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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Brazil faces the possibility of electricity rationing; aluminium production at risk
Brazil is staggering from the lack of rain in the country as it is drying up water sources and putting hydroelectricity generation at risk. Now with the growing risk of power rationing, the country’s current aluminium industry is destined to suffer even more. Electricity is an absolute necessity...
Weston Aluminium calls for lifting of CSG restrictions to avoid mass job losses
A Hunter Valley aluminium waste recycling plant is warning of mass job losses in the manufacturing sector if the New South Wales Government does not ease restrictions on coal seam gas (CSG) activity. Weston Aluminium says the viability of its remelting plant has already been eroded by rising gas...
SNC Lavalin to upgrade former Dubal site
SNC-Lavalin has been awarded a contract by Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) to carry out an energy optimisation project at its Jebel Ali facility. EGA is the company that was set up following the merger between Emirates Aluminium (Emal) and Dubai Aluminium (Dubal). The contract will involve an...
State-governor believes Venalum can achieve 436,000 tons of aluminium production
Francisco Rangel Gómez, the state governor of Venezuelan south east state Bolivar, is hopeful that the state owned smelter Venalum will be able to produce 436,000 tons of aluminium, while the official was on a plant visit inspecting the asphalt paving of several areas of the factory. The official...
Two Henan-Based Companies to build 600,000-tpy hot-rolled aluminum project
Henan Energy Yimei Co. and Wanji Holdings Group recently signed a cooperation framework agreement over construction of 600,000-tpy hot-rolled aluminum project and 2*600 MW power generating units, local media reported today. The hot-rolled aluminum facility will cost 3.5 billion yuan ($570 million)....
Hidden energy exports through primary aluminium remain a concern
Consecutive years of below five per cent economic growth and 0.7 per cent contraction of the manufacturing sector last year ensured a 6.2 per cent fall in the country's primary aluminium use to 1.58 million tonnes (mt) during 2013-14. Even while India is to grow at 5.5 per cent in FY15, aluminium...
BALCO gets state nod to commence new power plant
Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), a subsidiary of Vedanta SSLT, announced that it has received approval from the state government of Chhattisgarh, to start a 1,200 megawatts (MW) captive power plant (4 units of 300 MW each). The move will boost BALCO’s annual aluminium production capacity...
India Coal auction may see strong bidding from Aluminium companies: ICRA
Aluminium companies having large smelters at advanced stages are likely to bid more aggressively in the upcoming India coal block e-auction than the cement and steel sector players, whose margins have similar (but lower than that for aluminium) level of coal price sensitivity, according to a report...
Low fuel prices not deterring production of high-mileage cars
While the world faces low fuel prices, automakers fear that the time, effort and money spent to make cars more fuel efficient, like the much talked-about aluminium F-150, could be a complete waste, analysts paint a different picture for the future of liquid fuels. The North American International...
The cancellation of coal blocks likely to raise Hindalco’s cost of production
Market analysts predicts that Hindalco Industries is likely to suffer higher production costs after the Supreme Court cancelled the four coal blocks, Mahan, Tubed, Talabira-1 and Talabira-2 allocated to the company. Hindalco had been enjoying a low average production cost, among the lowest in the...
Fuji Pigment Unveils aluminium-air battery rechargeable by refilling salty or normal water
Japan’s Fuji Pigment Co. Ltd. announced on January 8 that it has developed a new type of aluminium-air battery rechargeable by refilling salty or normal water and having a modified structure which ensures longer battery lifetime. Due to fossil fuel depletion and the air pollution arising from its...
Qiya Aluminium Electricity Co. to increase production
The administrative chief of Xinjiang Qiya Aluminium Electricity Co. announced on Sunday that they will be ramping up their production in 2015 doubling its current annual capacity to 800,000 tonnes. Located in the Jimusaer County in Xinjiang, the company can take advantage of the abundant coal...
Alba Power adds new air compressor to existing fleet
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) bolstered its reputation as a leading energy efficient aluminium producer with the addition of a new air compressor to its existing fleet in the utilities wing of the Company’s Power and Utilities Department. The new unit has been installed with an aim to cater to...
First Aluminium grows amid environmental challenges
First Aluminium Nigeria plc continues to grow amid environmental challenges buffeting the performance of firms operating in the sector, analysis of the third quarter (Q3) financial statement shows. For the first nine months through September 2014, the company’s revenue increased by 5 percent to...
Quebec government grants extension to Rio Tinto
An agreement signed between Rio Tinto Alcan and the Quebec government now allows Rio Tinto to extend the remaining aluminium operations the company has in Arvida in Saguenay until the end of 2020 that will save 1,000 jobs. Through the agreement, Rio Tinto Alcan will be entitled to low preferential...
Hindalco loses chance to acquire Mahan and Talabira coal blocks after reallocation
The recent reallocation of mines ordered by the Indian Government has dashed Hindalco’s hopes of bidding for the Mahan coal block to power its smelter as the Coal Ministry has specifically marked it for the power sector. Hindlaco had planned to use the coal from Mahan to power the Mahan Aluminium...
Alloy wire and cable to benefit from China’s “Golden Era” of HUV development
China will enter a “golden era” of HUV development in coming five years, which will allow the country’s wire and cable market to grow at 8-9% annual pace, CNMN reported on December 16. The boom in power transmission systems will be driven by increasing investment in smart power grid, ongoing power...
Sesa Sterlite’s Jharsuguda Aluminium smelter wins accolades for energy-efficiency
Energy saving is one of the prime concerns for an aluminium producing company and Vedanta has always laid an special emphasis on it as a result of which, Sesa Sterlite’s Aluminium Smelter Plant in Jharsuguda has been awarded the 1st prize in the prestigious “National Energy Conservation Awards...
