Beyond aluminium smelting capacity, we propose to incentivise emissions cuts to support wider decarbonisation: Ed Boyd, Mission Possible Partnership
As the European Council seeks political alignment on the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), the debate over how to accelerate aluminium decarbonisation in bringing emissions accounting and demand for low-carbon metal into focus. Against the backdrop of Mission Possible Partnership’s (MPP) open letter, AL Circle speaks with Ed Boyd, MPP’s Global Policy Lead, about the policies needed to support the European aluminium industry’s transition. Boyd argues that effective decarbonisation must account for emissions from alumina refining and track Scope 2 emissions associated with purchased electricity. On mandatory green procurement and lead-market thresholds of at least 50 per cent for aluminium, he says producers are ready to supply low-carbon metal at scale and considers the proposed threshold...
EU-India FTA, CBAM and carbon costs: Can Indian aluminium crack the European market?
A former Deputy Secretary General of the European Parliament and Director of the EPP Group, Paolo Licandro, has extensive experience in European policymaking, international relations, industry, energy and EU affairs. He is currently the Founder and CEO of eEuropa Belgium and Editor of eEuropa.Blog. He has worked with European prime ministers, ministers and EU commissioners and has held senior roles covering EU enlargement, Mediterranean and Middle East relations, and industry, research and energy. A nuclear engineer, he holds a master’s degree from Politecnico di Milano and has worked with ENI, ARS-Pragma and the EU Joint Research Centre. In this interview, Paolo Licandro shares his perspective on EU–India aluminium trade, CBAM and the opportunities for Indian producers in Europe. AL...
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“Q1 2024 is anticipated to mirror Q4 2023, with no market peak expected, as the declining demand for aluminium continues to reduce the premium”, Dr Emrah Fahri OZDOGRU, Co-Owner & General Manager, of TRI METALURJI.
Emrah Fahri Ozdogru is co-owner and General Manager of TRI METALURJI. He is a metallurgist, and in 2009, he earned his PhD degree. He has 25 years of experience in the aluminium industry as a variety of Researchers in the Research Institute, Engineer and then as Manager at Casthouse and Extrusion Factory and Rolling Company. He set the TRI in 2016, and now, seven engineers and one technician are working in TRI. He is co-owner of LIME Billet Casthouse with eight team members as well. TRI is an engineering company and works based on the Project with the following frames: training, technical consultancy, alloy development, material characterization lab-scale and pilot-scale aluminium casting. TRI works 50% with domestic market needs and 50% with the other countries, mainly from Europe. AL...
“Unlike steel or iron, aluminium requires highly specialized industrial ovens and controls to meet stringent temperature uniformity and precision heat treatment,” Tasha Jamaluddin, Managing Director, Epcon Industrial Systems, LP.
Tasha Jamaluddin is Managing Director of Epcon Industrial Systems, LP, widely published with technical expertise across industrial applications. She graduated from Harvard Business School with a Master’s Degree from NYU, a certified LEED, AP with the US Green Building Council, and OSHA 30 Certified in General Industry Safety. She is Vice Chair of the Environmental Technology Trade Advisory Committee (ETTAC) to the US Department of Commerce. AL Circle: Can you briefly introduce Epcon Industrial Systems and its specialization in the American aluminium industry as well as globally? Tasha Jamaluddin: Epcon is a global leader in engineering and manufacturing integrated Air Pollution Control and Process Heating Equipment for the aluminium industry. With over 45 years’ experience and 4,500...
“As we head into 2024/2025, we believe there will be a very large increase in scrap melting capacity throughout North America of approximately 2.5 billion lbs. in increased melt capacity,” Michael Siemer, President & CEO of Sortera Technologies
Michael Siemer is the President and CEO of Sortera Technologies. Before joining Sortera, Mr Siemer served as president of OSIsoft, the data management platform company now part of Aveva, where he oversaw the strategic vision and future of OSIsoft, created and led the new executive committee and supported the company’s global revenue growth and subscription transition. Prior to OSIsoft, he served as vice president of operations technology at Devon Energy. He has a BS in electrical engineering from Syracuse University, an MS in electrical engineering from Colorado State University, and an MBA from Oklahoma Christian University. In this interview, Mr Siemer shares his overview of the aluminium recycling and sorting industry in the Americas and the role Sortera is playing in this sector with...
“I would like to show everyone waste might not be waste if you can discover its beauty and alternative uses,” Wong Ka Man (Charlotte), Founder of coffee pod recycling brand Wind.n.Sand
Wind.n.Sand is an upcycling jewellery and ornament brand from Hong Kong. The Founder and Designer of Wind.n.Sand, Wong Ka Man (Charlotte), started making coffee capsule jewellery three years ago. She started promoting her brand by joining different weekend markets and collaborating with different companies for souvenir making. The workshop is also one of the important medium for Wind.n.Sand to educate the general public. In 2023, she was awarded The Upcycling Innovator Award and the Green Chic Award in the Reborn! Upcycling Design Award 2023. Her encouraging story was also being shared on SCMP, Yahoo! and RTHK. Recently, she had her first exhibition with the use of the material - coffee capsules. It was her first time creating larger-scale art pieces than jewellery, and more will be in...
“The global trend in the railway sector is moving toward materials that offer a balance between strength, durability, and lightweight properties, and aluminium stands out as a key material contributing to these advancements”, L C Trivedi, Railway Expert
A distinguished railway professional, L C Trivedi, with over 40 years of exemplary service, boasts a remarkable career deeply rooted in Indian Railways. With an engineering degree and management education from prestigious institutions such as HEC Paris and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, USA, he has consistently demonstrated his commitment to excellence. A Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in London, L C Trivedi currently holds the esteemed position of Chair of the Railway Division of India within the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). His journey in the railways began in 1981, when he spent two formative years at NTPC, followed by a transition to Indian Railways, where he would go on to achieve remarkable feats. In June 2021, L C Trivedi retired as the...
"Automation and robotics have become integral to mining operations. Autonomous vehicles, drones, and robotic systems are being used for exploration, excavation, and transportation within mines", Sanjoy Chatterjee, Co-Founder & Director of Entiovi Technologies.
An experienced engineer from Tata Motors and Tata Technologies background, Sanjoy Chatterjee holds an M.Tech from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur. His entrepreneurial venture began 15 years ago when he established several innovative startups, including Ideation Technology Solutions, Ideal Analytics Solutions, and Entiovi Technologies. These ventures have been dedicated to pioneering advancements in Defence, Healthcare, Transportation, and Environmental Technology. Sanjoy's passion lies in developing cutting-edge software products and solutions in Analytics & Data Science, IoT, and Enterprise Mobility. In addition to his entrepreneurial endeavours, he serves as the Chair of NASSCOM East, further demonstrating his commitment to the tech industry's growth and...
"We are driving through an aspiration to be the lead in the integrated aluminium industry in Africa with the view to adding value to our raw materials" - Michael Ansah, CEO of Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC)
AL Circle had the pleasure of talking to Michael Ansah, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC). GIADEC is a wholly owned Government of Ghana entity that has been established with a mandate to promote and develop Ghana’s Integrated Aluminium Industry. He is also a member of the Volta Aluminium Company (Valco) Board of Directors (a wholly-owned subsidiary of GIADEC. Prior to his appointment as CEO of GIADEC, Michael was Senior Vice President (SVP) at Dell Technologies, with responsibilities for Global operations across over 180 countries. In a career spanning over 30 years, he has held a number of senior executive leadership roles. He was a Director/Associate Partner at PWC Consulting/IBM Business Consulting Services. He was also...
"Given the evolving technological landscape and the growing demand for innovative solutions across industries, the prospects for future generations of the aluminium industry are truly exciting", Dr. Amit Chatterjee, Chief Research and Development Officer at Vedanta Ltd - Aluminium Business
Dr. Chatterjee, with 33 years of Industrial R&D experience and expertise, is a visionary leader in innovative Research and Development, driving new product development, process improvement, beneficiation of minerals, wealth from waste and decarbonisation efforts in the aluminium industry. His leadership sparks open innovation and effective collaborations that translate research into real-world applications and sustainable business solutions. Dr. Chatterjee is an eminent force in the field with a rich background encompassing upstream and downstream aluminium processes, process intensification by modelling and simulation, and valorisation of waste by chemical processing. AL Circle: Among the various industries extensively utilising aluminium, which sectors demand greater emphasis on...
“As a major emitter of greenhouse gases, companies in the aluminium industry have a responsibility to transparently report on their emissions,” David Lloyd, Sustainability Consultancy Team, ClearVUE.Business
David Lloyd supports all modelling, reporting, and compliance activities undertaken by ClearVUE.Business. David has an MSci degree in Physics from Imperial College London and a DPhil in Physics from the University of Oxford. He is a member of the Institute of Physics. David has a broad range of consultancy experience, covering financial, manufacturing, and energy sectors. He is an expert in data science and forecasting and has previously published scientific research in environmental monitoring. AL Circle: Why do you think Net Zero is essential? ClearVUE.Business: Climate change poses a huge existential risk not only to businesses but to wider society as well. Action is required now to both reduce this risk and mitigate the impacts that are already being felt. The concept of Net Zero is a...
“Recognising the opportunities and potential for growth in aluminium recycling, Recykal aims to leverage its expertise and technology-driven waste management solutions,” Abhishek Deshpande, Co-Founder & COO of Recykal
AL Circle: Can you please share the journey of Recykal from its inception? Abhishek Deshpande : Recykal was founded in 2016 with the mission to divert at least 5% of waste from landfills and channel it to recycling and reuse. It launched India's first managed marketplace in 2018 formalising the informal waste management system in India. Since then, it has expanded its services to include EPR, plastic neutrality, circularity platform, and IT asset disposal. It has received numerous national and international accolades, including recognition from the World Economic Forum and the Digital India Award from the honorable president of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu. Solving some of the biggest challenges faced by the industry, Recykal has successfully channelised 700,000 tonnes of waste and spread...
“Granco Clark’s heating equipment is always in high demand, but that does not stop us from continually challenging our engineers to make product enhancements” Granco Clark
AL Circle: Why do you think Granco Clark’s aluminium extrusion equipment line is the best in the industry? Granco Clark: Granco Clark’s dedication to serving the aluminium extrusion industry may be unparalleled. We proudly support our solutions throughout their entire lifecycle, which is intended to span decades. Almost every product and service we deliver is “engineered to order” and manufactured custom for each project. We start with the customer’s goals in mind, then apply the most modern engineering and manufacturing methods to ensure we meet their goals efficiently. We prefer to collaborate in real-time with the customer to ensure their wants and needs are understood and met at every step of the process. We manufacture and test our equipment fully in our Belding, MI, USA facility...
“Broadly speaking, heat treatment involves the controlled heating and cooling of a product, in a specific way, to change its microstructure,” ALFED
ALFED, the Aluminium Federation, collaborates with businesses and stakeholders to foster innovation, promote best practices and champion the industry’s interests. As the voice of the UK industry, its mission is to expand the market for aluminium products by helping members solve problems, lobby government and boost their competitiveness. AL Circle: Can you describe the importance of heat treatment in the aluminium industry and its role in enhancing the properties of aluminium products? ALFED: Aluminium is one of the two most common materials that undergo heat treatment, where it's used to alter the physical and chemical properties of the material. The versatile process can be used to improve the hardness, change the colour and alter the ductility of a material. Each aluminium alloy has...
“Aluminium is a green metal, and our efforts to make it a preferred choice in the industry is our primary effort towards positively impacting the environment,” Bharat Gite, Founder and CEO of Taural India
As the Founder and CEO of Taural India, Bharat Gite is a visionary leader in the field of metallurgy in India, known for his exceptional work ethic, dedication to innovation, and relentless drive to succeed. He is now a leading figure in the aluminium casting industry, thanks to his extensive knowledge and experience. At Taural India, Bharat leads a team that produces high-quality, made-to-order aluminium castings for a wide range of industries, including Energy, Defense, Marine, Aerospace, Mobility, and Healthcare. Bharat is an alumnus of the prestigious College of Engineering in Pune (CoEP) and holds a Master's degree from the Technical University of Aachen in Germany and an Executive Master's from Harvard Business School. He has also gained valuable experience working with global...
“Intending to reduce our impact on the climate by cutting CO2 emissions linked to our activities, we drew up a carbon balance sheet at the beginning of 2023”, Julien Valloton, CEO, GAP Engineering
Julien Valloton is an accomplished mechanical engineer specialising in the metallurgical industry, specifically aluminium manufacturing processes. With over 15 years of experience, he has dedicated his career to advancing automation, mechanical engineering, and process optimisation within the complete aluminium manufacturing lines. Julien adeptly balances his roles as a technical manager, project manager, and Co-Owner of the esteemed company GAP Engineering SA, located in Valais. Driven by his enthusiasm for collaborative teamwork, cutting-edge technologies, and the gratification that stems from fostering enduring partnerships with clients, Julien Valloton continues to excel in his field. AL Circle: Could you provide a brief overview of your company's activities and the services it offers...
“For Aluminium Melting & Holding Process, there are two types of basic heat source used throughout the world,” Prakash Maladkar, Managing Director of AFECO
Mr. Prakash Maladkar is a visionary technocrat and Managing Director at AFECO HEATING SYSTEMS. The company ventured in the field of Industrial Heat Treatment Furnace and Oven manufacturing in the year 1989. With limited resources, his unwavering determination led the organization to excel in Industrial Heat Treatment Furnace and Oven manufacturing. Through sheer will and commitment, AFECO earned industry acclaim, marked by a stream of repeat orders from valued customers. AL Circle: Can you please enlighten us on AFECO’s Heating Systems? What heating source do you use in your Melting and Holding & Heat Treatment Furnaces? Prakash Maladkar: “AFECO” Heating systems is a recognized Furnace Manufacturing Brand in the globe since 1995 and has successfully installed various melting, holding and...
“Dhatukarm is master in installing complete heat treatment plant with the world`s leading best technologies at lowest operational cost,” Mukesh Jain, Founder and Chairperson of Dhatukarm
Mr. Mukesh Jain, Founder and Chairperson of Dhatukarm, is a first class Metallurgical Engineer from I.I.T Roorkee, India, from 1984 Batch. Mr. Jain started his career as a Heat Treatment Plant Engineer in an aluminium extrusion plant and served his ideas on improving the Heat Treatment process along with hot top aluminium billet casting technology. Later in 1989, Mr. Jain started his own business of manufacturing heat treatment salts and aluminium foundry chemicals from the Capital Delhi. Since then Mr. Jain kept his focus on improving the casting technologies and heat treatment process in aluminium extrusion plants and today heading 4 companies in India. AL Circle : You are a leading name in manufacturing foundry fluxes and heat-treatment salts. Please tell us the applications of...
“Any time an Inductotherm furnace replaces or is installed instead of a fossil fuel furnace, we contribute to reducing emissions and energy consumption”, Michael Nutt, Vice President and General Manager - Sales at Inductotherm Corp
Michael Nutt started at Inductotherm Corp. in Rancocas, NJ 1988, working as a Field Service Engineer, servicing, commissioning, and troubleshooting Inductotherm induction melting and heating equipment. In 2012, Michael was promoted to Senior Sales Manager, overseeing the District Manager team covering North America. He then became the Director of Sales and Inductotherm Corp. Board of Directors member in 2016. While in this position, he managed capital sales for domestic, inter-company, and international territories. Currently, Michael is Vice President and General Manager of Sales. He is responsible for the development and implementation of sales and marketing strategies. Mike actively participates in the American Foundry Society (AFS), Ductile Iron Society (DIS), International Precious...
“The template for each Electrically Heated High Convection Oven (EHKO) furnace zone is the preheating section of the extrutec gas furnaces, which extrutec has been using for many years.” Uwe Günter, CEO, extrutec GmbH
AL Circle: You have developed an Electrically Heated High Convection Oven (EHKO) to curb carbon emissions, provided the oven is operated with ‘Green’ electricity. What is the minimum amount of carbon this equipment emits, and how less is it compared to average carbon emissions? Uwe Günter: This system (provided that “Green” electricity is available) is more or less operated without curbing carbon emissions. All electric consumers are trimmed on the highest possible efficiency. The complete system reaches an efficiency of up to 87%. All consumers have electric drives or are electrically operated like the heating elements. Unlike other electrical stand-alone solutions, this new furnace type can be integrated into an existing process without additional handling and can, therefore, replace an...
