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
European primary aluminium smelters continue to curtail production as energy cost rises
In the face of rising energy prices, Europe's major aluminium smelters are continuing to reduce output. Over the last year, the region's output of light metal has decreased by an annualised 550,000 tonnes, with the decline continuing. With European smelters already grappling with the rising...
Hydro possible to close down Slovalco aluminium smelter without government's carbon scheme assistance
The Norwegian aluminium company, Norsk Hydro has stated by delivering a statement that there is a possibility to shut down its majority-owned aluminium smelter in Slovakia without the government in the nation coming out to support financially through the carbon compensation scheme. The Slovalco...
GE signs a contract to modernize EGA's Al Taweelah power plant gas turbines to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
The Gulf aluminium giant, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and the American energy technology company, GE Power, have successfully collaborated on the up-gradation of four readily installed GE 9F gas turbines at the EGA’s Al Taweelah power plant. This notion will help contain the severity of the...
Coming soon! AlCircle’s next e-Magazine on “European Aluminium Industry: Focus 2022”
AlCircle is enthralled to announce its 11th publication of e-Magazine titled, “European Aluminium Industry: Focus 2022.” The e-Magazine will feature exclusive views and opinions from the key figures of the European aluminium industry and other stalwarts associated with the regional value chain. The...
Alba inks agreement with Mitsubishi Power and SEPCO III to construct Block 4 at Power Station 5
The world's largest aluminium single-site smelter, Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) is on course to start building its fourth additional block at Power Station Five. The above remarks were made by Shaikh Daij Bin Salman Bin Daij Al Khalifa, Chairman of Alba's Board of Directors, during the signing...
China’s April aluminium output ramps up by 3.36 million tonnes as the country ends power curbs
China, one of the world's leading primary aluminium producers, has achieved a new record in April after restrictions on power production were relaxed, allowing smelters to boost operations. As per the National Bureau of Statistics, the primary aluminium output in China closed at 3.36 million...
Tiwai Aluminium seeks a pathway to a secured future beyond 2024, in search of a power supplier for the smelter
The Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter, owned by New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Limited (NZAS), is now focused on securing the future beyond its closing date in 2024. On Tuesday, May 10, NZAS chief executive Chris Blenkiron said in a community forum that he is seeking a pathway for the smelter to enable...
Rio Tinto produces first batch of scandium oxide in North America for fuel cells and aluminium alloy
On 6 May, Rio Tinto Fer et Titane (RTFT) reported that its commercial-scale demonstration plant in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec had produced its first batch of high purity scandium oxide. High purity scandium oxide is being extracted from the production residue of titanium dioxide by a phenomenal process...
End-user weekly recap: CPA concerned for the British construction sector due to commodity price hike; Alumil receives international C2C certification to practice sustainable construction
Construction Products Association (CPA) predicts that market inflammation might leave a permanent scar on the British construction sector as labour supply crunch, increasing price of electricity, the rising cost of raw materials and the Ukraine war delay construction in the UK. Alumil has become...
Profits at aluminium smelters dwindle by RMB954/t to RMB2590/t
Aluminium smelters' raw material costs were mostly steady last week. The removal of import levies and diminishing local demand drove down thermal coal prices. As of Friday, April 29, the complete cost of smelting dropped by RMB 35 per tonne from a week before to stop at RMB 18,220 per tonne, while...
Increasing energy prices, aluminium and steel import shortages will dampen the construction industry's growth: CPA
The construction industry trade association of the United Kingdom, Construction Products Association (CPA) has alerted disquiet in regards to the inflation that will create a dent in the construction sector in the long term. According to CPA’s updated projections, the mounting price pressure...
CH Evensen cuts a €1.3 million deal to deliver preheating furnace for an aluminium producer
CH Evensen Industriovner (C.H. Evensen) a subsidiary of Vow ASA (Vow) has successfully signed a €1.3 million agreement to drop-ship a preheating furnace for an aluminium manufacturer, which the company is yet to disclose the name. Henrik Wulff, the Managing Director of CH Evensen, said: “We are...
Primary aluminium weekly recap: Steady power supply in Yunnan propels China Shenhuo to increase aluminium production; The European Aluminium Association and energy experts call for a bold EU energy agenda
On April 25, the benchmark aluminium price for SHFE declined by US$145 per tonne to US$3,239 per tonne, then falling another US$68 per tonne to US$3,171 per tonne on April 26. The price fell further on Wednesday, April 27, to US$3,168 per tonne, before rising by $5 per tonne the next day to...
Lava Blue receives $5.2 million from the Australian Government for refining critical minerals
Australia-based battery minerals producing company Lava Blue has been granted US$ 5.2 million under the Government’s Critical Minerals Accelerator Initiative to evolve techniques to refine critical minerals used in the lithium-ion battery supply chain. Michael McCann, the managing director of Lava...
Steady power supply in Yunnan propels China Shenhuo to increase aluminium production
Henan Shenhuo Coal & Power Co Ltd declared this week that it is planning to amplify its production to achieve 900,000 tonnes which is the maximum capacity of the unit by the end of this month owing to the steady power supply in Yunnan province. Shenhuo is a renowned aluminium producer from China....
The European Aluminium Association and energy experts call for a bold EU energy agenda
The European Aluminium discussed with industry experts and policymakers the future of Europe’s energy infrastructure following the ongoing energy crisis during its annual Spring Meetings 2022, where both the industry and energy sector stressed the need to facilitate affordable and low-carbon energy...
Primarily aluminium weekly recap: India holds massive prospects for aluminium production as several applications will switch from steel; Indonesian coal miner Adaro Energy all set to enter the aluminium sector
The primary aluminium industry has witnessed a rise in LME aluminium by $US$39.5 per tonne on 21 st April 2022 and closed at US$3,302.5 per tonne. The Indian aluminium major, Nalco increased its aluminium ingot price by INR2100/t on April 21to sell it at INR 282,650-286,150 per tonne. The picture...
Odisha state govt. seeks to decode Nalco’s coal shortage
On 19 th April 2022, the Odisha state government stated that it will endeavour a discussion with Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), one of the major coal-producing companies in India to solve the dry fuel crisis. Prafulla Kumar Mallik, the state’s minister for Steel and Mines said, “I will hold...
