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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Ørsted, a prominent clean energy company, has entered into a new partnership with SOLARCYCLE, a technology-based solar recycling company, to recycle and process Ørsted's end-of-life solar modules from its projects across the United States. This recycling services agreement aligns with Ørsted's global commitment, effective immediately, to reuse or recycle 100% of solar panels that reach an end-of-life status. It's the first of its kind in the industry. SOLARCYCLE established its recycling facility in Odessa, Texas, in 2022. This agreement builds on Ørsted's existing recycling contract for thin-film modules, which was signed with First Solar in 2021. Even though Ørsted's U.S. solar projects are still in the early stages of their lifetime, Ørsted has already recycled 4,000 modules. The...
Veolia has launched a new initiative to increase recycling in the UAE through its digital recycling solution, RECAPP. In partnership with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and Masdar City, RECAPP will implement reverse vending machines (RVMs) and smart deposit machines (RSDMs) to collect bottles, aluminium cans and bags of recyclables. This new service complements RECAPP's existing free app-based door-to-door collection service and aligns with Veolia's goal to provide holistic digital recycling solutions that benefit both people and the planet. Through the DRS reward scheme, RECAPP aims to collect an additional 20 million bottles in Abu Dhabi and support the UAE Government's target of recovering 50% of single-use plastic bottles. In Dubai, RECAPP has officially launched its first RVM,...
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) announced that Aludium France SAS subsidiary in Castelsarrasin has been accredited with the ASI Performance Standard V2 (2017) Certification for coil manufacture. Aludium has now certified all three of its manufacturing facilities to the ASI Performance Standard V2, with the Alicante and Amorebieta operations following suit in December 2022. The facility manufactures bright aluminium material for the worldwide market, with building, automotive, transportation, packaging, and general engineering applications. Two rolling mills and accompanying finishing lines are located on the property. Lionel Chapis, CEO at Aludium stated, “We are pleased to announce that we have achieved ASI certification, an international standard for the responsible production...
On June 5, World Environment Day, the Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation, S.M. Vaidya, officially launched the 'Refuel with RecyKal' campaign at COCO Hitec City outlets in Hyderabad. The campaign is being rolled out at five of their retail outlets in the city and encourages customers to bring in pet bottles and aluminium cans to drop in a reverse vending machine and receive fuel points. Additionally, customers can bring in dry waste such as plastic, paper, cardboard, e-waste, glass, and metal to receive fuel points. Aluminium is 100% recyclable and can retain its original properties even after vigorous transformations. This certainly reduces the usual amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere during primary aluminium production. Due to these infinitely recyclable properties,...
AKAM 6th Awareness Conference on “Sustainable & Circular Bharat: Towards Zero Waste in Metals Processing” conference at Taj Bengal on 15th and 2-Days Plant Visit during 14-15th June at Kolkata nearby metal recycling cluster. Ministry of Mines and Ministry of Steel, Government of India, in collaboration with JNARDDC and Ministry of Mines PSU (NALCO) and Ministry of Steel PSUs (NMDC & MSTC) along with MRAI, will be organizing a series of events to mark the celebration of the “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) - CIRCULAR ECONOMY Campaign - 2023”, which is based on Sustainability/ Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE). AKAM’s main objective is to increase awareness about scrap recycling and waste utilization. Under AKAM, MRAI has successfully conducted five Scrap Recycling (Fe & Non-Ferrous) and...
On June 1, at the first EnvironmentAl Strategy Day inauguration, Aluminium Federation (ALFED) revealed plans to establish two new member projects to promote the sector's transition to Net Zero. The move will help the supply chain's understanding of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues and raise awareness of aluminium outside of the industry. An ALFED-accredited ESG officer training course will give resources and assistance to ALFED members' representatives in becoming skilled in ESG to aid in the transition to sustainability. While in collaboration with Bloodhound Education, an 'Aluminium Ambassadors' initiative will train and equip professionals from across the industry to go into educational and corporate settings to deliver informative talks and run EnvironmentAI trained...
A technology platform sentra.world powering ESG for industrial businesses to achieve net-zero emissions has raised $2 million in seed funding. Avaana Capital, a notable early-stage climate-tech venture capital firm in India, led the funding round. ESG SaaS platform sentra.world's suite of products intends to assist industrial organisations in managing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their operations, supplier emissions (scope 3), and emissions at the holding company level in response to this critical requirement. Global emissions are largely attributed to industrial sectors such as aluminium, steel, cement, and chemicals, which account for approximately 38 per cent of global emissions. As one of the most emissions-intensive manufacturing sectors, aluminium contributes 2 per cent of...
Observed annually on June June 5 th , World Environment Day is an international event dedicated to raising public awareness of environmental concerns and encouraging positive actions to conserve our planet. The responsible use and management of resources, including materials such as aluminium, are important to ecological conservation. Aluminium, a versatile metal, is essential in many industries, but its production and disposal have serious environmental consequences. As a result, World Environment Day is a perfect opportunity to emphasise the significance of sustainable aluminium production and recycling practices. Importance of aluminium: Aluminium is the third most plentiful element in the Earth's crust, accounting for approximately 8 per cent of its total weight. It is lightweight,...
There were plenty of sustainable updates this week, with two international aluminium events being conducted in London on June 1, honouring ALFED EnvironmentAl Sustainability Strategy Day, and on 16-18th May, witnessing the 28th CRU World Aluminium Conference. Alumina Limited has approved Alcoa's bauxite mining in Western Australia, but Premier Mark McGowan is concerned about the safety of Perth's water supply. Alcoa claims to have restored 75% of the woodland it removed but considers land rehabilitated after the first 12 months of landscaping and sowing. Redefine Properties and Cash4Trash (C4T) have partnered to develop advanced reverse vending machines that use 4IR technology to automate the collection, sorting, and handling of used beverage containers for recycling or reuse. AL Circle...
On Wednesday, May 31, Fiona Solomon, CEO of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), and her management team visited Aludium's Amorebieta plant to discuss the company's growing efforts towards sustainable practices. They also exchanged views on the aluminium value chain's present and future in light of sustainable development. Aludium is an integrated, midstream aluminium manufacturer with casting, hot mill, cold mill, and finishing capabilities. It offers a diverse portfolio of high-quality aluminium sheets and coils to the packaging and transportation sectors. In 2022, Aludium's Amorebieta and Alicante plants acquired the ASI Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard certification. The Castelsarrasin plant in France has completed the CoC audit and is on track to receive formal certification...
Aluminium is referred to as a ‘green metal’ due to its environment-friendly nature and infinite recyclable properties. IAI claims that about 75 per cent of aluminium ever produced is still in the material loop, creating a circular economy. The advent of the Paris Act 2015 has urged major aluminium players to turn their production process into a sustainable one that reduces carbon emissions in the long run. This includes companies adopting renewable energy and decarbonizing their entire value chain. Aluminium, a 100 per cent recyclable non-ferrous metal, helps to create a closed material cycle which is beneficial for a company as there is no material loss during production. AL Circle has put together the latest report on “ Sustainability in the Global Aluminium Industry ” to present a...
Aluminium is a leader in the circular economy. Because it is 100% recyclable, it retains its original qualities no matter how often it is treated. And there is no doubt that aluminium cans, in this circular economy, are the most environmentally friendly beverage packaging options. Aluminium cans have a higher recycling rate and can be made with a higher percentage of recycled metal than other types of packaging. Because it is durable, stackable, and lightweight, businesses can send more drinks while reducing their environmental impact. So what is a circular economy? Circular Economy is a concept for solving system-level concerns such as pollution, waste, biodiversity loss, and climate change. The only way to make the economy more sustainable is to move away from the current...
The 28th CRU World Aluminium Conference 2023, co-hosted by ASI and IAI, which took place on 16-18th May 2023, was co-hosted by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) and the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI). During the discussion, the aluminium industry was noted for its need to reduce emissions quickly and achieve environmental and climate goals. Recognising that 2030 is rapidly approaching, concrete initiatives are required to fulfil global climate and environmental commitments. Adopting digitalisation may help enable development, but it is necessary to emphasise that data access alone is inadequate. In a session moderated by ASI CEO Dr Fiona Solomon, speakers from the aluminium value chain and civil society leaders explored how it is critical to address sustainability...
George Brown College has established the Brookfield Sustainability Institute (BSI) to aid sustainable communities via international partnerships and education. The institute will be housed in the Limberlost Place building, which is currently under construction. Luigi Ferrara, the chair and CEO of BSI, mentioned in an interview that the focus of the institute is on finding applied solutions to address problems while moving closer to net zero. He added that the goal is to provide answers that can change society, technology and create sustainable products and services in the long term. The institute is based on the philosophy of "smart sustainability," which seeks to achieve sustainable development goals through digital transformation. BSI was made possible by $18 million in donations from...
The International Recycling Tour, organised by Every Can Counts, a prominent recycling not-for-profit, is back for its third edition. This campaign, aimed at raising awareness and promoting sustainable living, coincides with World Environment Day and will take place on June 5, with events spanning the weekend before. The initiative will be conducted in 18 locations across 16 countries in Europe and Brazil, covering congested cities, parks, beaches, and festivals. The countries participating in this initiative are Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The ambassadors for this cause will promote the message, "Drink cans recycle forever," and encourage people...
Reynaers Aluminium in Enniscorthy recently had its new multi-million euro renovation and extension officially opened by the Belgian ambassador to Ireland, Karen Van Vlierberge. The new extension is comprised of 3,500sq metres of new and refurbished facilities that meet the highest standards in building regulations. Following strict production policies is beneficial for a company when it comes to the authenticity of its flagship products. Reynaers is one of UK's most revered providers of aluminium solutions. Aluminium is 100% recyclable and can retain its original properties even after transformation. Thus Reynaers' doors and windows have an inseparable sustainability factor attached to them. Moreover, with this new renovation, the company aims to highlight its ESG agenda, as the...
According to Llewellyn Regler, National Technical Manager at Network Architectural, their partnership with PanelCycle began about two years ago. At that time, no one had set up a recycling system for aluminium composite panels. PanelCycle was the first independent company to provide a recycling solution, and partnering with them made perfect sense. Network Architectural is known for its facade and ceiling solutions expertise and has always prioritised sustainable solutions. Their commitment to quality, compliance, and transparency is unmatched. Through their partnership with PanelCycle, customers can now choose sustainable options for re-cladding. In the past few years, with the advent of the Paris Act of 2015, the concept of environmental leadership has grown and developed alongside the...
Alumina Limited has endorsed Alcoa's bauxite mining, which Premier Mark McGowan has cautioned must not jeopardise Perth's water supply. Alumina Limited chair Peter Day said that the business, which controls 40 per cent of Alcoa's Australian operations, was aware of community expectations about rehabilitating the jarrah forest it mined in the southwest of Western Australia (WA). According to Alumina CEO Mike Ferraro, 75 per cent of the woodland removed by Alcoa has been restored. On the other hand, Alcoa lists land as rehabilitated after the first 12 months of landscaping and sowing rather than when the completion conditions are completed. Ferraro, who has managed Alumina for six years, said that Alcoa's activities in Western Australia (WA) had created considerable revenue and dividends...
