AlCircle News Edited By "Trisha Hazra"
Trisha Hazra is a rising digital marketing enthusiast who is passionate about writing and content creation. She is pursuing an MBA in Digital Marketing and is on a journey to blend creativity and aluminium with strategic insights.
Canyon advances Cameroon bauxite project as mining start nears
Canyon Resources, which is listed on the ASX, shared that at its Minim Martap bauxite project site in Cameroon, a surface miner has been brought. The firm is now planning to start with the mining operations before the end of March. As of now, the firm is aiming to start the first bauxite production in the early second quarter. This announcement shall enable the firm to achieve a milestone by shifting from the development phase to full operations. On March 9, a general meeting was held where the firm announced that its stakeholders had voted against the second tranche private placement of shares to Afriland Bourse & Investissement, which was set at AUD 70 million (USD 50 million) to Eagle Eye Asset Holdings (EEA). Keeping aside the recent development, the firm has confirmed that the...
Middle East supply shock prompts Mercuria to cancel warrants for nearly 100,000 tonnes of LME aluminium
Owing to the rising geopolitical tension, leading to the temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz, halting Middle East shipments, tightening supplies in Europe and the US, Mercuria, a commodity trader, is planning to pull out a large volume of aluminium from the London Metal Exchange (LME) warehouse, confirmed by three sources. Annually, the country's primary aluminium production is nearly 7 million tonnes, which is 9 per cent of the global output. As already said and known, the recent halt of the Strait of Hormuz, which is being triggered by the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran, has put a stoppage to aluminium shipments since last week. As of Monday, the sources who are closely related to the situation divulged that Mercuria might have cancelled or set aside nearly 100 thousand...
Arconic completes $175 million Davenport casthouse expansion, capacity boost ahead
The USD 175 million casthouse expansion by Arconic Davenport Works has been officially completed. The firm, which is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, specialises in providing aluminium sheet, plate and extrusions, along with cutting-edge architectural products. These products are catered to sectors like ground transportation, aerospace, building and construction, industrial and packaging markets. The project, called Pit 10, will aid in boosting aluminium ingot casting capacity, enhance the recycling of scrap aluminium, improve energy efficiency and bolster domestic manufacturing. With backing from the Iowa Economic Development Authority, this initiative is also set to create 40 new jobs at the site. Don’t miss out- Buyers are looking for your products on our B2B platform As mentioned in...
LME aluminium price stays above $3,400/t despite a slight dip from the last close as inventories undergo a major shift
On March 10, the London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price, amidst the ongoing geopolitical tension and the temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz trade route, experienced a significant change, especially on the inventory side. Moreover, there is a mixed signal in the futures aluminium prices, but concerning the cash bid and offer, a slight dip is experienced. Both the LME cash bid and offer inched down by USD 4 per tonne or 0.12 per cent, where the bid shifted from USD 3,046 per tonne to USD 3,402 per tonne and the offer from USD 3,406.5 per tonne to USD 3,402.5 per tonne. However, the price still remains high and has not come down from USD 3,400 per tonne yet. Must read: Key industry individuals share their thoughts on the trending topics On the contrary, the 3-month contract...
Henkel to present sustainable can packaging innovations at METPACK 2026
Henkel Adhesive Technologies, the world's number one producer in adhesives, sealants and functional coatings, at METPACK 2026, will showcase its latest innovations for efficient, safe and sustainable metal packaging. In the event, the firm will be showing its digital equipment and service concepts designed to boost line performance, with that of new sealants specifically crafted for beverage and food cans. Additionally, the firm will present technologies that emphasise resource-efficient surface treatment. The trade fair will take place at stand 1C38 in Hall 1, where the firm will show how metal packaging manufacturers can cut down on CO₂ emissions during production, with assured product quality and boost their output. Aiding in maximum transparency and performance The spotlight of the...
New solar installation at Crown’s Seville plant advances renewable energy goals
A new photovoltaic solar energy system at Crown Packaging Manufacturing, Spain's beverage can manufacture plant in Seville, has been installed. This perfectly aligns with the firm's ongoing mission to boost the use of renewable energy throughout the company’s global operations. As a part of Crown’s larger sustainability plan, this installation aims to achieve 100 per cent renewable electricity across all its global operations by 2040 through the Twentyby30 initiative. The Seville project, concerning this goal, helps in enhancing on-site renewable energy production at the plant. Also read: China’s solar panel industry is shrinking: Impact of overcapacity, price collapse & socioeconomic volatility Financial highlights For the financials, the European Union, through the NextGenerationEU...
Paulwell urges Jamaica to unlock the rare earth potential hidden in bauxite residue
The Opposition Spokesperson on Energy and Telecommunications, Phillip Paulwell, emphasised that the economic advantages that can be received from Jamaica after establishing a rare earth minerals industry. He added that this could create exciting opportunities for technological progress as well. In a meeting of the Standing Finance Committee, Paulwell highlighted the growing global demand for rare earth elements. As per him, Jamaica has a good opportunity to tap into these valuable minerals found in bauxite residue, which is a byproduct of the country’s well-established alumina industry. Also read: Japan eyes Rajasthan rare earth deposits as supply shift gains momentum The statement of the People’s National Party (PNP), which was released on Friday, reflected that Paulwell raised a...
Rio Tinto advances gallium extraction project in Quebec with federal backing
Rio Tinto is undertaking a research and development project focused on extracting primary gallium from its alumina refining process in Quebec. This project received a conditional contribution approval from Natural Resources Canada as part of the Global Partnerships Initiative (GPI). This came to light after the firm had successfully extracted its first gallium in collaboration with Indium Corporation back in May 2025. The construction of the pilot plant will start at its Complexe Jonquière in Saguenay, Canada. This aims towards testing the technology in a real-world industrial setting. It is estimated that the new facility will be up and running by 2027. Concurrently, the firm plans to build a demonstration plant at the same location, which will have the capacity to produce up to four...
Aerospace sourcing talks, aluminium-for-copper shift, strong packaging earnings to new investments reshape downstream sector outlook
A flurry of changes in the aluminium downstream and end-use sectors has been witnessed in the last week, highlighting new supply strategies, fresh investments and shifting market dynamics. The sectors witnessed everything, starting from discussions about sourcing in aerospace and trends in material substitution to exciting new manufacturing expansions and important corporate financial updates. All these movements are influencing how aluminium is distributed across various industries. Meanwhile, energy disruptions, changes in policy and rising global consumption forecasts are adding extra layers of complexity to the industry's outlook, making this week's developments especially important for stakeholders keeping an eye on the downstream value chain. Downstream sector benefits the end-use...
Rio Tinto advances Amrun bauxite expansion as new projects gather pace
Rio Tinto, a leading global mining group, holds various projects, aiming to enhance its Amrun bauxite operations in the far north of Queensland. Due to the rising operational improvements at Amrun operations, bauxite production in 2025 saw an increase of 6 per cent, reaching a total of 62.4 million tonnes. The enhancement includes an economic improvement to the crude ore circuit, which not only stabilises the feed but also boosts the overall production by 900 thousand tonnes. Additionally, the firm has also started its Safe Production System across the site to improve operational efficiency and minimise variability. Also read: 2025 Global bauxite production stands at around 480MT - From Weipa to Paragominas, who’s powered the growth? The firm, moreover, is currently in the early stages...
Fire at Novelis’ Greensboro aluminium recycling plant; operations resume
On March 1, a Sunday afternoon, a call that shocked the leaders at Novelis, yet again. The call informed of another fire breakout at the firm's facility in Greensboro, Georgia, dedicated to aluminium recycling. According to the call made, Joe Bashore, the Greene County Fire Public Safety, Emergency Management/Homeland Security Director, told The Union-Recorder, "This explosion was pretty significant. I live 5 miles from here and heard it. It kind of rattled my house, as well." The fire broke out after an explosion occurred in an equipment piece, which further led to the lighting up of the entire equipment. Nonetheless, it was positive that the fire did not cause injuries to the employees or the first responders. Due to this unprecedented incident, the operations of the aluminium recycling...
Japan eyes Rajasthan rare earth deposits as supply shift gains momentum
In order to jointly explore the deposits of rare earth in Rajasthan's deserts, Japan is now in conversation with India. This has been confirmed by the two people who are familiar with the discussion and the move comes when Tokyo is looking for measures to reduce its dependence on the supply of critical materials for magnet manufacturing from China. Why explore specifically in Rajasthan? This is because Kishan Reddy, the country's Mines Minister, last month revealed that there are three hard rock rare earth deposits that contain almost 1.29 million tonnes of rare earth oxides that have been identified in Rajasthan and Gujarat. India, back in June 2025, in a bold move to tighten control over critical minerals and challenge China's dominance, directed IREL to suspend a 13-year-old rare earth...
EBRD fuels Egypt’s aluminium manufacturing with $15.9mln loan to Alumil Misr
Alumil Misr for Trade & Industry SAE, the Egyptian subsidiary of Alumil SA, will be receiving a loan of USD 15.88 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). With this investment, Egypt’s aluminium production will be supported by constructing and installing a new aluminium extrusion line. This new line will be located in the Polaris Industrial Zone, Cairo, which is deemed to be the subsidiary’s plant. At Alumil Egypt's facility, the overall production capacity will be boosted by advancing the integration strategy, as well as enabling the supply of aluminium systems, aiding the construction and industrial sectors within the region. Besides capacity, the expanded extrusion line will also support in ameliorating the operational efficiency, reducing supply chain...
LME aluminium hits 4-year high as cash offer jumps to $3,378/t amid Strait of Hormuz disruption
On March 4, the London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price reflected a 4-year high level, since the COVID in early 2022. On this day, the LME cash bid rose by USD 110.5 per tonne or 3.4 per cent, shifting from USD 3,267 per tonne to USD 3,377.5 per tonne. The cash offer marked a difference of USD 109 per tonne or 3.3 per cent, settling from USD 3,269 per tonne to USD 3,378 per tonne. The rising aluminium price is owed to the ongoing tension between the US, Israel and Iran, due to which the Strait of Hormuz, the water route for shipping commodities, has been temporarily closed, resulting in worldwide supply disruption. Don’t miss out- Buyers are looking for your products on our B2B platform The regional tension also led to the closure of QatarEnergy’s major LNG plant, which resulted in an...
JNARDDC advances aluminium and metallurgical technologies to reduce India’s import dependence
Operating independently under the Ministry of Mines, the Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development & Design Centre (JNARDDC) is initiating multiple initiatives for cutting down India’s reliance on imports for essential metallurgical technologies and quality infrastructure. These initiatives have been confirmed by the JNARDDC Director, Anupam Agnihotri. The key focus for the institution has always been on the technology transfer. Agnihotri mentioned that this is because of the shared local expertise in areas like optimising smelter processes, utilising and recycling waste, recovering valuable products from industrial byproducts, developing specialised alloys and advancing metallurgical processes in the critical minerals sector. In an online conversation with businessline, he added,...
Australia’s solar and wind assets cross 5 TWh clean energy milestone
The latest figures from Rystad Energy show Australia's growing collection of large-scale solar and wind projects, producing 5.0 TWh of clean energy last month. Month-on-month, an increase of 11 per cent has been witnessed from the 4,519 GWh recorded in February 2025. David Dixon, the Senior Analyst at Rystad, pinpointed that this month’s biggest contributor will be led by New South Wales (NSW). This is because the region's utility-scale solar assets have generated an impressive 853 GWh of clean energy, while its wind assets added another 617 GWh. In all, this marks a total of 1,470 GWh. Also read: Hyundai commits $6b to build hydrogen, AI and solar innovation hub in South Korea Utility solar asset ranking Utility solar assets' latest ranking reveals Western Australia leading with Sun...
Hyundai commits $6b to build hydrogen, AI and solar innovation hub in South Korea
An investment of USD 6 billion for establishing a high-tech innovative hub to be located in Saemangeum, Gunsan, will be made by Hyundai Motor Group. This investment targets establishing a high-tech innovative hub with hydrogen production, renewable energy and artificial intelligence. From completion to commencement of the operations, the project will be backed by the South Korean government and Jeonbuk Province. The hub will hold a 200 MW PEM electrolyser plant, making use of the local renewable energy sources to produce clean hydrogen. It further aims to provide hydrogen for buses, trams and various other mobility solutions, laying the groundwork for a fully integrated hydrogen ecosystem. This shall include storage, distribution and refuelling infrastructure. Additionally, the firm is...
Hydro partners Sistem Teknik for aluminium homogenising centre at Luce facility
Hydro, a leading Norwegian industrial company specialising in aluminium production, has entrusted Sistem Teknik Industrial Furnaces, a firm undertaking the production and maintenance of the state-of-the-art industrial furnaces, with the supply of a new aluminium logs homogenising centre. The project will be focusing on enabling the centre, which is to be located in Luce, France, to handle 30 tonnes per charge. Moreover, the designed project will provide high-capacity billet processing while optimising energy use and integrating seamlessly with the plant. The system to be delivered will be integrating a homogenising centre, controlled cooling, billet handling, precision cutting and automation into one well-coordinated production line, tailored specifically to meet the operational needs of...
