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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Survey on metallurgy and transport in Russia, with an interview to Antonello Colussi, CEO of Danieli Russia by Federico Piazza
The aluminum industry in Russia is not catalyzed only by the presence of the giant Rusal, the world's second largest group in the primary product market. In fact Russia also boasts advanced laboratories and research centers, such as those that gather every year at the Congress "Non-ferrous metals and minerals" at Krasnoyarsk, in the mining region of Siberia. In the field of research for innovation in industrial applications, for example, the work of MISIS, the Russian National University of Science and Technology, deserves to be highlighted for experimenting new aluminum alloys (Al-Ni-La crystallization) that enable a significant reduction in weight for transport, aeronautics and automotive. Plenty of innovation particularly regards aluminium for transports. For example, it concerns new...
“Our guess is that the world’s top priority will be to better protect our environment, and at Fives, we are determined to become an active player in environmental commitments in the post-COVID-19 world.” - Aurélie Fillon, VP Services, Fives - Aluminium division.
Graduated from Edhec Business School in Lille in 2000, Aurélie has been first working as an Auditor at Ernst&Young before joining Fives Group in 2004 as Financial Controller at the Head Office. In 2007, she became Financial Control of Fives Solios before being promoted to CFO. In 2018, she moved to the position of VP Services of the Aluminium division of Fives, supervising four Services Companies (Canada, Australia, South Africa and the Middle East) plus the Europe Front office. She is leading the Services strategy and its implantation. AlCircle: How COVID-19 changes the outlook for 2020 for the aluminium industry? Aurélie Fillon: As everybody knows, the situation is for now very complex for the producers of aluminium. Despite the drop in the demand of aluminium, the production of...
“Industry 4.0 has been a revolution in terms of modernizing the aluminium industry from the smallest up to the biggest players”- Adriana Torres, International Business Development Manager of GHI Smart Furnaces
GHI Smart Furnaces, S.L., is a family owned company with 80 years of history that designs and supplies industrial furnaces, auxiliary equipment and associated services for technical assistance and digitalization. The company is involved in the design and manufacture of industrial furnaces, turnkey plants, SAT and 4.0 digitization. The company has supplied more than 8,000 facilities, 1,400 exported to the international market. The sectors GHI Smart Furnaces addresses are, among others, the iron and steel industry, the aluminium and copper industry, foundries, metal workshops, shipyards, aeronautical industry, heat treatment and hot stamping companies. Adriana Torres and Pablo Fuentetaja Business Development Managers of GHI Smart Furnaces, give an insight into the GHI’s latest strategies...
“The unfortunate pandemic that we are facing is a catalyst for the Industry 4.0,” Éloïse Harvey, B.Eng. & Mgmt, President of Mecfor
Éloïse Harvey is president of Mecfor, a Quebec-based company that supplies and manufactures specialized equipment for heavy industry, primary aluminium smelters and secondary plants, mining, rail and nuclear. Éloïse Harvey has been working for the heavy industry (with a strong focus on the aluminium sector) since 1999 holding various positions related to sales, marketing and business development for MECFOR and today she is president for Mecfor. We are glad to get an opportunity to interview Ms Harvey to know her individual insights into the Industry 4.0, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. She thinks implementation of new technologies in the aluminium industry does change the dynamic that exists between equipment manufacturers and aluminium producers. She says COVID-19 has...
“Industry 4.0 now directly impacts all the process and manufacturing sectors.” - Miles Prosser, Secretary-General of the International Aluminium Institute
Miles Prosser is the Secretary-General of the International Aluminium Institute (IAI), the only body that represents the aluminium industry at the global level. With more than twenty years’ experience working on various industrial policy issues, Miles brings in-depth knowledge on resource allocation, sustainability and climate change. Miles joined the IAI from the Australian Aluminium Council where he served as Executive Director for more than 10 years. He leads the IAI to promote the unique and valuable properties of aluminium in sustainable development. He holds an honours degree from the Australian National University. Miles Prosser, Secretary-General of the International Aluminium Institute speaks to AlCircle: AlCircle: Currently, IAI membership represents over 60% of global bauxite,...
“The impact of Covid-19 has mainly accelerated the innovative solutions, based mainly on the diffusion of new connecting technology that was already defined by Continuus-Properzi for the future.” - Alberto Ghisetti, Sales Director, Continuus-Properzi
Alberto Ghisetti is graduated in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in industrial automation & robotics and has completed an executive master in Project Management. In the last fifteen years, he has matured experience in the international sale of complete plants in the non-ferrous, mine and steel industry. He is working at Continuus-Properzi for ten years, actually, as Sales Director, focused in both aluminium and copper plants for rod and ingots production. Alberto Ghisetti, Sales Director of Continuus-Properzi shares his insights in an interview with AlCircle concerning COVID-19 impact to the industry: AlCircle: Can you briefly introduce your Company? Mr Alberto: Continuus-Properzi, the leading expert in the aluminium and copper wire rod continuous casting industry, invented...
“Before the pandemic, we saw the need for connectivity and moved into Industry 4.0,” Peter Unwin, AMETEK Land and AMETEK Surface Vision’s Global Industry Manager – Metals
Peter is a chartered mechanical engineer and long serving member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). He has worked in the metals industry for over 30 years during which time he has gained a broad knowledge of the production of steel and aluminium from smelting through to finished products. He has spent the majority of his time leading technical sales teams and developing close customer relationships globally in the flat metals sector specialising in equipment for casting and rolling steel and aluminium strip products. Here, we have Mr Unwin with us sharing some of his views on the importance on Industry 4.0 during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. In his view, Industry 4.0 facilitates you to access accurate data at any point in time and from anywhere, which is exactly a need...
“The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the relevance of Industry 4.0 as an essential strategic component of manufacturing” - Dr Alexeis Garcia-Perez, Associate Professor in Cyber Security Management, Coventry University
Dr Alexeis Garcia-Perez is an Associate Professor in Cyber Security Management at Coventry University (UK) and a Visiting Research Scholar at Georgetown University (USA). His original background in Computer Science was complemented by a PhD in Information Systems from Cranfield University, enabling an interdisciplinary perspective of Business Information Systems practice and research. Alexeis leads the ‘ Data, Organisations and Society’ research team at Coventry University’s Research Centre for Business in Society. He works with a range of organisations from the public and private sectors, helping them shape the policy and practices that support the digital transformation of businesses and society. Here, we have him with us sharing his insights into how the Industry 4.0 is gradually...
‘‘We see no change in the importance of the sustainability issue or the necessity to move towards a Circular Economy because of the pandemic”- Guido Aufdemkamp, Executive Director, The European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA)
The European Aluminium Foil Association is the international body representing companies engaged in the rolling and rewinding of alufoil and in the manufacture of aluminium closures, alufoil semi-rigid containers and of all kind of flexible packaging. With its more than 40 members, the organisation represents the total aluminium foil rolling market in Europe. Guido Aufdemkamp, Executive Director of the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA), gives an insight into EAFA’s outlook for 2020 and business strategies post COVID- 19 in the below interview: AlCircle: What are your initial thoughts about the impact of Covid-19 on the global aluminium value chain? Guido Aufdemkamp: The overall economic shock particularly impacts the automotive and aerospace sectors and will have huge negative...
“As a group focused on design, production, and maintenance of equipment, we see innovation as a way to make our solutions more efficient and competitive” - Cédric Schmuck, Director of the Aluminium Division within REEL
REEL is an industrial group specializing in complex lifting and handling systems as well as integrated systems solutions. It is using the present sanitary crisis to reinforce an Industry 4.0 approach in its different markets: Nuclear, Aluminium, Aeronautics, Offshore, etc. Many technological opportunities appear in the field of equipment, maintenance, or even design methods. Cédric Schmuck, Director of the Aluminium Division within REEL , in an interview with AlCircle said, as a group focused on design, production, and maintenance of equipment, we see innovation as a way to make our solutions more efficient and competitive. He also said that although the corona crisis has weighed on the aluminium production, but that should not impact the companies so much, owing to the lower input costs...
“The COVID will impact by continuing to reduce demand for aluminium which might still put more pressure on AL price,” Eloise Harvey, President of Mecfor
Mecfor supplies and manufactures specialized equipment for heavy industry for primary aluminium smelters and secondary plants, mining, rail and nuclear. Its customer-centric approach as well as its production capacity allow for a great flexibility of adaptation. They operate from Quebec Canada and supplies to many plants in North America and other parts of the world. Eloise Harvey, President of Mecfor, has shared how COVID-19 pandemic has impacted its business and the global aluminium value chain. Here is an excerpt from the interview: AlCircle: What are your initial thoughts about the impact of Covid-19 on the global aluminium value chain? Eloise Harvey : Due to the pandemic, some smelters have curtailed their production, some others have shutdown facilities (e.g.: Alcoa Intalco Works)....
An AlCircle exclusive interview with Dr Mario Conserva, President of the International Aluminium Exhibition METEF
AlCircle is honoured to have had an opportunity to interract with Dr Mario Conserva, who is associated with the aluminium sector since 1963. He is currently the President of the International Aluminium Exhibition METEF, General Director of the International Magazine A&L Aluminium & Alloys, and General Secretary of FACE, Federation of Aluminium Consumers Europe. Dr Conserva has shared with us about how the metal markets are being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and what prospects we can expect for the aluminium sector this year. He has also shared his insightful thoughts on how to overcome this delicate moment. So, here is an excerpt from the interview: AlCircle: How have the metal markets been affected by Covid -19? Dr Conserva : Covid - 19 is an epochal tragedy that has fallen...
“It is now important to continuously improve productivity to keep costs of production as low as possible for combatting COVID19 impact” - Antti Koulumies, Vice President, Aluminium Business Line, Outotec
Outotec provides industry benchmark technologies and life-cycle services for their customers in metals and mining, industrial water treatment, alternative energy, and chemical sector. Here, we have with us the company’s aluminium business Vice President Antti Koulumies to share how Outotec is coping up the COVID19 pandemic. Mr Koulumies says ensuring the wellbeing of the employees and stakeholders and innovating and improving operations to serve customers better are their key strategies now to sustain the business. Here is an excerpt from the brief interview: AlCircle : What are your initial thoughts about the impact of Covid-19 on the global aluminium value chain? Antti Koulumies: From what we’ve seen, only one aluminium smelter and one alumina refinery have curtailed production during...
Mahindra's mHawk engines are made of Aluminium instead of Steel
Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, an Indian multinational automobile manufacturing corporation headquartered in Mumbai, India, develops a mHawk range of engines. It is a significant engine for the company and has been enhancing over the years. The Scorpio is known to be very famous in rural areas. It is also used to go unpaved paths, so a powerful engine is needed for this. In recent times, the engine has made a transition to fit the BS6 emission norms. The car lost the 2.5-litre diesel engine. But this engine was outdated, and the 2.2-litre mHawk has also gotten a power upgrade. The car now produces an impressive 140 bhp and 250 nm of torque. This is a significant power upgrade from the previous engine that produced 120 bhp. The mHawk range of diesel engines brought in the capability of...
“Despite the impact of COVID-19, we plan to continue to progress ASI's mission with all the tools we have available to us”- Fiona Solomon, CEO, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative
The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is a global, multi-stakeholder, non-profit standards setting and certification organisation. It aims to recognise and foster the responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium. ASI is the result of producers, users and stakeholders in the aluminium value chain coming together with a commitment to maximising the contribution of aluminium to a sustainable society. Fiona Solomon, CEO of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative gives an insight into the ASI's plans and strategies post COVID- 19 in the below interview: AlCircle: What are your initial thoughts about the impact of Covid-19 on the global aluminium value chain? Fiona Solomon: As ASI runs a global Certification program; one of our key areas of focus has been on the impact of...
“A3 Surfaces has designed a process that incorporates and seals an antimicrobial agent in aluminium. We were topical before COVID-19, we are even more today.” - Dr. Guy Leblanc, Vice-President and Medical Advisor - A3 Surfaces
A3 Surfaces, a start-up based in Saguenay, Quebec, developed a ground-breaking technology that can transform aluminium products into antimicrobial surfaces capable of eliminating the risks of bacterial and viral disease transmission in a matter of seconds to a few minutes. Applying this technology in hospitals, public transports and other public areas could help prevent the next pandemic. Alcircle: What’s your initial thought about the impact of COVID-19 on the global aluminium value chain? Dr Guy Leblanc : We believe the impact, in the long run, will be negligible in regard of the COVID-19. The impact on aluminium business will mainly be related to the change of paradigm in transportation (Autonomous EV) and in a more durable building with more efficient HVAC and insulation. The...
In conversation with Mr José María Gerbolés, CEO of Salico
AlCircle is pleased to interview Mr José María Gerbolés, CEO of Salico, a dedicated Italian-Spanish company to the conception, engineering, manufacturing, putting into operation, training, and servicing of equipment for processing, finishing, and cutting for both ferrous and non-ferrous metal strip. In the interview, Mr Gerbolés has shared the journey of the company, its innovations and inventions, product range, key markets, and his own exclusive outlook for the short, mid, and long-term outlook. That’s not all, Mr Gerbolés has also shared its take on COVID19 and what measure he has taken for the company to combat the crisis and to be able to continue to offer sustainable solutions ahead. Here is an excerpt from the interview: AlCircle: Please take us through Salico’s 40 years journey as...
“We have seen a drop in demand of around 18% in Europe for aluminium on Matmatch as a direct impact of COVID-19”- Ben Smye, Head of Growth, Matmatch
Matmatch is a materials search platform that connects engineers and material suppliers through the most comprehensive materials database in the world. For material suppliers, the company offers a new way to reach customers online. As a go-to source of information for engineers, Matmatch is the perfect platform for suppliers to raise awareness of their products and brand. Ben Smye, Head of Growth at Matmatch, has shared his thoughts on COVID-19 impact on the global aluminium value chain and post-Covid19 business strategies in the below interview: AlCircle: What are your initial thoughts about the impact of Covid-19 on the global aluminium value chain? Ben Smye: I think one issue we could see is that projects are delayed, leading to a drop in demand, at least in the short time. Hopefully...
