AlCircle News Edited By "Staff Editor"
Royal Enfield Classic 650 combines vintage styling with modern features
Royal Enfield has introduced the new Classic 650, a motorcycle that stays true to the brand’s retro design philosophy while incorporating modern features and the company’s proven 650cc parallel-twin engine. The motorcycle follows the styling cues that have made the Classic series popular, featuring traditional lines, a hand-pinstriped fuel tank and premium aluminium switch cubes. Royal Enfield has positioned the model as a value-focused option in the mid-capacity retro motorcycle segment, with a starting price of USD 7,499 in the United States and CAD 9,999 in Canada. The Classic 650 uses the same 650cc parallel-twin engine found in several other Royal Enfield models. While it is not designed as a high-performance motorcycle, it offers a smooth riding experience and focuses on comfort,...
Fallen Astronaut: A timeless vision inside a 3.5-inch aluminium sculpture that travelled to the Moon, honouring astronauts, knows no boundaries
The only figurative sculpture on another world is made from aluminium. On August 2, 1971, during the Apollo 15 mission, Commander David Scott placed a small aluminium figurine and a plaque on the lunar surface as a memorial to astronauts and cosmonauts who lost their lives during the early years of space exploration. The memorial, known as Fallen Astronaut, consists of a 3.5-inch aluminium figure representing an astronaut and a plaque listing the names of 14 people who died while contributing to space programmes in the United States and the Soviet Union. Scott placed the memorial near the Lunar Roving Vehicle at the Hadley-Apennine landing site and did not publicly disclose the act until after the mission ended. The memorial remains on the Moon today and is widely regarded as the only...
SuperAlloy sees revenue growth as carmakers increase the use of recycled aluminium
SuperAlloy reported stronger sales of recycled aluminium in May, supported by growing demand from luxury and supercar manufacturers as well as increasing adoption of low-carbon procurement practices across global supply chains. The company said consolidated revenue for May reached USD 20.14 million, an increase of 6.7 per cent compared with April and 18.74 per cent higher than the same month last year. For the January-May period, cumulative consolidated revenue totalled TWD 3.103 billion (USD 98 million), up 2.86 per cent year on year, returning the company to positive growth for the first five months of 2026. According to SuperAlloy, demand was supported by its certification with seven international luxury and supercar brands, which have contributed to a higher usage rate of recycled...
Solar growth overtakes gas as power sector shifts towards renewables
The share of natural gas in global electricity generation fell for the fifth year in a row in 2025, as renewable energy, led by solar power, played a bigger role in meeting rising power demand. 21.8 per cent of global electricity generation in 2025 was made up of gas, down from 23.9 per cent in 2020. Gas-fired power still grew in total, but at a slower rate than solar and wind. The shift towards renewable energy is important for energy-heavy industries like aluminium. The smelters are rapidly using solar and wind power to cut emissions. Alongside this, more usage of solar and wind power equals more demand for aluminium. Think tank Ember reports that gas-fired generation expanded at an average annual rate of 1.6 per cent from 2021 to 2025, down from 2.9 per cent annually between 2016 and...
Reliance, Vedanta and Adani show interest in Andhra Pradesh rare earth projects
Reliance Industries, Vedanta and Adani Group are among a number of companies that have expressed interest in setting up rare earth processing facilities in Andhra Pradesh, according to sources familiar with the matter. The move comes as India looks to expand its capabilities in critical minerals and reduce its reliance on imports for materials used in sectors such as electric vehicles, electronics and clean energy. Sources said around 10 companies have shown interest in developing facilities in the state, which holds significant rare earth mineral reserves. The plans are outlined in a draft government document and form part of a broader effort to build a complete rare earth supply chain, covering mining, processing and magnet manufacturing. In February, the federal government identified...
SACA, a new coalition, debuts to support growth of recycled aluminium production in the US
A new trade group representing companies involved in the US secondary aluminium industry has been launched, bringing together businesses from across the country's aluminium recycling and processing value chain. The organisation, called the Secondary Aluminum Coalition for America (SACA), says it represents companies involved in scrap collection and trading, remelting, extrusion and fabrication. This week, members of the coalition travelled to Washington to meet administration officials and lawmakers. According to the group, the purpose of the visit is to demonstrate that expanding secondary aluminium production offers the fastest route to increasing domestic aluminium capacity. SACA argues that producing aluminium from scrap can be scaled up more quickly and at a lower cost than building...
Arctial advances low-carbon aluminium project in Finland after pre-feasibility success
Arctial, a partnership between Rio Tinto, Mitsubishi Corporation, Fortum, ABB, Vargas, Tesi and Siemens Financial Services, has completed the Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) for its planned low-carbon primary aluminium production facility in Kokkola-Kruunupyy, Finland, marking a key milestone for the project. Following the successful completion of the study, the partners have agreed to move into the next phase, which will involve more detailed technical, commercial and financial planning. The company also submitted its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in May 2026, with public hearings in the Kokkola-Kruunupyy region scheduled for the summer of 2026. "Completing the Pre-Feasibility Study is an important milestone, but significant further work is still required within key areas such as...
Schupan Aluminum & Plastic strengthens leadership team with Matt Webster and Kevin Roschek promotions
Schupan Aluminum & Plastic Sales has promoted Matt Webster to vice president and Kevin Roschek to senior director of divisional operations, reinforcing its leadership team as the company continues to expand its aluminium and plastic distribution business. The appointments come as the Kalamazoo, Michigan-based company adds management capacity to support a larger and more complex operation while positioning itself for future growth. "As Aluminum & Plastic Sales has grown in size and complexity, we're adding senior leadership capacity to match the business's ambition for continued market growth while leveraging the momentum our team has built," said John Barry, president of Schupan Aluminum & Plastic Sales. "Both of these appointments reflect our commitment to developing the leaders within...
Vedanta Aluminium expands solar lighting and water projects in rural Odisha
Vedanta Aluminium has stepped up its rural development efforts in Odisha with the installation of more than 700 solar-powered streetlights and over 25 solar-powered borewells, bringing improved access to lighting and drinking water to remote communities across the state. The company said the projects have been rolled out in the districts of Kalahandi, Rayagada, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda and Koraput, benefiting more than 20,000 people. The initiative is aimed at addressing two long-standing challenges in many villages: irregular electricity supply and limited access to safe drinking water. In several remote areas, frequent power cuts and inadequate infrastructure affect the operation of basic public services. Water pumps, in particular, often become unusable during outages, disrupting the...
Vietnam's first aluminium smelter, Dak Nong, achieves first power delivery milestone
The Dak Nong aluminium smelter project in Vietnam, a 450,000-tonnes-per-year facility being developed by NFC and regarded as the country's first aluminium smelter, has achieved its first successful power delivery, marking a major construction milestone as it moves closer to trial operations and production. According to the company, the successful energisation of the facility's electrical systems will enable the project team to move ahead with equipment testing, commissioning activities and pilot production. The development faced several challenges during construction. With Vietnam lacking established industrial standards for electrolytic aluminium production, the project team had to address technical differences and develop solutions in close cooperation with the owner, Tran Hong Quan...
CATL expects energy storage to become half of total business by 2030
Battery maker CATL expects energy storage systems to account for 50 per cent of its total sales by 2030, up from about 25 per cent currently, according to Kevin Tang, the company's Director for Energy Storage Systems in Europe. Tang said the growth reflects rising demand for battery storage as countries continue investing in renewable energy. Battery storage is gaining greater importance for industries that require a continuous power supply, including aluminium production. As renewable energy use grows, batteries can store electricity generated from solar and wind projects and supply power when generation is unavailable, such as during night-time hours or periods of low wind. As Europe, China and other regions continue investing in solar and wind power, battery storage has become an...
NALCO reviews sustainable bauxite mining with newly appointed Koraput DFO
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) officials met Koraput Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sidharth Jain to discuss the company’s sustainable mining and refinery operations in the district. Amarendra Kumar Mishra, Executive Director of NALCO's Mines and Refinery (M&R) Complex, along with other senior officials, paid a courtesy visit to Jain, who recently took charge as the DFO of Koraput. Discussions were held on issues related to the operation of NALCO's Alumina Refinery, Panchpatmali Bauxite Mine and Pottangi Bauxite Mines. They also reviewed matters concerning coordination between the company and the Forest Department. Environmental management and activities that are connected to mining operations in the region were given special attention. NALCO's Panchpatmali mine supplies...
Primetals Technologies wraps up automation upgrade at Ulsan Aluminum
Primetals Technologies has completed an automation upgrade at the hot finishing mill of Ulsan Aluminum in South Korea. Ulsan Aluminum recently gave the Final Acceptance Certificate (FAC), marking the completion of the project. The upgrade included the virtualisation of automation servers, reducing maintenance requirements and allowing faster expansion of digital services. According to the companies, the new basic automation system has improved operational stability and maintainability at the plant. As part of the project, the process automation system database was migrated from Oracle to Microsoft SQL Server. This helped to reduce software licensing costs and simplify system support. A new Level 2 human-machine interface (HMI) has been installed to give operators better guidance and a...
Cyclone Narelle raises costs and cuts shipments at Alcoa's Pinjarra refinery
Alcoa Corporation expects alumina shipments from its Pinjarra refinery in Australia to decline by about 120,000 tonnes in the second quarter compared with the first quarter, following disruptions caused by Cyclone Narelle. Speaking at the Wells Fargo Industrials & Materials Conference in Chicago, Alcoa Chief Financial Officer Molly Beerman said the cyclone, which struck Australia in March, disrupted liquefied natural gas supplies to the company's Pinjarra alumina refinery. The Pinjarra facility has an annual alumina production capacity of 4.7 million tonnes. According to Beerman, the disruption is expected to increase second-quarter production costs at the refinery by about USD 30 million. Alcoa is also facing higher costs at its Sao Luis alumina refinery in Brazil. Beerman said the...
Novelis starts operating electric pusher furnace at Sierre aluminium plant
Novelis has commissioned an electric pusher furnace at its aluminium plant in Sierre, Switzerland, marking a new step in the company's decarbonisation plans. The furnace is used to heat aluminium ingots before they are rolled into finished products. Until now, the process relied on natural gas, but the new system runs on electricity supplied through Switzerland's power network. According to the company, the switch is expected to cut carbon emissions by around 4,500 tonnes per year. Novelis also expects the furnace to use about 25 per cent less energy than the gas-fired equipment it replaces. The project grew out of the Net Zero Lab Valais initiative, which Novelis launched in 2022 with local energy company OIKEN, HES-SO Valais-Wallis and EPFL. The programme focuses on finding ways to...
Baltic Dry Index slips as Capesize shipping rates weaken
The Baltic Exchange's Dry Bulk Index edged lower on Wednesday, ending a recent run of gains as weaker performance in the Capesize segment put pressure on freight rates. The main index, which tracks shipping costs for dry bulk commodities, fell 47 points, or 1.7 per cent, to 2,771 points. The decline was driven by the Capesize market, where rates softened during the session. Explore: The most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report – Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook The Capesize index dropped 140 points, or 3.2 per cent, to 4,301 points. Average daily earnings for Capesize vessels also declined, falling by USD 1,267 to USD 35,504 per day. Capesize ships are typically used to transport large volumes of commodities...
Ireland reviews Aughinish alumina exports amid scrutiny over Russia-bound shipments
Irish authorities are reviewing reports that alumina exports from the Russian-owned Aughinish Alumina refinery could have indirectly reached entities linked to Russia's defence industry, adding to calls for tighter oversight of strategic material supply chains. The issue has also brought renewed attention to official trade data. Earlier this month, The Irish Times reported that 83 per cent of Irish alumina exports in the first quarter of 2026 were shipped to Russia, citing figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). However, Ireland's Enterprise Minister Peter Burke later said the data was inaccurate, explaining that the actual distribution was closer to 45 per cent of exports going to Russia and around 45 per cent to the EU and other international markets. Explore: The most...
21 tonnes of aluminium scrap vanish: The fraud that fooled weighbridges and cost INR 4.6 million
What began as a routine scrap movement operation at construction sites in Maharashtra has turned into a tale involving hidden sand compartments, manipulated weight records and 21 tonnes of missing aluminium scrap. Police in Thane have registered a case against three individuals, including the owner of a scrap firm, a supervisor and a vehicle driver, for allegedly orchestrating a scheme that diverted aluminium scrap worth INR 4.6 million (USD 54,000) from construction sites linked to a prominent real-estate developer. According to investigators, the alleged fraud revolved around a specially modified vehicle. “The vehicle's gross weight was recorded on the weighbridge with sand in the hidden compartment. The sand was later discharged through a hole beneath the box at an unknown location”...
