Power cost of EUR 600 vs EUR 1,800 per tonne: How electricity prices are reshaping Europe’s aluminium industry (Part 1)
How much does it really cost to produce aluminium in Europe, and can the region’s smelters compete with producers in the US and China? Beyond electricity prices, the economics of primary and recycled aluminium, industrial electrification and changing automotive demand are shaping the future of Europe’s aluminium industry. In this exclusive interview with AL Circle, Dr Martin Iffert, Founder and CEO of Martin Iffert Consulting, examines these challenges, discussing smelter economics, recycling competitiveness and the outlook for Europe’s 2040 electrification vision. He also shares his views on Germany’s production landscape and the investments needed to improve productivity and strengthen the aluminium value chain. Dr Iffert brings over 30 years of industry experience. He served as CEO of...
Inside Novelis’ 2030 strategy: Aligning scrap supply, recycling investment and new opportunities in aluminium markets
The AL Circle team caught up with Michael Hahne, Vice President Commercial, Novelis Europe, for a conversation at ALUMINIUM 2026 in Düsseldorf, Germany. With experience across the company’s automotive and beverage can businesses, Hahne brings a commercial perspective to the evolving relationship between aluminium, customer needs and circularity. In this exclusive interview, Hahne explains why aluminium’s next growth chapter will depend on more than expanding production. Securing scrap, closing material loops and turning metallurgical expertise into new customer solutions are becoming central to the industry’s competitiveness. As automotive lightweighting, battery applications and circularity reshape demand, he discusses the strategies behind Novelis’ global footprint and the challenges of...
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“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...
"The next core step is the in-house heat treatment, carried out according to Alimex's parameters in their largest European furnace", José Ceballos Tejero, Director Purchasing, Metal Management and Research & Development, Alimex GmbH
AL Circle: Can you briefly overview Alimex GmbH and its core business activities? José Ceballos Tejero: Alimex is one of the world's best-known suppliers of high-precision aluminium solutions. As a reliable partner, Alimex helps its customers achieve a competitive advantage in wide-ranging industrial applications. As a medium-sized family business, Alimex is the inventor as well as one of the leading companies regarding quality and innovation in the field of aluminium cast plates. The production process itself was initially invented by Alimex over 50 years ago. AL Circle: How does Alimex, the cast-plate inventor, produce aluminium cast plates surpassing the highest market standards? José Ceballos Tejero: A key factor in our aspiration to exceed the market standards is the carefully...
“OTTO JUNKER can easily combine gas-fired and electrical resistance heated technologies with highest power electrical Induction Heating technology,” Klaus Schmitz, Vice President Sales, Thermoprocessing Plants for Aluminium and Copper at Otto Junker
Klaus Schmitz is serving Otto Junker as Vice President Sales, Thermoprocessing Plants for Aluminium and Copper since 2017. He started working with Otto Junker in 1996 as a Project engineer for Thermoprocessing of Plants, and then he was promoted to Project Manager, Leader of Product Group, and Division Manager Thermoprocessing plants for Copper-alloys. By qualification, he has a master's degree in Mechanical engineering from RWTH Aachen University. AL Circle: Can you briefly overview Otto Junker's history and contributions to heat treatment in the aluminium industry? Klaus Schmitz: Otto Junker Company was founded by Mr. Otto Junker in 1924, so we will celebrate our 100 anniversary next year. The company was first established near Aachen, Germany, where the headquarters and primary...
“It is relevant to highlight that the automotive industry consumes 80% of the castings produced in Europe”, José Javier González, General Secretary, The World Foundry Organization (WFO)
AL Circle: What role does research and development play in addressing heat treatment challenges in the aluminium industry? Are there any recent breakthroughs or ongoing studies worth mentioning? José Javier González: We analyse annually the research and development of global trends in the foundry industry, identifying the main topics in which the industry works. When it comes to the aluminium foundry sector, we see that heat treatment is not showing itself as the most relevant topic for centres or companies. A series of factors can explain this behaviour: the heath treatment needed for aluminium companies is a mature area where the processes have remained useful and steady. That does not mean that the research is losing power but that the investment needed to explore new alternatives is...
“Technology plays a crucial role in aluminium recycling”, Julio Quintero, Business Development Manager, Hormesa
Julio Quintero is an experienced business development manager and dedicated engineer for the aluminium industry with a mission to transform the aluminium sector. His focus is achieving zero carbon emissions and maximizing aluminium recovery. With a deep understanding of production processes, he brings technical expertise and a strategic vision. Julio aims to revolutionize the sector, reducing environmental impact while boosting efficiency and profitability. He thrives on challenges, believing in the synergy between sustainability and profit. In trying to create a more sustainable and prosperous industry and planet, he invites industry associates and colleagues to join him in shaping the future of aluminium and achieving zero carbon emissions. In an interview with AL Circle, Julio Quintero...
“The concept here is that you start with an aluminium foil, and the way to think about this is when we charge and discharge the battery, the lithium ions are actually moving into the aluminium foil and then moving out of the aluminium foil, and you want that to be as reversible as possible”, Prof. Matthew McDowell, Georgia Institute of Technology
A research team led by Prof. Matthew McDowell at Georgia Institute of Technology has recently introduced an aluminium foil that could revolutionize solid-state lithium battery cells, potentially extending the range of electric vehicles and advancing battery technology. Collaborating with aluminium producer Novelis, the researchers are scaling up battery sizes to understand how the foil behaves and exploring cost-effective materials for integration. Matthew McDowell is an Associate Professor and Woodruff Faculty Fellow at Georgia Tech with appointments in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Materials Science and Engineering. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2013 and was a postdoc at Caltech from 2013 until 2015. McDowell’s research focuses on...
“Aluminium is a clear favourite, given its versatility and wide-ranging applications, particularly in emerging sectors such as renewables, electric vehicles, hi-tech manufacturing and even space exploration, lending it the sobriquet of ‘the metal of the future’”, 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 decarbonization 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 valorization of waste by chemical processing. AL Circle: Can you elaborate on the key enablers driving aluminium's increasing adoption in various industries? Dr. Amit...
“The adoption of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) by the EU poses a substantial challenge to India's aluminium industry and has the ability to influence the worldwide price of aluminium,” Abhijit Pati, Chief Transformation Officer, Aluminium Business, Vedanta Ltd.
Mr Abhijit Pati is the Chief Transformation Officer of Aluminium Business in Vedanta Limited. He is a name to reckon with, who owns a bag full of rich experience and illustrious career in the aluminium industry for over 30 years. An Alumni of Calcutta University, Abhijit Pati started his career as an engineer with Indian Aluminium Company (a subsidiary of ALCAN, a major Canadian aluminium Producer) in 1989. As a young and budding professional in his early career, he was awarded the 'Exceptional Contributor Award' by Group Chairman Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla for his significant contribution to the turnaround story of the Hirakud Aluminium Smelter in the year 2006. Also, he bagged the Prestigious British Sword of Honour for Hirakud Smelter in 1999.Now, with his enriching knowledge, he is...
“Nowadays, producers are exploring the notion of the circular economy by rethinking their production methods, such as closed-loop recycling.”
AL Circle: Can you please provide a brief overview of EPIQ Machinery and its role in the aluminium recycling industry? What makes EPIQ Machinery stand out from other companies in the same sector? EPIQ Machinery: Even before recycling became in vogue and the versatility and multiple uses of aluminium were found applicable in various sectors, under the MECFOR brand, EPIQ supported its secondary plant producers to optimize their operations. For many years, secondary facilities have been the poor children of industry. To ensure their profitability, it became imperative to have a high-yield pragmatic approach. This is how the 'Smart Casthouse' solution took off and is now experiencing great enthusiasm for both secondary and primary facilities. Not only for the optimization of the fleet of...
“Gouda Refractories is a worldwide reference in the field of secondary aluminium, and it seamlessly matches the design and the choice of materials to the specific needs of the industry and process”, Miki Lagers, Sales Manager, Gouda Refractories
Miki Lagers is a competent and well-rounded sales expert with 20 years of experience defining and optimizing commercial skills in various occupational areas. He has displayed the ability to combine an excellent sales strategy with the capability of knowledge of the human nature of different cultures. He joined the more than-century-old Netherlands-based Gouda Refractories as Sales Manager in April 2022. His ability to work collegially with team members and leaders across business units and lines of business drives and promotes organizational change whilst embedding governance principles to move the organization up the functional excellence curve. AL Circle: Can you provide a brief overview of Gouda Refractories and its role in the secondary aluminium industry? Miki Lagers: Gouda...
“The primary task of the Polish Aluminium Association is to promote the use of aluminium in all possible applications. In doing so, we inevitably promote the use of recycled aluminium”, Andrzej Michalski-Stępkowski, President of Polish Aluminium Association
“The primary task of the Polish Aluminium Association is to promote the use of aluminium in all possible applications. In doing so, we inevitably promote the use of recycled aluminium”, Andrzej Michalski-Stępkowski, President of Polish Aluminium Association. Andrzej Michalski-Stępkowski has been associated to the Polish metal market for over 20 years. Having initially served as a journalist and editor at Rzeczpospolita, one of Poland's most widely circulated daily newspapers, and later transitioned into the role of publisher for 'Nowa Stal' Magazine. Since 2016, he has held the position of President of the Polish Stainless Steel Association. In 2021, he assumed the role of the inaugural President of the Polish Aluminium Association, and he continues to lead both organizations to this day....
“Due to the intense amount of energy required to create aluminium from raw materials, the need to recycle aluminium is extremely important to reduce our country’s energy consumption in creating this resource.” – PanelCycle
PanelCycle Bio (extracted from LinkedIn): We are pleased to offer a comprehensive solution for the responsible recycling of combustible ACP cladding that has been removed from buildings in Australia. Our team will expertly collect the materials from your site and transport them to our state-of-the-art facility. Our recycling process employs a specialized machine to shred the collected panels, and separates them into valuable aluminum and polyethylene powder. Thank you for considering our services and for prioritizing environmentally conscious practices. AL Circle: How was the idea of PanelCycle materialised? What were the first concerns behind this initiative? PanelCycle : We were looking at doing recladding because of the current need to remove combustible cladding and found there was no...
“The increasing consumer focus on sustainability and environmental protection is driving the demand growth for aluminium”, Dr Ashok Nandi, President, International Bauxite, Alumina and Aluminium Society (IBAAS)
High cutting precision, lower wear and reduced energy consumption. These three features make the machine conceived and designed by GME, in partnership with Bosch Rexroth, a one-of-a-kind item. GME, the acronym for Gianni Mori Engineering, is a company based in Monza with a technical division in Voghera. Maurizio Mori, GME Marketing and Sales Manager, said, “We are active in two main sectors - aluminium recycling and lead battery recycling - and we create, design and draw machines and even entire lines in-house”. “We outsource our production - he adds, through a rigid control chain that fully covers the management of approximately 280 suppliers we resort to, in order to ensure the highest quality at all times.” GME's way of working allows the company extreme flexibility, a condition that...
“We are witnessing a paradigm shift towards the concept of ‘Reduce, Reuse, Remanufacture and Recycle’ as a strategy for building a low energy, low carbon, and low environmental impact future”, Dr Subodh Das, CEO, Phinix LLC
AL Circle: Globally, we are witnessing an endeavour within the aluminium industry to focus on recycling. How much positive impact will it bring over the next few years? Dr Subodh Das: The Paris Agreement aimed to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius over the 21st century. It also recognized the need to reduce global emissions substantially to achieve the goals. Meanwhile, it was claimed that circular economy strategies could reduce emissions by 40% in 2050 in the production process of key materials. Hence, the growing focus on aluminium recycling is a part of the greater goals of the circular economy and reducing global warming. We are witnessing a paradigm shift towards the concept of “Reduce, Reuse, Remanufacture and Recycle” as a strategy for building a low energy, low carbon,...
“JNARDDC has formulated guidelines for Dry Stacking of red mud to reduce the disposal problem. Dry stacking is the most popular and the best practice till now, followed by alumina refineries worldwide," Dr Anupam Agnihotri, Director of JNARDDC
Dr Anupam Agnihotri, Director of Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC), Nagpur, India, has willingly participated in our e-Magazine: 'Recycling - Reshaping the future of the Aluminium Value Chain' to share his knowledge on red mud recycling. He has spoken about the best recycling practices for red mud and the industry-trend applications of the by-product. He has also suggested the red mud disposal processes that would have lesser impacts on the environment. Dr Agnihotri is a Metallurgical Engineer from IIT Kanpur with PG Degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur. Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC) is a "Centre of Excellence" set up in 1989 to make...
“Sustainability has always lain at the brand's heart since its inception in Provence in the 1970s,” said Mona L’Hostis, Head of Global Travel Retail Marketing - L’OCCITANE Group
Mona commenced her career with L'OCCITANE Group in 2013 as International Marketing Fragrance Product Manager in Paris, followed by International Marketing Executive in Skincare. She then became the company's International Body Care Group Manager in Switzerland in 2016 and progressed to Head of Marketing Travel Retail EMEA & Americas. Since 2019 Mona has been Head of Global Travel Retail Marketing for L'OCCITANE Group. AL Circle: What inspired you to use recycled aluminium for packaging? Was sustainability there in L’OCCITANE since the beginning? Mona : L’OCCITANE en Provence has been an eco-pioneer since its inception in 1976, when it operated an in-store glass bottle return policy. The brand is committed to using eco-friendly manufacturing methods, eco-design, and sustainable packaging...
