Can Oklahoma reshape US aluminium supply? EGA’s Ziad Fares explains the project
As the US seeks to rebuild its domestic aluminium production capacity, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Century Aluminum are advancing plans for a new primary aluminium smelter in Inola, Oklahoma, targeting more than 750,000 tonnes of annual production. In this exclusive conversation with AL Circle, Ziad Fares, Project Director for Oklahoma Primary Aluminum , discusses the project’s strategic rationale, progress towards a targeted construction start in early 2027, planned smelting technology, power and infrastructure requirements, investment considerations, and its potential impact on US aluminium supply chains. He also addresses environmental safeguards and stakeholder concerns. Fares brings more than 20 years of experience across engineering, strategy, finance, metals and mining, and...
The lower the aluminium content of the dross, the greater the aluminium recovery benefit RAME can achieve
In a recent conversation with AL Circle, Eric Lefebvre, Vice President of Business Development at Lefebvre Industri-AL, discussed the company’s approach to recovering and recycling aluminium residues and its role in advancing the circular economy. Based in Quebec, Lefebvre Industri-AL develops solutions, including RAME technology, that transform aluminium residues into reusable resources while helping producers reduce their environmental footprint and improve operational efficiency. With extensive experience in the industrial sector, Lefebvre works with aluminium producers, technology partners and other industry stakeholders to develop strategic partnerships and expand markets. His approach focuses on turning the industry’s environmental challenges into economically viable opportunities...
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“Covacsis covers the entire aluminium value stream, from bauxite to alumina to downstream aluminium products,” Tarun Mishra, Founder, Covacsis
Tarun is the founder of Covacsis Technologies and was among the first few in the world to envisage the transformation of the current manufacturing system into algorithmic manufacturing as a next-generation manufacturing reality. Today, Covacsis is a leader in industry-based digital transformational solutions in India. Covacsis' IPF is helping the process industry increase productivity and reduce costs by using data and algorithms specifically developed for the process industry. As an alumnus of IIT Bombay, Tarun's love for writing and his musical talent on the drum set are just a few facets of his multifaceted personality. More importantly, he is deeply committed to creating employment opportunities for the weaker strata of society, a testament to his social engagement and compassion. AL...
“Hencon's vehicles are all built to ensure the highest safety and efficiency standards,” Peter Vanvuchelen, Director Sales & Business Development, Hencon
Peter Vanvuchelen is an accomplished professional with over eight years of experience in Business Development at Hencon. His career includes pivotal roles such as General Manager at Deutz Engines Benelux from 2014 to 2016, Director of Sales and Marketing at Linde Forklifts Benelux, and sales responsibilities for Caterpillar and Mitsubishi Forklifts across EMEA. Peter's expertise spans strategic business growth, sales management, and leadership in the industrial and automotive sectors. AL Circe: Can you provide an overview of Hencon's history and key milestones in the aluminium industry? How does Hencon stay ahead of technological advancements in the aluminium industry? Peter Vanvuchelen: Hencon was founded in the Netherlands in 1956. At the time, we mainly manufactured side loaders and...
“At a high level, making aluminium and CO2 accessible as energy storage materials is a major contribution to the greater sustainability of our energy system,” Thomas Chepucavage, CEO & Dr Olaf Conrad, CTO, Flow Aluminum
Thomas Chepucavage is the CEO and a seasoned professional with over 22 years of experience building companies and leading teams across various industries. Thomas began his career with Accenture, advancing to VIP-level roles in high-growth ventures and gaining exposure to Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) at PNM. He co-founded Flow Aluminum in 2023, producing recyclable, rare-earth-free Aluminum-CO2 batteries with industry-leading energy density for applications from drones to grid storage. Over the past 20 years, Dr Olaf Conrad has created energy technology teams and organisations, from early concepts to full-fledged powerhouses in their respective markets. Stations of his career include Director of the Centre of Competence in Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in Cape Town, South Africa,...
“Thermika infra-red ovens have significantly impacted energy savings and die performance in the aluminium extrusion industry,” Charbel Saliba, Director, Thermika Systems Inc.
Charbel Saliba, with a background in economics, ventured into entrepreneurial endeavours shortly after completing his university studies. He successfully built and sold several businesses independently before his career took a significant turn. This pivotal moment came when his father-in-law introduced him to the industrial heating industry. He gained extensive knowledge about the field and business operations in general from his father-in-law's mentoring and guidance. This support proved invaluable as Charbel navigated this new industry. Reflecting on these experiences, Charbel expresses deep gratitude, recognising their crucial role in shaping his professional journey. These formative experiences have led to his current success and the accomplished professional he is today. AL Circle:...
The UK’s aluminium packaging recycling rate hit an impressive 68% in 2023: Tom Giddings, CEO, Alupro
AL Circle: Can you briefly overview Alupro's mission and objectives. How does Alupro contribute to promoting aluminium recycling in the UK? Tom Giddings: Our key objective is to act as the voice of the aluminium packaging value chain to ensure the views of private organisations are heard by the government as we work to increase recycling rates, provide valuable insights, and improve the rules and infrastructure around recycling to ensure aluminium packaging can fulfil its gold-standard potential for the circular economy. As part of our work, we lobby the government on behalf of our members, encouraging positive changes to legislation and the wider industry in the best interests of aluminium packaging. Alongside this, we also take part in steering groups presenting the thoughts and...
Implementing policy changes at both national and international levels can significantly reduce the environmental impacts of bauxite mining: Matthew Groch, Mighty Earth
Matthew Groch is the Senior Director of Decarbonisation at Mighty Earth, overseeing the organisation’s decarbonisation campaign. In his role, he focuses on transforming the heavy industry, including steel and aluminium, towards more sustainable practices across its supply chains. Matthew also ensures that the leading automakers in the electric vehicle transition are shifting their material supply chains to low-carbon and deforestation-free sources. Before joining Mighty Earth, Matthew Groch was Deputy Director at Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch, working on critical issues such as the NAFTA renegotiation and global COVID-19 vaccine access. Matthew holds a B.A. in political science from Drew University, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2008. AL Circle: Can you provide an overview of Mighty...
"Our strategy to enhance profitability for our customers in the aluminium and steel sectors focuses on an in-depth analysis of price movements by leveraging historical data," Tushar Kamat, Chief Business officer (CBO) at Bizongo
Tushar Kamat, the Chief Business officer (CBO) at Bizongo, comes with more than 25 years of experience in sales leadership, scaling business growth, and enabling business transformation by developing go-to-market strategies for generating revenue. Kamat has had affiliations with notable companies such as SAP, Accenture, Airtel, and TCS. In his latest position as the head of the field operating unit for India's business at Automation Anywhere, he spearheaded a remarkable hyper-scale business growth of approximately 250 per cent during COVID-19. AL Circle: You have been a part of this organisation since 2022. How has your journey been so far? Tushar Kamat: I joined Bizongo as the Chief Business Officer in September 2022 to scale the business to the next level of profitable growth through...
"Our significant focus has been on aerospace aluminium, slabs, and billet casting" Ravi Tilak, President and CEO Almex USA Inc.
AL Circle: What role does Almex play in the aluminium industry? Ravi Tilak: We provide equipment and technology and complete solutions for making aerospace aluminium balloons. Our significant focus has been on aerospace aluminium, slabs, and billet casting. But it's not just related to casting. We provide furnace-to-finish solutions, including metallurgical process know-how and training for a plant to completely absorb the essentials of qualifying their product for aerospace applications. Now, that is far more difficult than other alloys. The aerospace alloys are far more complex, and the quality requirements are very stringent; a plant becomes qualified once it is entirely on board with AS9100 and aerospace major qualifications. So, we hold our customers' hands up to complete their...
“Anodizing is one of the most environmentally friendly surface treatment processes for aluminium,” Anne Deacon Juhl, Owner, AluConsult
Anne Deacon Juhl is a seasoned expert with over 25 years of dedicated experience in the realm of aluminium and anodizing. With a PhD in pulse anodizing, she is well-versed in both research and practical applications. Anne has served as a consultant for numerous global companies, offering invaluable insights and training to optimize their anodizing processes. Her versatile background includes stints as a quality manager in an anodizing firm and a production supervisor in the aerospace sector. With a passion for precision and a keen eye for detail, Anne has encountered and conquered virtually every challenge imaginable in the world of anodizing, making her a trusted authority in the field. AL Circle: Could you provide a brief overview of anodizing aluminium products and how this process...
“Thermika's technology has significantly impacted the global aluminium extrusion industry”, Charbel Saliba, Director at Thermika Systems Onc.
Charbel Saliba, with a background in economics, ventured into entrepreneurial endeavours shortly after completing his university studies. He successfully built and sold several businesses independently before his career took a significant turn. This pivotal moment came when his father-in-law introduced him to the industrial heating industry. He gained extensive knowledge about the field and business operations in general from his father-in-law's mentoring and guidance. This support proved invaluable as Charbel navigated this new industry. Reflecting on these experiences, Charbel expresses deep gratitude, recognising their crucial role in shaping his professional journey. These formative experiences have led to his current success and the accomplished professional he is today. AL Circle:...
“The increasing penetration of BEVs into the automotive market has been a strong driving force for aluminium extrusions,” Jason Weber, Vice President of Operations and Government Affairs, Aluminium Extruders Council (AEC)
Jason Weber is the Vice President of Operations and Government Affairs for the Aluminium Extruders Council (AEC). Previously, Jason was the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Taber Extrusions LLC and held various positions with Alumax, Alcoa, Sapa, and Hydro. Jason holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Marketing from Minot State University in North Dakota. He has over 25 years of global sales, marketing, business development, and manufacturing experience working within the entire aluminium extrusion continuum. He has worked with internal and external partners to help drive product definitions, designs, strategic planning initiatives, and industry relationships that maximise revenue, improve customer experiences, enhance brand value, and enhance the overall value of...
“To address the aluminium recycling problem and improve sustainability in the industry, RecycleOS allows MRFs to accurately capture missorted cans to increase the recycling rate,” JD Ambati, founder and CEO of EverestLabs
JD Ambati is the founder and CEO of EverestLabs , an artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics company enabling material recovery facilities (MRFs) to digitise and automate recycling. Steeped in more than 20 years of experience across AI, product development, and strategy – JD saw an opportunity to modernise MRFs to enable the decarbonisation of packaging at scale and contribute to a more sustainable environment. Prior to EverestLabs, Ambati grew multiple companies from infancy to maturity and oversaw three exits, including WPP's acquisition of Decide Interactive and 24/7 Real Media for $650M, TPG's strategic investment in Wikia, and Vector Capital's acquisition of Rocket Fuel for $145M. Ambati holds a Master's degree in Computer Science and AI and a Bachelor's degree in Chemical...
“Aluminium is a great distributor and conductor of heat. These are properties that make it an exceptional substrate for cooking and baking,” Coppice Alupack Ltd
Leon Elston – Managing Director, Coppice Alupack Ltd Leon Elston, Managing Director of Coppice, has been with the company for over 11 years. He holds an MBA from the University of Glamorgan and is leading the foil packaging brand to success. Derek Nixon – Senior Director of Strategy and Business Development, Coppice Alupack Ltd Derek Nixon is the Senior Director of Strategy and Business Development at Coppice. He has extensive experience in managing international and national retail concepts, branded supply, and manufacturing. His expertise lies in business control, growth strategies, organisation restructuring, and project/program management. Derek has led large transformational and growth teams in both developing and operational environments, working with traditional and digital revenue...
“Every restriction on the purchase of RUSAL's low-carbon products drives our industry towards higher prices, threatening jobs and punishing families struggling with the ever-increasing cost of living,” Chairman of the En+ Board of Directors
Christopher Bancroft Burnham, formerly the Company’s Senior Independent Director and former Undersecretary General of the United Nations, was appointed Chairman of the En+ Board of Directors in March 2022. Burnham is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cambridge Global Capital, LLC, headquartered in Washington, D.C. He co-founded Cambridge after a distinguished government, diplomacy, banking, and private equity career. Burnham is a globally recognised expert in the implementation of accountability and transparency and the implementation of best practices in government, corporations, and inter-governmental organisations, having served as Under Secretary General for Management of the United Nations, Under Secretary of State for Management (acting), and Assistant Secretary of State...
“At Rio Tinto, we often say climate change is too big of a problem to go at it alone” Amy Abraham, Vice President Sales Aluminium
Amy Abraham is Vice President of Aluminium Sales at Rio Tinto. She is accountable for global sales and account management, book management, trading activities, and sales and operations planning for Rio Tinto’s aluminium business, which includes bauxite, alumina, and aluminium. Prior to joining Rio Tinto, Amy worked with World Fuel Services as the senior vice president of strategy and chief marketing officer. Reporting to the Chief Executive, Amy was accountable for leading and influencing global, enterprise-wide transformational change across a team of 1500+ market-facing sales and marketing professionals and delivering material, sustainable and profitable growth. She also had a long career at BP, where she worked in senior leadership roles across the US and UK, including Chief of Staff...
“REEL ALESA's good track record within the aluminium smelter industry for providing innovative solutions to implementing upgrades will be to the smelter's advantage,” Bruce Roger Wilson, DIRECTOR – Aluminium Division
Bruce is a successful engineering professional with over 25 years of experience in the primary aluminium industry—a graduate in mechanical engineering and business administration with certification in project management. I have strong business acumen that has developed while working for world-class companies. He has excellent leadership qualities with an ability to mentor and motivate individuals, creating high-performance teams. A strong track record in the successful execution of multi-disciplined projects with high standards in technical, contractual, and managerial roles in green-field and brown-field primary aluminium smelter projects. Bruce currently leads an energetic, innovative, and dynamic team as the Director of the Aluminium Division for REEL INTERNATIONAL. AL Circle: Can you...
“As far as I know, more and more Chinese aluminium smelters are transferring to Indonesia,” Kathy Yuan, Head of Overseas Marketing Department at HWAPENG
Kathy Yuan heads the Overseas Marketing Department at Hwapeng, a prominent manufacturer specialising in specialised equipment for carbon plants. The organisation's product range encompasses anodes, cathodes, graphite electrodes, graphite specialities, carbon electrode paste, ramming paste, crucibles, carbon blocks, and other related carbon or graphite products. AL Circle: Could you briefly overview HWAPENG and its journey in the carbon production machinery industry since its establishment in 1994? What sets HWAPENG apart from other manufacturers in the field of Carbon Paste Preparing & Forming Machines? Kathy Yuan: When it was founded in 1994, Hwapeng's former name was Hwafeng. At that time, it specialised in petroleum equipment for SINOPEC. Along with the economic development in China,...
“EGA has strength from mine to metal and a strong balance sheet to pursue growth,” Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO at Emirates Global Aluminium
Upon his appointment as Chief Executive Officer in 2020, Mr Bin Kalban has served as an Alternate Board Member since May 2017. He also sits on the Board of Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC), EGA's bauxite mining subsidiary. As CEO, Mr Bin Kalban is responsible for managing EGA's ongoing operations and business and reports to the Managing Director. Mr Bin Kalban joined DUBAL in 1996 and worked in both Major Projects and the Power and Desalination Department. (DUBAL merged with EMAL to form EGA in 2014). In 2014, Mr Kalban left his position as General Manager of Power and Desalination at EGA to become CEO of Dubal Holding LLC, EGA's 50 per cent shareholder. Mr Bin Kalban is a Board Member of the International Aluminium Institute, the Gulf Aluminium Council, and the Emirates Research and...
