Speira, a major aluminium producer in Europe, announced in March 2023 that it would close down its German facility in Rheinwerk this year due to high energy prices and market uncertainty. The company had already reduced the plant’s capacity by 50% in September 2022 in response to surging power prices. Speira plans to focus exclusively […]
Continue readingCategory Archives: AL Circle
India emerges as leading alumina supplier to Russia, bridging market void
The Ukraine-Russia geopolitical crisis has resulted in sanctions imposed by Western countries on Russia and has driven various effects on India’s trade. Both imports and exports from Russia have been negatively impacted. Still, specific sectors have greatly benefited from the situation, specifically raw materials that are crucial for Russian industry but have been sanctioned by […]
Continue readingChallenges for the implementation of Industry 4.0 in the Aluminium Smelters
Introduction: Industry 4.0 is a broad term used to denote the large-scale digitalization in an industrial environment using new-age technologies related to Automation, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning. The aim of integrating Industry 4.0 is to avoid human intervention & improve system efficiency by eliminating the chance of human error, which may occur due to […]
Continue readingThe future of industrial maintenance – Leveraging IoT, and AI to optimize operations
The current landscape The industrial maintenance landscape is changing rapidly. Equipment is becoming more sophisticated and complex, making Maintenance more challenging. At the same time, there is a growing need for equipment reliability and availability, driving the demand for advanced Machine Health Monitoring Solutions. The industrial maintenance field is on the cusp of a transformative […]
Continue readingEV market in India and its impact on the aluminium industry
The Indian EV market The Indian EV market has seen growth only in recent years. India has a projection to reduce carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes by 2030. India also intends to reduce its oil import dependency. Hence the Indian government believes faster adoption and promotion of EVs will help achieve these goals. India […]
Continue readingIs the aluminium industry going to struggle for IT talent?
Globally we have witnessed some exciting trends in technology over the last few months. AI has been at its peak in terms of capabilities, applications as well as worries. RPA adoption and virtual and augmented realities have been growing at a stellar rate. Traditional IT areas like IT infrastructure and ERP are also increasing at […]
Continue readingHigh energy prices spark an industry crisis, especially in Europe
As a result of the current inflation surge, the aluminium industry is facing a crisis worldwide. Soaring global energy prices sharply limit the capacities of the geographies where smelting is viable. At its peak, aluminium prices were up 60 per cent. While they have since fallen from that peak, the industry is still in a […]
Continue readingAluminium cans and the shift in global beverage consumption patterns
The most common use of aluminium packaging is- beverage cans. Aluminium cans are now globally viewed as a sustainable and safe packaging option by consumers and manufacturers alike. Not only are they environmentally friendly, but they keep the beverage safe. It is also 100 per cent recyclable. Introducing BPA-free aluminium cans has also stimulated using […]
Continue readingFactors contributing to the growth of the ‘Aluminium Composite Panels’ sheet industry
The global Aluminium Composite Panels (ACP) industry is likely driven by the construction, transportation, automotive, and advertising industries. As the ACP market is embarking on growth, it is here to understand the increase in the market in the upcoming years and how it impacts different industries. Aluminium composite panels (ACP sheets) are composed of a […]
Continue readingCan hydrogen help the aluminium industry move towards a sustainable future?
Aluminium has caught the attention of policymakers and industry experts as a lightweight, recyclable metal that can be used in various industries, starting from automobile and aerospace engineering to infrastructure and construction. Most aluminium products can be recycled for decades- a fact that has earned aluminium the badge of ‘green metal.’ However, despite all its […]
Continue reading