Beat the Heat’ game, launches new wearables & cooling suits - reinventing worker wellbeing
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the UAE’s largest industrial company outside the oil and gas sector, has taken a bold step forward in protecting its workforce this summer by introducing cutting-edge wearable safety technology as part of its annual ‘Beat the Heat’ campaign. With outdoor temperatures soaring during the UAE summer, heat-related illness poses a serious threat, especially for those working around-the-clock in EGA’s high-temperature industrial environments. But EGA is no stranger to this challenge. A global front-runner in heat safety, the company hasn’t recorded a single heat-related illness case since 2021. EGA is raising the bar even higher The new wearable tech will give real-time data on workers’ physical conditions, helping detect early signs of heat stress and enabling...
