Japanese aluminium manufacturer UACJ Co Ltd has signed a 20-year solar power purchase agreement (PPA) with Hokuriku Electric Power Biz Energy Solution Co Ltd to supply renewable electricity to its Fukui Works. The 7.43 MW solar project in Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture, is expected to deliver 8.5 GWh of electricity annually while reducing UACJ’s carbon dioxide emissions by 27,694 tonnes per year. Private-line solar supply to begin in November Under the agreement announced on October 26, 2026, Hokuriku Electric Power Biz Energy Solution will supply UACJ’s Fukui Works through a dedicated 4.2 km private power line. The offsite solar plant has a capacity of 5 MWAC/7.43 MWDC, with electricity deliveries scheduled to begin on November 1, 2026. Built on a 75,197-square-metre site, equivalent to...
Aluminium’s decarbonisation challenge extends beyond the electricity powering its smelters. Inside the reduction cell, electrode quality influences how efficiently that electricity is used, how much carbon is consumed and how consistently the process performs. Improving electrodes therefore offers producers a practical opportunity to address operating costs and emissions together. For Switzerland-based R&D Carbon , understanding the relationship between raw materials, electrode quality and industrial performance has been a focus for four decades. Founded in 1986 by Werner K. Fischer, the company built on carbon research previously undertaken at Swiss Aluminium Ltd., or Alusuisse. Today, it operates from Granges, near Sierre, with a team of 30 specialists serving more than 150 customers...
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The Budweiser Brewing Company APAC (Bud APAC) recently launched its lightest aluminium beer cans at the circular packaging seminar at the Putian Brewery in Fujian Province, China. The event strengthens Bud APAC's circular packaging strategy, which aligns with the "reduce-reuse-recycle-recover" philosophy, to facilitate the transition towards a low-carbon economy. During the event, Bud APAC introduced its latest innovation in China, unveiling an exceptionally lightweight aluminium can for beer. This can, with a capacity of 330ml, weighs a mere 9.57g, representing a 4 per cent reduction in weight compared to the prevailing industry norm. Jan Clysner, Vice President of Sustainability and procurement of Bud APAC, said, "As the largest brewer in the region, we are fully committed to enhancing...
Aluminium cans recycling has become an essential aspect of environmental conservation in recent times. A microbrewery located in Northern Ireland has launched a new range of canned beers, accompanied by a 'Cans for Cans' charity campaign to support a homeless charity. Out of Office Brewery organized a charity drive for The Welcome Organization, where customers could donate canned food in exchange for aluminium cans containing its new beer. Katie McBarron from Out of Office explained: "Expanding our product offering into a range of cans will help us share our beers with an even greater audience, and we're beginning with three of our most popular varieties." The microbrewery is the 'highest above-ground level brewery in Ireland' and offers educational and hands-on brewery tours and tastings...
SOLARCYCLE has imbibed in a partnership with EDF Renewables North America, a French-based renewable energy developer that has expertise in wind and solar energy projects. This new agreement will allow California-based SOLARCYCLE to recycle solar panels damaged or broken during construction and operation from EDF's grid-scale, distribution-scale, and onsite solar sites. SOLARCYCLE, on the other hand, poses as "designed to maximize solar sustainability by offering solar asset owners a low-cost, eco-friendly, comprehensive process for recycling retiring solar panels and technologies and repurposing them for new uses." Solar panels require the untamed use of silicon for their photovoltaic properties, but the panels on which the modules reside are usually made of aluminium. This is when...
Magna's Powertrain factory in Kechnec, Slovakia, has been certified against the ASI Performance Standard V3 (2022), according to the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI). The factory oversees gearbox casting, heat treatment operations, gearbox housing and component machining, and DCT gearbox assembly and testing. This is Magna's sixth Powertrain factory to be certified, and it is the company's first complete V3 accreditation. "We are committed to creating a better world of mobility for all. At the core of our strategic vision lies a deep dedication to environmental stewardship and sustainability, propelling us forward into a future defined by responsible practices. Today's ASI certification of our Kechnec facility and the achievement of Magna's first full V3 (2022) certification...
To keep up with the emerging concept of Net Zero and sustainability, Samsung has decided to collaborate with Emirates Nature-WWF to recycle its end-of-life products. Recycling is a critical aspect of Samsung's sustainability goals as it helps create a material loop along the production line, which in turn is beneficial for the company as the need for purchasing fresh batches of raw materials decreases. Samsung Galaxy devices incorporate pre-consumer recycled aluminium and other end-of-life materials which have been sourced from industrial waste generated during the manufacturing process. Samsung has successfully implemented a closed-loop system for aluminium recycling, which allows them to reuse the material to create new products, reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills....
Ardagh Metal Packaging (AMP), one of the leading global suppliers of infinitely recyclable, sustainable metal beverage cans and ends to brand owners, has released its 2023 sustainability report. The report encompasses the accomplishments of AMP from 2021 to 2022. It highlights the company's recent advancements in using the skills of its workforce to fulfil its environmental performance goals while further establishing its leading role in sustainable practices within the metal beverage industry. The key highlights of the 2023 sustainability report include: The science-based goals programme has adopted reduction objectives for Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2030 80 per cent of AMP's worldwide manufacturing plants have achieved or are working towards zero waste to...
The Americas plays a significant role in global aluminium production; in 2022, it contributed 5 million tonnes. The region is home to three of the largest primary aluminium producers worldwide, where Canada ranks fourth, the USA ninth, and Brazil fifteenth. The Americas is also home to the fifth largest exporter of bauxite, the primary material used in aluminium production, as well as the third largest alumina producer. Joachim von Schéele, Global Director Commercialization, Linde plc Commitments to achieve substantial decarbonization across metal-producing industries have focused on energy efficiency and the use of hydrogen as a fuel. The average total carbon footprint (Scope 1, 2, and 3) of global aluminium production is approximately 12 tons of CO 2 e per tonne of aluminium. The main...
The sustainability sector has witnessed a continuous boost in the last few months as the rising geopolitical and ergonomic crisis is taking its toll on the heavy metal industry. The need for green and renewable energy is aggressively increasing. Icelandic startup Carbfix has developed a revolutionary method for storing CO2 emissions. Their approach accelerates the natural CO2 mineralisation process, with nearly 95% of the CO2 transforming into solid rock within just two years. Rio Tinto and Prysmian Group announced a five-year low-carbon aluminium supply contract to help Prysmian manufacture cables for power grids in North America with more sustainable materials. Rio Tinto's Canadian operations will support Prysmian's decarbonisation efforts with its low-carbon aluminium produced using...
In a quest to initiate green practices, residential zones around the Cumberland Council will be encouraged to recycle their metal packaging solutions like food and drink cans, aluminium aerosols and metal screw caps, alongside aluminium wrapping foil and foil trays. This sustainable drive will be conducted by the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) under their 'MetalMatters' programme. It is imperative that households in the Cumbria region recycle their metal packaging, including food and drinks cans, aluminium wrapping foil and foil trays, empty aerosols, and metal screw tops, in order to improve kerbside recycling rates. To achieve this goal, the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) has launched the 'MetalMatters' programme, which will employ targeted...
Perennial was formed in 2022 by a group of industry experts with more than 300 years of experience in value-added aluminium products. The entity is “new”, but our DNA is long and strong. We saw there is an increasing need by aluminium product consumers for long-term, flexible, ethically motivated, source-diversified supply partners in the Americas. These consumers are looking for before and after-sale services in the form of technical, logistical, financial, market analysis, metal management, and commercial components. They want to be valued by their supplier and have long-term contracts and relationships. Consumers want to know their supplier provides top quality, consistent and responsibly sourced products with a focus on the environment. All this needs to be packaged in a world-class...
In a journey to become completely plastic-free, Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa Avon, Vail Valley, has replaced its conventional in-room water packaging with infinitely recyclable aluminium bottles. This ensures a circular economy around the luxury hotel's compound. The resort has vouched to eradicate single-use plastic by 2024. This incorporation of reusable aluminium bottles will remove almost 88,000 plastic counterparts from getting dumped into landfills. Westin has also overseen the installation of water filtration systems on every floor so that guests can easily enjoy fresh water filled into their aluminium bottles. It is evident that The Westin Riverfront has been the first LEED Silver Certified hotel in both Colorado and the Westin group of hotels. The title was solely achieved due...
Deposit Return Schemes have been the talk of the decade due to the controversies surrounding them. While a group vehemently advocated its implementation, another group wanted to see the end of it. Alupro has raised concerns about the proposal, stating that it fails to ensure lower contamination levels for recycling, neglects to demonstrate support for sustainability goals, and doesn't effectively address litter. While Alupro acknowledges the potential benefits of a Deposit Return System (DRS), they argue that trials of the proposed system have not yet demonstrated such benefits at scale or shown that the requirements of a DRS can be met by the packaging value chain. Alupro's objections to the concept of a DRS centre on the belief that it cannot be facilitated by the aluminium beverage...
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has announced the joining of Hulamin Operations (Pty) Limited as the Production and Transformation member. Hulamin Operations, based in South Africa, is known for providing aluminium semi-fabricated products across the region and worldwide. Hulamin, the only significant aluminium rolling facility in Sub-Saharan Africa, is one of the leading exporters, accounting for more than 60 per cent of sales. “Hulamin has an organisational culture that places great value on its shareholders, employees, communities and key stakeholders, with a clear understanding of the close connection between the health of these key stakeholders to that of the business. By joining ASI, we believe that all we have in place will add credibility to Hulamin as a responsible and...
Presently, sustainability carries immense importance in the aluminium industry since it is an energy-intensive sector that needs constant tracking and vigilance for reduced carbon emissions. In 2022, the aluminium industry alone accounted for 270 Mt of direct carbon emissions, which was 3 per cent of the global industry-related emissions that year. At the same time, recycling post-consumer scrap aluminium saves up to 90 million tonnes of CO2 and 100,000 GWh of electrical energy than primary aluminium production. Incorporating sustainable practices has become the only thought-provoking discussion among industry experts wherein they have decided to include digitalisation in their daily production process. Some active methods to create carbon-free industrial zones are the use of Carbon...
Coles is leading the most exciting sustainable drive across all its Victorian stores. The supermarket chain is on a spree to install 47 Reverse Vending Machines in alignment with the state-sponsored launch of a Container Deposit Scheme on November 1. The cash-redeemable RVMs will collect plastic, glass and aluminium drink containers. It is vital for Victorians to participate in the Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) to earn a 10-cent refund for each eligible can, bottle or carton they return. Coles General Manager Grocery Leanne White emphasizes that the CDS is an excellent opportunity for customers to be rewarded for recycling and contribute towards a sustainable environment. By returning used aluminium cans, plastic bottles and other eligible containers, one can ensure that they are...
On Halloween, October 31, Apple's "Scary Fast" event, solely shot on iPhone 15 Pro Max, sent ripples across the tech industry. Tim Cook created a special post on Twitter commemorating the launch of Apple's revolutionary M3 chips alongside the latest MacBook line and a compact 24" iMac. An interesting feature that came under our radar is the use of 100% recycled aluminium in the iMac's stand. This new iMac incorporates Apple's M3 chip, providing an incredible speed for multitaskers. It takes inspiration from its M1 chip-powered ancestor. The M3 chip offers impressive performance statistics, with speeds up to twice as fast as the M1 iMac, 2.5 times faster than the 27" Intel-based iMac, and 4 times faster than the 21.5" Intel-based iMac. The new iMac has been developed to negate the chances...
On October 20th, a significant milestone was achieved in China with the official connection of the Luoyang Aluminum foil distributed photovoltaic power generation project to the grid for power generation. Built by the Fenghao Henan Branch of Ningxia, a subsidiary of Chinalco Environmental Protection, the project is a remarkable example of how technology can be leveraged to promote sustainability and environmental protection. Construction of the same began in June this year, and since then, it has been the centre of various speculations. The project adopts the method of "spontaneous self-use and surplus electricity connected to the Internet", which is distributed in Luoyang Aluminum Foil No.1, No.2 and No.3 factory buildings, wooden box buildings, water pump houses, air compressor stations...
The need for sustainable packaging solutions has entirely altered the paradigm of the coffee packaging industry. Cama Group, a leading packaging machinery manufacturer, cites all the new advancements in the field that might lead to process alterations and adoptions of greener packaging materials like aluminium. The coffee packaging industry is always on the move, and Cama Group knows this all too well. Renato Dell'Oro, the Key Account Coffee Industry Manager at Cama Group, understands that keeping up with the latest trends is crucial to their success. He pointed out: "Flexibility is a top priority for our customers. Market trends change constantly, and we need to make sure that our packaging machinery stays up-to-date with those changes. Our customers have different targets, so we need to...
