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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“The electricity generated by Tonstad Vindpark will allow for Norsk Hydro to produce approximately 50,000 tons of aluminium,” Henriette Sarah Holberg, Head of Communications, TONSTAD Vindpark
Project Tonstad is an under construction wind farm in the south of Norway and will be one of the largest in the country. Once complete, the project will supply all electricity generated, to the Norwegian aluminium producer Hydro through an off-take agreement. Henriette Sarah Holberg is the Head of Communications for TONSTAD Vindpark AS. She holds an MSc in Management, Organisations and Governance from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is interested in the fields of renewable energy and international development; she has worked within hydropower and wind energy in both government and private sectors, in Norway and abroad. She spoke to AlCircle on the current status of the project and its significance as a green energy project and its role in the Norwegian aluminium...
"The Canadian government is against quotas as it represents an inefficient managed trade approach...," Jean Simard, President and CEO, Aluminium Association of Canada
The Aluminium Association of Canada (AAC) brings together Canada’s three primary producers of aluminium, Alcoa, Aluminerie Alouette and Rio Tinto. A non-profit organization, it represents the Canadian primary aluminium industry. AlCircle had an opportunity to interact with Jean Simard, President and CEO, Aluminium Association of Canada on a number of topics related to the Canadian aluminium sector and the North American integrated aluminium value chain. He shared an insight into the operations of the Canadian aluminium value chain, Canada’s current trade concerns with the US and Trump’s 10 per cent tariffs on imported aluminium. Here is an excerpt from the interview: AlCircle: Please give us a heads up on the aluminium ecosystem in Canada. Jean Simard : Canada is home to three world-class...
“IB2 stands for the combination of Improved Bauxite and Improved Bayer,” Romain Girbal, General Manager, IB2
Romain GIRBAL, General Manager of IB2 , a Paris based innovative solution provider that works towards producing alumina with low grade bauxite announced the launch of an innovative and breakthrough technology for low grade bauxite refining during the Bauxite & Alumina Conference that took place in Miami, USA on 25-27 December. AlCircle got in touch with him to know a little more about IB2 and their technology. An excerpt from the interview: AlCircle: Tell us in brief about IB2 and its activities Romain Girbal : Starting from the observation of both market trends and supply constraints undergone by some alumina refineries IB2 was founded in 2014 by Yves Occello to develop a disruptive technology solution for alumina refineries. For the last 5 years, Yves gathered a dedicated team of 10...
A brief interview with Didier Ostorero, CEO of Cronus Technology AS
Didier Ostorero, CEO of Cronus Technology AS, has a long association with the aluminium industry. He previously worked with Goodtech Recovery Technology in Oslo as Project Engineer and Chief Technology Officer for about 3 years, for the project 'Heat Recovery from Aluminum Pots Based on Heat Pipe Technology'. Holding a master degree in New & Renewable Energies: Solar, Wind, Geothermal, Fuel cells, and Thermal transfer in buildings, he started his career as an intern and worked on energy efficiency and energy recovery from industrial processes such as primary aluminium production. So, his rock-solid professional journey from an intern to CEO in the aluminium industry definitely offered the AlCircle team no less than a deep insight into the industry when he gave a brief interview. He...
“Hulamin has remained focused on delivering high quality products at competitive costs’ ~ Richard Jacob, CEO of Hulamin
As the only major aluminium rolling operation in Sub-Saharan Africa, Hulamin is one of the largest exporters, representing more than 60% of sales. In January 1990, Richard Jacob had joined Hulamin and since then, held various positions in manufacturing, and sales and marketing. In 2002, he was appointed to the Executive Committee and in 2007 assumed the responsibility for Investor Relations. 3 years later, in 2010, Richard became the Chief Executive Officer of the company. Here, we have shared with you all a brief interview with Mr. Jacob, who implicitly told us about Hulamin’s key strengths behind producing an extensive range of products and also spoke about the key strategies to maintain a sustainable growth rate. If you want to know more, continue reading the interview. Q: What are the...
“If government policies support well, India can become one of the lowest cost aluminium producers in the world” ~ Satyavrat Singh, CEO, Uniseven Engineering & Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.
Q: Please elaborate us on the services offered by Uniseven Engineering & Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. to the aluminium sector. A: Uniseven Engineering & Infrastructure has a unique business model whereby it represents a large number of equipment technology and EPC solution providers in India and in many countries abroad. Uniseven is currently active with its services from Australia to Brazil along with its different partners from various parts of the world. The key strength of Uniseven is its domain knowledge of the every element of the metal value chain and a large network of domain specialist across the world to support its endeavours. Q: How does Uniseven contribute towards bringing in advanced technologies into the aluminium sector? A: As far as the advanced technologies in the aluminium...
“India is the fastest and most promising growing economy in the world today” ~ Mr. Abhijit Pati, CEO, Aluminium Division, Vedanta Aluminium – Jharsuguda
Mr. Abhijit Pati started his career as a budding engineer with Indian Aluminium Company in the year 1989. In 2008, he joined Vedanta and subsequently became Chief Executive Officer of Aluminium Division, Vedanta Aluminium – Jharsuguda, one of the largest Greenfield Aluminium cum Power complexes in the world. AlCircle had an opportunity to interview him where he shared his strategies to raise Lanjigarh alumina refinery's capacity to 2 million tonnes in 2019 and his projection for the company as well as the aluminium industry in FY2020. If you want to know them detail, go ahead and read our brief conversation. Q: Vedanta Limited has become the largest aluminium producer in India in FY2019, with aluminium production of 1.96 million tonnes. What is your outlook for the company in FY2020? A:...
“Aluminium demand in Europe will continue to be driven by growing demand in many applications despite trade challenges” ~ Gerd Götz, Director General of European Aluminium
European Aluminium, founded in 1981 and based in Brussels, is the voice of the aluminium industry in Europe. Its 80+ members include primary, downstream and recycling producers with more than 600 plants in 30 european countries. Gerd Götz has been Director General of European Aluminium since 2013. Gerd has held different managing roles in public affairs, corporate communications and brand management in Berlin, Hamburg, Brussels and Amsterdam. As the brand ambassador of European Aluminium Gerd has put forward the viewpoint of the association on a number of issues that are impacting the global aluminium sector in 2019: Q: Please give us a heads up on the aluminium ecosystem in Europe? A: We see a mixed picture, with strong performances in our key markets. Primary aluminium production in...
“Sustainability is no more a choice but a need and a requirement, not just in aluminium but in all areas of human activity” ~ Diwakar Gautam, CEO, Sunberg Limited
Sunberg Limited is a UK based metal recycling company, forming an integral link between scrap collectors, recyclers and processors. Sunberg caters to the increasing global demand for recyclable scrap Ferrous and Non Ferrous metals, such as aluminium, brass, copper, zinc, lead, steel and ingots. Diwakar Gautam is the CEO and managing director of Sunberg Limited. He is a post graduate engineer by training. Based in U.K. and has been focusing on metal recycling over the past twenty years. He is sharing his outlook about the aluminium recycling industry while sharing his company’s strategies and projections: Q: Brief us on the company profile and business operations of Sunberg Limited. A: Sunberg Limited based in London, UK started operations in metal recycling industry 20 years ago. Small to...
“For aluminium field the outlook is positive not only for the current year but we foresee an extremely positive result also for the period between 2020 and 2024,” Alberto Ghisetti, Sales Director, Continuus-Properzi
Continuus-Properzi is a world leader in the field of continuous casting lines for nonferrous metal sector. Mr. Alberto Ghisetti is working at Continuus-Properzi since ten years, actually as Sales Director, focused in both aluminium and copper plants for rod and ingots production. He is graduated in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in industrial automation & robotics and has completed an executive master in Project Management. Q: Continuus-Properzi is a world leader in the field of CCR lines for nonferrous rod with a history of more than 70 years. Please tell us about the technological and industry changes that the company has witnessed so far. A: A long time ago, in 1949, a couple of years after the establishment of Continuus-Properzi Company, Ilario Properzi introduced the...
“I am optimistic about the long-term prospects for aluminium and Hydro as the world moves towards the low-carbon, circular economy” ~ Hilde Merete Aasheim, President and CEO of Norsk Hydro.
After serving 11 years as executive vice president and head of Hydro’s Primary Metal business area, Hilde Merete Aasheim assumed her new position in the company as President and CEO on May 8, 2019, with the intention of accelerating the operational excellence by ensuring stricter financial discipline and improved earnings from rolled products. Today, we, the team of AlCircle, are immensely proud to have got a chance to conduct a brief interview with Ms. Aasheim who also happened to be on the board of International Aluminium Institute and Qatar Aluminium Ltd. Starting from her short-term goals to long-term strategies, Aasheim has shared with us her key area of focus to take one of the world’s largest aluminium companies to the next level where it could achieve the benchmark of a...
“The total Primary Aluminium Production by the GCC smelters in 2018 is 5.4 million tonnes, it is expected to increase to 5.7 million tonnes in 2019,”Mahmood Daylami, Secretary General, Gulf Aluminium Council
The Gulf Aluminium Council (GAC) is a coordinating body that represents, promotes and protects the interests of the aluminium industry within the Gulf. GAC members continually explore opportunities for synergy between their operations to improve the region’s international competitiveness. Mahmood Daylami is the Secretary General of GAC and has spent 33 years of his career in various fields of the aluminium industry. Prior to joining GAC, he held the position of Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Aluminium Bahrain (Alba). He is sharing his view on the Gulf aluminium sector in 2019 and ahead: Q: What are the objectives and activities of Gulf Aluminium Council? A: GAC is a coordinating body that represents, promotes and protects the interests of the aluminium industry within the Gulf. The...
“EGA aspires to be measured amongst the world’s leading metals and mining companies in meeting its environmental and social responsibilities” ~ Md. Abdulla Jassem bin Kalban, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of EGA
Emirates Global Aluminium, equally owned by Mubadala Development Company of Abu Dhabi and Investment Corporation of Duabi, is an aluminium conglomerate with interests in bauxite/alumina and primary aluminium smelting. With an annual average production of 2.34 million tonnes, EGA ranks among the five largest aluminium producers in the world. To get more insight into the company’s business activities, its strategies, and forecast, read on the interview of none other than Md. Abdulla Jassem bin Kalban, who has been serving as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of EGA since its formation through the merger of DUBAL and EMAL in 2014. Md. Kalban had joined the aluminium industry in 1985 and now has 29 years of experience in the sector. Let us see what he has to say about the...
“The tariffs on aluminium, in fact, had little impact on our business in 2018” ~ Hugues Vincent, CEO of the Aluminium Division of Fives
Fives is a business conglomerate from France having diversified business interest. The company specialises in designing and supplying machines, process equipment, and production lines for the world’s largest industrial groups including the aluminium, steel, glass, automotive, aerospace, logistics, cement, and energy sectors. Here, we have shared an excerpt from the interview with the CEO of the aluminium division of the company Mr. Hugues Vincent, who has told us about the business activities of Fives Group and its current projects catering to the aluminium sector, as well as his exclusive outlook for the global aluminium industry in 2019. To know all of that, continue reading the interview: Q: Please brief us on Fives Group’s aluminium business and its area of operations worldwide. A :...
In conversation with Quebec Consul and Director Dominic Marcotte and AluQuébec Working Groups Director Marie-Élaine Jacome
AlCircle had a pleasant opportunity to speak to Mr. Dominic Marcotte, Consul & Director of Québec Government Office in Mumbai, and to Marie-Élaine Jacome, Working Groups Director of AluQuébec at the 7th International Conference on Aluminium and Exhibition (INCAL-2019), Bhubaneswar. Mr. Dominic became the Director of the Québec Government Office in Mumbai in late summer 2016. Previously, he served as the Director of Economic Affairs at the Québec Government Office in Tokyo. Ms. Marie-Élaine Jacome, with more than ten years of manufacturing sector experience, is associated with the working groups of AluQuébec since October 2015. Both Mr. Dominic and Ms. Marie delightfully shared with us the business goal of Quebec’s aluminium industry, and their viewpoint on the US metal tariffs and how...
An interview with Fiona Solomon, CEO of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI)
The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is a global, multi-stakeholder, non-profit standards setting and certification organisation that 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 (ASI) gives an insight into the company's current projects and plans for 2019 in the below interview: AlCircle: Congratulations on launching the certification programme for aluminium value chain in 2018! Please brief us on the ASI certification programme. Fiona Solomon: Yes it’s an exciting time for ASI! 2018 was...
An Interview with Jan Guthmann, Managing Director, Herrmann + Hieber, equipment supplier for aluminium extrusion plants
AlCircle had an opportunity to speak to Jan Guthmann, Managing Director, Herrmann + Hieber , a leading supplier of advanced automated equipment solutions to the steel and aluminium extrusion sector in Europe during ALUMINIUM 2018 fair in Dusseldorf. Here is an excerpt from the brief interview: AlCircle: Tell us in brief about Herrmann + Hieber and its products and service Jan Guthmann: We supply intralogistics solutions for the aluminium industry. Our core product is the highly specialized automated crane which figures as a core element of a modern aluminium extrusion plant. The Automated Crane or Process Crane as it is called can also be used to transport Coils automatically. AlCircle: What are the key sectors for the products and services of Herrmann + Hieber? Jan Guthmann: We offer...
A brief Interview with Bani Baran, International Sales & Marketing Director, Com-S, Istanbul, Turkey
Com-S is an Istanbul based company dealing in aluminium extrusion dies and tools and supplying to the extruders in Europe and MENA region. AlCircle had a brief discussion with Bani Baran, International Sales & Marketing Director for Com-S on their business strategies and industry outlook. Here is an excerpt from the interview: AlCircle: Tell us in brief about Com-S and its products and service Bani Baran: Com-S is a manufacturer of Aluminium Extrusion Dies and Tools for extrusion sector, enhancing their works and helping them accomplish better quality in production. We are located in Istanbul, Turkey. By means of our fast in time delivery, after sale service & production method we have been cooperating with our customers from 25 countries. Most of our customers are located in Europe,...
