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.
Iran’s aluminium ingot production hikes by 20% in 1400, says IMDRO
Aluminium ingot production in Iran surged by 20 percent throughout the Iranian calendar year 1400, which ended on March 20, says the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO). IMIDRO is a large state-owned holding corporation operating in Iran's mining sector. According to IMIDRO statistics, yearly aluminium ingot output was 538,633 tonnes in 1400, 446,836 tonnes in 1399, and 278,318 tonnes in 1398. By the Iranian calendar year 1404 the country intends to produce 1.5 million tonnes of aluminium ingot annually (March 2025-March 2026). Apart from this, South Aluminum Corporation (SALCO) manufactured 173,594 tonnes of aluminium ingots, Almahdi Aluminum Company produced 150,738 tonnes, and Iran Alumina Company produced 37,243 tonnes. In the previous...
Scientists from BSU and Skoltech institute discover resistant and improved aluminium for aircraft
Scientists from Belgorod State University (BSU) and Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) have discovered a series of patterns in the atomic structure of aluminium, which might lead to new and more resistant aluminium alloys for aviation. As per Anton Boev and his colleagues involved in the Skoltech project found that the structure of the particles, and hence the mechanical behaviour of the heat-treated alloy, changes in a predictable fashion. The researchers hope that the combination of mechanical qualities they've discovered will aid in extending the life of aeroplane components built of these materials. The institution is setup to study aluminium alloys at the atomic level because the evolution of the commonly used Al-Cu-Mg-Ag alloy structure and mechanical properties...
BMW, MINI to include cast aluminium wheels made of 100% green energy
BMW group is advancing towards sustainability. Starting in 2024, it is planning to employ cast aluminium wheels made of 100% renewable energy for its BMW and MINI brands. To date, wheels have been responsible for around 5% of supply chain CO2 emissions. These emissions will be cut in half if the global auto brand switches to more sustainable products that use green energy. “Green power is one of the biggest levers for reducing CO2 emissions in our supply chain. We have already signed more than 400 contracts with our suppliers, including suppliers of wheels and aluminium, requiring them to use green power,” says Joachim Post, BMW AG's Purchasing and Supplier Network member. MINI will be a pioneer in this industry in 2023 when the new generation of the MINI Countryman will debut light-alloy...
Primary aluminium weekly recap: EGA and Ma’aden to move towards greener aluminium smelting technology;LME halts aluminium loading in its warehouse due to extra tax
The primary aluminium sector has witnessed a mixed yet significant response this week both in terms of prices and other activities. If on one hand, Hindalco’s aluminium ingot price had escalated by INR 3,250 per tonne after 4 successive downfalls, LME aluminium benchmark price had stayed on the downward side. The price fell from US$ US$3,444 per tonne to US$3,395 per tonne. On Monday, April 4, both the LME aluminium cash bid price and the LME aluminium official settlement price fell 1.12% to US$3,443.50 per tonne and US$3,444 per tonne, respectively. Apart from this, the news of EGA and Ma’aden moving towards greener aluminium smelting technology shows that the aluminium industry is paying more attention to sustainable production. As a knock-on effects from the Russia-Ukraine crisis, LME...
Rio Tinto grabs 100% stake in QAL, denying Rusal's access to the vital raw material source
Rio Tinto has taken full control of an alumina refinery in Queensland that it shares with United Co. Rusal International PJSC, thus denying the Russian aluminium giant access to a vital raw material source. “As a result of the Australian government’s sanction measures, Rio Tinto has taken on 100 per cent of the capacity and governance of Queensland Alumina until further notice,” Rio said in an emailed statement. According to a source familiar with the situation, Queensland Alumina's (QAL) management had urged Rio to step in and take full control of the business after receiving legal advice that the operational structure could not comply with Australia's sanctions. When sanctions are lifted, control will revert to the old joint-venture operational structure, according to the source. While...
Crown Holdings Brazil division receive ASI Chain of Custody Standard Certification
On Friday, April 8, Crown Holdings, Inc.'s Crown Beverage Can Brazil Division subsidiary has received ASI Chain of Custody Standard Certification for the fabrication of aluminium can bodies and ends. The other six plants certified by ASI in October 2021 are Cabreva, S. Paulo; Estancia, Sergipe; Ponta Grossa, Parana; Rio Verde, Goias; Teresina, Piaui; the can end plant in Manaus, Amazonas; and the corporate office in Cabreva, S. Paulo. The six facilities produce a total of 10.9 billion cans every year. DNV Business Assurance Services UK Ltd conducted an impartial third-party audit of the Crown Holdings, Inc plants. The ASI Certification programme is the first complete voluntary sustainability standard project for the aluminium value chain, and it was established after considerable...
Egyptian market welcomes Hydro CIRCAL, brand of recycled aluminium with highest recycling rate
The Egyptian market welcomed back Technal®, the French brand at the “Technal® World: Sustainability and Building Envelopes" conference held in Cairo this week, to mark the launch of Hydro CIRCAL. With a range of excellent and unique products and collaborations, Technal® is a pioneer provider of aluminium for doors, windows, and building facades in the Egyptian market. "We announced the launch of our latest product Hydro CIRCAL, in Egypt today, the world’s first certified minimum 75% post-consumer recycled Aluminum for doors windows and building facades,” said Sam Robinson, the managing director at Hydro Building Systems for the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia. Zaha Hadid Architects from London, Mohamed Talaat - MT Architects from Egypt, Koltay Facades from Dubai, Front from the...
China’s A00 aluminium ingot price closes the week with a decline of RMB230/t; Alumina spot price inches up by RMB4/t
As per SMM data, the A00 aluminium ingot price closes the week with a plunge of RMB 230 per tonne to score at RMB 21,800 per tonne. The average price for today has been registered between RMB 21,780 per tonne and RMB 21,820 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a premium price of RMB 70-30 per tonne. Gongyi and Chongqing has also witnessed decline by RMB 210 per tonne to record at RMB 21,740 per tonne and RMB 21,780 per tonne. As of today, the A00 aluminium ingot price in Wuxi and Shenyang, the price has plummeted by RMB 220 per tonne to total at RMB 21,800 per tonne and RMB 21,750 per tonne. In Tianjin and Linyi the price has dropped by RMB 180 per tonne and RMB 200 per tonne to come in at RMB 21,850 per tonne and RMB 21,920 per tonne. For Foshan and Hangzhou, the price has...
China’s aluminium billet inventory augments as pandemic weakens consumption
China’s aluminium billet inventory has been on the decline side since Thursday, March 10. As per the latest data by SMM, on Thursday, April 7, aluminium billet inventory has augmented by 8,100 tonnes or 5.12 percent W-o-W to score at 165,600 tonnes. Because of the pandemic's impact on mainstream consumption, it's projected that aluminium billet inventories will continue to grow next week. The pandemic's impact on truck shipments has been worse this week, especially in east China, where both inflows and outflows of freight have been hampered. The chart below indicates the current status of aluminium billet inventories across China in more detail: In addition, due to sluggish end demand, merchants and downstream producers held off on purchase, resulting to larger inventories in Foshan,...
Aluminium can shortage worries beverage and pet food packaging sectors
In the ever-expanding beverage sector, the popularity of aluminium cans is increasing every day. With increased competition and decreased supply, due to shortage sparked by the COVID-19 epidemic, local breweries are the mostly affected. Since 2012, Great Rhythm Brewing Company has been delivering craft beer to New Hampshire residents in kegs and aluminium cans. When large can suppliers dropped tiny craft beer producers, it increased manufacturing costs. The impact on large beverage companies is substantially smaller. With the increase in dog and cat adoptions, competition is increasing across the board, not just in the beverage aisle. For the time being, brewers are attempting to get around the scarcity. The scarcity has been dubbed the "can-demic" by some. “It is a great package, for...
Rusal exports first bauxite shipment from Guinea since March 12
Russian aluminium giant Rusal has transported its first bauxite shipment from its Guinean mines in over a month, according to an analysis revealed by Refinitiv shipping data on 6th April. A vessel had left Guinea's Kamsar port on 5th April after being loaded by a trans-shipping vessel that claimed of working for Rusal. The consignment marked Dian-Dian's bauxite export from 12th March. Rusal’s supply network had been impacted in a big way owing to the Ukraine-Russia crisis and its ensuing reaction. Oleg Deripaska, the founder of Rusal had also been named on the sanction list, following the crisis. Rusal's Dian-Dian operations, which primarily feed the company's Aughinish refinery in Ireland, export bauxite via Kamsar. However, Rusal's other Guinean bauxite mines, the Kindia operations,...
Gangavaram Port records milestone, loads 6559 tonnes of aluminium ingot
Gangavaram Port, the country’s deepest and most advanced port achieves yet another record-breaking milestone. The port staff loaded the most aluminium ingots in a single day, 6,559 tonnes of Aluminium ingots for the vessel SEACON MANILA at Berth No 1. This is a new national record for any Indian port. The Port has a futuristic infrastructure to handle a wide range of import and export cargos, including deep depth multi-purpose cargo berths. M/s Vedanta Ltd (Shipper of Al. Ingot Cargo) expressed their thanks for the National Record and thanked the port administration, personnel, workers, and contractor M/s Synergy Shipping for their assistance in achieving this fantastic feat. With its deep draught berths and efficient operations, Gangavaram Port has established itself as the gateway port...
PNNL scientists develop aluminium-nickel molten salt battery with energy density of 260 W/hr/kg
Scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) of the US Department of Energy have created an aluminium-nickel (Al-Ni) molten salt battery named “freeze-thaw battery” under thermal cycling. It can disable the self-charge mechanism when the battery is turned off. With a potential energy density of 260 W/hour per kilogramme, the battery will be able to preserve 92 per cent of its initial capacity over 12 weeks. It had an aluminium anode and a nickel cathode, both of which were submerged in a molten salt electrolyte. To boost the battery's storage capacity, they added sulphur to the electrolyte. To prevent damage during the freeze-thaw cycle, a ceramic separator was implanted between the anode and the cathode. “It’s a lot like growing food in your garden in the spring,...
Vedanta to procure 580 MW of renewable energy, moving closer to achieve its Net Zero Carbon
Vedanta Limited, a globally diversified natural resources company announced on Thursday, March 31, that its board of directors had approved plans to procure 580 MW of renewable energy (RE) for the company's operations in India. This power source has the potential to prevent around 2.7 million tonnes of GHG emissions from entering the environment once it is operational. Vedanta intends to partially replace current captive thermal power capabilities with renewable energy for smelting and other processes, as well as fulfil the power requirements of Vedanta Aluminium Jharsuguda, Balco, and Hindustan Zinc's capacity growth. Vedanta has signed an Electricity Delivery Agreement (PDA) with special purpose vehicles (SPVs), who are affiliates of Sterlite Power Technologies Pvt Ltd (SPTPL), a...
Low supply of aluminium cans continues to worry local brewery in the US
Shortage of aluminium cans following the COVID-19 pandemic is still wreaking havoc on the aluminium industry. Aluminium cans are in low supply due to supply chain difficulties. The aluminium supply chain constraint is taking a toll on Secret Tail Brewing Company, which has been in the industry for the past five years. Charlie Barrett, the owner of Secret Trail Brewing Co., said a can with a lid used to cost 20 cents, which currently has hiked by 25 per cent to stand at 25 cents. Secret Trail now cans roughly 500 cases every two months with 24-16 ounce cans in each case. “We haven't raised prices this year, but we may think about it for next year on the cans. We haven't raised prices at all for our beer, so we might have to do something the first of next year though just because we have to...
China’s A00 aluminium ingot price slumps by RMB250/t; Average alumina spot price inches up by RMB2/t
According to the Shanghai Metals Market, the A00 aluminium ingot price has declined by RMB 250 per to stop at RMB 22,480 per tonne. The average price for the same is expected to range between RMB 22,460 per tonne and RMB 22,500 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a premium price of RMB 110-70 per tonne. For the same day, the price in Foshan and Wuxi has fallen down by RMB 250 per tonne to come in at RMB 22,150 per tonne and RMB 22,480 per tonne. In Gongyi and Chongqing the price has plunged by RMB 260 per tonne and RMB 240 per tonne to score at RMB 22,370 per tonne and RMB 22,450 per tonne. In Hangzhou and Shenyang the price has declined by RMB 110 per tonne and RMB 230 per tonne to record at RMB 22,630 per tonne and RMB 22,430 per tonne. The A00 aluminium ingot price in Tianjin...
ASI presents Performance Standard Certificate to Symetal’s aluminium foil rolling plant and conversion facility
The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is a business-led initiative aimed at promoting sustainability throughout the aluminium value chain. On Tuesday, April 5, Symetal's aluminium foil rolling plant (Oinofyta) and aluminium foil conversion facility (Mandra) in Greece has been successfully accredited against the ASI Performance Standard for responsible aluminium production, procurement, and stewardship. For a wide spectrum of worldwide customers, including the culinary, pharmaceutical, and electric car battery industries, the firm provides specialised aluminium foil materials primarily utilised in packaging solutions. Symetal's two plants have a combined yearly production capacity of 78,000 tonnes of aluminium foil, with the firm exporting over 90% of its output to about 70 countries....
Blast in Chinese aluminium plant causes fear of liquid aluminium spill
On Sunday, April 3, an explosion in an aluminium plant in the Guangdong province city of Qingyuan took the lives of 4 workers. As per the local media, the explosion may have caused a liquid aluminium spill, posing a serious threat to the workers there. “The explosion may trigger a liquid aluminum leak and relevant departments are now dealing with the accident,” says Daily Global Times. However, this is not the first time that something like this has happened in China. In 2007, a molten aluminium leak had taken the life of 14 people and wounded 59 at a plant in east China's Shandong Province.
