AL Circle Analysis: Aluminium’s recycling economics, trade walls and carbon rules converge
The story of the aluminium industry is starting a chapter wherein scrap availability, recycling technology, trade policy, carbon costs and demand growth are becoming increasingly interconnected. From the US and Canada to Europe, India, New Zealand and China, recent developments show that the global aluminium supply chain is being reshaped on several fronts at once. These developments point to a changing aluminium business model: access to metal alone may no longer be enough. Quality of recycled feedstock, domestic processing capacity, carbon intensity, trade exposure and the ability to meet increasingly specific customer requirements could become equally important competitive factors. Join the fourth edition of the webinar “Hedging for recyclers - Become an expert in 6 hours” by Jorge...
Europe holds 10% of global aluminium extrusion demand, supported by Germany’s Constellium, France’s Hydro Extrusions & Italy’s Metra
Across Europe, aluminium extrusion has become closely woven into some of the region’s biggest industrial and construction markets. From automotive and transport to buildings and industrial applications, extruded profiles are finding demand across a wide range of sectors. This is reflected in Europe’s position in the global market: the region accounted for 12 per cent of global aluminium extrusion capacity, making it the second-largest regional contributor after China. At the same time, Europe represented 10 per cent of global aluminium extrusion usage, out of total global usage of 35.35 million tonnes . With production capacity and usage shares relatively close, Europe’s extrusion capacity and consumption are broadly at par. If we break down Europe’s 10 per cent share of global aluminium...
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“As for carbon footprint reduction, at 1MM bottles displaced per year, that equates to ~ 5 tons equivalent of Co2,” Jerrod Freund, Co-Founder of Boomerang Water
Jerrod Freund is a seasoned investment banker with over 20 years of global experience in the industry. As Co-Founder of Boomerang Water, Jerrod is a valuable asset to the Boomerang Water Leadership Team and is dedicated to helping the company achieve its mission of eliminating single-use plastic water bottles and promoting global sustainable water management practices. Here is an excerpt from an interview with him on green initiatives undertaken by Boomerang. AlCircle.com: What inspired the creation of the Boomerang Bottling System (BBS)? Jerrod Freund: While on multiple tours of duty for the air force in the middle east in the mid-2000s, one of our co-founders, Jason dibble, came up with the idea to bottle at the point of use utilizing reusable bottles – the idea was generated as he...
“IB2 Technology combines industrial innovation, resource recovery, OPEX savings, better quality alumina production and waste reduction, which makes it a green initiative”, Yves Occello, CEO, IB2 Technology
“IB2 Technology combines industrial innovation, resource recovery, OPEX savings, better quality alumina production and waste reduction, which makes it a green initiative”, Yves Occello, CEO, IB2 Technology. Yves has 45 years of experience in the bauxite and alumina industry occupying key positions at Pechiney, Alcan and Rio Tinto. He founded Amber Development in 2010, a company specialising in technical and marketing services for the bauxite and alumina industry, where he coordinates the development of IB2™ technology, in which he operates as CEO. Yves holds a Master's degree in Chemical Engineering from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie of Paris and is an Honorary Director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. AlCircle: Please share more about IB2's innovative technology to produce...
“We recognise that climate change is the biggest threat to humanity’s future health and security, and whilst there is a significant amount of work going on to try and reduce or avoid carbon emissions,” Sandy Copeman, Director of Brand and Founder of Amalgam Collection
Sandy Copeman, Director and founder of Amalgam Collection, began his career as a professional model maker, making a tiny model town showcasing the greatest of British architecture, and later as a professional architectural model builder. With Amalgam, he began building ties with Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes, Pagani, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Bugatti, and McLaren, among many other key automotive manufacturers, as well as partnerships with all of the top F1 teams. We are glad to have a conversation with him and get an insight into the sustainability leads taken by Amalgam. AlCircle.com: What gave you the idea to launch Amalgam Collection? Sandy Copeman: I originally co-founded Amalgam with three partners in 1985, and we focused on creating fine architectural models for leading European...
“EEG strongly believes that recycling is one of the best ways to reduce the carbon footprint of the country in terms of consumption and production of materials.” Habiba Al Mar’ashi, Co-founder and Chairperson of Emirates Environmental Group (EEG)
Mrs Habiba Hassan Sultan Al Mar’ashi Al Hashimi is the Co-founder and Chairperson of Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), a pioneering non-government organisation established in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 1991. She guided EEG to become the first environmental NGO in the world to receive ISO 14001 certification. She single-handedly established the Arabia CSR Network in 2004 as the MENA region’s pioneering and only multi-stakeholder platform with local and multi-national entities. She co-founded the Emirates Green Building Council in 2006 and served it as Treasurer and Board Member. In 2019 she was selected to come on board as a member of a high-level Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD) Alliance at the invitation of the UN Secretary-General. In July 2021, she was...
“Vestre’s commitment to becoming the world’s most sustainable furniture brand led us to seek Hydro and their CIRCAL, the 75% post-consumer scrap range” Øyvind Bjørnstad, Chief Sustainability Officer, Vestre
Coming from a finance & strategy background, Øyvind has been the chief architect behind Vestre’s corporate strategy, which has put sustainability front and centre, aiming to become the world’s most sustainable furniture company. After almost seven years in the company, he has acquired detailed knowledge of all aspects of the business, from raw material to production and the use phase to the end-of-life and re-uses potential that’s becoming increasingly important. AlCircle: Could you share Vestre’s journey to the world of aluminium furniture? What exactly inspired Vestre to make furniture with low-carbon aluminium? Mr Øyvind Bjørnstad: Most of Vestre’s furniture today is steel, but we have some ranges that are based on aluminium. A big reason is its comparatively lower energy percentage to...
“The Engitec proprietary technology for the secondary aluminium industry is the STE process for treating aluminium salt slag. The process is suitable for large or small productions and can be installed directly at the aluminium recyclers’ site,” Carmelo Maria Brocato, Commercial & Marketing Director, Engitec Technologies S.p.A
AlCircle: Please tell us about the functionalities of your technologies used for recovering aluminium scrap. Do they aid in reducing carbon emissions? Mr Carmelo Maria Brocato: Since the day of its foundation – sometime in 1998 – Engitec Technologies has dedicated its research to technologies related to the circular economy applied to the nonferrous industry. After 25 years after its inception, Engitec is a well-established international global Supplier of high-tech technology and equipment dedicated to the sustainable recycling of various waste from the metallurgical and iron and steel industry, aimed at the recovery of all the components of value they contain. I'm sure our readers are familiar with the way of saying, "it is not possible to unscramble scrambled eggs"…. Well, Engitec has...
“Australia’s alumina refineries are currently undertaking a range of decarbonisation studies in conjunction with Government agencies,” Marghanita Johnson, CEO of the Australian Aluminium Council
Marghanita Johnson has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Aluminium Council since 2019. She has over 25 years of experience in the Australian mining and manufacturing sectors, predominantly within the aluminium industry. Earlier, she led government engagement and advocacy on behalf of Rio Tinto’s Pacific Aluminium assets and also held key climate and sustainability roles at Rio Tinto. We are glad to have a conversation with her and get an insight into the sustainability leads taken by the Australian Aluminium Council. AlCircle: In response to the exponentially growing efforts towards building a sustainable aluminium value chain, what guidelines would you like to introduce for the Australian bauxite miners to reduce mining impacts on the environment, society and economy as...
“Aluminium is a critical enabler of sustainable economic development,” Miles Prosser, Secretary General at IAI
Miles Prosser heads the International Aluminium Institute and is the key spokesperson. In addition to overall co-ordination of the IAI work program and governance issues, he also manages the work programme of the Communications & Promotions Committee. Let us hear from him on green initiatives in the global aluminium industry to achieve a sustainable future. AlCircle: What parameters drive the sustainability initiatives of the IAI and your member companies? Miles Prosser : The IAI has always existed to promote solutions to sustainability issues. Decarbonisation is the most important issue, but we must also focus on other ESG issues. Many aluminium producers are already pioneering technological solutions that reduce their environmental footprint without compromising product quality....
Top 8 smartphone manufacturers using aluminium in 2022
There is much to the mere word 'Aluminium'. From pins to smartphones, aluminium or the Metal of the Future can be found in countless products which are highly beneficial to mankind and in everyday use. Because of its low weight and anti-corrosive qualities, it is increasingly replacing iron and steel in today's advanced vehicles, contemporary structures, satellites, etc. Several phone manufacturers are making an effort to create compact and robust phones for the constantly expanding market of steroid-enhanced hardware capabilities. The weight and sturdiness of the frames become even more crucial as phone makers pack more RAM and precise cameras into today's smartphones. And to keep the smartphone lightweight along with the upgraded specifications, aluminium is considered one of the most...
“Rio Tinto is extremely proud of its ability to produce some of the highest quality, lowest-carbon footprint aluminium,” Paramita Das, Head of Metals and Minerals, Marketing and ESG at Rio Tinto
Paramita Das is a global executive with extensive experience in the commodities segment (metal, oil and gas). She leads marketing for metals and minerals globally and the establishment of a more ESG-centric approach in the Atlantic region. Prior to her work in the marketing and development space, Paramita was the Chief of Staff to the CEO of Rio Tinto and Chief Transformation Officer for the Atlantic Operations for the company's aluminium segment. Paramita joined Rio Tinto in 2015, before which, she worked with companies including Sumitomo/UACJ/TAA and BP. She is a passionate advocate for ESG and inclusion. Here is an excerpt from an interview with her on green initiatives undertaken by Rio Tinto. AlCircle: What is Rio Tinto doing to reduce its carbon footprint? Paramita Das:...
“The main goal of the GreenAlum project is the development of innovative technologies in the aluminium industry and machine tool building,” Sergey Kidakov, Founder, GreenAlum
Sergey Kidakov holds a degree in engineering specializing in railways and automobiles. Additionally, he has a higher education degree in Information Technology (IT) in communication and telecommunications. His experience includes supporting and developing IT startups, and he has been solving problems in the aluminium industry through the GreenAlum project for the last eight years. AlCircle: Please share with us more about the work GreenAlum does. How is GreenAlum supporting the aluminium industry's transition to sustainability? Mr Sergey Kidakov : The GreenAlum project has existed since 2014. The main goal of the project is the development of innovative technologies in the aluminium industry and machine tool building. Over the past three years, energy-efficient and environmentally...
“We see the demand for aluminium products with a high recycling share across most of our markets, particularly in the automotive industry, the beverage cans sector, as well as the building & construction”, Moritz Hansen, Head of Communication & Marketing, Speira
An aspiring person, Moritz Hansen is in charge of communication and marketing at Speira, one of the most exciting companies within the aluminium industry. Since 2016, he has made his way in the aluminium sector. Hansen earned an Exec MBA from Amsterdam Business School as well as a Master of Arts in Political Communication. He also serves on Speira's Executive Management Team, responsible for Marketing, Communication, and Sustainability. AlCircle: What measures have you initiated or already undertaken to declare Speira net zero by 2045? Don't you think this commitment is too ambitious? Moritz Hansen: We are building our net zero roadmaps on four key pillars. We will constantly reduce our direct emissions (Scope 1) and indirect emissions (Scope 2) through electrification and alternative...
“Ball offers AI-based solutions to customers, like QR codes which can facilitate various interactions between brands and their customers and which we can print on cans”, Amit Lahoti, Senior Commercial Director & General Manager – Asia, Ball Beverage Packaging.
AlCircle: “Ball is bringing innovations in sustainable packaging that will help people live more sustainably and improve the health of the planet,” - following the information on your website, may we please ask what are initiatives taken by ball under its sustainability mission? Amit Lahoti: Ball is a leading manufacturer of aluminium beverage cans, the world's most recycled drinks package. We have a responsibility to our stakeholders and the planet to improve our business's environmental performance, social impact and economic returns and to take a leading role in driving industry-wide solutions to the climate crisis. Ball has been engaged in sustainability initiatives for many years. Our sustainability vision comprises Product Stewardship and Social Impact. For Product Stewardship, we...
“Our equipment has state-of-the-art technology, from high-efficiency melting systems to energy recuperators that we sometimes use to heat and clean scrap.” Julio Quintero, Business Development Manager at HORMESA, Hornos y Metales S.A.
AlCircle: Please share your innovations and trendsetting case studies on nonferrous foundry equipment, especially aluminium. Julio Quintero : Our studies on the current economy and trends in the aluminium industry are directly focused on three aspects. Increased aluminium recovery efficiencies reaching up to 98% melting efficiency with our current technologies Management and treatment of scrap. We believe that good practices are the basis of good efficiency. Energy recovery systems to make processes and companies more efficient. Our goal is to put our customer forefront of the future economy AlCircle: What is the reason you think your turnkey projects are highly specialized? In your opinion, what was their USP? Julio Quintero: Our approach to the market and our customers is totally...
“In sustainability solution digital transformation helps to predict potential environmental consequences by analyzing more and more data through ML and AI tools”, Annanya Agarwal, Co-Founder & CEO of Runaya
Annanya leads the sustainability practice, where he aims to create technologically advanced and sustainable solutions for the resources and material sciences sector. Annanya understands the need to make collective efforts toward the earth with an eye for sustainability and overall societal growth. Under his leadership at Runaya Refining, the company has achieved various milestones in less than five years of its operations. During this time, he has been extensively involved in the project of Restora and has also been undertaking many Greenfield projects. Annanya strongly believes that with Runaya, he can solve the biggest resource sector issue and build a greener tomorrow. Annanya comes with a rich global experience across varied fields in renowned companies, including Boston Consulting...
“Industries like alumina are challenging to decarbonize because alumina refineries require huge quantities of heat 24/7, often at high temperatures.” Jeremy Keller, SVP of Business Development at Rondo Energy
Jeremy brings to Rondo Energy a high level of expertise in taking energy projects from ideation through deployment, including evaluation of facility energy data, financial modelling and technical scope development. Before joining Rondo, Jeremy spent ten years with the leading renewable energy and energy efficiency company Ameresco, where he developed and delivered hundreds of projects for commercial and industrial businesses. He is a licensed mechanical engineer in the State of Washington with expertise in the design and technical applications of energy storage, solar photovoltaics, microgrids, renewable natural gas and HVAC systems. Jeremy earned an MBA from Oregon State University and bachelor’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Physics from the University of Washington. AlCircle:...
“At Innoval, we believe innovation is a key in positioning aluminium as the material of choice in the circular economy,” Professor Michael (Mike) Cinch, Senior Consultant & Materials Group Leader at Innoval
Professor Michael (Mike) Cinch is a Senior Consultant & Materials Group Leader at Innoval. He attained a PhD in Materials Engineering and Materials Design at the University of Nottingham after receiving an Industrial Fellowship from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. In addition to his background in applied materials research, product development and process engineering, Mike has extensive experience in strategic planning, technology road mapping and innovation management from his time in senior leadership positions in business units in the US and Europe. Mike is also a Visiting Professor of Materials Innovation and Sustainability at Loughborough University and is a passionate advocate of collaboration and partnerships to drive the development and commercialisation of new...
“Aludium’s transition into a leader in sustainability began in 2015 with the decision to invest significantly in internal aluminium scrap recycling activities to reduce the amount of primary metal input.” Sam Kinsman, Vice President, Strategy & Transformation at Aludium
Sam Kinsman leads Strategy & Transformation at Aludium. He is a member of the Executive Committee and is responsible for the company-wide “ONE Aludium” program focused on Commercial Excellence, Operational Productivity, and Sustainability. Prior to Aludium, Sam held several transformations, sales, finance, and operational leadership positions at Iconex, a global paper & label converting business. Previously he worked in M&A investment banking at Goldman Sachs in New York and transaction advisory at PWC in São Paulo. Sam is a U.S. citizen and is based in Alicante, Spain. AlCircle: Please share the innovative journey of Aludium in the global aluminium sector. What are the contributions of Aludium regarding a sustainable future? Sam Kinsman: Aludium has more than 65-year history in the...
