Norway will provide a guarantee of up to NOK 150 million (USD 16.08 million) to support revenue security for the planned 255 MW Thakadu solar project in South Africa, helping reduce the risk faced by investors in the renewable energy development. The guarantee will be provided to Lyra Energy, an electricity sales platform jointly owned by Scatec, Standard Bank and Stanlib. It will cover the risk of companies buying electricity from the solar plant failing to make their payments. The agreement, announced on September 14, 2026, is the first involving a private company under Norway's renewable energy guarantee mechanism. The NOK 5 billion (USD 536 million) programme is designed to encourage greater private investment in renewable energy projects in developing countries by taking on part of...
The latest escalation in the US-Canada trade dispute is putting pressure on one of North America's most deeply integrated manufacturing networks, with auto-parts makers facing higher costs and growing uncertainty over where and how components should be produced. The two countries have spent decades building an automotive supply chain in which parts and materials routinely cross the border multiple times before reaching a finished vehicle. The latest tariff measures, including duties on aluminium and steel, threaten to disrupt that model and could force suppliers to reconsider long-established production routes. The immediate challenge for automakers and their suppliers is deciding whether to absorb higher costs in the short term or make expensive changes to their supply chains. For...
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The government of Italy is seeking to acquire a stake in an Indian company, Titagarh Wagons' wholly-owned arm Firema. Titagarh is in the business of manufacturing coaches for the Indian railway. According to our report, the Italian government investment promotion agency Invitalia might acquire a 20%-30% stake in Firema. The Covid pandemic has made the world manufacturing sector suffer in various ways. Titagarh is also on the same path of countering the Covid challenges and discussing with the Italian government for financial assistance as monetarily it is strained due to the pandemic. Umesh Chowdhary, the MD of Titagarh Wagons, said, "It is a breakthrough that the Italian government will pick up a stake, apart from a PE investor, in Firema." "The promoters will also infuse fresh capital....
Lakeland Artisan, run by husband-wife Geoff and Mary Monkman, is a well-acknowledged food and drinks company creating high-quality, handcrafted products using natural ingredients bereft of artificial preservatives. Under the company's lead, Mawson's Traditional soft drinks will now pack their sparkling soft drinks in 250ml lightweight aluminium cans to move towards sustainability. Aluminium is an infinitely recyclable metal, with its scrap producing 95 per cent less carbon than any other of its alternatives, like plastic. In the journey towards sustainability, many important brands are moving towards using secondary aluminium since it uses substantially less energy than the production process of primary aluminium takes. Aluminium is also lightweight and corrosion free, which helps the...
The end-user sector in aluminium is where all the products from the other streams meet, and this week, it was buzzing with innovative activities as there were many additions along the path. Novelis wishes to be carbon neutral by 2025, and on July 20 2022, the world leader in sustainable aluminium solutions declared a plan to explore the cosmetic packaging market with its evercycle™ catalogue. The new evercycle™ cosmetics alloy contains 100% safe recycled aluminium and is an alternative to plastic in the beauty, skincare and wellness packaging sector. On the other side of the planet, the Indian Oil Corporation Limited formed a joint venture in 2020 with Israel-based Phinergy, gradually manufacturing 100 aluminium plates capable of powering a 50-seater bus for 500 km. India is striving to...
MH-47G Chinook helicopters at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, USA, were fitted with two 3D printed cargo links for ongoing flight testing. As part of the National Center for Defence Manufacturing and Machining's (NCDMM) AMNOW initiative, the cargo links are made of a high-strength aluminium alloy 7A77. The MH-47G bears a striking resemblance with the Boeings' flagship CH47 Chinook twin rotor helicopter, with a bit of upgrade. The use of aluminium alloys in making aerospace components is essential because of their negligible weight and corrosion resistance properties. The AMNOW programme was founded in 2019 by NCDMM and partners, focusing mainly on the inclusion of AM technology into the prevailing U.S army supply chain. These cargo links will be the first army-instigated in-house metal...
Berrapack packaging company based in Aljustrel, Beja, is about to allot €1 million for the manufacturing of waterproof paper and aluminium packages for use in the food industry in the coming year, according to the proprietor on July 21. “We will produce between 400,000 and 500,000 paper packages per day in the initial phase,” said businessman Jorge Lopes to the reporters. Alongside the waterproof paper packages, Berrapack will keep on manufacturing huge quantity aluminium packages per day,” designated for the food sector, he also notified. Aluminium is infinitely recyclable and crucial to the food and beverage packaging sector. Primarily, takeaway, ready-to-eat and cloud businesses utilise aluminium foil or waterproof paper packaging. Lopes also exclaimed: “Possibly we will also be able...
Bilfinger UK has partnered with Layher UK in giving shape to the world's first underdeck scaffolding system with aluminium Flexbeam to permit safe travel across the underside of an oil rig. Bilfinger UK is an engineering and maintenance providing working contracts from its headquarters in London. Nowadays, aluminium is used vastly in construction due to its rigid nature and malleability. Moreover, it is corrosion resistant, making it an appropriate option for construction sectors. Bilfinger was required to provide a specifically-made-for-the-purpose solution giving smooth access to the underside of the stage for maintaining the underdeck oily drains pipework. Scotland's Layher has a technical team well equipped to create the blueprint for the scaffold using its state-of-the-art aluminium...
The escalating prices of aluminium, and cardboard and the scarcity of glass bottles are reasons for the beer shortage in some areas of Mexico. ANPEC, a national small business organisation, reports that supply shortages are observed mainly in the Northern parts of the country, with recurring data from Mexico City, Guerrero and Guanajuato showing an incomprehensible beer crunch. Aluminium is infinitely recyclable with a user life better than any other corrosion-free material. Its malleability attracts many businesses to surround their venture with the practical application of this non-ferrous metal. Yet primary aluminium is costly, and aluminium scrap is not that easy a find due to the long life expectancy of products that are made with aluminium. Moreover, the Russia-Ukraine crisis has...
On 20 th July 2022, the world leader in sustainable aluminium solutions and also the largest producer of aluminium rolling and recycling announced it is expanding its evercycle™ portfolio to the cosmetic packaging market. The evercycle™ cosmetics line is 100% certified to contain recycled aluminium and can meet any anodized quality requirement. The new alloy offers packaging customers in the beauty, skincare and wellness space an infinitely recyclable solution compared to plastic alternatives. Jami Chime, the Account Manager for Specialty Products at Novelis North America said, “With increasing consumer desire for more sustainable products, Novelis is proud to offer our customers a new packaging solution that is not only made from 100% recycled aluminium but one that can also be easily...
The operations director at California-based Almanac Beer Co. claimed that they had consumers forming queues to get their Black Magic IPA and Peaceful Pils to meet the spring-time demand for beverages. There has been a prevailing national crunch for beverage cans further elevating the rates of cans and in turn, hiking the prices of drinks naturally. The shortage is being recorded due to some unforeseen factors such as the pandemic and extended lockdowns that had derailed the manufacturing tempo disrupting supply. Moreover, there has been a significant upward trend in the demand for canned cocktail drinks which has contributed to fostering the aluminium need. Other reasons can also be allocated in California as there are no efficient schematics for waste recycling; also the economy is...
Skeleton Technologies ensures an investment of 220 million euros (US$239.39 million) to build a new factory designed by Siemens to manufacture supercapacitors at Leipzig, Germany, as was declared by the energy storage technology firm based in Tallinn, Estonia. This new facility is estimated to begin production by 2024. Skeleton Technologies applies aluminium and carbon-based materials made by the company in Estonia to produce its supercapacitors. Supercapacitors are very similar to batteries as they are utilized to store and disperse energy in tinier quantities but with more agility. These supercapacitors can capture mechanically produced energy such as a brake clutching or an elevator plunging downwards and quickly transform it into power. They are technically faster than lithium-ion...
The beverage industry has been affected by the aluminium can shortage brought on by supply chain issues. Local breweries have been straining to fill the gap since the outbreak. The S27 Ales craft brewery in San Jose claimed that securing aluminium cans are becoming difficult for them. "Cans have been the biggest problem for us," said Lucas Szymanowski, co-founder of S27 Ales. Due to the ongoing can shortage, some local craft breweries are adjusting their business practices accordingly. Aluminium cans scarcity is affecting breweries throughout the country, due to pandemic-related industrial slowdowns and increasing demand straining the aluminium supply chain. "The demand for cans, I think, skyrocketed to a point where it outstripped the supply. When it comes to aluminum cans, everybody...
Commercial vehicles that travel long routes perhaps have initiated electrifying modestly in a much slower manner than envisioned, due to certain challenges such as battery size, charging infrastructure and long charging times. In spite of the slow start, India is striving to lead the way in the adoption of electric vehicles, including two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and e-buses. It is interesting to note that India’s Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) and Israel's Phinergy plan to commence their initial pilot of aluminium-air batteries soon. The Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India, Hardeep Singh Puri, announced that an IOCL-Phinergy JV had manufactured 100 aluminium plates that will power a 50-seater bus for about 500 km. He said, “Big revolutions come in small...
The end-user sector was bustling with various activities this week. Vita Coco rolled out its first packaged coconut juice in sustainable aluminium cans. The use of aluminium cans will aid in the preservation of the edible product inside since it does not allow any direct sunlight penetration, in turn extending the shelf-life of the can. Bell & Ross launched BR 05 Artline watches inspired by aviation aluminium. The urban trend of applying aluminium in architecture has instigated the formation of the watch. In this section below, we have covered more aluminium end-use product news for the week. New York-based refreshing coconut water brand Vita Coco released its strongest and tastiest coconut water in 16.9-ounce aluminium cans. This is the company’s very first ready-to-drink juice, and with...
Aluminium wiring at home can be either solid or stranded. There is only one piece of wire in a solid aluminium wire, which is typically found on lower amperage (15A & 20A) 120V circuits. A stranded wire contains multiple wires that are bundled together to create a larger wire and are typically found on high-amperage circuits (>25A) in the home. Although solid wire isn't commonly used in residential construction anymore, stranded aluminium wire is quite common, and in fact, can be used safely in residential buildings if properly installed. Kazakhstan has come across an astonishing economic performance since its independence in 1991. As a result of structural reforms, abundant hydrocarbon resources, strong domestic demand, and foreign direct investment, the nation has experienced rapid...
A nationwide anti-circumvention investigation concerning imports of aluminium foil from China that is produced or finished in Thailand and South Korea was self-initiated on Wednesday, July 13, by the U.S. Department of Commerce. According to unfair trade orders released by the Commerce Department in April 2018, these imports are improperly evading the payment of antidumping and countervailing taxes on imports of aluminium foil from China. The Commerce Department will shortly send out questionnaires to the alleged duty evaders, offer chances for interested parties to contribute data pertinent to the agency's operations, and make a preliminary conclusion, which is most likely to take place in the upcoming months. The probe is anticipated to be finished in about a year. Following a move by...
New York-based refreshing coconut water brand Vita Coco has released its strongest and tastiest coconut water in 16.9-ounce aluminium cans. This is the company’s very first ready-to-drink juice, and with this product, Vita Coco ventures into the refreshing drinks genre. The use of aluminium cans will aid in the preservation of the edible product inside since it does not allow any direct sunlight penetration, in turn extending the shelf-life of the can. Moreover, aluminium is an infinitely recyclable product which means Vita Coco can reuse old cans to produce new holders for a fresh batch of drinks, giving rise to a circular economy. Vita Coco’s sweet coconut beverage is a booster dose for regions having terribly hot summers with a punch of tropical flavour in its blend, according to the...
The most significant reason for the rapid growth of aluminium cans in the market is due to their extraordinary features of being strong, light in weight, highly resistant to corrosion, giving excellent barriers against air, light, & moisture and super-efficient to ship and store. Furthermore, beverage cans made of aluminium are infinitely recyclable. Aluminium cans chill quickly, provide a superior metal canvas for 360-degree labelling and perhaps most importantly preserve flavour and freshness. The Balkan nation, Bulgaria has experienced a significant transformation over the past three decades, as it has progressed from a highly centralized, planned economy to an open, market-based, upper-middle-income economy securely anchored in the European Union (EU). As per the census of 2022, the...
On Monday, July 11, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative announced the joining of Cervejaria Masterpiece as its new Industrial Users member. To maximise aluminium's contribution to a sustainable society, producers, users, and stakeholders in the value chain are brought together by ASI, a non-profit organisation that sets standards and provides certification services. Brazil's Niteroi is home to the microbrewery Cervejaria Masterpiece. It has received 28 competition medals in the previous two years and is one of the world's most environmentally friendly brewers. Aside from selling in all nations via an online store, it is also a B Corporation and sells its beers through a network of authorised pubs and supermarkets in the Rio de Janeiro region. “Cervejaria Masterpiece decided to join ASI...
