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...
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India's aluminium sectors seek spot coal
Several tenders and enquiries for imported spot thermal coal about to be awarded by Indian end-users are expected to show low prices due to the high levels of stocks at ports, Indian traders said. India has over 12 million tonnes of thermal coal in stockpiles at its dozen or so coal importing...
Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation Announce Commitments at 2011 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting
Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation announced two commitments to prepare U.S. workers for manufacturing jobs and to increase the energy efficiency of its operations today at the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting, a convening of global leaders founded by President Bill Clinton. The first...
Bahrain Increases Gas Prices for Aluminum Producer
Bahrain is to increase natural gas prices for one of its biggest consumers, Aluminum Bahrain (Alba), from 2012 in a subsidy-slashing move analysts say is overdue in the Middle East and may mark the start of a trend towards international price levels. Many energy intensive industries in the Middle...
Geelong smelter jobs at risk, Trades Hall claims
GEELONG Trades Hall has forewarned that aluminium giant Alcoa will inevitably close its Victorian operations. But the dire prediction has divided the union movement, with the Australian Workers Union labelling the comments as misguided. It comes as Alcoa failed to guarantee its future in the...
Recycling plant turns 50
AUSTRALIA'S largest aluminium recycling facility, the Alcoa plant in Yennora, turned 50 last month. The facility recycles almost half a billion aluminium cans a year, going through around 55,000 tonnes of scrap aluminium. The recycling process uses 5 per cent of the energy needed to make new metal...
Ghana to begin feasibility studies establishing downstream aluminium project
The government of Ghana through the Ministry of Energy (MoEn) and the Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kenesjay of Trinidad and Tobago and Sural C.A. of Venezuela to conduct feasibility studies towards the establishment of a Downstream...
Nalco employees seek Centre's intervention to end coal crisis
The employees of National Aluminium Company (Nalco), a Navratna PSU under Union Ministry of Mines have urged the Prime Minister to come up with a comprehensive plan to stop the recurrence of crisis in supply of coal to the company. NK Samal, working president of Nalco Employees’ Sangha, affiliated...
Guinea asks China to build 340 MW power plant
Guinea has asked state-owned China Power Investment (CPI) to build a 340 MW coal-fired power plant in the electricity-starved west African state, its mines minister said. The project is part of ongoing negotiations between Guinea and CPI over the potential development of a bauxite mine in Boffa and...
Huadong Aluminum Develop“Waste Reduction, Depletion and Energy Saving” Activity
Huadong Aluminum kept pace with Nation Quality Month with the theme of “ to build quality-oriented country, to make better life”, implement the spirit of Nation Quality Month activity. The company aims to reduce waste and improve quality, to save energy and promote efficiency, to carry forward...
Energy Quantitative Evaluation to Chinalco Qinghai Branch Ends Successfully
Experts from Qinghai Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision made overall evaluation on the energy work of Chinalco Qinghai Branch. The evaluation was made in accordance with the 5 elements and 21 items of the evaluation standards. Various aspects were evaluated including energy management...
Orissa: NALCO employees seek Centre’s intervention to address coal crisis
The employees of National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), a Navratna PSU under Ministry of Mines, Govt of India have urged the Centre to come up with a comprehensive plan to stop the recurrence of coal crisis in NALCO. N.K. Samal, the Working President of NALCO Employees’ Sangha (INTUC),...
Sustainability Spotlight: Aluminum Can Recycling Hits a High
Americans are getting the message about recycling – in 2010, instead of tossing empty cans in the nearest ordinary trashcan, almost 6 out of every 10 aluminum beverage cans were instead tossed into the nearest recycling bin. This amounts to nearly 56 billion cans entering the recycling stream....
Market Share of Can Material Produced by Southwest Aluminum Expected to Reach 50%
The continuous cold rolling production line started in 2006 by Southwest Aluminum Co., Ltd(SWA) has been put into trial production recently. This production line is expected to end the long history of China’s dependence on imported high-class aluminum material. Li Fengyi, general manager of SWA...
Alcoa to Reevaluate Iceland Plans
Alcoa Inc. said it will have to reevaluate its plans to build an aluminum smelter near Husavik, north Iceland, following a statement by the country’s Industry Minister Katrin Juliusdottir indicating she didn’t think the smelter would be built in the next few years. The smelter would require a large...
Nalco resorts to coal import to overcome crisis
The Navratna PSU National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has placed order to import two lakh tonnes of coal to tide over the short supply of coal due to heavy rain and floods in Orissa. The imported coal would start arriving after a week, sources said. Nalco is sourcing coal from Mahanadi...
Power shortage disrupts Chinese smelters
A power shortage in southwest China has caused production disruption at smelters in the region. About 15% of the 810kt/y operating capacity in Guangxi may be suspended in September. Baise Yinhai Aluminium has already suspended 40% of its smelter’s 200kt/y capacity. Disruption has also occurred at...
Altek Europe relocates to Chesterfield with NatWest support
Altek Europe Limited who earlier this year were awarded a Queens Award for Enterprise in International Trade - have purchased new premises with the backing of their banking partners NatWest. Launched in 2007, Altek Europe supports the growth in aluminium recycling around the world. Their products...
Sustainability improvements in Aluminium Industry
Over the past 20 years,the demand for Primary energy associated with secondary aluminum production has been reduced 58 percent. Cumulative greenhouse gas emissions associated with secondary aluminum production have been reduced 65 percent.
