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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AL Circle x Dr Per Larsen: “Over 30 foundries globally already cast aluminium with DISA green sand”
Dr Per Larsen is Innovation Manager at DISA Industries A/S, part of Norican, since 2006. With nearly 30 years of experience at the heart of the foundry business, his expertise runs from tackling casting quality problems to identifying new opportunities for clients and turning them into profit. He’s the perfect person to oversee DISA’s latest test foundry, which is applying DISA’s fast, flexible green sand process to an ever-broader range of aluminium casting applications. AL Circle: Die casting is often the default choice for producing aluminium castings. Why is DISA’s green sand moulding process an attractive alternative for aluminium components? Dr Per Larsen: Green sand delivers superb quality, excellent surface finish and super-fast production for many types of aluminium castings, at...
AL Circle x Karl Matthíasson: “Heading into 2026, energy costs will continue to be high and pressures for producers and recyclers will intensify”
With over 16 years of extensive experience in the metals industry, Karl Matthíasson is a visionary leader at the helm of DTE, a leading solution provider for molten metal processing, including aluminium. As a co-founder, CSO and the former CEO, his knowledge of the industry is central to DTE’s long term business strategy for growth and market normalisation. Karl's journey with DTE began as a joint co-founder, where he has played pivotal roles such as COO, CFO, and CEO. Instrumental in securing over USD 25 million in Seed and Series A funding and multiple grants, Karl was the driving force behind DTE's journey to commercial readiness. His strategic acumen laid the foundation for DTE's corporate strategy, business model, and overall development and his commitment to values is evident in the...
AL Circle x Bharath Rao: “EV two-wheelers will continue to gain share, particularly in urban and semi-urban markets”
Bharath Krishna Rao Potluri, the Co-Founder & CEO of Emobi is a visionary leader with a rich background in diverse industries, specifically renewable energy. Having initially played a pivotal role in the family business at United Telecoms Ltd., he led its expansion into renewable energy generation assets, overseeing 100MW of wind assets and 10MW of solar assets in different parts of India. He spent his formative years in grid-connected renewable energy during its nascency as an industry where Independent Power Producers (IPP) build exclusively renewable energy-based generation assets. As grid-connected renewable energy in an IPP model reached maturity, he identified the clear lack of technology know-how and scale of manufacturing requirements of energy storage products required to...
AL Circle x Eliška Rýdlová: Ferrit’s vision for sustainable, electrified and intelligent underground mobility in global mining
Eliška Rýdlová is a Business Development and Marketing Specialist at Ferrit, s.r.o., focused on identifying growth opportunities in the underground mining sector. Her work spans analysing emerging mining projects, tracking global industry trends and translating innovation in mechanisation, electric mobility and underground systems into measurable business growth, helping Ferrit strengthen its competitive positioning across key mining regions. In an interview for “ End-user Revolution: ALuminium's Impact on Modern Living ” e-Magazine, Rýdlová walked us through how Ferrit is aligning underground transport solutions with mining’s shift toward decarbonisation, automation and digitalisation. She further highlights the company’s battery-powered locomotives, smart mobility platforms, modular...
AL Circle x Erik Wickgren: Viggo Boats leveraging aluminium innovation to deliver sustainable, high-performance modern marine craft
Erik Wickgren, CEO of Viggo Boats, is driving a new generation of aluminium boatbuilding by uniting commercial-grade engineering with Nordic craftsmanship. With a strong focus on safety, performance, and sustainability, he champions fully recyclable aluminium structures, future-ready propulsion platforms, and uncompromising quality standards that position Viggo at the forefront of modern marine innovation. In an interview for “ End-user Revolution: ALuminium's Impact on Modern Living ” e-Magazine, Wickgren walked through how aluminium sits at the core of Viggo Boats’ design philosophy, enabling lighter, stronger, low-maintenance and fully recyclable marine craft. It highlights material selection, hull engineering, sustainability practices, lifecycle value, and future-ready innovation,...
AL Circle x Ashwin Bhadri: How testing, data and regulation are reshaping aluminium packaging safety and compliance
Ashwin Bhadri, Founder & CEO of Equinox Labs, is a leading authority in food safety, packaging compliance and quality assurance. With over two decades of industry experience, he supports food, beverage and nutraceutical brands in managing contamination risks, regulatory compliance and sustainability through science-driven testing, audits and digital quality systems. In an interview for “ End-user Revolution: ALuminium's Impact on Modern Living ” e-Magazine, Bhadri explored how aluminium packaging growth is intensifying the need for advanced migration testing, regulatory alignment and predictive quality assurance. It highlights emerging risks in new packaging formats, rising sustainability and circularity demands and how data analytics, AI and nationwide testing infrastructure are helping...
AL Circle x TOMRA: "Amid global volatility and resource scarcity, high purity recycled scrap has become an indispensable resource for manufacturers"
Frank van de Winkel is TOMRA Recycling's Business Development Manager – Metal, and an expert in aluminium recycling with 20 years of experience in the industry. He has demonstrated a history of working in the industrial automation industry, possessing strong business development and professional skills in negotiation, management, continuous improvement, product development, and engineering. Frank van de Winkel explains how TOMRA’s sensor-based and AI-driven mechanism assists high-purity, alloy-specific aluminium recycling for ensuring a circular manufacturing. Driven by decarbonisation and scrap demand, advanced technologies are used to support automotive, packaging and construction sectors helps to reduce carbon footprints and maximise scrap value. AL Circle: TOMRA has been positioned as...
AL Circle x Dr Mandy Glew from Ball Corporation: “Global demand for aluminium cans is projected to grow steadily to 470 billion units by 2026”
Dr Mandy Glew serves as President of Beverage Packaging EMEA and Asia at Ball Corporation. She holds a wealth of experience with over two decades of expertise in commercial operations, sales, marketing, and manufacturing within the FMCG industry. AL Circle: Ball Corporation has just celebrated the 90th anniversary of the beverage can. How has this segment evolved over the decades, and where do you see the potential ahead? Dr Mandy Glew : From the first steel can in 1935 to today’s aluminium format that can be recycled endlessly, the beverage can has transformed the way we consume drinks. Over the decades, it evolved from a simple container into a highly engineered, design-rich and sustainability-led packaging solution. Today’s cans deliver unmatched functionality – from lightweighting and...
AL Circle x Bharath Rao: Inside Emobi’s frugal EV strategy powering India’s last-mile mobility transition
Bharath Krishna Rao Potluri is a renewable energy–led entrepreneur with deep experience across power generation, energy storage and electric mobility. Having scaled wind and solar assets in India and now leading Emobi, he brings a systems-level understanding of energy, manufacturing and EV adoption. His leadership blends frugal engineering, localised manufacturing and data-driven decision-making to accelerate sustainable mobility at scale. In an interview for “ End-user Revolution: ALuminium's Impact on Modern Living ” e-Magazine, Rao explored through Emobi’s role in India’s fast-growing EV two-wheeler and last-mile delivery market, highlighting frugal engineering, microfactory-led manufacturing, battery flexibility and cost-efficient fleet economics. It also examines policy impact, TCO...
AL Circle X Göksal Güngör from EAFA Roller Group: “Packaging will continue to be the primary driver of demand for aluminium foil in Europe”
In conversation with Göksal Güngör, the newly elected Chair of the Roller Group at the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA), wherein the industry veteran outlines a clear roadmap for the Association’s next phase. Güngör, who also serves as General Manager of Assan Alüminyum , emphasises innovation and sustainability as his top priorities in the new role. In this interview, he has shared his aluminium foil market projection for 2026, while highlighting the key sectors that he expects to drive the trajectory in Europe. AL Circle: As the newly elected chair of the European Aluminium Foil Association, what will be your first priority in steering the continent’s foil industry toward its next phase of growth? Göksal Güngör: As the newly elected Chair of the Roller Group within the...
AL Circle x Rafael Aun Ming: A deep dive into clean energy beverages, aluminium packaging, and circular global growth
Rafael Aun Ming, Founder and Chairman of Açaí Motion Group, is a visionary entrepreneur scaling an authentic Brazilian functional beverage brand across 60+ countries. A strong advocate of sustainability, ethical sourcing and the circular economy, he pioneered the use of ASI-certified aluminium cans in Brazil, aligning business growth with environmental responsibility. In an interview for “ End-user Revolution: ALuminium's Impact on Modern Living ” e-Magazine, Ming shared how Açaí Motion is redefining the energy drink category through clean-label formulations, advanced aluminium packaging, circular economy practices, decentralised production and global market expansion driven by wellness-focused consumers. AL Circle: You’ve differentiated the brand with “no synthetic caffeine, no taurine”...
AL Circle x Patrice L’HUILLIER from Nimba Mining: "We are targeting China and India, which are the major bauxite consumers for alumina production”
Patrice L’HUILLIER is a seasoned mining & metals executive with more than 30 years’ global experience in project development & operations across the resources sector. He has led development, and operation of projects in France, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Africa and Canada, with expertise across a range of commodities including bauxite, aluminum, iron ore, copper, cobalt and manganese. As COO of multiple publicly listed companies over the past two decades, Mr L’Huillier has extensive experience of operations management covering exploration, mining, metallurgy, and putting several greenfield projects into production. Patrice L’Huillier has graduated from Ecole Nationale des Ponts & Chaussées, Paris, France. AL Circle: Nimba Mining Company has made an impressive debut, shipping 200,000...
AL Circle x Benjamin Pope from Sortera: “Scrap is necessary to support a competitive aluminium market”
Benjamin Pope’s career spans over 20 years in the metals industry, with a concentration in non-ferrous materials, primarily aluminium. His experience encompasses the full spectrum of aluminium products, including billet, flat-roll, secondary ingot, and various scrap streams, all within the context of supporting the automotive industry. This hands-on experience in the buying and selling of aluminium has given him a deep understanding of the industry’s processes and a robust network, enabling him to introduce and implement new technologies aimed at improving aluminium circularity. AL Circle: Looking back at 2025, how would you characterise the aluminium recycling landscape and its defining trends? In what ways has the industry transformed amid rapid technological breakthroughs? Benjamin...
AL Circle x Edgardo Gelsomino from Wood Mackenzie: “I am afraid aluminium supply in the coming years is not going to get greener”
Edgardo Gelsomino has been a Subject Matter Expert in aluminium at Wood Mackenzie since 2010. Before joining Wood Mackenzie, Edgardo worked for an aluminium producer other leading London-based research and consulting firms. His work has spanned the entire aluminium value chain, including carbon products and power, delivering both research studies and consulting assignments. In an interview with AL Circle, he has shared his valuable opinion on future aluminium prices, supply chain in the near-term, impact of China’s 45-million-tonne cap on the global industry, and CBAM implications. Read the interview below to get key insights into the near-term aluminium industry dynamics. AL Circle: Aluminium prices touched USD2,900/t in early November 2025, and after a short-lived correction, they...
AL Circle x Avneet Singh: India’s beer market evolution, packaging shifts and Medusa’s strategic growth approach form the interview’s core
Avneet Singh, Founder & CEO of Medusa Beverages, has rapidly scaled the brand since 2018 through strategic innovation, portfolio expansion, and strong distribution growth. His leadership blends sharp market understanding with a focus on product freshness, brand identity and sustainable long-term momentum. In an interview for “ End-user Revolution: ALuminium's Impact on Modern Living ” e-Magazine, Singh walked through India’s shifting beer landscape, rising demand for lighter formats and the growing role of aluminium packaging. It highlights Medusa’s market strategy across formats, cost management, regulatory navigation and its push toward premiumisation, operational efficiency and future-ready sustainability. AL Circle: How would you describe the current size and growth rate of India’s...
AL Circle x Mario Conserva: European aluminium demand, policies, pricing and downstream priorities decoded through insights from FACE’s leadership
Mario Conserva, Secretary General of FACE and a veteran with over six decades in the aluminium industry, brings unmatched expertise as founder of METEF, leader of A&L Alluminio e Leghe, and a pioneering contributor with 800+ technical works. Recognised by the IAI as one of the 50 most influential global aluminium figures, he continues to shape policy, innovation and downstream competitiveness across Europe. In an interview for “ End-user Revolution: ALuminium's Impact on Modern Living ” e-Magazine, Conserva talked about Europe’s shifting aluminium landscape, covering inflation-led demand changes, pricing volatility, downstream supply pressures, mobility-driven consumption, scrap and duty policies, CBAM implications and FACE’s role in strengthening SME competitiveness and securing stable...
AL Circle x Giorgio Di Betta: EURAL’s 6026LF sets a new benchmark in sustainable alloy performance and industry adoption
Giorgio Di Betta, the Commercial Director of Eural Gnutti’s Bars Division, leads the company’s global alloy strategy with deep expertise in extrusion standards and industry governance. Serving key roles across European Aluminium committees, he drives standardisation, quality excellence and the advancement of high-performance, lead-free alloys. In an interview for “ End-user Revolution: ALuminium's Impact on Modern Living ” e-Magazine, Betta shared insights on EURAL’s sustainable production of Alloy 6026LF, its high recycled content, superior mechanical performance, and rising adoption across automotive, packaging, and electronics sectors. It highlights how the alloy supports circular economy goals while offering manufacturers stronger, machinable, low-carbon alternatives. AL Circle: EURAL...
AL Circle x Violeta Pisin: Insights on EngView’s digital measurement technologies advancing precision and quality in aluminium extrusion
Violeta Pisin, Product Manager at EngView Systems, leads the Scan Fit & Measure (SFM) solution with over a decade of expertise in high-precision metrology for the extrusion sector. She has been instrumental in advancing automated inspection, data integration, and MDC-driven traceability for aluminium, PVC, and rubber profile manufacturers. In an interview for “ End-user Revolution: ALuminium's Impact on Modern Living ” e-Magazine, Violeta Pisin talks about how EngView’s SFM and mCaliper solutions digitalise quality control, automate inspection, enhance dimensional accuracy, and provide complete data traceability. It explores how real-time analytics, workflow integration, and AI-driven measurement optimisation help extrusion plants boost efficiency, reduce waste, and strengthen operational...
