Indonesian Aluminium: The shift from mining to smelting
Indonesia is pitched as the next big Asian aluminium hub as the country has released an expansive alumina and aluminium expansion plan, based on the abundant bauxite resource in the country. China has exhausted its aluminium capacity cap and is unlikely to raise installed capacity significantly in the coming years. Additionally, geopolitical conflicts, sanctions, and tariffs have made much of global aluminium capacity inaccessible and vulnerable. This includes Russian aluminium and the Gulf output, along with restricted and costly access to Canadian aluminium for the US smelters. The already tight supply conditions have been made worse after the Iran-Israel-US war that disrupted the Gulf aluminium capacity. Under current supply conditions, India and Indonesia will play a critical role in...
Germany’s automotive industry drives 32.8% of aluminium consumption as EV production rises 23%, led by Volkswagen, BMW & Mercedes-Benz
Germany’s automobile industry is a major part of the country’s aluminium story, with the metal used in everything from vehicle body panels and chassis components to battery enclosures and electric-drive systems. As automakers develop lighter vehicles and expand their electric models, aluminium has become an important material across the manufacturing process. Germany’s automotive industry consumes around 950,000 tonnes of aluminium annually, accounting for a substantial share of the wider transport sector’s demand. In 2025, Germany’s total aluminium consumption stood at approximately 2.9 million tonnes, with the transport sector accounting for 1.35 million tonnes, representing 46 per cent of the total. This extensive use of aluminium in transport mirrors its importance to the global...
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Researchers use alumina to develop nearly 'unbreakable' glass
In a revolutionary breakthrough, Japanese researchers have developed a new type of glass that is nearly unbreakable and is said to be as strong as steel. To make glass tougher, alumina- an oxide of aluminium and silicon dioxide- is used. However, in the past, when researchers tried building strong glass by using large amounts of alumina, it caused the mixture to crystallize as soon as it touched any kind of container, preventing glass from being formed. Overcoming the obstacle, the team at the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Industrial Science, instead did away with the need of using container to make the glass. The researchers used gas to push the chemical components into the air, where they synthesized together. The resultant transparent ultra glass was 50 per cent alumina and rivals...
Chhotanagpur Bauxite Union holds Annual Meet
The annual meet of India's Chhotanagpur Bauxite Union was observed at town hall in the head of district president Vakil Khan. In the meet, Rajya Sabha member-cum-secretary of the union Dheeraj Prasad Sahu and chairman of Scheduled Tribes commission Rameshwar Oraon were present. On the occasion, Dheeraj Prasad Sahu said, “Union is set up for rights of the labourers. It never works with the company for personal benefit. But some leaders of the labourers are engaged in selfish activities tying with management. They don’t bother for the problems of the labors.” Company does not want to start the bauxite based factory here. But it must take some initiatives to get rid of unemployment. The youth are getting out of tracks due to not getting jobs, Sahu concluded. Rameshwar Oraon said, “The...
Kuantan MP seeks government intervention in bauxite export suspension issue
The federal government of Malaysia needs to step in and suspend all licenses issued to export bauxite from Pahang until it can implement regulations to deal with the allegedly rampant pollution caused by the industry, Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh said today. The PKR lawmaker claimed that everything from Kuantan’s air to its water supply and physical environment have been contaminated by the red taint of bauxite mining since it took off in a big way sometime last year. Fuziah said bauxite mining is only regulated under the Environmental Quality Act (EQA) 1974 if it is done on a plot of land measuring 250 acres or more, with smaller mines not required to prepare any environment impact assessment (EIA). “There are loopholes in the law, so they get away without (needing an) EIA,” she said at a...
Non-ferrous margins fell in 2015, costs escalated: BIR Convention
The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) Annual Autumn Round-Tables Conference held recently in Prague noted that non-ferrous industry had a very tough year in 2015. The confidence level among industry participants hit lowest level during the year. The industry suffered large due to thin margins and rising costs. According to David Chiao, President, BIR Nonferrous Metals Division, the prevailing bad economic condition has led to significant cuts in company budgets and major alterations to earlier announced employment plans. The market summary report presented by Board member Nick Rose noted that nonferrous metal prices witnessed significant declines during the year. LME Nickel prices saw sharpest cut of nearly 35% during the year, followed by Zinc which registered 23% decline. Also,...
Henkel's Fa Mystic Moments wins World Aluminium Aerosol Can Award 2015
A high-profile jury of journalists from internationally renowned specialist packaging media chose the winners of the World Aluminium Aerosol Can Award again this year. Twelve editors from four continents voted and chose winners in two categories: cans that are already on the market and prototypes. The winner among the aluminium cans that are already on the market was the Fa Mystic Moments can from Henkel. The can producer Ball Corporation and Henkel Beauty Care continue to pioneer sustainable aluminium aerosol packaging. With the release of the Fa ReAl can, the producer has succeeded in producing an ultra-lightweight (20 grams) aluminium aerosol can that has 25% recycled aluminium content. This metal alloy is stronger and lighter without affecting the package integrity. For a 150- and...
Global industrial casting market to chart 7.88% CAGR growth over 2015-2019
A recently conducted research reveals the global industrial casting market is slated for growth at 7.88% CAGR over 2015-2019 period. Increased simulation-based castings and development of trends involving conducive government regulations have been identified as the major growth drivers in the report. Manufacturing sector in many developed economies is being brought under scanner as environmental sustainability is gaining significance all across the world. The US EPA has imposed a number of restrictions on power plants to reduce emission levels, and most importantly, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The governments have made it compulsory for the automobile industry players to manufacture automobiles which are adequately high on fuel efficiency. The mandates have fuelled R&D activities...
Novelis Korea recognized for Green Management Excellence
Novelis, the global leader in aluminum rolled products and recycling, announced today that it has been awarded the Grand Prize in the Green Management Excellence category of the 2015 Global Standard Management Awards, held under the co-sponsorship of the Korea Management Association (KMA) and the Korea Management Association Registration (KMAR). Now in its fourteenth year, the Global Standard Management Awards have emerged as the most prestigious awards in the Korean business community. The Global Standard Management Awards recognize companies and organizations for their contribution to promoting sustainable development and enhancing global competitiveness in ten categories, including sustainable management, green management and energy management. The KMAR surveyed 709 companies with more...
Odisha to come out with draft policy for downstream industries
To give a fillip to downstream industries, the state government of Odisha in India plans to come out with a dedicated policy for downstream industries, which includes aluminium extrusion and allied businesses. "The draft of the policy would be ready before the end of this fiscal. The policy for downstream industries would focus on assured raw material linkage for such units. The policy would boost downstream units around the mother plants and also generate substantial employment", said industries minister Debi Prasad Mishra. In its recently notified SEZ (Special Economic Zone) policy, the state government has stressed that investors in metal sectors like steel, aluminium and ferro alloys with investments exceeding Rs 1,000 crore need to establish downstream parks if they want to put up...
AluSolutions 2016: Conference speakers announced
AluSolutions 2016, the only free exhibition and conference addressing sustainability challenges in aluminium production and processing, has announced Dr Fiona Solomon, Executive Director of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative(ASI), as a keynote speaker. Dr Solomon brings nearly 20 years of experience in sustainability and corporate social responsibility to her role at the ASI and will present on how the industry can address the environmental, social and governance aspects of the aluminium value chain. Other speakers will include a representative from European Aluminium, Melanie Williams, Graham Bruce from Taha International Corporation, as well as a representative from the Bureau for Middle East Recycling. With more speakers still to be announced, organiser Quartz Business Media is...
Alcoa to curtail refining and smelting capacity to drive upstream competitiveness
Lightweight metals leader Alcoa announced that it is taking decisive action to curtail uncompetitive smelting and refining capacity to ensure continued competitiveness amid prevailing market conditions. The company will reduce aluminum smelting capacity by 503,000 metric tons and alumina refining capacity by 1.2 million metric tons. Alcoa will begin the curtailments in the fourth quarter of 2015 and will complete them by the end of the first quarter of 2016. The reductions will further improve the cost position of the Upstream business and ensure competitiveness in a lower pricing environment, including a 30 percent drop in the Midwest transaction aluminum price year-to-date. Alcoa has been aggressively reshaping its Upstream portfolio as part of a successful multi-year strategy to...
Researchers develop new energy-efficient technique to weld steel and aluminium
As manufacturers, particularly in the automobile industry, continue to work toward incorporating lighter metals like aluminium with heavier steel, the ongoing problem has been how to successfully weld them together. The problem is that the high heat created in the welding process actually weakens these lighter metals, creating a less than optimum weld. After 10 years of research, engineers at The Ohio State University have developed a new welding technique that may prove to solve this problem while also using 80 percent less energy and creating bonds that are 50 percent stronger. "With our method, materials are shaped and bonded together at the same time, and they actually get stronger," says Glenn Daehn, professor of materials science and engineering at Ohio State, who helped develop the...
China aluminium semis exports to continue losing steam, SMM Sees
China’s aluminium semis exports lost steam in September, a trend to continue as the year goes on, SMM predicts. Falling aluminium premiums and prices overseas, as well as anti-dumping will inhibit outflows of Chinese aluminium semis. Meanwhile, falling profitability has dampened Chinese companies’ willingness to accept export orders, SMM has learned. Outbound shipments were unchanged from August at 300,000 tonnes in September, but were down 11.76% from a year ago, customs data showed.
China set to offload more aluminium onto global market
Amid accusations made by the US trade associations and other market bodies that China might be violating international trade regulations and fair competition norms, the world’s largest aluminium producing country is yet again set to unleash fresh loads of aluminium onto the global market. This comes in the wake of the Chinese government offering lower power tariffs to the country’s dying smelters in an effort buoy the slowing economy. Electricity being the single most crucial factor in aluminium smelter operation is expected to lower the cost of production significantly thereby helping the producers to stay economically viable in the short to medium term. China is already producing excess aluminium and offloading it onto the world markets. This breather from the country’s top authorities...
Electricity market reform: A chance to unlock investment in European aluminium production
Electricity is the lifeblood of aluminium production. Long - term certainty of supply and a competitive electricity price are crucial to unleash the growth potential of the industry in Europe. European Aluminium welcomes the planned reform of the EU Electricity Market Design as an opportunity to accelerate the transition towards a more decentralised, low-carbon and competitive electricity market in Europe. This should go hand in hand with the creation of a compensation scheme that lifts the burden of indirect carbon costs passed on to Europe’s Aluminium producers. Aluminium smelters offer great benefits to the power system, such as the ability to balance supply and demand. Their flexibility to reduce electricity consumption as needed contributes to grid stability and helps tackle...
Aluminium structural components showcased in SAG Tech Days North America 2015
SAG Tech Days held at each of the two US truck manufacturers and current SAG customers Navistar-International respectively Daimler Trucks North America in mid September were a huge success. Thereby less known possibilities from SAG as Rheocasting or aluminum structural components in general were presented as well as the possibility to work with SAG as a product development partner. Fully packed with sample parts and presentation material the first stop was Navistar in Chicago where the managing director of SAG Mecasa, Mr. Luis Alvarez and the head of Sales of SAG Mecasa, Mrs. Alejandra Casas joined. Navistar currently receives air-tanks from the SAG-Mecasa/Proform joint venture. A presentation room was equipped with SAG posters and sample parts. During the day numerous employees from...
Klöckner & Co expands business with aluminium for automotive industry in Europe
Klöckner & Co is building a new service centre at its operating location in Bönen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, through its subsidiary Becker Stahl-Service GmbH. The new facility will process aluminium flat products for the automotive and manufacturing industries in Europe. Capital expenditure in the low to middle double-digit millions of euros is planned for the new business, which will trade as Becker Aluminium Service GmbH. Some 40 jobs will be created at the new Bönen service centre scheduled for completion in 2017. “The launch of Becker Aluminium Service is a further step in systematically implementing our strategy of increasing the percentage of sales generated with higher value-added products and services. At the same time, we are supplementing Becker’s product portfolio with...
ISRI, iScrap App agreement provides recyclers with new marketing opportunities
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) announced Friday last week that it has added iScrap App to its list of affinity programs. This opens the door for ISRI members to access expert advice on marketing their business, profiles on the iScrap App directory, and a discount for its premium service. “Through our Member Affinity Program, ISRI is constantly looking to bring increased value and new benefits to its membership,” said Robin Wiener, president of ISRI. “In addition to discounted equipment, insurance, supplies, shipping, and other perks, ISRI members will now benefit by being able to rely on the marketing strategists and having their business listed on iScrap App at a discounted rate. This provides a significant advantage over non-ISRI members.” iScrap App was developed by...
Nalco updates on its US$2.8bn venture in Iran or Oman
National Aluminium Company Ltd. (Nalco) was earlier reported to have planned to invest US$2.80 billion to build an integrated aluminium roject in either Iran or Oman. In a recent update, the company sources divulged that the proposed 5 lakh tonne-per-year smelter, which will also include a captive power plant, will run on surplus alumina from Nalco's existing and proposed Indian refineries. The planned aluminium smelter will cater to the markets for value-added products, primarily from the automobile industries in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe and the US. The public sector company has free cash reserves of INR 17,000 crore; and this project has been conceived based on these strong financial credentials. As per the update, Nalco would consider various parameters for the captive power...
