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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Log9, a nanotech and battery specialist from Bengaluru has announced the plan for a manufacturing plant that would produce cells to ultimately power low-cost EVs, such as two and three wheelers. This would be the first of its kind in India. The company conducts heavy research and produces prototypes of native Aluminium-ion battery cells in the country. Aluminium-ion cells are more dense (translating to more range), safe and less prone to fires than the largely used Lithium-ion cells that are ruling the market at this moment. Moreover the greatest advantage of using aluminium in the Indian sub-continent is that this material can be abundantly found here. With the rising demand for electric cars in India, its accessories must not be outsourced but till date, China has been the largest...
Air One, the world’s first “fully operational ‘pop up’ urban airport” designed by aviation and aerospace manufacturing company Urban-Air Port is ready to stage flights in Coventry, UK. The 17,000 square feet airport consists of a runway for electric flying cars and large drones along with charging portals installed for future electric vertical take-off and landing (EVTOL) aircraft. Located in the centre of Coventry in the West Midlands, Air One was constructed from aluminium and steel wrapped in a tensile translucent fabric. The airport will be inaugurated this month on 25 th April by launching the first cargo drone into the atmosphere while flying cars with passengers can’t take off until 2025. Founder and chief executive officer of Urban-Air Port, Ricky Sandhu told Denzeen Magazine: "We...
The urge to use sustainable products is systemically increasing in the consumers and according to a 2017 survey initiated by Harris Poll, 69% of women between the age group 35 to 53 opted for green beauty products when asked to choose. From production to packaging of ingredients, companies are looking for ways to achieve the consumer demand and when it comes to packaging, the future of sustainability depends on two main practices: innovative use of mono-materials and the creation of a closed-loop applying recyclable packaging solutions. A material similar in characteristics to everything stated above is aluminium which has the widest recycling chain today. Though aluminium is extremely durable, it can be infinitely recycled keeping the inherent properties intact. The recycling of this...
The President and CEO of ALUMIL, Mr. George Milonas was awarded for his international presence and the company’s lifetime global performance in the “Entrepreneur of the Year” competition organized by Ernst & Young. An audit firm based in UK, Ernst & Young has its subsidiaries all over Europe. The ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ competition was held under the company’s Greek counterpart, marking the day as a grand celebration of extraordinary and innovative entrepreneurship. The evening was star cladded as various prominent figures from Greece were felicitated for their contribution to the development of the nation. Mr. George Milonas, the President and CEO of ALUMIL Group, received his award in the ‘Internationally Growing Entrepreneur’ category which is justified since he has spent almost...
Reynaers Aluminium, one of the world's leading building solutions firms, makes its first foray into the South Korean market through Energy X, a sustainable architectural marketplace platform. The firm offers a wide range of building goods and is ranked among the top one to three in the globe. Additionally, on April 6th, the two firms hosted a collaborative development MOU ceremony for a sustainable future of architecture. In response to climate change, the two firms will collaborate to establish a carbon-neutral design model and offer sustainable construction materials under this partnership. “We are delighted and excited to be able to provide all of Reynaers’s world-leading products in Korea through the Energy X platform,” said Jurgen Cop, Reynaers’s Asia General Manager. Energy X is an...
Dutch yard Heesen Yachts confirmed last week that its 80-metre flagship all-aluminium yacht Cosmos would be heading out on sea trials as was scheduled for delivery in April 2022. The vessel was first launched at the end of 2020 and was last spotted in January while sailing through the narrow Dutch canals from Oss to Harlingen to finish outfitting. Cosmos is the largest and fastest all-aluminium yacht ever built, featuring a length of 80 metres with a gross tonnage of 1700 GT and a speed of almost 30 knots. The challenges in building this large and complex yacht were extreme, but Heesen, with its expertise, made it perfect. Precision aluminium construction, high performance, and the finest Dutch craftsmanship are into the DNA of this shipyard. The superyacht’s elegant exterior bespeaks a...
The use of sustainable materials to protect the environment is one of the key factors for the comfort and satisfaction of the guests and is associated with the hospitality industry. The majority of these requirements may be met by selecting the appropriate fenestration systems during the design phase. Fenestration technology innovation has embraced materials like aluminium and glass that are up to date with technical advancements while meeting the needs of a wide variety of projects. Aluminium may be used to make a wide range of extrusions and profiles since it is a simple material to deal with. Because of its intrinsic strength as a metal, it allows for smaller and more minimum profiles while yet giving structural stability to the fenestration system. Aluminium is a versatile material to...
China struggling with its lab created virus Covid-19 is now unable to export raw materials used in pharmaceutical companies which is directly affecting the prices of medicines in India. Due to the disruption in trade, aluminium foils or sheet used in manufacturing medicine has gone very high on price in turn increasing the rate of each medicine strip. Here lies the oxymoron where the lifesaving medicine inside is costing lower than the foil it comes in. The biggest exporter of aluminium foil or sheet used in packaging of tablets, syrups, medicine strips, etc is Russia. Australian bans and European sanctions on Russia due to the ongoing war are affecting its industrial axis, thus decreasing export of aluminium products. The rising Ukraine-Russia conflict is the cause for constant worry to...
The shortage of aluminium cans due to supply constraint continues to worry local breweries. Local brewers have been straining to cope with the shortage since the epidemic. North 5th Brewery Co., a craft brewery in Las Vegas, is unable to increase its output. Apart from this, Belgorod State University (BSU) and Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) researchers have uncovered a sequence of patterns in the atomic structure of aluminium that might lead to new and more resistant aluminium alloys for aviation. Hem, a Stockholm-based independent design business known for manufacturing sustainable furniture, accessories, and lighting, will unveil an extruded aluminium shelf system based on Hydro EcoDesign's sustainability principles and extruded aluminium profiles. Hydro...
Canoo an American start-up for electric vehicles was chosen by NASA over Oxcart Assembly to build a vehicle for transporting astronauts to the Launchpad inspired by the US Airstream trailers first launched in 1936. This vehicle will be used to transport astronauts of the Artemis mission launched by NASA to land the first woman or person of colour on the south pole of the moon. With that being said, the other participants in the design submitting contest were not that bad either especially Oxcart Assembly’s effort is worth praise. Oxcart Assembly (Dallas, Texas) poses as a "decentralized, multi-disciplinary cooperative" that has majored in audio-visual projects so far which includes producing motion graphics for NASA and SpaceX’s Launch America missions. When the work order for this...
Hem, a Stockholm-based independent design firm recognised for producing sustainable furniture, accessories, and lighting, will debut its aluminium shelf system based on extruded aluminium profiles and Hydro EcoDesign's sustainability principles. The shelf is composed of Hydro RESTORE, which is recycled aluminium created from both pre- and post-consumer scrap. Waste from the production process that is melted, cast, and then looped back into the extrusion process is known as pre-consumer scrap. The unique system for Hem was conceived by Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin of the Italian design firm Formafantasma. The customizable shelf system will help retailers, as well as residential and corporate environments. Aside from its distinct appearance, its key selling points are: Easy assembly...
Aluminium household products are gradually replacing plastic and steel components in our daily life, as aluminium is stronger than plastic and lighter than steel. Aluminium also allows heat to disperse quickly, turning utensils and products into cooler faster. The other reasons behind the usage of aluminium in household articles are its superior properties when it comes to design, sustainability and corrosion resistance. In February 2022, the European Commission in its winter economic forecast report released that the economy of Greece is expected to expand by 4.9% in 2022 and 3.5% in 2023. The South-eastern European nation, Greece imported 12,414 tonnes of aluminium household articles during 2019-21, attracting revenue expenditure of around $51.97 million for the import. Greece's import...
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, India’s premier technology and Research University have introduced the nation’s first-ever native polycentric prosthetic knee intending to simplify the lives of innumerable amputated individuals. Named, ‘Kadam’ (which means legs) both metaphorically and literally, will aim at increasing users’ community participation, access to education, livelihood opportunities and overall wellbeing. This particular prosthetic can be used by both short and long residual limbs amputees after transfemoral (above knee) amputation. Many of its essential characteristics are frictional swing control adjustment for varied walking speeds and providing firmness while strolling on any geographical topography. It guarantees a 160° maximum knee...
On Monday, April 11, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative announced that it has successfully certified TBC Ball Beverage Can Vietnam Limited against the Performance Standard under Provisional status and Chain of Custody Standard for responsible production, sourcing, and stewardship of aluminium. Founded in 2011, TBC Ball Beverage Can Vietnam Limited is a joint venture company, the factory of which is located in VSIP II-A, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam. TBC-Ball, spread across eight hectares of land, produces aluminium cans used by the beverage industry. The facility’s annual production capacity is around 850 million units, destined for contracted customers in Vietnam. ASI has granted the Performance Standard Provisional Certification under the Interim Policy regarding Audits, Audit-Related...
Some of the World’s biggest automobile manufacturers like BMW, General Motors and Volkswagen are linked through their suppliers with the controversial labour programme in China’s Xinjiang region which experts have blacklisted as pressing and indecent in the new report by Horizon Advisory, a US-based consultancy forum. China-based electric vehicle manufacturers including Nio and BYD are also linked to these controversial programmes in Xinjiang, according to the study. These concerns are basically around the production of aluminium, also raising ample eyebrows on alleged human rights violations in its supply chain. The modern complex supply chain is where raw materials would pass through multiple manufacturers or countries before being used in finished products, which is by all means not...
The shortage of aluminium can due to supply chain constraints has stirred the beverage sector. Since the pandemic, the local breweries are struggling to cope with the shortfall. A craft brewery in Las Vegas, named North 5th Brewery Co. is a very famous brewery and has made a name for itself since the time of its inception. However, following the scarcity of aluminium caused due to high demand, the brewery is unable to increase its output. . During the last two years, the price has increased by roughly 125 per cent. Vendors are increasingly expecting larger purchases, according to Wyndee Forrest, president of the Nevada Craft Brewers Association. “The last thing we want to do is to turn it over to the consumer, so for the most part we’ve taken a little hit on that,” said Amanda Payan, the...
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...
This week's changes have impacted different sectors of the aluminium end-user, from transportation to packaging. Let's take a look at each of them individually. To begin with 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”. On the other hand Taichi Kuma, a Japanese architect, has unveiled the MAKU trailers, which are lightweight and can easily contain a distant work office or radio station. Under the transport sector of end user, Allez Spirit 2022 is all set to set a new record for the aluminium road bike sector. The highlights show that the industry is eventually gaining its pace and is trying to move ahead. The MAKU trailer is the latest innovation in...
