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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Chinese aluminium smelters to benefit from power reform
Chinese aluminium smelters will stand to benefit as China vows to expand power transmission and distribution reform to more regions, SMM understands. The reform will cover another seven provinces and one more region in 2016 and the whole country by 2017, China's National Development & Reform...
Alcoa, Alumina to sell WA natural gas pipeline stake to Duet Group
Lightweight metals major Alcoa announced that Alcoa of Australia has agreed to sell its stake in DBP, the owner and operator of the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline (DBNGP), to DUET Group (DUET) for AU$205 million (US$154 million approx.). DBP is currently owned 20 per cent by Alcoa of...
Odisha clears INR 47,569 cr investments; to include power and downstream aluminium projects
In a bid to re-position itself as an investor friendly state, Odisha approved investment proposals worth INR 47,569.41 crore. The nod was given to 35 proposals spanning a cross section of industries including power, aluminium, food processing, healthcare, and logistics. The projects approved...
China unveils tougher measures targeting aluminium extrusion producers in Foshan
Foshan City in China’s Guangong Province, which is home to the country’s aluminium extrusion producers, will unveil stricter measures targeting air pollution of local aluminium extrusion producers, according to a recent industry report. Foshan of Environmental Protection Bureau submitted Program on...
Power firms saving billions by swapping copper for aluminium
Manufacturers in the electricals segment are abandoning copper for its lighter and cheaper rival aluminium after a decade of technological innovation that is saving some companies hundreds of millions of dollars. Sapa, a supplier of aluminium components, said it has seen a pickup in demand....
AluSolutions to focus on aluminium recycling and waste management
The stage is all set for this year’s AluSolutions. A free-to-attend international exhibition and conference, the event addresses sustainable challenges in aluminium production and processing. The AluSolutions exhibition offers a content-rich environment and international networking opportunity...
China Hongqiao, world’s largest aluminium producer, to expand capacity
China Hongqiao, the world’s largest producer of aluminium, aims to raise the annual capacity of the lightweight industrial metal by around 15 per cent this year if the market recovery continues. The Shandong-based firm aims to spend up to 15 billion yuan this year on expanding its output capacity...
New, eco-friendly technologies could transform the European aluminium industry by 2050
Adopting innovative technological solutions - currently in early research phase - instead of following a conservative technology development path could slash the direct greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions of aluminium production by 66% in 2050 and reduce the associated energy consumption by 21%,...
Meridian offers $150 mln in bonds as key Tiwai Point aluminium smelter decision looms
Meridian Energy is considering a retail offer of up to $150 million of unsecured, unsubordinated fixed rate bonds to institutional and retail investors in early March, which is shaping as a crucial month for decisions on the future of its largest customer, the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. No...
MSP John Finnie meets owners of Rio's Fort William aluminium plant amid fears for its future
Highlands and Islands MSP John Finnie has held talks with the owners of the Rio Tinto Alcan aluminium smelter at Fort William, amid fears for its future. The Canada-based metals and mining giant is undertaking a review of its assets, including the smelter, which employs about 150 people, a...
Alba upgrades to EGA DX+ Ultra Technology for Line 6
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the Bahrain-based leading international aluminium smelter, announced that it has upgraded the technology for its Line 6 Expansion Project from EGA DX+ to the EGA DX+ Ultra. The signing ceremony was held in Dubai on February 23, 2015 and was attended by Alba’s...
Alcoa named world’s most admired metals company by Fortune Magazine
For the fifth consecutive year, lightweight metals engineering and manufacturing leader Alcoa has been named the most admired metals company by Fortune magazine in its annual ranking on corporate reputation. Alcoa has been on Fortune’s Most Admired List since the publication began the annual...
Iceland's Landsvirkjun grows profit in 2015 despite aluminium price decline
Landsvirkjun, the Iceland-based power producer, saw its net profit grow by 7.4 per cent year on year in 2015 to USD 84.2 million (EUR 76m), even though the prices of aluminium have been falling since the last couple of quarters. Operating revenue was USD 421.5 million, down by 3.8 per cent compared...
Sapa introduces technical innovations in Confort Smartline
Sapa Building System is bringing to market its new sliding door system Confort Smartline. The energy efficiency provided by this thermally broken aluminium sliding system has helped Confort earn the Minergie certificate for sustainable buildings. Confort Smartline, designed for maximum daylight and...
As finances erode, Century Aluminum sets tight time frame for Mount Holly smelter
Century Aluminum still hopes state lawmakers will find a way to cut electricity costs at its Mount Holly smelter, but a shutdown by the end of May is looming. “We are working intently to produce a power-supply arrangement that makes this world-class plant competitive for the long term,” Mike Bless,...
Alcoa quizzed over future viability of Portland smelter without state subsidy
The Victorian Greens have called on aluminium producer Alcoa to publicly declare if the Portland smelter, in the state's west, can remain viable without a state subsidy. A 20-year power deal, providing the company with subsidised electricity at a price linked to the London Metal Exchange, is due to...
Chalco vows to raise its captive power ratio
Chalco will make efforts in raising its share of captive power in the future, updated a source from the company. The source said Chalco is just about 30% reliant on captive power, well below average industry level, with some aluminium smelters even entirely reliant on captive power. The company...
IBAAS 2016 to unfold “Aluminium Industry- The Evolving Asia-Pacific Story”
The International Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium Society has announced that the fifth IBAAS International symposium (IBAAS-2016) will be held in Goa, India during September 26 - 28, 2016. The theme of the IBAAS-2016 symposium is “Aluminium Industry- The Evolving Asia-Pacific Story”. The first day of...
