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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Henan excluded from inspection of captive power plants at aluminium smelters
<p>Henan, one of the five major aluminium producing regions in China, is exempted from the inspection of coal-fired captive power plants at aluminium smelters by the Chinese Authorities, reported by an SMM.</p> <p>Liu Libin, Vice General of Henan Nonferrous Metals...
Iceland aluminium smelters support primary capacity of the U.S. aluminium majors
<p>The U.S. primary aluminium industry which was once buzzing with 30 aluminium smelters in the country by aluminium majors like Alcoa and Century is now operating just just five smelters with curtailed capacity with uncertain future. Aluminium producers like Alcoa and Century Aluminum which have...
Chinese Authorities to inspect captive power plants at aluminium smelters in provinces
<p>According to a notice issued by the National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) and National Energy Administration (NEA) and published by Shanghai Metals Market, the Chinese Authorities are set to inspect Coal-fired captive power plants at aluminium smelters in six major aluminium...
Rusal smelters overcome impact of power outages in Siberia
<p>Russian news agency Interfax reported that the country’s energy ministry on Tuesday June 27 said that the Rusal smelters at Novokuznetsk, Khakass, Sayanogorsk, Bratsk, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk had lost power due to power outages at the Boguchansk HPP and Berezovskaya power plants.</p> <p...
Indian aluminium producers join in a petition against power duty hike in Odisha
<p>Major Indian aluminium producers National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco), Hindalco, and Vedanta Aluminium have come forward to jointly protest against the massive power duty hike in Odisha, reported global news agencies Platts and Aluminium Insider. In a petition to the Government of...
Ford recycles about 20 million pounds of military-grade aluminium scrap every month
<p>Chip Conrad, a stamping engineer in Ford, North America led the designing of a closed-loop recycling system that recycles 5 million pounds of high-strength military-grade aluminium scrap every week.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="vertical-align: middle;"...
Rio Tinto awards power station contract to Aggreko AusPac at Amrun bauxite project
<p>Metals and mining giant Rio Tinto has given a $100 million contract to Aggreko AusPac for the installation of 20MW power station at the Amrun bauxite project in North Queensland.</p> <p>Aggreko AusPac‘s team will install a high-efficiency diesel power system, including engine efficiency...
Week in Review: A brief overview from the primary aluminium industry
<p>AlCircle helps you to keep track of news that happened in the world of aluminium. Last week, Qatar's Qatalum aluminium plant faced outbound logistical challenges following a diplomatic row with neighbours in the Middle-East and neighbours blocked shipments through their ports. A few major...
Baise Mining Group starts production of its Coal-Power-Aluminium Integrated Project
<p>Baise Mining Group has started production of its coal-power-aluminium integrated high-purity aluminium project. Coal-Power-Aluminium Integrated Project would produce aluminium with Al content as high as over 99.99 per cent, according to an SMM report. The project has a production capacity...
Complete electrification target by FY2018 may spur a rally in Indian aluminium industry
<p>On Monday June 12, Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal announced that by the end of 2017, the country would be fully electrified and no village would be left without a power connection.</p> <p>“We are in fact now in advance stage of electrifying all homes,” he declared.</p> <p...
Bosnia’s Aluminij unit secures power supply licence
<p>Bosnian aluminium smelter Aluminij today announced that its unit AL Trade has secured two years license from FERK, the energy regulator of Bosnia’s Federation. FERK has granted a license to AL Trade to supply electricity.</p> <p><img style="vertical-align: middle; display: block;...
Alcoa restores half its Australian aluminium output in wake of blackout
<p>Global aluminium maker Alcoa has restarted half the capacity at its aluminium smelter in Australia's Victoria that was crippled by a state-wide blackout six months ago.</p> <p>The Portland smelter has been running at a third of its 300 000 t/y capacity since a freak storm prompted the...
Higher transmission cost brings down Tiwai Point Smelter's profit more than half
<p>Tiwai Point smelter at Bluff, owned by Rio Tinto’s New Zealand Aluminium Smelters (NZAS) has slashed its underlying profit by more than 50% to $25 million, partially due to higher transmission costs.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="vertical-align: middle;"...
Siemens to digitally connect Vedanta's two power plants
<p>Automation solutions provider Siemens today said it has bagged a contract from Vedanta for providing digital fleet center solution to connect the latter's two power plants in India to the monitoring stations.</p> <p>Siemens will digitally link Vedanta's critical power units-Talwandi Sabo Power...
Russia’s energy and aluminium conglomerate expects bullish perform in the coming FY
<p>Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska's En+, a company focused on energy and aluminium is expected to attract investors because of the growing global deficit in the aluminium market and improving outlook for Russian securities, as said by Chief Executive of the company Maxim Sokov to Reuters.</p> <p...
Novelis raises its recycled aluminium inputs from 53% to 55% in FY 2017
<p>Novelis Inc, the leading aluminium rolled products manufacturer and aluminium recycler reported significant improvement in its recycled aluminium inputs during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017. The net income rose significantly higher and automotive shipments reached record highs during the...
GE to modernise Hindalco's captive power plant
<p>Hindalco Industries has entrusted power solutions provider GE with the task of modernising two steam turbines at the company’s Renusagar captive power plant in Uttar Pradesh. GE has made an announcement on Tuesday that it entered into an agreement with Hindalco to upgrade...
Chelan PUD Board in talk with Alcoa to restart smelter at Wenatchee
<p>The Chelan County Public Utility District Board of Commissioners is negotiating with Alcoa Corporation in anticipation of reviving a smelter and hundreds of well –paid manufacturing jobs. Commissioners voted in favour of postponing a charge against Alcoa for idling the Colombia River...
