Coal-heavy Australian aluminium vs renewables-led New Zealand: How Oceania is balancing decarbonisation
Oceania’s primary aluminium industry is facing a fragmented energy transition. While Australia, the leading aluminium producer of the continent, has abundant renewable resources and a well-established aluminium value chain, its smelters remain significantly more dependent on fossil-fuel-based...
Can the US afford to cut Canada off? 75% aluminium and $100b energy tell the story
The US aluminium industry’s dependence on Canada extends far beyond primary aluminium imports. While Canada supplies around 75 per cent of US imported primary aluminium, covering roughly 60 per cent of the country’s annual aluminium usage, it is also a major supplier of crude oil, natural gas and...
Grow with
AL Circle
NHO urges for more power cable between Norway and the rest of Europe
The Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO) believes more power cable between Norway and the rest of Europe can make it more favorable to invest more in aluminum production in Norway. Norway could become Europe's green battery, said NHO. But it requires a comprehensive energy policy - and...
PSC's special rate mechanism for Ravenswood smelter expires Dec. 31, 2012
The bleak outlook for Century Aluminum's Ravenswood smelter started to shine a little in March when the West Virginia Legislature gave its blessings to a special electricity rate for high-intensity industrial consumers. The Jackson County plant closed in 2009, eliminating 650 jobs, and eventually...
Higher coal price forces Nalco to cut more capacity
Union government-owned aluminium maker -- Nalco -- will be shutting down about 3-4% of its aluminium capacity over the next fortnight due to higher import and e-auction coal prices. BL Bagra, director (finance), Nalco, said that the company had shut 60 pots last year which translated to about 7-8%...
PSC gets it right on special rate for Century aluminum plant
Credit is due the West Virginia Public Service Commission for seeing through the smokescreens thrown up by Century Aluminum in the company's quest to obtain a special electricity rate. Century closed its Ravenswood smelter in 2009 after aluminum prices slumped, putting 650 people out of work. The...
Rusal, and Rosenergoatom signed a two-year power supply contract
Russian Aluminum, or Rusal, and OJSC Rosenergoatom have signed a two-year agreement on the supply of electric power at a price of three cents per kWh, a joint statement issued by the companies says. The contract involves the supply of electricity from Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant to Boguchany...
Century Aluminum Reviews PSC's rejection of its proposed electricity plan
Century Aluminum is reviewing the Public Service Commission's rejection of its proposals for a special electricity rate for its Jackson County plant. Century Aluminum spokeswoman Lindsey Berryhill said that the company remains committed to restarting the plant in Ravenswood. The company had asked...
Alcoa Wins Long-Term Siemens Contract to Supply Blades and Vanes
Alcoa today announced that Alcoa Power and Propulsion (APP) has signed a long-term agreement with Siemens Energy to supply blades and vanes for a wide range of industrial gas turbines. Siemens Energy is one of the world's leading suppliers of products, solutions and services in the energy...
DUBAL invests in Dubai's first Solar Park
Being an extremely electricity-intensive industry, a continuous supply of energy is critical for business continuity at Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL) - the entirely state-owned corporation that operates the world's largest single-site primary aluminium smelter using pre-bake anode technology. Although...
PSC denies special power rate for Century Aluminum
The state Public Service Commission denied both alternatives Century Aluminum offered in October in its special electricity rate case because the company's proposals still place the risk on Appalachian Power's customers, the PSC ruled Friday. But the commission proposed that Century may negotiate...
Gas deal flagged to keep Gove refinery working
Chief Minister Terry Mills says a deal that could ensure the future of the Gove Alumina Refinery in the Northern Territory's Gulf country is expected tomorrow. The Government hopes converting the struggling refinery from expensive diesel fuel to natural gas will allow it to remain operational. It...
France considers nationalising a Rio Tinto owned aluminium plant
France is considering nationalising an aluminium plant owned by Anglo-Australian mining group Rio Tinto, Le Monde newspaper reported Wednesday. The potential move is being studied by officials working for Arnaud Montebourg, the Industrial Recovery minister, just 10 days after the government...
Bechtel to Assess Expansion at Alba
Bechtel Canada will conduct a feasibility study for a sixth line and power plant Aluminum Bahrain's plant, which supplies about half of the Middle East's aluminum requirement. Alba's sixth potline is expected to produce an additional 400,000 tonnes of aluminium per year. The plant consists of five...
BPA signs power supply contract with Intalco saving 600 jobs
A new 10-year electric power supply contract signed Friday, Dec. 7, ends years of job uncertainty for 625 Alcoa Intalco Works employees. More than 100 workers gathered at the aluminum smelter's Totem Terrace assembly hall west of Ferndale to watch Bonneville Power Administration boss Steve Wright...
No quick resolution of power supply deal for Tiwai Point aluminium smelter
Meridian Energy and Rio Tinto will resume talks before Christmas about supplying power to the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter in Southland, but there is no sign that a deal is just around the corner. Rio Tinto has said that the smelter, which employs about 600 people, could close if it cannot get...
Smelter talks resume between Meridian Energy and Rio Tinto
New Zealand's largest electricity producer, Meridian Energy, has resumed talks with Rio Tinto Alcan, the majority owner of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, over Rio's request for changes to 18-year contracts for power supply that kick in on January 1. Meridian chief executive Mark Binns told the...
Paulwell says Alpart alumina plant will reopen soon
Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Phillip Paulwell, says he is confident that the Alpart bauxite and alumina plant at Nain, St Elizabeth, will re-open soon, as discussions with U C Rusal, the majority share-holders and operators of the plant, are going well. Addressing a Rural...
Constellium achieves ISO 50001 certification at its German facilities
Constellium's industrial sites in Burg, Crailsheim, Landau and Singen, Germany, have passed successfully the ISO 50001 energy management system certification audit conducted by DEKRA and DQS, two certification bodies reputed worldwide. This important achievement is representative of the company's...
Maaden, Alcoa smelter hit by power plant delays
Saudi Arabian Mining Co (Maaden) has announced the kingdom's first aluminium smelter is to reach full production later than planned, due to long delays to a power plant it needs to run flat out, Reuters has reported. Maaden said operations at the $10.8bn aluminium smelter it shares with US-based...
