INDUSTRY NEWS
GREENER ALUMINIUM
FOCUS ON THE GAC
EUROPEAN ALUMINIUM: 40 YEARS
www.aluminiumtoday.com November/December 2021—Vol.34 No.6
THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING
A LU M I N I U M I N T E R N AT I O N A L TO DAY N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 V O L . 3 4 N O 6 AIT november december with silver logo.indd 1
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CONTENTS 1
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LEADER
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NEWS ALU BUSINESS SUMMIT
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Aluminium is back and it means business
EURO ALU ANNIVERSARY Volume 34 No. 6 – November/December 2021
COVER
Editorial Editor: Nadine Bloxsome Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855115 nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com
INDUSTRY NEWS
GREENER ALUMINIUM
FOCUS ON THE GAC
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Shaping solutions for a sustainable society
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Interview: Gerd Götz
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Interview: Ingrid Jörg
EUROPEAN ALUMINIUM: 40 YEARS
CYBER SECURITY
Editorial Assistant: Zahra Awan Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855038 zahraawan@quartzltd.com
www.aluminiumtoday.com November/December 2021—Vol.34 No.6
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THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING
Cyber Resilience in sight: Some lessons from the Norsk Hydro cyber attack
Sales
THE ALUMINA CHRONICLES
International Sales Manager: Nathan Jupp nathanjupp@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0)1737 855027 Sales Director: Ken Clark kenclark@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0)1737 855117
A LU M I N I U M I N T E R N AT I O N A L TO DAY N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 V O L . 3 4 N O 6
Production Editor: Annie Baker
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ALUMINUM USA REVIEW 27
Advertisement Production Production Executive: Martin Lawrence
Dynamic Concept’s offer hits the mark on market needs
Managing Director: Tony Crinion CEO: Steve Diprose
Circulation/subscriptions Jack Homewood Tel +44 (0) 1737 855028 Fax +44 (0) 1737 855034 email subscriptions@quartzltd.com Annual subscription: UK £257, all other countries £278. For two year subscription: UK £485, all other countries £501. Airmail prices on request. Single copies £47
Aluminium trade between The US and Europe
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Success at Aluminum USA 2021
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First live event under the new EPIQ Machinery identity
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Cover picture courtesy of GRANCO CLARK
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US Controls at Aluminum USA Show
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Product focus: Handheld LIBS analyzer
ROLLING
Supporters of Aluminium International Today
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Aluminium cathode foil for EV batteries
EXTRUSION 36
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Better profiles, faster
GAC FOCUS 44 ALUMINIUM INTERNATIONAL TODAY is published six times a year by Quartz Business Media Ltd, Quartz House, 20 Clarendon Road, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QX, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855000 Fax: +44 (0) 1737 855034 Email: aluminium@quartzltd.com Aluminium International Today (USO No; 022-344) is published bi-monthly by Quartz Business Ltd and distributed in the US by DSW, 75 Aberdeen Road, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437. Periodicals postage paid at Emigsville, PA. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Aluminium International c/o PO Box 437, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437. Printed in the UK by: Pensord, Tram Road, Pontlanfraith, Blackwood, Gwent, NP12 2YA, UK © Quartz Business Media Ltd 2021
GREEN ALUMINIUM 48
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Low-carbon alu: The customer’s choice
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The recycling plant of the future
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Shipping sustainability questions
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Aluminium packaging
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Properzi ingots technology
CASTHOUSE SEARCH FOR ALUMINIUM INTERNATIONAL TODAY
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Aluminium International Today
Contents Template.indd 1
Overcoming zirconium poisoning with grain refiner research
OPINION PIECE 59
ISSN1475-455X
Interview with the GAC General Secretary
Why the battle against mining and waste will be won in the emerging markets November/December 2021
03/11/2021 11:08:15
2 COMMENT
TOP STORIES
IAI models 1.5-degree decarbonisation scenario
All eyes on COP26 If you’ve missed any of the COP news then I salute you for being able to abstain from any social media or online news alerts! Aluminium will of course play a big part in the discussions and be represented by a host of companies to highlight the net zero strategies already being adopted across the industry. In the lead up, Zahra and I were invited to celebrate aluminium in all its glory, with a private view of the ‘Between Forest and Skies’ sculpture at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The pavilion (pictured below) is made from infinitely recyclable aluminium with the world’s lowest carbon footprint, produced using the En+ Group’s inert anode technology. After being on display in London, it will be packed up and presented at COP26 in Glasgow, before being recycled for further use. The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) has also announced that it has modelled a 1.5 Degree Scenario to guide its member’s efforts to meet global climate goals. The modelling is based on IEA’s Net-Zero by 2050 scenario, combined with the IAI’s material flow analysis and future demand scenarios. To continue this COP26 theme, this issue includes a dedicated ‘Green Aluminium’ feature with an exclusive interview from Novelis, discussing growing customer demand for low carbon aluminium, the recycling plant of the future and there’s also a look at Rusal’s ALLOW aluminium in packaging. Enjoy the issue! nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com
The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) has modelled a 1.5 Degree Scenario to guide its member’s efforts to meet global climate goals. The modelling is based on IEA’s Net-Zero by 2050 scenario, combined with the IAI’s material flow analysis and future demand scenarios. This scenario is the most ambitious decarbonisation approach and complements existing work which includes: detailed historical emissions, business as usual’ scenario (BAU) to 2050 and a ‘Beyond 2 Degrees Scenario (B2DS).
ing electricity, process emissions, thermal energy and recycling. These reductions would need to be achieved at the same time as aluminium demand increases – as it is used to reduce emissions elsewhere such as in electric vehicles, electrical cabling, and renewable energy generation,” states Marlen Bertram, IAI’s Director, Scenarios & Forecasts. Both scenarios are based on decades of comprehensive data and analysis of future demand and guide the many investments already occurring in the industry’s quest to reduce emissions.
HAI invests in recycling melting furnace at Santana site
Hammerer Aluminium Industries (HAI) has announced an investment of 4.5 million Euros in a third melting furnace for recycling material for the casting at the Santana site in Romania. From the beginning of 2022 the new melting furnace, claims HAI, will ensure a significant increase in capacity. Thus, the recycling and re-
melting capacity of the HAI group will increase to 250,000 tons per year. The investment comes in response to he high demand for sustainable aluminium. “We are implementing this project quickly and will be able to provide the market with high-quality recycling material at full capacity from the beginning of 2022, as
planned, and thus meet the increasing demand of our customers“, HAI CEO Rob van Gils. For the planning and implementation of the high-technology recycling melting furnace the HAI group is working with the mechanical engineering company Hertwich Engineering GmbH from Braunau in Upper Austria.
First sustainability disclosures listed on LMEpassport The London Metal Exchange (LME) has announced the first sustainability disclosures registered on its newly launched digital credentials register, LMEpassport. Nine producers have listed disclosures under the LME’s sustainability taxonomy, which covers environmental, social and governance spheres designed to ensure that all aspects of the sustainability world can be reflected. Georgina Hallett, the LME’s November/December 2021
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Both the 1.5 Degree Scenario and B2DS are consistent with the Paris agreement. The data shows a 1.5-degree scenario approach could result in a total sector greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 95% between 2018 and 2050. It will also require significant reductions in carbon intensity of primary metal from 16.1 tonnes CO2e per tonne today to below 1 tonne in 2050. “The 1.5 Degree Scenario would require significant reductions in overall emissions and emissions intensity in all major areas – includ-
Chief Sustainability Officer, commented: “We’re delighted to see key members of the metals community taking the opportunity to provide greater visibility of sustainability credentials. Transparency can help facilitate meaningful progress in important target areas and we’re pleased to support our brands in their vital work to drive the sustainability agenda across all base metals.” For the launch, the LME ap-
proved a limited set of possible disclosures, but also stated that they will be working forward with its listed brands and standards / certification organisations to expand this set to ensure that brands are able to provide transparency across all their sustainability work. LME claims that with this development, they are responding to growing consumer demand for transparency in respect of ESG standards at all levels. Aluminium International Today
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NEWS 3
European Alu turns 40 To celebrate its 40th anniversary, European Aluminium launched a micro-site, magazine and academic paper charting the development of the aluminium industry in Europe and the extraordinary rise of aluminium as a key enabler of a more sustainable society.
Since 1981, the European aluminium industry’s growth has been supported by the industry association European Aluminium. “We have profiled the industry as a proactive actor in many policy areas, including trade, sustainability, energy and climate. I am
thrilled to work for an association with such an illustrious history and a strong membership, which is growing year on year.” says Gerd Götz, Director General of European Aluminium. To further celebrate the achievements of the European Aluminium over its 40 years of commitment, this issue of Aluminium International Today features a selection of articles, including interviews with Gerd Götz, and Ingrid Jörg, Chair of European Aluminium and an additional editorial on the future of aluminium and “shaping solutions for a sustainable society”.
EGA: Completion of new power plant for low emission aluminium Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has announced the completion of the UAE’s most-efficient power plant, which will significantly improve environmental performance at EGA in Jebel Ali regarding its aluminium production. A ceremony to mark the completion was attended by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of EGA and Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Electricity & Water Authority; Musabbeh Al Kaabi, Board member of EGA and Chief Executive Officer of UAE Investments at Mubadala Investment Company; EGA Managing Director Abdulla Kalban and Chief Executive Officer Abdulnasser Bin Kalban; and Karim Amin, Executive Vice President Generation, Siemens Energy. The AED 1 billion power plant
Hydro Sunndal invests in capacity expansion
Hydro has announced its intentions to invest NOK 60 million in a new furnace for the production of foundry alloys at Hydro Sunndal. Hydro claims that the investment in Sunndal increases the capacity for production of special alloys to, among others, the building, construction and automotive industries by 35,000 tonnes per year. The project will start immediately and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2023. Budweiser Brewing group, EN+, RUSAL, Canpack and Elval Pilot produce new beer can with lowest carbon footprint
is built around a Siemens Energy H-class gas turbine, the first in the UAE and in the global aluminium industry, with a generation capacity of around 600 megawatts. The new power plant further improves the efficiency of power generation at EGA, saving natural resources and reducing costs and environmental
emissions. Five older, less efficient turbines at EGA are being put on standby for use only in emergencies. The new block is expected to lower emissions from EGA’s power-generation and aluminium-smelting operations at Jebel Ali by 10 percent. NOx emissions are expected to decrease by 58 percent.
Alcoa plans to restart smelting capacity at Alumar Alcoa Corporation has announced that it plans to restart 268,000 metric tons per year (mtpy) of aluminium capacity at the Alumar smelter in São Luís, Brazil. The process to restart the idle capacity will begin immediately. The first molten metal is expected in the second quarter of 2022, and the full 268,000 mtpy of capacity is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2022. By 2024, the Alumar smelter will be powered with 100 percent renewable energy. John Slaven, Executive Vice Presi-
NEWS IN BRIEF
dent and Chief Operating Officer commented: “Our restart decision is based on an analysis that shows the smelter can be competitive throughout all cycles, leveraging the co-located refinery, a strong workforce, and competitive, renewable power arrangements, … With this planned restart, we’ll be able to build upon the strong capabilities at this site and capture benefits for our investors, customers, employees and the stakeholders in the state of Maranhão in Brazil.” The smelter is jointly owned by a subsidiary of Alcoa and South32
and has three potlines with a total operating capacity of 447,000 metric tons, which includes Alcoa’s share of 268,000 metric tons. Alcoa Alumínio, a wholly owned subsidiary of Alcoa Corporation, owns 60 percent of the smelting and casting capacity; South32 holds the remaining 40 percent. The cost of restarting the idle smelter is anticipated to be approximately $75 million. With this planned restart, Alcoa will have approximately 80 percent of its 2.99 million metric tons of global smelting capacity operating.
The pilot will see the production of five million ultra-low carbon Budweiser 440ml cans using new inert anode aluminium technology, produced using renewable electricity. RUSAL claims that the cans will be sold across UK retailer as soon as Autumn 2021. Combilift launches electric XLE model
new
Combilift announced the launch of its latest product, the Combi-XLE, as a further addition to its range of electric models. In line with the growing demand for electric powered equipment, this multidirectional forklift with up to 5-ton lift capacity, combines emission-free operation with powerful performance for a wide range of industries and applications.
Aluminium International Today
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4 NEWS
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European aluminium producers oppose suspension of longoverdue anti-dumping duties European Aluminium has expressed its support towards the European Commission’s final confirmation of the definitive anti-dumping duties, whilst also announcing its strong opposition against the 9-month suspension of these duties. European Aluminium has stated it is ready to pursue all available avenues to fight the unjustified suspension of the long-overdue trade defence measures. The European Commission’s Definitive Findings (ECDF) in the anti-dumping investigation into certain aluminium flat-rolled products (FRP, case AD668) found that the impact of Chinese dumping of flatrolled products (FRPs) on the EU market causes significant material injury to EU producers. Definitive anti-dumping duties have been set at 14% to 25% to raise China’s dumped prices to market-con-
form prices. However, the duties, which were green lighted by the EU Member States and set to be implemented on 12 October 2021, are now suspended for 9 months. Setting a dangerous precedent for trade defence cases in other sectors, the suspension sends the wrong signal to both international trade partners and China regarding the EU’s commitment to fighting unfair trade practices. European Aluminium’s Director General Gerd Götz commented: “The definitive anti-dumping duties set by the Commission are justified, balanced and long-overdue. China has been dumping underpriced and high-carbon aluminium on our market for many years, jeopardising the viability of our industry in the long run while compromising the EU’s Green Deal ambitions. The decision to sus-
pend the definitive duties is illogical and goes against the assertive trade defence policy announced by the Commission. We urge the European Commission to annul the duty suspension and effectively leverage its trade defence tools to level the playing field for European aluminium producers.” The suspension, according to European Aluminium, will have a devastating impact on the EU aluminium value chain, even beyond the suspension period. The association states that tens of thousands of EU jobs and EU investments into decarbonisation and recycling are at risk. Besides the long-term economic blow, European Aluminium claims it will also conflict agains the EU’s low carbon sustainable focus, as the aluminium supplied by China has a higher carbon content.
Rio Tinto Kemano project milestone In a major milestone for Rio Tinto’s Kemano T2 hydropower project in British Columbia, the tunnel boring machine has broken through to complete its journey which started 30 months ago. The Kemano T2 Project is completing a second tunnel to carry water into the Kemano Powerhouse, to ensure the long-term reliability of the power supply for Rio Tinto’s BC Works smelter in Kitimat. The tunnel boring machine cut 7.6 kilometres through the rock in remote mountains over 30
months, completing the route for a 16 kilometre tunnel that was started in the early 1990s. Kemano T2 Project Manager Alex Jones said: “This is a significant milestone towards finishing the second tunnel and securing the long term reliability of hydropower for Rio Tinto’s smelter in Kitimat, which produces some of the world’s lowest carbon aluminium. Boring this tunnel is a highly-skilled and technical feat that has been achieved in an extremely remote location that is only accessible by air or sea.”
RUSAL and TransContainer “green” logistics RUSAL and PJSC TransContainer (part of the DELO Group) have signed an agreement of intent on strategic cooperation for low-carbon development in the field of logistics. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, both companies November/December 2021
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have announced their commitment to jointly develop and implement new low-carbon technologies for the transportation of raw materials and aluminium products. Igor Yakovenko, CEO of Management Company DELO, said: “With this project, we are fol-
lowing two directions at once: we are not only reducing the carbon footprint of the logistics industry, but we are helping each of our customers to reduce their total volume of carbon emissions generated while delivering raw materials, equipment or the end product.”
2021 DIARY December 1st - 2nd * VIRTUAL * Future Aluminium Forum At the Istanbul Expo Center, leading local aluminum producers and global supplier companies will showcase their products and technologies to the visitors. www.futurealuminiumforum.com
February 2022 27th - 3rd March TMS 2022 The TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition brings together more than 4,000 engineers, scientists, business leaders, and other professionals in the minerals, metals, and materials fields for a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary exchange of technical knowledge. Held in California, USA www.tms.org
March 3rd - 5th Aluexpo At the Istanbul Expo Center, leading local aluminium producers and global supplier companies will showcase their products and technologies to the visitors. Held in Istanbul, Turkey www.aluexpo.com 9th - 10th Sustainable Industrial Manufacturing (SIM) Europe Hosting leaders from the worlds of science, innovation, government, industry, and investment, SIM Europe will provide an opportunity for those at the frontier of energy intensive industrial manufacturing to collaborate and deliver real change. Held in Brussels, Belgium www. sustainableindustrial manufacturing.com
May 3rd - 5th ET 2022 The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) and the ET Foundation have announced the rescheduled dates and location for the Twelfth International Aluminum Extrusion Technology Seminar, previously postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Held in Florida, USA
www.ET-21.org
For a full listing visit www. aluminiumtoday.com and click on Events Diary Aluminium International Today
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6 ALUMINIUM BUSINESS SUMMIT
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ALUMINIUM is back and it means business At the end of September, the hybrid organised ALUMINIUM Business Summit celebrated its premiere in Düsseldorf. For two days, 25 speakers and discussants illuminated the current topics of the aluminium industry from different perspectives. Aluminium International Today’s Editor, Nadine Bloxsome, was in attendance.
“Shaping a new Industrial Era”: the motto of the first ALUMINIUM Business Summit reflected the upheavals currently confronting the aluminium industry - and not only this. Sustainability, new mobility, rapid digitalisation and fundamental shifts in the markets: On September 28 and 29 at the “Altes Stahlwerk” in Düsseldorf, the focus was on the central issues that are likely to occupy the industry for a long time to come - and, above all, on the possible answers to them. The ALUMINIUM Business Summit is a joint project of ALUMINIUM, Aluminium Deutschland, European Aluminium and the CRU Group. Conceived as a combination of condensed, cutting-edge information and a top-class networking event, the Summit featured a number of
top speakers from different areas of the industry. A diversity that was also reflected in the auditorium. The around 100 visitors on site and around 30 guests connected via Zoom each day represented the entire value chain of the aluminium industry. After the Summit opening by Benedikt Binder-Krieglstein (CEO, RX Austria & Germany), Marius Baader (Managing Director, Aluminium Deutschland) and Gerd Götz (Director General, European Aluminium), it was time to get down to business. Sustainability in the focus of the summit Serge Gaudin began by addressing a topic that was a cross-cutting theme
throughout most of the two days: the role of aluminium as a key enabler for the circular economy and decarbonisation. In his keynote address, the Director Strategy & Sustainability, Novelis Europe, emphatically emphasised that the ambitious climate targets can only be achieved if the players pull in the same direction across the entire aluminium supply chain. The panel discussion that followed pointed in the same direction. Discussing the relationship of aluminium to the Green Deal were Hinrich Mählmann (President, Aluminium Deutschland and General Partner, Otto Fuchs), Marius Baader (Managing Director, Aluminium Deutschland), Marko Gernuks (Head of Life Cycle Optimization, Volkswagen), Rob van Gils (CEO & Managing Partner, HAI Group) and Matthias Buchert (Head of Resources & Transport Division, ÖkoInstitut). Under the direction of moderator Emily Whigham - who also led both days of the conference - the panellists sent a clear message: Despite all the differences in interest in the details - the Green Deal is a challenge that only the industry as a whole can overcome. Aluminium in aerospace and automotive An insight into the aerospace world was then provided by Blanka Lenczowski, Business Manager R&T Development
November/December 2021
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Aluminium International Today
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ALUMINIUM BUSINESS SUMMIT 7
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Alois Winkler
Andre Barten
Binder Krieglstein
Gerd Götz
Hinrich Mählmann Marko Gernuks
Jonas Mossler
Manuel Kallweit
Marius Baader
Rob van Gils
Serge Gaudin
& Partnership Europe at Airbus. The industry, which has committed itself to reducing net CO2 emissions to half the 2005 level by 2050, is increasingly relying on environmentally friendly, sustainable materials technologies, with a particular focus on the circular economy. The following two speakers represented an industry that is undergoing transformation like no other. Manuel Kallweit, Head of Economic Intelligence & Economics Department, VDA, spoke about the disruptive changes that the mobility revolution is bringing to the automotive industry. And about the increasingly strong role that aluminium should play as a material in the future. Alois Winkler, responsible at Audi for its “Responsible Supply Chain Strategy,” brought in the OEM perspective. Among other things, the Bavarian car manufacturer has established a closed loop for aluminium stamping waste, in which the high-quality scrap is reprocessed into equally high-quality parts without down-cycling. Virtually unlimited possibilities André E. Barten dedicated his keynote to the connection between the terms green, lean and digital. The President and CEO of the Achenbach Group, who sees these as just three different facets of one and the same topic, used the example of battery technology to report on the progress Aluminium International Today
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R - L: van Gils, Seifer, Binder-Krieglstein
made by his own group of companies and sketched a picture of sheer unlimited solutions made of aluminium that should inspire the entire industry. Artificial intelligence and a new accelerator Against a completely different background is AI expert Jonas Moßler, founder and CEO of Susi&James. The young company offers its (industrial) customers artificial intelligence-based “digital employees.” How these can free people from overload situations and thus also ensure more satisfied end customers was the topic of his presentation. Thomas Müller-Kirschbaum, Chief Scientist and member of the Advisory Board of Silicon Valley, concluded the first day of the Summit. The accelerator in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region wants to become a global centre of the Circular Economy along the lines of Silicon Valley - with aluminium naturally playing a prominent role.
Thomas MüllerKirschbaum
On the way to a circular economy The second day of the ALUMINIUM Business Summit was opened by Nicola Coslett, CEO of CRU Events. She was followed by another contribution on the topic of sustainability with the first keynote. Claudia Bierth, European Sustainability Manager at Ball Beverage Packaging Europe, reported on the one hand on the continuous growth that the aluminium can has already achieved as a sustainable circular packaging. At the same time, however, she pointed out the steps still needed to make the collection, separation and recycling of cans and other packaging part of a true circular economy. A clear appeal to the industry. What influence does logistics have? Bart van Gils provided another change of perspective. The logistics expert and Managing Partner of The Agency reviewed the upheavals to which global supply chains have been exposed in recent months - and by no means just because of the pandemic. How this affects justin-time models and why logistics costs are unlikely to reach previous levels were topics of van Gils’ presentation. With Hélène Wagnies, Managing Director at Ducker Research Europe, the ALUMINIUM Business Summit returned to the automotive theme. Wagnies used extensive data to explain how November/December 2021
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8 ALUMINIUM BUSINESS SUMMIT
electrification is affecting the use of aluminium in the European and North American automotive industries. Other key topics: China, capital markets, CBAM Rafael Suchan, CEO of the Scholz Group and the Chiho Environmental Group, then discussed how the market for aluminium recycling in China is developing. Daniel Palme, Head of Metals, Mining & Adv. Materials, Industrials, Capital Markets at Commerzbank, shed light on capital markets with a view to sustainability - and on how finance can drive decarbonisation. Tolga Egrilmezer, Vice President Sales &
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Marketing, Aluminium Rio Tinto, reported on the numerous collaborations his company has already entered into in the spirit of making aluminium the material of choice. Sustainability, one of his key messages, is “Team Effort.”
Ken Ash, independent consultant and Visiting Fellow at the University of Adelaide’s Institute for International Trade, explained the challenges of developing effective and WTO-compatible CBAMs. Ross Strachan, Senior Analyst, Aluminium, CRU Group, highlighted the impact of the “emissions era” on primary aluminium production, market balance and trade flows. Specifically, he addressed the obstacles that still stand in the way of increasing recycled aluminium content. With the last keynote, the ALUMINIUM Business Summit once again turned to China. Markus Taube, Chair of East Asian Economics at the University of DuisburgEssen and partner of Think!Desk China Research & Consulting, provided insights into China’s changing role in the global aluminium industry. �
NEW COMPANION TO THE WORLD’S LEADING TRADE FAIR In view of the successful premiere, the ALUMINIUM Business Summit, like the ALUMINIUM Digital Talk, will in future accompany the world’s leading trade fair ALUMINIUM as a further format. Project Manager Malte Seifert says: “The trade fair is and will of course remain the centre, but the two new formats are in our eyes the perfect complement to continue the imperative discussions.”
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Aluminium International Today
02/11/2021 15:57:46
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EUROPEAN ALUMINIUM ANNIVERSARY 11
OVERVIEW Looking Shaping solutions Ahead: for a sustainable society
* EU27, EFTA, UK, Turkey
2021 is the year of European Aluminium’s 40th Anniversary. It is also the year of hope and emergence, recovery and rediscovery after what has been an extremely challenging period for the industry. Having been accustomed to upward trends everywhere, the pandemic has taught us the painful truth that nothing is certain. COVID-19 seriously impacted the operations and resilience of Europe’s aluminium value chain: aluminium production and employment figures dropped significantly in many countries because of temporary lower demand, shutdowns of customers’ facilities or our operations, government restrictions, supply chain disruptions, and logistical challenges. Yet despite the breakdown in global supply chains, the industry showed how business can be a force for good in times of crisis. Europe’s domestic aluminium value chain mobilised rapidly to produce semi-fabricated goods that remain vital for Europe’s COVID-19 response. These include frames for field hospitals, respiratory machines, oxygen tanks and other medical instruments and equipment, as well as can sheet and foil sheet for the packaging of food, drinks, pet food, Aluminium International Today
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pharmaceutical and medical products. The aluminium industry’s response to the crisis is one of many examples of our industry’s great resilience and adaptability. Over the past four decades, European aluminium producers had to respond to European and global challenges, from the rise of China and the disintegration of ‘national champions’ to new EU regulations, all while reacting to everchanging customer demands. While this is true for many industries, the aluminium industry is remarkable in its spirit of cooperation and dialogue, enabling it to always bounce back. This goes back all the way to the establishment of the first aluminium coalition in 1901 between the firms that pioneered the aluminium smelting technology, patented just 15 years prior. As our membership proves, the European industry is more united than ever. European Aluminium counts over 85 members, including primary aluminium producers; downstream manufacturers of extruded, rolled and cast aluminium; producers of recycled aluminium and national aluminium associations. Our members represent the entire aluminium value chain with more than 600 plants in 30 European countries.* The ability to speak with a single voice on behalf of the entire aluminium value chain is critical because there are a few challenges ahead of us that will require a strong and united front. A critical agenda item is actively defending our interests in international trade issues. We have made significant progress in shifting the regulatory agenda towards greater fairness. It has been an abiding issue during our engagement with policymakers on a regional and global basis as the damaging effects of Chinese excess capacity have become increasingly apparent. The European Commission has already imposed anti-dumping duties on Chinese aluminium extrusions and certain flat rolled products. But while anti-dumping duties are effective in the short term, there is a clear need for a structural and global solution at the WTO level to address China’s unfair trade practices. And, of course, we need to respond to the volatility in global trade caused by issues such as Brexit, challenges to the implementation of WTO rules, and a wave of new free trade agreements between
major economies. Free and fair trade will be ever-present on European Aluminium’s agenda until such time as we have secured the calm and level playing-field that will give our members equality of opportunity in the marketplace. Another important agenda item is responding to the increasingly urgent drive towards sustainability. Aluminium is very versatile and, as a material, possesses many qualities critical to a sustainable economy (particularly, its infinite recyclability). But these unique properties of aluminium don’t automatically qualify us as a sustainable industry. Aluminium should be produced and recycled sustainably by focusing not only on profits but also our planet and people. This means going further and faster when it comes to delivering on the industry’s sustainability targets. The current mid-term review of our Sustainability Roadmap Towards 2025 will help evaluate our progress and raise our ambitions and inform future strategy. But the industry cannot do it alone. Strong alignment with policymakers is needed to address our transition needs for carbon neutrality and incentivise recycling, and so our future will certainly feature broader and deeper engagement across the entire community of national, regional and global regulation. We will continue to be a passionate advocate for the circular economy and aluminium’s pivotal role in it. This will require us to keep up our vocal support for increased aluminium recycling and for ever-wider recognition of its critical contribution to mitigating climate change. Even as we step up to meet these challenges, we know that our future will contain many unknowable obstacles and issues to overcome. But we look forward secure in the knowledge that, since the start of the pandemic, Europe’s aluminium family has displayed all the qualities indispensable for surviving and thriving. Resilience and versatility. Flexibility and tenacity. Professionalism and diligence. Above everything else, what we have witnessed is the power of a community working in partnership for the good of its members and the collective whole. If we continue to meet common needs, solve common problems and accomplish common goals, who knows what new accomplishments our next anniversary magazine will document? � November/December 2021
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12
EUROPEAN ALUMINIUM ANNIVERSARY
INTERVIEW
Gerd Götz
GERD GÖTZ, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF EUROPEAN ALUMINIUM
By Prof. Marco Bertilorenzi Have you chosen aluminium or has aluminium chosen you? Gerd Götz: The first time I met aluminium was with the “Alugroschen” – I grew up in Berlin when there were two Germanies. I was rarely allowed to visit my grandmother and members of my parents’ families in East Berlin. There, small value coins were made of aluminium; called “Alugroschen”, rather a negative notion because it was light and looked cheap. As it had practically no value outside the GDR, it had no meaning to me. Many years later, I rediscovered aluminium when I was working with Philips, at that time a very design-oriented company with some very attractive and shiny products made from aluminium that were instantly enticing! When the European Aluminium Association asked if I would like to join, I had no deep knowledge of this industry, but I had this emotional link to some consumer products. I discovered a fascinating material, a material of November/December 2021
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the future, and the great potential of its industry. And understood why its lightness is a very special value and not a disadvantage. In recent years, European Aluminium has profoundly changed its approaches in terms of methods and means. Could you put into perspective this change and its challenges? The message of the past was very driven by technical experts explaining how superior aluminium is. But you don’t get to the heart that way. We had to open up to the outside world, listen and learn from other points of view, and give more attention to what we have called the aluminium effect: its formidable properties which can do so much to help create a more sustainable world. As an association we provide everything needed to build awareness of aluminium’s high sustainability, particularly about carbon footprint and the circular economy. We also had to listen to opposing views, review our own reasoning, and understand what had to be done differently. The Sustainability Roadmap Towards 2025 is at the heart of European Aluminium’s strategy. Why and how can it unite the whole aluminium industry of Europe? The Roadmap has driven a complete repositioning of the whole value chain. For a long time, the association was led by primary producers. Recent developments gave new weight both to downstream companies, and to recycling. A shift in perspective was inevitable, and sustainability is a powerful new common driver. We can also be more than satisfied that our predecessors started collecting data on our industry’s environmental performance already in the late 1990s. In addition, we had to extend our approach, to draw a long-term perspective, to give targets on the social dimension, to address diversity and social engagements. In 2015 we were leaders in making this sort of roadmap and also created a Sustainability Advisory Board comprised of external experts. In 2016 we were viewed by the EU Commissioner for the Environment as a “poster child” of the circular economy. Today, we are running a mid-term review and have realised that we could be even more ambitious, that we need to go further and faster. How has the communication and the public image of aluminium evolved? As for the association, we launched a rebranding which focused on two key points: Our name first, which has become European Aluminium, focusing on the
essential, and not hidden behind an abbreviation. The redesign of our website has highlighted the aluminium effect, its unique properties, while enhancing intuitive navigation. We were proud that this approach earned us a European Best Association Website award in 2017! And whoever visited the last Aluminium Fair in Düsseldorf – the flagship event of our industry globally - could personally convince themselves of the dynamism of our members there. European Aluminium claims to speak as the single voice of the aluminium industry in Europe. But history shows that interests are far from always converging, depending on regional disparities or on whether one extracts bauxite, produces metal, transforms or recycles it. Is one single voice for the industry possible? It is a challenge for each association to find the right balance between these positions. Our management has been reinforced to combine the issues of the whole value chain in joint agenda-setting priorities. Members were able to agree on the Sustainability Roadmap, our “Vision 2050” and the Circular Aluminium Action Plan. We have also adapted our organization to new topics with the creation of the recycling division, the trade committee, the energy & climate committee. Establishing the Innovation Hub in 2018 has been another very important milestone. At the beginning it was an experiment because members were not used to share too much in the R&D field. In a few years, the Hub has proved its capacity to bring together companies for research projects of common interest, and self-financed from various EU programmes. Speaking with one voice is indispensable if you want to be perceived in the concert of competing materials and sectors. European Aluminium is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. What do you find most striking about this history and the history of the material? The continuous modernisation, the understanding of the role aluminium can play – which was certainly not always seen, far too shy! It’s fascinating to see how aluminium has found more and more a clear role in the economy both as a critical industry and as a unique material, with impact on many vital areas. It has understood how to be a part of a circular economy and the decarbonised world. This positive attitude has of course its roots in the aluminium effect, in the winning properties of a permanent material. �
Aluminium International Today
03/11/2021 10:09:03
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14
EUROPEAN ALUMINIUM ANNIVERSARY
INTERVIEW
Ingrid Jörg
INGRID JÖRG, CHAIR OF EUROPEAN ALUMINIUM
By Prof. Marco Bertilorenzi You were elected Chair of European Aluminium as of July 2021, the year it celebrates its 40th anniversary. President of Constellium’s Aerospace and Transportation business unit since 2015, you have worked in the aluminium industry for more than 20 years, previously holding positions of responsibility at Alcoa, Aleris, Amag. In your opinion, what have been the major changes in this industry during this period, and particularly in Europe? Ingrid Jörg: I would say that the changes have been both global and specific to Europe. The geopolitical situation has radically changed, the globalisation of companies and markets as well as increased environmental challenges and opportunities have profoundly transformed rules and behaviour. The European aluminium industry had to adapt itself: The European market is still highly fragmented and complex. This is due to history: Europe is made up of different countries and linguistic areas,
different norms and standards. In Europe there are a lot of small and medium-size enterprises, while in North America you usually have large companies to deal with and the specifications are more uniform. Furthermore, it can be more expensive to produce in Europe both because of the higher cost of energy and because of the environmental regulations put in place by the EU. In this competition, however, Europe has a precious advantage: an abundant skilled labour force linked to the fact that generally education in Europe for technical workers’ jobs is much better than elsewhere. It is important to note that the European aluminium industry, together with European Aluminium, has made much progress when it comes to sustainability. Examples that come to mind are the reduction of CO2 emissions already achieved by European smelters, a high beverage can recycling rate in Europe, and large investments to support the continuous light-weighting of vehicles to achieve better fuel-efficiency. How do European Aluminium manage to speak with one single voice for a very diverse industry? We all have the same problems technically speaking, but in different market segments and with different approaches. We work together on common challenges to provide common services helping in strengthening the competitiveness of the industry. For instance, our Innovation Hub is a powerful forum to work together on technologies of the future. Market groups’ expertise is also central to meet common challenges and opportunities. The smaller companies benefit strongly from their membership because they would not have sufficient resources to accomplish these works on their own. How would you define the role and the priorities of European Aluminium?
We are facing two major challenges: meeting the urgent needs of sustainability by creating an industry looking forward for the next 30 years; and actively defending our interests in international trade issues. European Aluminium’s role is to help tackle those challenges by promoting aluminium as the permanent material, ideally positioned for the Circular Economy as part of the European Green Deal, and working with European legislators to help level the playing field when it comes to international trade. Achieving a level playing field in this global industry is paramount for future investment needed to tackle climate change while staying competitive. The voice of the European aluminium industry matters in many issues, on environment, on competitiveness, on trade and on technology, well, we are a kind of global benchmark. The Covid-19 pandemic has shaken the world. What impact can this crisis have for the future of the European aluminium industry? This crisis has affected the lives of everyone in Europe and around the world. Some of our markets have suffered a lot but the European aluminium industry has largely mobilised, for instance by providing aluminium products used for medical instruments for field hospitals or can sheet and foil for packaging food, drinks, pet food, pharmaceuticals and medical products. This crisis has shown that it is important for Europe to preserve its competitive industrial base. The growth of local-forlocal businesses will be an important trend with global supply chain disruptions we are living through today due to the pandemic. Aluminium has a lot to contribute to a sustainable and resourceefficient growth in Europe thanks to its light-weighting capability and its infinite recyclability. �
November/December 2021
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03/11/2021 10:09:13
16 CYBER SECURITY
Cyber Resilience in sight: Some lessons from the Norsk Hydro cyber attack
By Dr Mark P. Sallos* and Prof Alexeis Garcia-Perez**
With technology and interconnectivity increasing at the heart of most aluminium manufacturing organisations, the importance of cybersecurity for the sector is ever-increasing. Particularly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic almost two years ago, the sector has increasingly relied on the use of technologies beyond their offices and the shop floor. At the same time, the opportunities presented by Internet-connected systems are increasingly exploited by malicious actors of varied agendas. Such actors have inherent advantages in their efforts (Sallos et al. 2019), as defence and offence efforts are often unbalanced. Protecting a digital infrastructure is often an expensive endeavour, particularly for the small aluminium manufacturer or its stakeholders. As demonstrated in recent years, off-the-shelf ransomware solutions provide attackers – even those with limited technical proficiency, with the opportunity to disrupt and monetise common vulnerabilities in organisational information systems. This occurs despite substantial security budgets and
Manual operations at the Hydro extrusion plant in Portland, Oregon. Photo courtesy of Hydro.
significant efforts made by cybersecurity teams such as those in the context of the aluminium industry. The imperfect nature of defensive efforts against cyberattacks has led to calls for a paradigm shift; or at least a paradigm expansion: Organisations from all sectors and particularly from those related to critical infrastructures approach
cyber threats through the principles of resilience rather than avoidance. As attempts to avoid cyberattacks still prove insufficient, resilience thinking presents a defensive perspective based on the premise that, under the right (or wrong) circumstances, cybersecurity incidents will occur to the organisation.
*Higher Colleges of Technology, Dubai, Academic City, United Arab Emirates. Email: msallos@hct.ac.ae **Centre for Business in Society, Coventry University, Priory Street, Coventry, United Kingdom. Email: alexeis.garcia-perez@coventry.ac.uk November/December 2021
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Aluminium International Today
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CYBER SECURITY 17
al., 2013). Both of these core concepts are observable in the Norsk Hydro case, which presents a series of clear principles and broader lessons.
“If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that if a competent hacker really wants to get into a company, they will succeed no matter what,” says De Vleigher. The aluminium organisation is part of an ecosystem. Its digital resilience is about the organisation’s ability to understand the digital landscape where the sector operates and then adapt to it for its own (cyber)security. For lessons from their external environment to be of practical use, organisations, i.e. management of the sector, must account for the cybersecurity information they know and can control. This, as we know, is often limited to what management can really know about their own digital assets and services, not about the activity of cybercriminals targeting the sector. A second problem lies in the abstract nature of the problem and how difficult it is for the aluminium organisation to effectively put digital resilience into practice. Two and a half years later, revisiting the Norsk Hydro cyberattack can help us understand what it meant for the organisation and the international aluminium manufacturing ecosystem. The Norsk Hydro attack at a glance As described in their website, “on March Aluminium International Today
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19, 2019, Hydro was hit by an extensive cyber-attack. The attack affected our entire global organisation, with the business area Extruded Solutions having suffered the most significant operational challenges and financial losses. Hydro’s other business areas – Bauxite & Alumina, Primary Metal, Rolled Products and Energy – was able to produce close to normal despite the attack, although based on work-intensive workarounds and manual procedures. […]” Lessons learned: Resilience, Threat and Vulnerability Resilience is a complex concept. At a broad level, it is described as the “ability of the system to withstand a major disruption within acceptable degradation parameters and to recover within an acceptable time and composite costs and risks” (Haimes, 2009). This points to concepts such as Vulnerability (any state of the system which can be exploited by an adversary) and Threat (a combination of malicious intent and capability). More specifically, cyber resilience has been described from a functional perspective as the ability to plan for, absorb, recover from and adapt to a cyber disruption in the physical, informational, cognitive and social domains (Linkov et
Anticipation is important, but it is not sufficient A first conclusion highlighted by the company’s management in response to the incident relates to the unavoidability –sooner or later, of successful cyber incidents, given that the sector is an attractive target for capable cybercriminals. As a first-principles justification, it should be noted that in order to be deemed successful in avoiding cyberattacks, the aluminium sector, would have to be able to prevent all attacks targeting any aluminium organisation and the international aluminium supply chain. A cybercriminal, however, will only need to achieve success in a single, sufficiently meaningful attempt to be deemed a successful attacker. Furthermore, cyber threats are optimised to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in the Aluminium organisation, its supply chain and its major dependencies, whereas organisations are optimised to fulfil a different primary task: value creation through aluminium manufacturing and related operations. If viewed as a product of cybercriminals’ intent and the sector’s digital capabilities, threats are likely to further multiply – if not in numbers, at least in scope, for example, from one organisation to another within the aluminium sector and its international supply chain. As cybercriminals find new ways to profit from attacks to the sector –particularly in the case of ransomware, their intentions are unlikely to be diminished (Schneider 2021). Furthermore, as malware supply chains and cybercrime ecosystems further develop, it becomes easier for actual and potential criminals to become a threat to the sector. This means that capable cyber criminals with inherent advantages over the aluminium organisation are likely to become a recognisable feature of the operating environment for the sector over the coming years, further highlighting the importance of cyber resilience thinking in aluminium manufacturing. Cyber Resilience is not just ‘cyber’ In line with Linkov et al.’s (2013) definition, Norsk Hydro was able to coordinate its response to the cyberattack across physical, informational, cognitive and social domains. Responses in the physical domain ensured mission-critical business continuity. The successful management of information and knowledge across the organisation’s extended network played – and continues to play, a key role in diminishing the scope of the vulnerability November/December 2021
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18 CYBER SECURITY
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“If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that if a competent hacker really wants to get into a company, they will succeed no matter what, ” says De Vleigher.
while recovery efforts were underway. In the days and weeks that followed the attack, employees had to be subjected to increased social and cognitive pressures to ensure business continuity. While seemingly a technical vulnerability, Norks Hydro’s successful response strategy involved coordination across domains. Mitigating actions required an ’all handson-deck’ approach, and full coordination/ cooperation within the organisation and with all relevant stakeholders. Effective recovery takes time and requires redundancy in missioncritical systems Defined as the ability of components of a system to undertake the function of their failed counterparts (Haimes 2009), functional redundancy proved essential in navigating the disruption of key information systems in this case. As Norks Hydro’s primary systems were disrupted, the company temporarily resorted to predigital solutions as a temporary alternative. This ability to – temporarily and partially, replace the function of affected digital assets was essential, especially as recovery efforts evolved in an incremental manner. The company’s solution to this problem expanded the range of usually technical approaches of building redundancy for digital assets. It also highlights the importance of understanding the placement and features of key digital assets, as well as their role within the redundancy reserves of the overall system. Cyber Resilience is idiosyncratic; but it is unlikely to happen by mistake While most steps taken by Norsk Hydro relied on the company’s strengths and the contextual opportunities and framing of the situation, its ability to successfully overcome the incident was underpinned by elements that can be embedded in the strategy of the organisation: Digital situational awareness, governance, and operational understanding. Following the attack, the company’s management was vocal on the importance of positioning cybersecurity and cyber risk November/December 2021
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as a strategic priority. This echoes the key recommendation of considering cybersecurity as an executive-level concern. Given the value of digital assets for organisations in the aluminium manufacturing sector, cyber incidents can meaningfully disrupt most of their strategic objectives, with long-lasting effects, which are even more prevalent if cyber resilience is mismanaged. Understanding the scope of the digital vulnerabilities of the organisation, as well as the local opportunities and barriers to effective response and recovery requires a clear intent and awareness at a leadership level. The same can applies to the gathering and maintaining of the skills, awareness and resources required within the organisation to face such an event. Knowledge networks are essential In responding to the incident, Norsk Hydro had to overcome operational, threatrelated, and technological knowledge barriers (Sallos et al. 2019). A key theme throughout its response was that the company was able to effectively identify, capture and use necessary knowledge both within and outside of its boundaries. Examples of this range from its ability to regain otherwise lost know-how (from retirees and ex-employees), to the effective involvement of law enforcement and industry partners as sources of technical and procedural know-how. A variety of potential reputational concerns could have led to a likely less-effective insular effort to overcome the incident. Understanding the opportunities presented by the stakeholder network can prove essential in establishing favourable paths of action. The cost of incidents is multivariate Despite the unavoidable losses suffered, particularly in lost business, the company managed to stave off potentially significant market setbacks. In the process, it also further reduced its vulnerability to future attacks, and, through its transparency, generated an unlikely overall positive reputational effect. Cost estimates in such events are imperfect. By choosing not to
pay the ransom, the company avoided incentivising future attacks, both to itself and others within and beyond Aluminium manufacturing, while strengthening its networks, its know-how, and mitigating the market effects of the incident. More costly long-term counterfactuals are thus conceivable, highlighting the importance of a broader perspective for managers facing such decisions. Conclusion Since the cyberattack to Norks Hydro in March 2019, the reliance of the Aluminium sector in digital technologies has significantly increased. As a result, aluminium organisations have become an even more attractive target for cybercriminals, who at the same time have gained in their ability to breach into complex digital infrastructures and monetise digital assets. It is important that the sector continue to build its understanding of Cyber Resilience and strengthen collaborations for the sharing of cyber intelligence within and between Aluminium organisations, as well as with organisations from other critical infrastructure sectors. Revisiting and learning from the Norks Hydro case continues to be an important step in building the Cyber Resilience of the international aluminium manufacturing ecosystem. � References: Haimes, Y. Y. (2009). On the complex definition of risk: A systems-based approach. Risk Analysis: An International Journal, 29(12), 1647-1654. Linkov, I., Eisenberg, D. A., Plourde, K., Seager, T. P., Allen, J., & Kott, A. (2013). Resilience metrics for cyber systems. Environment Systems and Decisions, 33(4), 471-476. Sallos, M.P., Garcia-Perez, A., Bedford, D. & Orlando, B. (2019). Strategy and organisational cybersecurity: a knowledge-problem perspective. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 20 (4), 581-597. Schneider, J., & Wirth, A. (2021). Balancing Patient Safety, Clinical Efficacy, and Cybersecurity with Clinician Partners. Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology, 55(1), 21-28. Aluminium International Today
03/11/2021 10:13:04
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THE ALUMINA CHRONICLES 21
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Aluminium trade between The United States and Europe By Richard McDonough*
The European Union and the United States of America are two of the largest trading entities globally.
The United States of America (US) implemented a series of tariffs on the importation of aluminium and steel products on 23 March 2018. Imports of these products from certain countries were initially excluded from these tariffs – 10% on aluminium products and 25% on steel products – but on 1 June 2018, aluminium and steel products imported from European Union (EU) nations into the US were subject to these tariffs. Collectively, these tariffs are known as “Section 232 tariffs.” The name of these aluminium and steel tariffs comes from the Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 passed by the US Congress and signed into law by President John Kennedy. Whilst these tariffs were enforced on imports from the EU, there were ways for American businesses to request that certain imports be excluded from these tariffs if the products were not “produced in the United States in a sufficient and reasonably available amount or of a satisfactory quality,” according to the US
Department of Commerce. A number of businesses in the US requested and were granted exclusion from having to pay Section 232 tariffs on large quantities of aluminium (and steel) imported into the US. According to the US Department of Commerce, there were 27,571 requests for exclusions of paying the Section 232 tariffs on the importation of aluminium products as of 7 February 2021. 61% of all of those requests were approved for exclusion by the Federal government of the US. 18% of the requests were denied, 19% were rejected/ withdrawn, and 2% are pending. Some of those approved exclusions benefitted imports of aluminium products from countries within the EU. According to the US Congressional Research Service, as of 14 April 2021, the US has “…assessed US$7.7 billion in steel tariffs and US$2.4 billion in aluminium tariffs.” In addition, the research arm of the US Congress indicated that the US has “…
assessed US$18.8 million and US$1 million from the tariffs on steel and aluminium derivative products, respectively,” noting that the additional tariffs arose from a Presidential proclamation issued on 24 January 2020 “…that also placed tariffs on imports of products such as…aluminium stranded wire, cables, and plaited bands and other like products.” The US Congressional Research Service indicated that the US Court of International Trade (CIT) issued a ruling in April of 2021 in which the CIT declared that this “… Presidential proclamation was ‘invalid as contrary to law.’” Though these Section 232 tariffs were implemented by US President Donald Trump, the US, under a new administration of President Joseph Biden, has thus far continued to collect tariffs on aluminium and steel products imported into the US from the EU. Negotiations to end these tariffs have been underway. On 17 May 2021, officials from both
*Do you have questions about the aluminium industry? Governmental regulations? Company operations? Your questions may be used in a future news column. Contact Richard McDonough at aluminachronicles@gmail.com. © 2021 Richard McDonough Aluminium International Today
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November/December 2021
02/11/2021 15:51:51
22 THE ALUMINA CHRONICLES
the EU and the US issued a “Joint United States – European Union Statement on Addressing Global Steel and Aluminium Excess Capacity. United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis today announced the start of discussions to address global steel and aluminium excess capacity… They agreed to enter into discussions on the mutual resolution of concerns in this area that addresses steel and aluminium excess capacity and the deployment of effective solutions, including appropriate trade measures, to preserve our critical industries. To ensure the most constructive environment for these joint efforts, they agreed to avoid changes on these issues that negatively affect bilateral trade. They committed to engaging in these discussions expeditiously to find solutions before the end of the year that will demonstrate how the US and EU can address excess capacity, ensure the long-term viability of our steel and aluminium industries, and strengthen our democratic alliance.” During 2021, the US Department of Commerce reported that only one EU member country was among the top 15 countries that were the sources of aluminium imported into the US for domestic consumption as measured by metric tonnes: Germany was the 15th largest source of imported aluminium products into the US for domestic consumption from 1 January 2021 through 30 September 2021. During this time period, the US imported 53,985.4 metric tonnes of aluminium products from Germany. Among other EU countries ranked in the top 40 countries as measured by metric tonnes of aluminium imported into the US for domestic consumption thus far during 2021, Austria was ranked at #20, Greece at #21, Spain at #22, Italy at #24, France at #26, Sweden at #33, Belgium at #34, Luxembourg at #35, Bulgaria at #39, and Slovenia at #40. Three non-EU countries in Europe were also among the top 40 nations that were the sources of aluminium products imported into the US: the United Kingdom at #25, Switzerland at #36, and Norway at #37. To put some of these statistics into perspective, according to the US Department of Commerce, five nations provided 70.8% of all aluminium products imported into the US for domestic consumption as measured by November/December 2021
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metric tonnes thus far in 2021. Canada (ranked #1) represented 51.7% of all aluminium products imported into the US during the first nine months of 2021. Aluminium products imported from the next three nations – the United Arab Emirates, Russia, and Bahrain, ranked in order – collectively represented 15.2% of all aluminium products imported into the US. Aluminium products imported from China into the US represented 3.9% of all imported aluminium products for domestic consumption during the time period from 1 January 2021 through 30 September 2021. The Aluminum Association and European Aluminium joint statement In a joint statement issued on 27
Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, at the inaugural meeting of the United States – European Union Trade and Technology Council in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (The photograph was provided courtesy of the European Commission, 30 September 2021.)
September 2021, both The Aluminum Association and European Aluminium indicated that they “…welcome the intention to find a solution to the Section 232 tariffs on aluminium and steel by 1 November. Both associations strongly support the phase out of Section 232 tariffs on aluminium products coming to the United States from the European Union. We understand there are several potential avenues to reach that goal and we urge policymakers to pay special attention to the specifics of the aluminium and steel value chains when designing these phase-out avenues.” “Trade between our economies is based
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on long term commercial partnerships between EU and US aluminium producers that are bound together in an integrated supply chain based on mutual benefits,” the joint statement continued. “Efficient aluminium production, trade and recycling systems in the United States and Europe can make an increasing contribution to sustaining good jobs, ensuring reliable supplies of strategically important materials, and realizing a low carbon economy – but only if international markets along the aluminium value chain are free, fair, and open.” European Commission “The Section 232 measures adopted by the United States under President Trump against EU exports of steel and aluminium for reasons of national security need to be lifted swiftly and permanently,” stated a spokesperson for the European Commission. “Leaders from both sides expressed their joint commitment to address these issues at the EU - US Summit on 15 June and find a solution before 1 December. Since then, the EU and the US are working closely together.” “To ensure a constructive environment for those discussions, and as a goodwill gesture, the EU in May suspended for a six-month period (until 1 December 2021) the application of the second part of its rebalancing measures,” the spokesperson continued. “The EU has consistently made the point that, as a trusted US ally, the EU cannot be deemed to pose a security threat to the US. Nor is it a source of global steel and aluminium excess capacity. On the contrary, steel and aluminium overcapacity – which originates mainly but not exclusively in China – affects the EU negatively as well.” The spokesperson summarized the situation by noting that “…we need to find a solution which addresses this problem and respects the traditional trade volume – before the imposition of the US Section 232 tariffs – and in a WTOcompatible way. We are also committed to working with the US on how to address the broader question of overcapacity.” The Aluminum Association The Aluminum Association has indicated that it strongly supports efforts to address aluminium overcapacity by the US and the European Union. The Aluminum Association represents businesses that produce 70% of the aluminium and aluminium products shipped in North America, according to the trade Aluminium International Today
02/11/2021 15:51:55
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24 THE ALUMINA CHRONICLES
organisation. “Three years after the implementation of the Section 232 tariffs on most aluminium imports into the US, it is time to take a fresh look at trade policy to support a robust domestic aluminium industry,” said Tom Dobbins, President and CEO of The Aluminum Association in a news statement dated 6 April 2021. He indicated that the Federal government has “…an opportunity to harness the growth potential for aluminium as a sustainable solution for the 21st century, and capitalize on the more than US$3 billion of private US aluminium investment over the past decade.” On 27 September 2021, Mr. Dobbins stated in an opinion piece that “Since Day 1, both administrations have assumed that trade policies that might work for steel will work equally well for aluminium. In fact, aluminium and steel are entirely separate industries that are positioned quite differently in the global economy. It’s long past time for policymakers to understand these differences and craft customized policies to strengthen these equally essential – but very unique – sectors of American manufacturing.” He noted that the main challenge facing the aluminium industry – both in North America and in Europe – is “… the ongoing threat of massively subsidized aluminium production in China.” Highlighting the importance of a targeted and customised trade policy for the US aluminium industry, Mr. Dobbins asked “…that the Biden administration take a moment to consider the many differences between US aluminium and steel. Steel is largely a domestic industry, whereas aluminium relies on international supply chains. Steel is often produced entirely in one facility, whereas aluminium requires separate facilities, sometimes on other sides of the world, for smelting, rolling and processing. Steel is made from iron ore that can be mined in the US, whereas aluminium is made from bauxite, a mineral the US mines very little of. Steel is facing subsidised overcapacity in Europe; aluminium is not.” In his opinion piece, he stated “…that the US aluminium industry is integrated with our partners in Europe to a much larger degree than steel. Some domestic aluminium companies even have European affiliates. Many US producers rely on intermediate products from the EU, which are then finished here and sold into the November/December 2021
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market. It should go without saying that trade disputes only make sense when there is something to dispute. In this case, the aluminium industries in the US and EU are in total agreement that Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs) would be a disaster. Neither side wants them; neither side stands to gain. Rather, the US and European aluminium industries agree that the way to deal with the stalemate is through a gradual unwinding of existing aluminium tariffs over a three-year period.” Mr. Dobbins stated that the insistence on TRQs by the administration of President Biden is not supported by either American or European aluminium industries: “Indeed, only two groups stand to benefit from aluminium TRQs. The first are the metal traders who will use them to exert
Ryan Olsen, Vice President of Market Growth and Development at The Aluminum Association (The photograph was provided courtesy of The Aluminum Association, 2019.)
leverage and manipulate prices. This isn’t just a problem for the upstream aluminium industry; it impacts every sector of the US economy that uses aluminium, from food packaging to personal technology to household appliances and more. The end result will be uncertainty for businesses and higher prices for any US consumer who buys aluminium products – which means every US consumer.” “The other victor from the TRQs would be China,” he continued. “This unnecessary dispute distracts us from the real threat facing the transatlantic aluminium industry, which is China’s penchant for pumping unfairly traded aluminium into the global market. Here again, the US and EU are largely aligned. But throwing us into an unnecessary
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dispute prevents the cooperation needed to address the real issues.” “President Biden can and should do whatever he must to support US steelworkers; we just ask that he recognize that what makes sense for steel may prove harmful to aluminium,” Mr. Dobbins concluded. “We are separate industries with separate equities, separate interests, and separate challenges. Moreover, aluminium companies in the US and EU can and should be partners. We must put our gloves down on this ridiculous tariff dispute so that we can put our heads together on disastrous Chinese industrial and trading practices.” Ryan Olsen, Vice President of Market Growth and Development at The Aluminum Association, is one of three individuals that will serve as the Association’s interim leadership team as the organisation conducts a search for a new president and chief executive officer. The other members of the leadership team are Joe Quinn, Vice President of External Affairs, and Matt Meenan, Senior Director of External Affairs. Tom Dobbins will be departing as the current President and CEO of The Aluminum Association at the end of October of 2021. European Aluminium “We are concerned that the European Commission’s intended suspension of the anti-dumping duties on Chinese flat-rolled products could have a negative impact on our transatlantic relations in the joint fight against unfair trade practices,” stated Gerd Götz, Director General of European Aluminium. “Since the US blocked all dumped imports of Chinese aluminium, a suspension of long-overdue anti-dumping duties in the EU could dissuade the US from lifting its Section 232 measures on aluminium and steel.” European Aluminium includes more than 85 members, among which are “…primary aluminium producers; downstream manufacturers of extruded, rolled and cast aluminium; producers of recycled aluminium and national aluminium associations ... representing more than 600 plants in 30 European countries.” United Steelworkers “It’s no secret that the US steel and aluminium sectors have been victimised by foreign unfair trade practices and global overcapacity,” noted Tom Conway, International President of the United Steelworkers (USW) in a news statement on 17 May 2021. “Whilst China is the principal driver of the problems facing Aluminium International Today
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producers here in the United States, others also contributed to this injury.” According to the USW, the organisation is North America’s largest industrial union with 1.2 million members and retirees in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean. Among the members of this union are individuals who work in the aluminium industry, including at manufacturing plants of such aluminium businesses as Alcoa, Arconic, Century Aluminum, Constellium, and Kaiser Aluminum. “As the United States and European Union engage in bilateral consultations, we are supportive of efforts to resolve the threats to our producers and our members,” said Mr. Conway. “However, we cannot support any approaches that do not provide measurable positive results. The EU is an important ally, but in the past, it has been part of the problem, not part of the solution. We have more than 40 unfair trade relief measures in place against EU steel and aluminium products that
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THE ALUMINA CHRONICLES 25
Gerd Götz is the Director General of European Aluminium. (The photograph was provided courtesy of Aluminium Business Summit.)
resulted from their dumping and subsidies targeted at our market. The USW supported addressing global overcapacity
through the OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] and in the Global Steel Forum, but the EU did little to advance those talks.” “Bilateral discussions provide the opportunity to resolve the challenges in these sectors and align US and EU actions on trade,” according to Mr. Conway. “The Biden administration consulted closely with the USW as they evaluated existing trade approaches and assessed long-term solutions, and we will be a willing and engaged partner moving forward. Steel and aluminium are crucial products for our national and economic security and our critical infrastructure. We are hopeful about reaching a solution, but we are equally determined to avoid any approaches that undermine the strength of our industry and the opportunities provided to US workers.” Aluminium International Today will continue to keep our readers updated as trade negotiations continue between the EU and the US. �
November/December 2021
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Dynamic Concept’s offer hits the mark on market needs
Highly Automated, Hands-Free Casting Machine
Aluminum USA After a long wait due to Covid-19, industry participants finally had the chance to meet in person at the Aluminum USA trade show held in Louisville last September. Dynamic Concept participated in the event and held a booth to present our offer and our new products. Despite the constraints and measures, which certainly affected the overall attendance, there was a successful turnout. Moreover, in the context of increasing investment needs due to growing demand from the aluminium industry, the meetings were therefore particularly relevant. Market Trends and Dynamic Concept’s Offer Market trends were highlighted during the various meetings. The North American industry faces some critical challenges in its development, particularly with regard to labour availability, increased productivity and the integration of recycled aluminium. In addition, there is a demand for aluminium cans. We were able to confirm that Dynamic Concept’s offer meets these needs particularly well. � Casthouse Automation and Robotics Dynamic Concept offers several automation and robotics solutions that meet the needs in terms of increasing productivity as well as operator safety while helping to cope with labour shortages. For example, the highly automated, hands free casting systems offered by
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DynaFast: Automated Metal Transfer System by Siphoning, High Efficiency Preheating Furnace (Dynamic Concept) safe and oxidation free, designed for casting center applications
DynaPrime: High Cleanliness CFF Filtration System (Alcoa / Dynamic Concept)
Dynamic Concept provide outstanding repeatability and control while minimizing human operations. Robotic systems for casting center operations are also good examples, particularly the advanced multi tasking, robotic skimming system, which increases the efficiency of skimming by reducing metal losses and allows the automatic management of dross after skimming. � Increased Input in Aluminium Recycling In the North American industry, aluminium producers are looking to increase the proportion of recycled metal in their products. In order for this objective to be achieved in an existing plant, the integration of new remelting capabilities into the existing metal flow is a definite challenge. Thus, Dynamic Concept offers a series of solutions that can be integrated into existing equipment to allow the preparation and transfer of the recycled metal into the producers’ products. For example, in the case of metal transfer by siphoning in casting centers,
the various configurations designed by Dynamic Concept allow several solutions for the transfer of the new supply of recycled metal from the remelting furnace to a crucible or to a casting furnace. There are also Dynamic Concept’s high performance preheating furnaces, which are used not only to ensure the safety of operations but also to reduce the remelting cycle times by preheating to high temperatures before remelting. Filtration for Can Stock In North America, the consumption of aluminium cans is growing as the replacement of plastic bottles progresses – and due to the situation with Covid-19, this phenomenon has only accelerated due to an increase in household consumption. The production of sheet ingots for “can stock” requires high performance inclusion filtration. Dynamic Concept, in partnership with Alcoa, has successfully developed a new filtration technology using a ceramic filter for very high filtration levels thanks to its priming technology. The performance is similar to a bed filter but with much lower operating and implementation costs. Therefore, this solution makes it possible to set up the production of “can stock” ingots very cost effectively. Conclusion The Aluminum USA 2021 in Louisville highlighted the market trends in North America and only confirmed to us that Dynamic Concept’s offer is very well aligned to meet the needs of the aluminium market in the short, medium and long term. � November/December 2021
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Success at Aluminium USA 2021 By Tom Postins*
Inductotherm Group offers advanced technology for the engineering, manufacturing and service of thermal processing equipment used in the melting, heating, heat treating, forging, galvanizing, coating, cutting and welding of metals. Bringing together 40 companies with 38 manufacturing facilities located in 23 countries, Inductotherm Group delivers innovative products throughout the world. Customers rely on Inductotherm, Inductoheat, Banyard, Thermatool, Radyne, Consarc and other trusted brands in the Inductotherm Group to provide outstanding equipment and services. left to right: Charles Vivian and Ed Chmielecki from Inductotherm Corp. then Justin Mortimer and John Hauerwas from Radyne Corp.
This year’s Aluminium USA proved a very positive experience for Inductotherm Group. Despite the current climate, the show was held to the highest of standards with thought-provoking presentations and vendors with the latest aluminiumcentric technology. The marginally reduced attendance didn’t detract from the exhibition itself – in fact, it distilled the attendees to those who were there to do real business with immediate plans for capital investment. A wide range of attendees visited our stand, serving to prove the far-reach of the event. These included primary aluminium producers who could benefit from Inductotherm Corp.’s Induction Melting Systems, aluminium processors interested in Banyard and Radyne products focussed on billet heating for extrusion and forging applications, and other experts in the aluminium field who were looking to investigate how to incorporate induction into their production process.
Inductotherm Heating and Welding in the UK are brand leaders of Banyard with equipment tailored for the aluminium extrusion market. However, the group ethos of the company “global yet local” meant that the Banyard North America Representative - Radyne Corp. based in Wisconsin, USA, were able to provide their expertise and experience. Radyne’s technical knowledge provided the perfect platform of information to engage with other guests in attendance. Radyne is a multi-faceted induction heating equipment manufacturer who specialise in many varieties across multiple industries. Also sharing the booth space to exhibit their most advanced aluminium melting solutions for large aluminium producers was Inductotherm Corp., based in Rancocas, NJ. Aluminium casthouses benefit greatly from Inductotherm’s induction melting equipment due to the cleaner/greener process that comes inherently with electricity. Induction
also provides better metal quality and provides more consistent production. The Inductotherm team was on hand to promote their billet and slab casting furnace technologies and equipment. The event was the perfect platform for us, as a group, to showcase our world class induction equipment and converse with customers on the environmental benefits that induction has over more traditional heating methods. With sustainability and environmental directives being the hottest topic in the industry right now, Aluminium USA gave us the opportunity to demonstrate how we can help companies tackle this issue, while potentially increasing productivity and lowering carbon emissions. We as Inductotherm Group, look beyond the ongoing situation and believe that events such as Aluminium USA serves as a good indicator that the aluminium, as well as other industrial sectors, will continue to innovate and grow. �
*Sales Manager Banyard – Inductotherm Heating & Welding. November/December 2021
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Aluminium International Today
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Furnaces International brings readers a selection of technical features focusing on all aspects of the international furnaces market, as well as industry news, investments, and the latest products and projects Published quarterly in a digital format, Furnaces International and the new monthly newsletter, are sent to the inbox of over 25,000 industry professionals. As publishers of Aluminium International Today, Steel Times International and Glass International, we are able to compile this knowledge and bring you the latest developments on: • Energy Efficiency • Hot Repairs
• Maintenance • Heat Treatment
• Thermal Processes • Testing and Measurement
Look out for the December issue which contains The Furnaces International Buyers’ Guide. It is the essential guide to furnace manufacturers and suppliers of furnace equipment and services to the industrial heating/ process industry.
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First live event under the new EPIQ Machinery identity By Marty DeGoey* and Isabelle Gaudreau** The Aluminum USA 2021 edition was for us a double event. First, because it marks the resumption of commercial activities and the possibility of reconnecting with the industry. Secondly, because we presented ourselves under our new EPIQ Machinery identity for the first time following the announcement of the merger between ADCL and MECFOR on August 24, 2021. We were thrilled to share how this business decision is creating a larger world class entity to better serve our industries and expand our capabilities. Under the EPIQ Machinery, our teams are combining their strengths to bring added value to all of our endeavors. Our brands, EPIQ AD and EPIQ Mecfor, will still carry the same commitment for quality and service. Both founding companies, being leaders in their respective lines of products in primary and secondary aluminium smelters. During the Aluminum USA show we were able to benchmark how positive this announcement was with many leading Aluminum industry professionals. EPIQ Machinery has a unique opportunity to strengthen our position in supplying and improving material and process flow through the carbon plant, pot room
and cast house. This diversification and combined installed base will also provide a stronger and increased aftermarket capacity. Over time, we are confident that EPIQ Machinery will be combining the best of overhead, ground level and mobile automated material handling and processing technologies for heavy industry. This translates into increased horsepower and common expertise to deliver optimum solutions. We all share the same passion for challenges, have built trusting and longlasting relationships with our clients and partners. This DNA will not change and EPIQ Machinery will continue to grow on these deeply embedded values. Our ability to listen to clients’ needs and adapt our offer as well as our ‘close to customer approach’ will only be improved by greater flexibility and more resources to serve them. Also, EPIQ Machinery will have a wellbalanced industrial footprint between best-cost and high-tech countries with offices and fabrication facilities in Saguenay and Montreal areas (Canada), a large manufacturing facility in Pune
(India) (ADF Engineering), and a presence in Europe with our branch in Cuincy (Northern France). Furthermore, EPIQ Machinery will benefit from significant additional technologies and greater R&D resources to consolidate its innovation leadership. Greater depth and experience in automation and Industry 4.0 integration will position us to lead in the design and delivery of the next generation of equipment and will allow us to efficiently support our clients in their efforts to increase efficiency and improve product quality. Aluminum USA show in Kentucky was first of many opportunities we will have to promote benefits of this merger. Meeting again with our customers, being able to plan upcoming projects, design new equipment, and rethink with them operational approaches are our main motivation. To that effect, the EPIQ Machinery team would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continuous support. If you’d like additional information, send a note to info@epiqmachinery.com or visit our website epiqmachinery.com �
*Business Development / Application Specialist - Primary Metals **Marketing and Strategic Communications Coordinator From the left: Kevin Williams, General Sales Manager, Primary Metals - Marty DeGoey, Application Specialist, Primary Metals - Yannick Beaulé, Chief Revenue Officer Éloïse Harvey, Chief Executive Officer - René Laliberté, Product Manager, Mobile Solutions
November/December 2021
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US Controls at Aluminum USA show A few years ago, US Controls attended their first Aluminum USA tradeshow, the first of many to come. US Controls details the sucess of their booth when they attended this year’s event in Louisville Kentucky. By Ken Flowers* United States Controls, US Controls or just USC, it doesn’t matter how you know us, we have been supplying the same mill duty spray valves for decades. US Controls is 100% focused on providing superior cooling systems for all rolling mill applications. It’s what we do. It’s all we do! Our mill equipment is designed, manufactured, assembled and tested in our Ohio and Pennsylvania, USA facilities. The “Made in the USA” statement is something we are very proud of. Since the company’s inception the one constant over those years is reliability. In fact, some of our spray valves have been working continuously for over 30 years without an issue. Over the last few years USC has realigned our mission statement to make sure we provide our customers, new and old, the best in product reliability, satisfaction and customer service. To accomplish this our staff has committed ourselves to making sure the customer knows who we are. One specific goal was to acquire a dedicated Sales Director, Kenneth Flowers, that will give our customer that face-toface response that the customer deserves. How We Work... � 100% support of every product (no matter how old it is) We have an inventory of common wear parts available and documentation
�
on every system and every part ever produced, so if you need it, we have it! � Exclusive
Design/Engineering Services USC systems are designed individually for you! Having had long term relationships with the industries’ major AFC engineers and mill builders, it is very easy for USC to work with the respective mill builder to integrate USC equipment within any mill. There is no need to compromise. Our engineering staff is always looking for ways to improve our products with new, up-to-date, technologies. One of our newest developments is our 38lpm, 25mm wide controlled zone spray valve. This valve was designed with the customer in mind, specifically for giving the customer the ability to replace common wear items in-house when needed, saving them time and money. This patent pending valve has been on the market for several years now with a lot of good feedback from the respective mills.
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Another big step in our focus on customer relations is attending the available trades shows. We started with the Aluminum USA show a few years back. It was an eye-opening experience to say the least. In my own little world, I thought customers would rush to our booth, but in reality, they did not recognise the US Controls name and some of the comments from ones who did, said, “I didn’t realise US Controls was still in business”. This had to change, and with our new leadership, I believe we have made great strides in getting our name back on top. Being present at available trade shows such as Aluminum USA has improved our mark in the rolling mill industry. The last trade show that USC attended, I got the reaction we were looking for when someone approached our booth saying, “I was looking for USC because I was told you are the best in the business”. Now that’s the kind of impression that all of us at US Controls wants to make in our industry. Along with an ability to meet face-toface with our customers at these trade shows is the ability to communicate with a lot of the mill builders we have worked with over the years. This is a great way to review on-going potential projects and learn of new projects on the rise. The most recent show, Aluminum USA 2021, was in Louisville Kentucky and we had a very good turnout at our booth. We received a lot of good feedback regarding our systems. We were able to reach out to some customers who may have not known about us before and the Aluminum show afforded us the opportunity to show off a little. �
*Director Sales and Marketing United States Controls www.unitedstatescontrols.com November/December 2021
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Product focus: Rigaku KT handheld LIBS analyzer Rigaku Analytical Devices showcased its handheld, laser-based alloy analyzer for use in metal recycling, quality control and positive material identification applications at ALUMINUM USA 2021. Rigaku Analytical Devices, a leading pioneer of handheld and portable spectroscopic analyzers, demonstrated its KT-100S handheld laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) metal analyzer in booth #919 at ALUMINUM USA, which took place on 1st -2nd September in Lousville, KY USA. The Rigaku KT Series analyzers enable durable and accurate alloy identification for use in industrial environments. The KT-100S expands the use of handheld LIBS (HHLIBS) for use in more difficult applications, such as recycling, fabrication, aerospace, automotive and refineries, especially for the analysis and separation of most nonferrous alloys. Designed to fill the performance and feature gaps of traditional analysis methods, such as handheld x-ray fluorescence (XRF), the KT-100S offers improved solutions for more convenient, on-the-spot identification of the most difficult alloys - including aluminium grades. By incorporating a secondgeneration spectrometer that produces higher throughput and better resolution, the user can expect better detection limits and the ability to analyse more alloys. This includes better precision for low alloy steels, stainless steels, as well as high temperature alloys and the added detection of lithium (Li). Another major benefit to the user is that there is minimal to no regulatory licensing requirements because the KT Series of handheld LIBS analyzers utilises a laser excitation source. Key features of the Rigaku KT-100S include: � Excellent ergonomics and simple software interface: Ease of use � Identifies light elements, as well as any base alloy with a 2-4 second analysis time: Saves time and money � Built for the toughest environment with MIL-STD 810G certification: no costly repair bills / low cost of ownership � No x-ray radiation exposure: Aluminium International Today
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increased safety and minimal regulatory licensing � Long battery life: avoids interruptions About Rigaku Analytical Devices Based in Wilmington, Massachusetts, USA since 2011, Rigaku Analytical Devices is a pioneer in handheld 1064 nm Raman and LIBS-based technology for materials analysis. With thousands of units in use globally, our portfolio offers the most versatile solution for use in safety and security against dangerous threats, verification in pharmaceutical
manufacturing, and in the recycling and quality control of metal alloys. We strive to deliver quality, reliability and engaged expertise to our customers. We are dedicated to continuous product development efforts to deliver missioncritical enhancement to performance and functionality, while delivering reliable and cost-effective solutions for results, anywhere. Rigaku Analytical Devices is an ISO 9001:2015 certified facility. � www.rigakuanalytical.com
ACCUSPEED Laser Velocimeter
For Steel and Aluminum Rolling Industries Improved measurements of shiny material due to better sensitivity control Better length accuracy in cut-to-length applications as a result of faster acquisition and tracking Improved noise immunity with Digital Communications from the Optics Head Accurate elongation and mass-flow control with improved signal processing and synchronization Enhanced I/O for better integration with modern automation systems For details call +1-416-445-5850, or kelk.sales@vpgsensors.com
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November/December 2021
03/11/2021 07:13:23
ANSWER
Danieli Answers to be a step ahead
19
Danieli breda Extrusion benchmark technology
Energy-saving, higly-efficient solutions for integrated extrusion plants
Danieli patented solutions cover the upstream, extrusion and downstream technology areas, for lower energy consumption and lower OpEx, whilst allowing production flexibility through proprietary automation control systems featuring HMI remote-control via tablets. ESED 4.0 is the Danieli-patented energy-saving solution for extrusion presses, achieving average energy savings of 25-30% compared to traditional systems. The new, “nimble crab” fully electric billet loading, handling/transferring the billets directly from the heater to the press, reduces the billet heat/energy loss significantly and improves billet temperature accuracy by 5-7%.
Twenty Danieli answers to be a step ahead 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08.
Sustainability CO2 reduction 4.0 intelligent plant MIDA ECR QSP DUE Digimelter Energiron DRI Long-life BF
The patented Ecoflame gas billet-heater minimizes heat loss from the exhaust fumes and reduces gas consumption per extruded ton up to 30-35%, depending on the product mix. Accurate taper heating of the billet is achieved through new-design burners. Multivariable transducer controls correct the stoichiometric gas and air mixtures, reducing maintenance and manual adjustments.
09. Quality slab casters 10. Pickling and cold mills 11. Galvanizing / Air knives 12. Billet casters 13. Billet welders 14. Wirerod mills 15. Rail and section mills 16. The Drawer sizing block 17. Reheating systems 18. Seamless tubes 19. Extrusion lines 20. Aluminium mills
In the downstream area, a patented electrical stretcher allows a more accurate repeatable stretching stroke while reducing maintenance operations.
danieli.com
Danieli_pagine_2020_esecutivi_A3_05_14.indd 21-22
26/06/20 11:07
ANSWER
Danieli Answers to be a step ahead
19
Danieli breda Extrusion benchmark technology
Energy-saving, higly-efficient solutions for integrated extrusion plants
Danieli patented solutions cover the upstream, extrusion and downstream technology areas, for lower energy consumption and lower OpEx, whilst allowing production flexibility through proprietary automation control systems featuring HMI remote-control via tablets. ESED 4.0 is the Danieli-patented energy-saving solution for extrusion presses, achieving average energy savings of 25-30% compared to traditional systems. The new, “nimble crab” fully electric billet loading, handling/transferring the billets directly from the heater to the press, reduces the billet heat/energy loss significantly and improves billet temperature accuracy by 5-7%.
Twenty Danieli answers to be a step ahead 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08.
Sustainability CO2 reduction 4.0 intelligent plant MIDA ECR QSP DUE Digimelter Energiron DRI Long-life BF
The patented Ecoflame gas billet-heater minimizes heat loss from the exhaust fumes and reduces gas consumption per extruded ton up to 30-35%, depending on the product mix. Accurate taper heating of the billet is achieved through new-design burners. Multivariable transducer controls correct the stoichiometric gas and air mixtures, reducing maintenance and manual adjustments.
09. Quality slab casters 10. Pickling and cold mills 11. Galvanizing / Air knives 12. Billet casters 13. Billet welders 14. Wirerod mills 15. Rail and section mills 16. The Drawer sizing block 17. Reheating systems 18. Seamless tubes 19. Extrusion lines 20. Aluminium mills
In the downstream area, a patented electrical stretcher allows a more accurate repeatable stretching stroke while reducing maintenance operations.
danieli.com
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36 ROLLING
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Achenbach OPTIMILL® foil rolling mill for battery foil production
Setting the benchmark: Aluminium cathode foil for EV batteries By Dr. Antonia Barten* Achenbach is a manufacture of flat rolled products from non-ferrous metals. Considering the complex technology of rolling mills, slitting machines and the associated process and media systems, the high degree of specialisation plays a decisive role in this. Achenbach machinery is able to produce and process the thinnest aluminium foils down to 4.5 µm in a double-layered pass and 8 µm in a single-layered pass. The combination of a state-of-the-art rolling mills and slitting technology, as well as special expertise based on decades of experience, has led to the fact that Achenbach is highly respected when it comes to the production of highly sensitive battery foils, as numerous references have confirmed. The quality of the thin aluminium cathode foil, as well as the manufacturing process, involve particularly high requirements, both of which the Achenbach OPTIMILL® foil rolling mills and the Achenbach OPTIFOIL® foil slitting machines optimally attain. When rolling highly sensitive single or
double-layered battery foil, perfect strip flatness and dryness combined with exact thickness and high winding tensions in the rolling process are crucial factors. The strip flatness can be precisely measured with the Achenbach UniFlat® flatness measuring roll. It is an indispensable part of the integrated automation system Achenbach OPTIROLL® i3 with its modules MillGauge strip thickness control and MillFlat strip flatness control. The highprecision measuring system supplies the tension distribution along the entire strip width, on the basis of which the specifically required strip flatness is optimally set using the installed actuators. The key element for influencing local flatness deficiencies is the Achenbach UniSpray® coolant distribution system. By selectively applying rolling oil to the work roll barrel, the thermal barrel can be manipulated and perfect strip flatness can be achieved. The Achenbach Hot Edge System (HES), which is integrated into the UniSpray coolant distribution system, is an additional actuator in the flatness control circuit. Particularly in the case of foil
rolling mills, the lack of forming energy at the strip edges can lead to a severe decrease in the thermal barrel, which in turn can cause high tensile stresses at the strip edges. Targeted application of hot rolling oil on the strip edges can delay heat dissipation beyond the strip and thus optimise strip flatness at the edges. In the perfect interaction with the UniFlat flatness measuring roll, these actuators ultimately result in the superiority of the automated OPTIROLL MillFlat strip flatness control and the outstanding performance of the mill. The application of an Achenbach Dynamic Variable Crown (DVC) backup roll provides an additional option to achieve a faster and more continuous influence on the strip flatness. Based on the positive effects, the DVC roll can achieve a significant increase in productivity of the rolling mill. Particularly in the production of battery foils, it may be necessary for processrelated reasons to specifically preheat the work roll. As a result, a higher temperature gradient for flatness control and thus
*Head of Marketing Marketing – General Management November/December 2021
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Aluminium International Today
02/11/2021 14:41:14
ROLLING 37 Special hoods for cutting dust suction enclosing the knives
Hydropneumatic Achenbach UniRon ironing roller system
a more stable rolling process can be achieved with less forming. When rolling battery foil, it is essential to reduce the residual rolling oil on the strip surface to a minimum to ensure a steady wettability of the foil. The highly efficient Achenbach UniDry® strip blow-off system guarantees an evenly dry surface with minimal residual amounts of rolling oil. Coiling of thin strips and foils at high speeds requires a special device for flattening the foil. The hydropneumatic Achenbach UniRon ironing roller system guarantees a constant contact point throughout the entire coil build-up. In this way, wrinklefree recoiling of the strip is guaranteed even at speeds of up to 2000 m/min. Achenbach has also proven itself as a specialist in battery foils with regard to the OPTIFOIL foil slitting technology. Numerous well-known manufacturers are separating and slitting both single and double-layered battery foils on Achenbach SepaSlit® separators and lightgauge slitters. In order to meet the quality standards of the battery manufacturers, the machine concept has been geared towards the special requirements in terms of winding surface, cutting, edge and strip quality as well as clean and dust free conditions. When processing the highly sensitive foil, special attention is paid to the quality of the cutting edges. Achenbach´s slitting technology impresses with an optimised cut that is adapted to the battery foil. In order to achieve a cut that is as free of burrs and waves as possible, the highprecision knife holder has been perfected in terms of runout, contact pressure and adjustment options. The individual setting of the top knife shaft also has a positive effect on the slitting quality. In addition, the relative speed of the top and bottom knife shaft can be specially set in order to be able to optimise the speed and thus the cutting result even with a variable knife immersion depth. Another important technical detail with Aluminium International Today
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the aim of high winding quality without vibrations is the single side adjustment of the contact, lay-on and support roller. Therefore, especially with singlelayered battery foil, the line angle can be compensated by manual readjustment. When manufacturing highly sensitive battery foils, maximum cleanliness in terms of material and environment plays a decisive role. Special hoods for cutting dust suction, which completely enclose the circular knives, ensure that the dust particles that arise during the cutting process are sucked off immediately. A special machine housing that has been optimised with regard to air flow and sealing also ensures dust-free surrounding conditions, individual precautions on the machine such as bearing caps prevent oil contamination. An inline detection system for 100% monitoring of the finest holes (pinhole detection system) is an integral part of the SepaSlit and, in addition to quality assurance of the finished coils, allows increased process transparency. Here special attention is also paid to the edges of the cut material, as they are not coated in the further process. With an individual definition of whole parameters in the material and on the cutting edges, Achenbach offers an analysis tool specially designed for battery foil with comprehensive quality reporting to the final customer. A surface inspection system (SIS) can be installed on the entry side of the machine to detect other defects in the surface such as marks and scratches. The additional deflector rollers are integrated into the drive and material threading concept of the machine. An Achenbach UniFlat® lightweight flatness measuring roll can also be integrated into the SepaSlit in order to be able to measure the offline flatness in the cutting process over the entire length and width of the material. This not only has the advantage of a comprehensive flatness report with regard to the cut material, but also allows
the results of the flatness measurement in the rolling mill and slitting machine to be compared and optimised. When it comes to rolling and slitting aluminium cathode battery foils, manufacturers are ideally positioned if they opt for Achenbach technology. Another advantage is that many existing OPTIMILL foil rolling mills can be upgraded in order to produce battery foil on them. In addition to the highly efficient and specifically designed technological components, the integrative technology approach is particularly important in order to be able to optimally meet the requirements of the battery manufacturers in terms of quality and productivity. The Achenbach single source concept guarantees optimal material flow in the production process and perfect coordination of all stages along the entire value chain. This is where the Achenbach OPTIPURE® media systems for rolling oil management and the cloud-based platform Achenbach OPTLINK® for digital system networking come into play. Ultimately, at Achenbach, the combination of product and process know-how, the perfect interaction and optimum design of all components with a view to the sophisticated final product form the key in terms of quality and performance, which is why battery foil manufacturers choose technology from Buschhütten. An important reference for this is the installation of Europe’s largest battery foil production in Hungary. Achenbach has been commissioned with this ‘lighthouse project’ on the green field, which includes several OPTIMILL foil rolling mills, equipped with OPTIROLL control systems and OPTIPURE media systems. SepaSlit separators are used for highly efficient slitting of the sensitive battery foil. This project and numerous further orders for new machinery and modernisations worldwide confirm Achenbach’s strong position as a specialist in the market for battery foil production. � November/December 2021
02/11/2021 14:41:21
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EXTRUSION 39
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Better profiles, faster Yahya Mahmoodkhani* and Paul Robbins** look at material selection for extrusion tooling.
Fig 1. Simulation results for heat flux distribution inside the container with 4340 sub-liner (left) and H13 sub-liner (right). For both containers, the liner material is H13, and the body is 4340
Correct material selection and proper heat treatment for tooling are vital factors of profitability. A good decision theory must consider different aspects and variables, including cost, longevity, cycle time, recovery, energy, health and safety, and environmental impact. All tooling fails at some point; the questions to ask are how long it lasts and why it fails. The process is mostly to blame for premature failures such as improper temperature, cycle time, alignment, pressure, and lubrication. Next, come design-related issues such as strength, thermal management, lubrication, and wall thickness. Making a design change at little to no cost is often the solution for these problems. As a last resort, alternative materials may exist to offer better protection and extend useful life with better strength, conductivity, wear resistance, and other factors. Finally, it is necessary to avoid overspending on tooling materials by optimising a combination of variables: Cost, longevity, ram speed, and recovery. Simulation is a powerful tool for material selection, evaluation, and optimisation before ever committing. Introduction Material selection for extrusion tooling is a key factor in profitability[1]. Hot work tool steels with a tempering temperature of around 600°C (such as H13) are the primary materials used for extrusion
tooling that directly contact the workpiece. These materials are appropriate because they provide a good combination of mechanical properties (wear resistance and strength) at elevated temperatures. Hot work tool steels are suitable up to about 50°C below the tempering point, which allows them to perform properly for extrusion of a wide range of materials such as Aluminum, Magnesium, and Zinc alloys. For extrusion of materials with higher melting points such as Copper, the surface temperature of tooling in direct contact with the workpiece can reach 700°C and above, which is well above softening temperature of hot work tool steel. Depending on the process and expected tooling life, alternative materials can be used, such as superalloys and hot work tool steels with higher Mo and W. The tooling that is not in direct contact with the workpiece, such as the container subliner, usually performs at lower temperature ranges. They do not have to be hot work tool steel, except the super hot billet temperature or process parameters mandate using hot working materials. For example, using hot work tool steel for the container body is overspending considering that some low alloy steels (such as 4340) are suitable based on strength and temper resistance. 4340 is even better than hot work tool steel in terms of toughness and conductivity, and it makes it a better choice for the container body.
One may see a conflict of interest when some steel manufacturers promote overspending in materials. In contrast, Castool Tooling Systems does not manufacture steel but uses over 5,000,000 lbs per year for various tooling products. The goal is to deliver the best tooling possible to extruders. Decision Theory There are several aspects to consider when deciding on a suitable material, including: � Cost � Longevity � Cycle time � Recovery � Energy � Health and safety � Environmental impact Extruders want tooling with maximum longevity and minimum cost. Therefore, it is essential to have a reasonable estimation of a reliable life span of the tooling to avoid unscheduled downtime. Besides, cost and life are not the only important parameters. Good tooling is supposed to improve productivity[2] by helping the extruder make “Better Profiles Faster.” The most important parameters for extrusion tooling materials are listed in Table 1. By defining weighting factors for material parameters, one can easily select the best material that fits the specific application.
* PEng Product Development Scientist Castool Tooling Systems ** GM Castool Tooling Systems www.castool.com Aluminium International Today
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40 EXTRUSION
Alloy
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Strength
Toughness
Tempered/Aged [°C]
Thermal conductivity
Cost factor
Application
[W/mK]
540 (38 HRC)
Low Alloy Steel
600 (34 HRC)
4340
••
•• •• ••
630 (32 HRC)
630 (42 HRC)
H11 (1.2343)
•••
••
650 (38 HRC)
620 (48 HRC)
H13 (1.2344)
•• ••
••
75
Subliner (34-38 HRC)
26
100
Container subliner (38-42 HRC)
Hot Work Tool Steel
630 (46 HRC)
650 (42 HRC)
24
100
660 (38 HRC)
600 (48 HRC)
E40K
•• ••
•• •
Container body
42
Container liner (46-48 HRC) Container subliner (38-42 HRC) Dummy block
620 (46 HRC)
30
200
Container liner (46-48 HRC)
Super Alloys
IN718
•• •
•• ••
720 (44 HRC)
13
1500
Copper extrusion liner (40-44 HRC)
A286
••
•• •• •
720 (34 HRC)
15
750
Copper extrusion liner
Table 1: Key properties for materials used for extrusion tooling
The material cost usually accounts for more than half of the total price of tooling. There might be materials that can extend tooling life, but they are often more expensive, making the new material economically unreasonable. For example, E40K is 100% more costly than H13 (Table 1) but using it in the container liner should extend the liner life by at least 50%. E40K has better toughness than H13 but with the same strength level. Considering that wear is the leading cause of failure, using E40K may not truly increase the useful life of the tooling. Longevity is a function of several parameters, including strength, toughness, and temper resistance. Extrusion cycle time consists of contact time and dead time. Contact time is in direct relation with the ram speed. Therefore, a more conductive material can dissipate more deformation heat to extrude faster and shorten the cycle time. Dead cycle time is usually as short as possible, depending on press capabilities. However, in Copper extrusion with super hot billets, dead cycle time is deliberately prolonged so that the tooling has enough time to dissipate the heat absorbed during the contact time. In this case, a material with higher thermal conductivity can help to reduce the dead cycle time. The effect of tooling material on recovery is not as obvious. However, any scrap due to tooling material limits and tooling failure will decrease the recovery. Energy can be saved by shortening the contact time. Optimisation and Simulation Optimisation of the process can only be achieved with consideration of the mechanical and physical limitations of the tooling material. For example, press manufacturers are constantly increasing the face pressure of the extrusion presses, allowing the extruders to extrude colder and longer billets faster. On the other hand, this can also shorten the tooling life and cause unscheduled downtime. November/December 2021
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Fig 2. Simulation predicted temperature distribution inside the container with 4340 and H13 bodies
Simulation software can help to effectively prevent such inconsistency between the machine’s capabilities and the material’s limits. A simulation is an ideal tool for visualising the outcome before committing[3]. Furthermore, material selection, design and even recipe development can be optimised and balanced using simulation software. For example, Fig 1 shows the simulation results for the effect of the sub-liner material on heat flux inside the container. Calculated average heat flux inside the ID of the container with a 4340 subliner is ~23 kW/m2, while that of the container with an H13 sub-liner is ~20 kW/m2. Therefore, simulation predictions show that using a 4340 sub-liner instead of an H13 subliner would improve the container heat dissipation capacity by 15%. Fig 2 shows the simulation results for the effect of body material on temperatures during the extrusion. The model-predicted results show that after the extrusion of 30 billets, the liner of the container with a 4340 body runs 6°C cooler than the container with an H11 body. The difference grows after more billets are extruded. The extrusion exit
temperature is also affected in a similar way by using a 4340 body instead of an H11 body. Conclusions � Material selection for extrusion must be consistent with the process conditions and failure mode of the tooling. � There may be materials that provide better tooling life, but overspending must be avoided. � Simulation is an inexpensive and efficient method to both optimise the process and predict the outcome. � References
[1] R. Akeret, A. Ames, M. Bauser, W. Eckenbach, A. Frei, and H. H. Groos, Extrusion, Second Edition. 2012. [2] P. Robbins, Y. Mahmoodkhani, C. Jowett, and R. Dickson, “Extrusion Productivity – Billet Geometry/Container/ Dummy Block,” in Extrusion Technology Seminar, 2022, p. To be published. [3] K. Chien, P. Robbins, C. Jowett, Y. Mahmoodkhani, and Y. Wang, “Extrusion productivity, part II - Predicting ram speed,” Light Met. Age, vol. 77, no. 1, 2019. Aluminium International Today
03/11/2021 07:19:21
42 ADVERTORIAL: ELIXIR
AlumoFluor: Top-notch low bulk aluminium fluoride from Elixir Group Elixir Group is a reliable partner at a global market. The business system strengthens its competitive position through continuous monitoring of global trends and needs, innovative development and positioning of new products, investments in production technology and expansion of production capacities. The development strategy of Chemical Division is directed towards achieving the goals of sustainable development of the business system. Recognising the significance of circular economy in the context of environmental protection and application of new technologies, Elixir Group has started a series of projects for implementation modern and sustainable solutions. One of the first projects of the Elixir Group research team was the development of AlumoFluor product - the product that is now recognizable at the global market for its top-notch quality. Elixir Group is the leading producer of phosphoric acid in the south-east Europe and the largest producer of complex mineral fertilizers at the Balkans. The business system consists of 7 companies with more than 1,600 employees. All members of Elixir Group business system are located in the territory of the Republic of Serbia, they are administratively and logistically networked and located on the banks of the Danube and Sava across which they are connected with the whole world via waterways. Elixir Group exports November/December 2021
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more than 70% of its production to 70 countries globally. All members of the system operate in accordance with the highest international standards. Elixir Group business system is being developed through the activities of three divisions: Chemical Division, consisting of Elixir Prahovo, Elixir Zorka and Elixir Agrar, Eco Energy Division consisting of Elixir Energy and Eco Lager, and Prahovo Industrial-Chemical Park for whose development is in charge company Elixir Craft. Following up of global trends and creating of new generations of products fosters the position and competitiveness of Elixir Group at the global market. Global presence ensures the sustainability of the business operations and recognisability of the company as a reliable partner. The Vice President of Elixir Group, Nebojša Mićić, explained the plans and activities of the company. “Chemical Division of Elixir Group is the driving force of a business system and its strongest link. The main products of this Division include phosphoric acid, mineral fertilizers and, since recently, aluminium trifluoride, brand named as AlumFluor. The development strategy of Chemical Division is directed towards accomplishing sustainable development goals of the business system. Significant investments are planed in new technologies for phosphoric acid purification, expanding the range of mineral fertilizers and chemicals based on phosphoric acid, as well as in comprehensive improvement of resource efficiency”, says Mićić. Aluminium International Today
02/11/2021 14:57:16
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www.elixirgroup.com.rs/en/
Recognising the significance of circular economy in the context of environmental protection and application of new technologies, Elixir Group has started a series of projects for implementation modern and sustainable solutions that make the backbone of development of the Eco Energy Division.“ As the result of one of such projects, the research team of Elixir Group has developed the AlumoFluor product”, explains Nebojša Mićić and continues: “AlumoFluor is the top-notch catalyst classified as the high quality product that contains the minimum 96% of active substance and that is used in the production of primary aluminium. AlumoFluor reduces the melting point of alumina raw material. Together with cryolite it increases conductivity of electrolytes solution reducing the electricity consumption, which leads to reduction of aluminium production costs.” Depending on the application method, the production of 1mt of aluminium requires 10-25 kg AlF3. Interestingly, 95% of the aluminum market uses high bulk density aluminum fluoride as a catalyst, although low bulk density aluminum fluoride has far better characteristics and performances compared to HD ALF3. “One of the advantages that distinguishes AlumoFluor and that makes it one of the highest quality products on the market in its segment is a high percentage of active substance. Typical values of active substance in our product range from 97 to 97.5%, which significantly reduces the consumption of this material. In addition, the advantage that singles out AlumoFluor on the market is the fact that it is one of the purest AIF3 catalysts available on the market with the iron (III) oxide and phosphorous pentoxide values at the level lower than 100 ppm and silicium dioxide at the level lower than 1000 ppm. Higher purity of AlumoFluor results with better aluminium production process and quality of the obtained metal” concludes Mićić. AlumoFluor is a product of high flowability that reaches up to 140 seconds on the average. The difference between high and low bulk density products is based solely on the difference in Aluminium International Today
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‘‘ Mr Nebojša Micic, Vice President
bulk density resulting from the fact that crystals in HD products are grouped into larger, compact structures (grains), while the differences in crystal structure and true density are negligible between these two product types. Therefore, AlumoFluor is an adequate alternative to all HD density products on the market.
“As raw material we use by-product of chemical industry, that creates additional value and protects the environment.” The Vice President of Elixir Group Nebojša Mićić emphasizes that the most important fact, of which they are very proud of, is that AlumoFluor is produced in accordance with the principles of Green Tech technology: “As raw material we use by-product of chemical industry, that creates additional value and protects the environment.” The technology uses electricity produced from a CO2neutral source, and the production process uses LPG energy, which is one of the cleanest energy sources.” Asked to comment on how he sees the future of Elixir Group, Nebojša Mićić says: “The future of Elixir Group is in circular economy. It is a powerful blend of modern waste management, environmental protection, technology and economics. The potential of chemical industry is enormous in this area. This means maximizing circularity in the production process and product life cycle, as well as the circular synergy of multiple technological processes.” Elixir Group has a clear vision of future development. The industrial-production processes and distribution are networked with a wide range of new manufacturers, buyers, consumers, and innovative business models creating the heritage to the benefit of the community and future generations. “We create heritage through sustainable development”, Mr Mićić pointed out. �
November/December 2021
02/11/2021 14:58:30
44 GAC FOCUS
50 years of Aluminium in the Gulf: An interview with the General Secretary of the GAC History of aluminium in the Gulf Both were sitting at a desk facing a camera, which shortened the travelling distance of some 4,500 miles to half a metre. Mr Daylami introduced me to aluminium in the Gulf. Mr Daylami began with a brief outline of the industry’s history, uncovering the complex and resilient companies, which later would lead to the formation of the Gulf Aluminium Council (GAC). “The whole idea [aluminium smelters] started in the mid-sixties,” he says. “It began from a group of aluminium users from Europe and the USA who were looking for new locations, which would provide them with a competitive price of electricity, to produce alumnium to meet the growing demand for the metal around the world. “Meanwhile, in the Gulf, Bahrain in particular, we’re looking for opportunities to diversify from the oil industry into a new industry to develop job opportunities and mainly use the energy surpluses they had, which was gas. In the beginning, the Mr Mahmood Daylami Bahrain government and five other western shareholders had almost equal shares; over time, the Bahrain government became the Marking 50 years since the first majority shareholder; Alba is now 69.3% owned by Mumtalkat Holding Company ( ingot was poured by the first representing Bahrain ), 20.62% Sabic of aluminium production companies Saudi Arabia, and 10 % general public. “Whilst the discussions [of setting in the Gulf, Aluminium Bahrain up the first aluminium smelter] was (Alba), Going from “no aluminium undergoing, in 1976, the six-day war between the Israeli and the Arab erupted. production to being the fifth largest Yet both parties decided to go ahead with the plans. They were determined to producing country in the world”. do it.” This is one of the many examples Zahra Awan* interviewed Mr highlighted by Mr Daylami of the Gulf’s resilience and determination to move Mahmood Daylami**, General ahead with the industry and other Secretary of the Gulf Aluminium development fields. Today, the Gulf aluminium industry Council, who discusses the companies are collectively considered one developments and achievements of of the largest aluminium producers in the world. From the initial annual capacity the aluminium industry in the Gulf. of 120,000 metric tons of alumnium in 1971, the Gulf primary production collectively produced over six million tones in 2020”. According to Mr Daylami, *Editorial Assistant, **General Secretary of the Gulf Aluminium Council the dramatic growth reflects a shift in November/December 2021
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Aluminium International Today
03/11/2021 06:22:23
GAC FOCUS 45
alumnium production worldwide, from West to East. He adds the development of alumnium production technology by EGA is one of the major highlights of the Gulf regions achievements over the years.” The formation of the GAC The interview then turned to look at the formation of the GAC. An association combining key aluminium producers under one council. He continued, “There were always good and strong relations and cooperation between Dubal (now Emirates Global Aluminium – EGA), who was the second alumnium smelter in the Gulf starting production in 1979, and Alba... A good example is shipping, raw materials spare parts and training “. When new smelters started to spring up in other Gulf Cooperation Council countries, they all agreed to formalise the informal relationship and the cooperation by creating The Gulf Alumnium Council GAC in 2008. The GAC board consists of the chief executives of all the Five alumnium producing organisations in the Gulf. GAC has unique and a different set-up to many alumnium associations. We are not just engaged in advocacy; there are various committees made of specialists and experts from the GAC members to translate that cooperation into practical action that will improve efficiency, safety, security, environment and sustainability at the shop floor”, says Mr Daylami. Members and Committees of the GAC Mr Daylami continued to discuss the relationships and the dynamic of the members of the GAC. The GAC uses committees to “Optimise cooperation” between its members and “also to work with suppliers on common issues of concern”. Committees members share lessons leant and help each other with ideas to solve everyday problems. These could be ESG, Cybersecurity, IT, Maintenace, Inventory reduction or power generation and maintenance efficiency improvements. Mr Daylami continued, each committee has its chairman and its objectives and action plans. The role of the GAC is to bring together the people with ideas. Of course, the GAC also participated at an international level with the likes of the ASI and IAI and other regional associations; this is where the GAC becomes somewhat a spokesperson for the alumnium industry in the Gulf.” Despite the familial relationship that the GAC and its members have, Mr Daylami points out that “there is also competitiveness when it comes to marketing and total compliance with antitrust and competition principles and Aluminium International Today
GAC.indd 2
roles. Without competition, there is no growth. He adds. Social Responsibility at the GAC The GAC members employ around 14,000 workers directly and over 40,000 indirectly. They come from different backgrounds and nationalities. “Each organisation deals with its community independently”. There are similarities, but there’s uniqueness as well. For example, the training and development of people .”The companies contribute to scholarships, not only for their employees but also for the people in the community. This includes assistance on housing, rehabilitation centres, health centres, sports activities, and environmental improvements,” said Mr Daymali. The expatriate employees are provided with proper accommodations and educations for their children. Listing all the social work that the GAC overlooked as a part of the social sustainability concept, it became apparent that with the exponential growth of the aluminium industry, the importance of social sustainability has not been left behind. Environmental sustainability at the GAC When discussing the sustainability of a company, it is natural to fall onto the topic of environmental sustainability. Mr Daylami moved away from the individual
action and development mindset; he stated that “when it comes to the alumnium production process, almost all the smelters are in principle the same,” the main difference is the efficiency of the process, the technology and the energy source. “The main source of Green House Gas (GHG) is in the power generation almost 70%. The rest is from Carbon anode production and the electrolysis process. The major emitter of CO2 is the fuel used to generate power; the highest is coal, which is around 16-20 tonnes of carbon per ton of aluminium. The gas is between eight and ten tonnes, and hydroelectric is about four to five tonnes of carbon per ton of aluminium. Mr Daylami emphasises that The industry needs to decarbonise. “No matter what you do, the percentage of reduction of CO2 emissions from the production process is not enough. It will only reduce emissions by maybe one and a half – two tonnes of carbon per ton of aluminium. Mr Dalmmi went on to discuss the need for recycling as a critical feature of production in the Gulf and across the world.. “One of the big aims of the GAC is to increase the use of recycled aluminium,” said the General Secretary, On other production waste, “No members of the GAC have landfills; this calls for alternative uses of waste products such as the Dross and SPL. He stated that “if we want to reach the goal of decarbonisation, we must also include individual citizens and their contribution towards sustainability.” The “companies are now taking action, not only on what the company has to do but also what employees and their families do as well. What the whole community has to do.” the importance of environmental and sustainability are promoted beyond the company’s internal walls. November/December 2021
03/11/2021 06:23:07
46 GAC FOCUS
Governance at the GAC The question of sustainability then moved onto the topic of governance. Governance covers a wide range of topics without a single definition. Mr Daylami defined governance as “the ethical business practice.” This includes the suppliers, employees, buyers and respects the law of the land and code of conduct within and outside of the industry. Emphasis was made on the concept of “transparency”. Despite the GAC playing an advocacy role in sustainability, the GAC does not audit or get involved in internal matters concerning GAC members. Crude oil and the aluminium industry in the Gulf When asked about the future, when the demand for crude oil falls due to the rise of renewable energy, and whether he thinks the aluminium industry will take over the oil industry, Mr Daylami positioned the industry in perspective. The Gulf is “still very dependent on the oil industry,” but so is the world: “The aluminium industry is energyintensive, we depend on gas, there is no other alternative in the scale we need. Solar energy can help to an extend. Oil is the major commodity in the Gulf, so while
there are lots of efforts for alternative engage, cooperate and achieve. Electric sources of income, we’re still an oil- cars are a more sensible choice for the based economy. To continue without future, not only for environmental reasons harming the environment, we need new but also as fossil fuels are not infinite. Offices, buildings should have more technologies.” Earlier in the conversation, Mr Daylami efficient heating and cooling systems. stated that “the Gulf is not in a place to stop using gas as fuel for power, at least The GAC and COVID-19 not in the forcible future, and we cannot Next, the conversation moved to the hot change to Hydroelectric either because of topic of how the GAC worked despite Covid-19. Highlighting the successful the geographical nature of our region. “Carbon capture and storage technology management from the government, he are one and important solution in my moved on to the companies’ actions in opinion,” said Mr Daylami; there are combating the issues born with Covid, experiments and prototypes around the such as Social distancing, lack of workers, world including, the one in Saudi Arabia. reducing infected numbers and the illness If it proves successful, it will be a huge itself. the beginning, companies game changer for the Gulf and the world. “From But without this technology being reliable organised tests onsite, provided specific and consistent, the goals towards carbon transportation to separate them from the communities. Some provided contractors net-zero by 2050 will be impossible.” sub-contractors alternative He also mentioned the opportunities and that arise when combining renewable accommodation to prevent the spread and and non-renewable energy in a hybrid facilitated the vaccination of all employees format. Although not a zero-emission and contractors. Despite the challenges production, it gives the industry the time presented by Covid-19, they managed to and adaptability to look for long term keep all the smelters open and running. They did a great job. we can’t fully relax, solutions. Mr Daylami later noted that committing knowing we had to go through and what to the cause of decarbonisation must we did in those difficult times.” � be taken seriously. The world musttech fully Refractory 1/4 Pg. OL AIT SEPT.qxp_Layout 1 7/30/21 4:52 PM Page
Consultancy and technical support to the aluminium industry • Build long-term partnerships with our aluminium experts • Solve your current aluminium production problems • Prepare a downstream business case • Detailed investigation and testing • Product and process training courses • Aluminium industry expertise
Tel: +44 (0) 1295 702800
Email: enquiries@innovaltec.com
www.innovaltec.com November/December 2021
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Aluminium International Today
03/11/2021 06:23:11
48 SUPPORTING COP26
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Low-carbon aluminium is the customer’s choice As the demand grows for manufactured, high-quality aluminium products, with a low carbon composition, Nadine Bloxsome* spoke with Pierre Labat** and Suzanne Lindsay-Walker*** of Novelis to find out which verticals are setting the trends and seeing the most interest.
Pierre Labat
Suzanne Lindsay-Walker
*Editor, Aluminium International Today **Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer, Novelis ***Vice President, Sustainability, Novelis November/December 2021
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Novelis has kept it no secret that its ambition is to be the world’s leading provider of low-carbon, sustainable aluminium solutions that advance its business, the industry and society toward the benefits of a circular economy. Its targets are high and it is committed to a 30% reduction in CO2 footprint by 2026 and being carbon neutral by 2050. So, while the company is working to reach its own goals, it is also focused on helping its customers along their own sustainability journeys and has recently seen a shift in demand for low carbon, premium products. “We’ve seen different trends converging over the past two years – the stakeholder pressure is building, with our customers really driving the request for our help to hit their own targets,” says Pierre Labat.
“The automotive OEMs have almost all pledged carbon neutrality. Not all in the same year or with the same level same level of support from their suppliers, but they all have a plan now to involve their suppliers in their overall goals. That’s really where we see the requests originating,” he continues. “ There’s more to it, however. There’s also shareholders being much more active and demanding, as well as regulatory pressure – in Europe especially and the interest from consumers is growing, in ways we have not seen before. And while the automotive industry has been very clear about its use of aluminium for its lightweight properties, Pierre notes Aluminium International Today
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www.aluminiumtoday.com
that previous demand was driven more from a fuel efficiency perspective. “The focus is now more targeted towards the manufacturing-phase,” he says. “Even with the automotive OEMs all having different years in mind to hit their targets, they all need their suppliers help to get them there.” Keeping the conversation going With this need for suppliers and OEMs to work together, the question remains whether there is enough of a conversation across the value chain. “I would say it’s certainly gained in intensity, but is it where we want to be yet?” asks Pierre. “There are a lot of things we could do better – one is to be connected on designing for dismantling instead of assuming everything is going to be shredded at the end of service life. If we had a good, shared view on how to design for dismantling, we could certainly come up with proposals from our side that would make the design more effective,” he continues.
usually when they want to have that third party verification for ‘on pack messaging’ and we’re seeing a lot more of this attention of this ‘proof-point’.” Double-edged ‘aluminium’ sword “Given aluminium’s inherent sustainability benefits; the fact that it’s lightweight and the ability to be recycled indefinitely, we are enjoying the demand for this metal!” says Suzanne. “However this comes with associated carbon increases as well, so we have to be careful about managing that.” With the demand coming from the can sector, Novelis is seeing customers asking to increase rolling capacity and this comes with its own challenges. “To expand our capacity is going to result in an increase in energy use and CO2 emissions, but overall, we believe the conversion to more sustainable materials is a positive for the environment and we’re getting better every day, so that will contribute to that. We’ll work with our customers and the supply chain to make that value proposition even better – we’ve got some pretty big goals and
Oswego hot mill
Oswego coils
The customer is always right Another vertical seeing this increase in demand for low carbon aluminium is the can packaging sector. “We typically are seeing more requests for increased recycled content in the packaging sector,” says Suzanne LindsayWalker. “We are then focused on meeting the evolving needs of our customers here, so for us, the main driver of that is recycled content in our products. We are now at about 61% across all of the business lines,” continues Suzanne. “Of course, there are some customers that ask for above and beyond – looking at third party certifications – those are Aluminium International Today
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manufacturing goes hand in hand with building a sustainable supply chain. Whether this is through energy efficient software solutions or increasing traceability across products, OEMs are also developing ways to ensure low carbon composition starts as early as possible in the production process. “Traceability is something we are interested to pursue,” says Pierre. “What we intend to do is really push towards a coil by coil traceability. As our products are typically coils, the ultimate challenge is to be able to do what you would do on a product in a retail environment – pick it from the shelf and know when it was made and with what material.” “We have some way to go,” continued Pierre. “Some of our products are continuous and not in a batch manufacturing system, so we tend to have different types of flow used on shared machines, going into different end markets. But it is clearly a goal to get to full transparency. For us, ASI chain of custody certification is the first step toward this and we are working on certifying plants in all of our four regions.”
we’re dedicated to meeting this growing demand in the best possible way that we can,” continues Suzanne. As this article went to press, Novelis was releasing information about its latest investments in rolling capacity and finishing enhancements in Oswego, NY; recently completed recycling and rolling expansions in Brazil to support can packaging growth; and also plans for expanding its manufacturing footprint in China to create recycling capacity for closed loops with automotive customers. Digital sustainability Here at Aluminium International Today, we support the idea that digital
Collaboration is key The most sustainable solutions will come from collaborative efforts across supply chains but also within the sector itself. “The aluminium industry coming together to elevate the industry as a sustainable solution is a main focus going forward,” says Suzanne. “We’re trying to initiate some of that conversation and from my perspective – the focus on the goals is how do we do that. How do we increase our recycled content and find new technologies that are going to reduce our energy intensity – there’s a lot of exciting work that’s going on, but it can’t be done in a bubble. It has to be the industry working together.” � November/December 2021
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50 SUPPORTING COP26
GHI SMART FURNACES is a family-owned company with more than 80 years of experience in customized complete solutions for melting, recycling and heat treatment of metals. The GHI portfolio combines the design and manufacturing of industrial furnaces, the delivery of turnkey plants as well as SAT and Industry 4.0 consulting services. With our Industry 4.0 solution called Beyond Alea, we are digitising our customers‘ plants to improve, among others, purchase and operational processes as well as maintenance. At GHI SMART FURNACES, we additionally focus on the application of new technologies and green energies in the production and recycling of metals - especially aluminium recycling - with the aim of reducing emissions and thus counteract climate change. World leaders have become aware of the need to decarbonise our ecosystem and achieve zero emissions by 2050. Carbon dioxide emission allowance prices have increased fivefold in some countries in recent years, and governments are increasing eco-taxes to push the deployment of clean technologies such as renewable energy and green hydrogen, while launching subsidy programs for R&D and investments in recycling facilities that bring additional benefits in terms of resource efficiency, energy consumption and carbon emissions. With these investments and taxes, melting aluminium with Hydrogen as a fuel could be cheaper than with natural gas in five years. For all these reasons, we at GHI have been hard at work for some time to design The Aluminium Recycling Plant of the Future. Our corporate strategy focuses on three fundamental objectives that are crucial to our operations: � Digitalisation – with a team of eight experts fully dedicated to Industry 4.0 we support our customers in optimizing their operational processes with the result of achieving relevant cost advantages. � Decarbonisation – a key element for our customers in the next few years. Companies willing to work in markets such as automotive, will be required to reduce drastically their carbon footprint. Our R&D efforts are focused in helping customers to achieve this. � Aluminium Recycling – as our main driving activity, in which we have become an international leader. Our goal is to November/December 2021
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Aluminium recycling and the plant of the future
help our customers in the transition from primary aluminium utilization to recycled material. Reinventing aluminium recycling plants The Aluminium Recycling Plant of the Future must combine decarbonization goals with the principles of the circular economy, which we define as follows: EMISSION-FREE PLANTS Using clean renewable energy that feeds an electrolyzer that produces Hydrogen and Oxygen. This electrolysis process is particularly suitable for recycling scrap in
the Tilting Rotary Furnace as it uses both hydrogen and oxygen. For post-consumer scrap recycling, Tilting Rotary Furnaces and Vortex Furnaces with Delacquering Systems will be fired with this low-carbon fuel. Hydrogen will replace natural gas. Holding and Alloying Furnaces use renewable electricity as a heating fuel. ZERO-WASTE SCENARIO The plant recycles and treats all byproducts such as dross, salt slag cakes and generated fumes to create wastefree circular plants through sustainable aluminium alloy production methods. Aluminium International Today
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larger the furnaces, the more profitable they become. The plant collects more than 10,000 data per second - Real time KPIs - which are stored and processed to simulate and predict performance with a digital twin. This backflow of smart information enables our customers to optimise their plants. The Beyond Alea platform, developed by AMV and GHI, is the only one that integrates all plant processes with realtime monitoring. It allows us to simulate from the purchase of the most suitable scrap quality to the cost of each process to achieve higher profitability of the plants. It also allows us to carry out supplier evaluations and reduces non-productive time. New Talents The new plant requires new hybrid job profiles that combine technical experts in metallurgy with skills in new technologies such as Big Data and machine learning.
We use a dross cooler that increases aluminium recovery from dross, reduces oxidation and emissions as well cooling space and time. Dross sorting facilitates the recycling of salts by specialized companies and the use of dross pieces to fill roads. Total circularity is the clear path to the future, and we are already driving this change. Aluminium International Today
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SMART TO BE PROFITABLE The Plant of the Future uses machine learning technologies to process Big Data and to propose “end-to-end” solutions with state-of- the-art equipment that improves cast house operations. Another aspect we have identified is that the largest equipment - we have a record of 65-ton tilting rotary furnace - provides a high economic return. The
The road ahead Many of the aspects we have mentioned in this article are almost ready or close to be ready. Today, we can offer our customers smart equipment where flow optimization and the electrification are already a reality. Next year, we will be able to have autonomous equipment and a digital twin. We will need a few more years to develop Hydrogen technology, but today we are participating in several projects: Hydrogen burner technology; increasing the proportion of hydrogen in the operation of a rotary tilting furnace and more. We think that in 2024 we will be able to offer a 100% tested hydrogen equipment. At that time, the cost of melting with Hydrogen will be significantly reduced. Join us on this journey to make this smart and clean future a reality. We think this is the moment to think about it and act. Because the future is now. � November/December 2021
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52 GREEN ALUMINIUM
Five sustainability questions your supply chain strategy should be asking about shipping Bill Gates has taught us to ask five questions about any climate solution to assess if it is worth the investment. By applying a few tweaks to Gates’ framework, the test can be applied to almost any given supply chain to ask the question - is changing your strategy in favor of low-carbon shipping worth the effort? Question #1: How much of the 51 billion tonnes are we talking about? Every year, the world adds approximately 51 billion metric tonnes of CO2 and other greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, of which shipping contributes with around 1 billion, or 2-3 % – the same as the whole aluminium industry. After 2008, the increase in seaborne trade was decoupled from growth in emissions, primarily due to slow steaming and new engines. But now, emissions are once again on the rise, and that qualifies for action according to the Gates’ framework, even though the share of total global emissions remains relatively low. Any supply chain strategy that includes sustainability must now look at how it can support a shift to decarbonised transport. Investors increasingly demand concrete emission reduction initiatives along a company’s supply chain, so it also makes financial sense. Question #2: What is your plan for aluminium? Taking an industry perspective, an improved carbon footprint is the common November/December 2021
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objective. To maintain a competitive edge in a world that must move to netzero, companies that want to be at the forefront must have a thorough supply chain strategy to support the development of low-carbon aluminium. Shipping is a small share of aluminium companies’ total Scope 3 emissions but is an area where it is possible to identify and realise immediate emission reduction initiatives. For every tonne of aluminium delivered to the end-user, 8-10 tonnes of raw materials may have been transported by sea. Assuming 20-50 kg CO2 equivalents per tonne cargo (depending on vessel size and distance), the share of shipping emissions is 0.2-0.7 tCO2e/ tonne aluminium produced. For companies competing for market shares in the lowcarbon aluminium market, that is a number that counts. Question #3: How much energy are we talking about? A Panamax-sized vessel on a transatlantic voyage typically carries fuel equivalent to 11 GWh. The annual fuel consumption of such as vessel is around 88 GWh, it takes
the annual production of three very large wind turbines to meet that demand. The overall shipping industry consumes around 300 million tonnes of fuel oil per year, which is equivalent to Germany’s annual energy consumption. In other words, these are meaningful numbers to address, and the aluminium industry can be a major influencer: Around 100 million tonnes of bauxite are transported by sea each year – as just one of several commodities used by the aluminium industry. Question #4: How can you make better shipping choices? The aluminium industry has significant procurement power to push shipping to decarbonise. Zero-emission fuels are not yet available at scale for deep-sea shipping, but there are other levers to pull for industry players that want to reduce emissions, starting today: � Get the emission inventory in order and establish a baseline. One method is to follow the emerging industry standard by using the charter party clause and template developed by the Sea Cargo Charter, a framework to assess and Aluminium International Today
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SUPPORTING COP26 53
� Consider fuel switching. Sustainable biofuel may be available, or carbon insets could be used to ensure that the emissions from a given voyage is compensated through a fuel switch on another voyage.
Above: Ingrid Kylstad is Sustainability Lead at ZeroLab by Klaveness. With a passion for turning sustainability into a business opportunity,Ingrid’s professional experience spans over 10 years with EU public affairs (maritime, competition, climate, energy) and startup investments.
disclose the climate alignment of ship chartering activities. � Bigger is better: One of the two main factors driving fuel consumption is size. Larger vessels are a lot more efficient than smaller vessels, so a chartering ‘rule of thumb’ should be to always consider if a bigger vessel could be an option. � Incentivise smart operations. Ensure that the operator is incentivised to deliver carbon-efficient voyages through smart contract clauses that reward CO2-savings.
Question #5: How much is this going to cost? Research from BCG and the World Economic Forum found that “... the costs of deep decarbonisation across supply chains are surprisingly low and result in an increase of only 1-4% on end-consumer prices.” The measures outlined here concern immediate, short-term decarbonisation and will, in most cases, not have a significant impact on shipping costs. The exception is fuel switch, either by using biofuel directly in operation or by purchasing Scope 3 emission rights derived from biofuel used on other ships, so-called carbon insets. These insets are available from around $100/ tCO2e. Shipping in and out of the EU (and intraEU) is scheduled to be included in the EU Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) from 2023. Currently the EU ETS allowance price is at its all-time high, with a carbon cost of around $70/tCO2e this means that a carbon price must be factored in. Many expect this price to increase further over the coming years. To futureproof chartering activities, companies should apply an internal carbon price to their chartering activities. Many of the operational initiatives outlined in this article already make financial sense. By
FACT BOX:
using an internal carbon price that reflects the EU ETS carbon price, a whole new range of decarbonisation measures will become financially viable. Reducing the carbon footprint from shipping will reflect positively on the end-product. As end-users increasingly engage with their Scope 3 emissions, being able to demonstrate commitment to decarbonise wherever possible in the supply chain increases a company’s competitive advantage. Looking ahead An analysis of mentions of Scope 3 emissions in the media in 2017 revealed a mere 1 000 mentions. In 2020 that number grew to 15 000 mentions, and this is on track to double for 2021. As industrial companies face increasing pressure to engage with their supply chain on decarbonization initiatives, expect the focus on climate-aligned chartering to increase. There is a noticeable shift in industrial companies now increasingly requiring operators to report shipping emissions. The next step is to act on those numbers. In the short term, the demand for energy-efficient vessels will be tight as will demand for biofuel. This will likely come from European-bound charterers first, but demand for supply chain decarbonisation is not only driven by regulators; investors also see the value of reducing the carbon risk in supply chains. Ultimately, what the focus on Scope 3 emissions reveals is that sustainability is no longer ‘only’ about looking at one’s own operations. It is to develop a supply chain strategy that ensures emissions are reduced wherever feasible – both from an operational, technical, and financial point of view. The chartering department is a good place to start. Done right, the aluminium industry could change the nature of shipping. �
“Done right, the aluminum industry could change the nature of shipping”
Scope 3 emissions are the upstream and downstream value chain emissions and include emissions from transport of supplies as well as transport of products. Shipping emissions are thus part of the Scope 3 emissions for aluminium producers.
Aluminium International Today
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November/December 2021
02/11/2021 15:15:43
LIGHTENING THE IMPACT OF HEAVY INDUSTRY
SPEAKERS CONFIRMED INCLUDE:
Lord Adair Turner Chair Energy Transitions Commission
CAN YOUR COMPANY CONTRIBUTE TO A CLEANER INDUSTRIAL FUTURE?
Anthony Hobley Executive Director Mission Possible Partnership
Andrew Purvis
Pernelle Nunez
Dr. Max Åhman
Gökçe Mete PhD
Director Safety Deputy Secretary General Environment and / Director – Sustainability Technology International Aluminium World Steel Association Institute
Christina Sobfeldt Jahn
Head of PPA Origination & Execution Ørsted
Henning Bloech
Ilhan Savut
Jean-Marc Moulin
Lead Analyst - Circular Economy BloombergNEF
Director of Sustainability Extruded Solutions Norsk Hydro
Chris Bayliss
Anne-Claire Howard
Global Director Sustainable Solutions Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials
Director of Standards Aluminium Stewardship Initiative
Geoff Matthews
Dilip Chandrasekaran
CEO ResponsibleSteel
Show the world how at SIM Europe 2022. Hosting leaders from the worlds of industry, innovation, science, government and investment, Sustainable Industrial Manufacturing (SIM) in Brussels will provide an opportunity for those at the frontier of cleaner industrial manufacturing to present sustainable solutions to some of the world’s largest industrial companies and manufacturers across five hard-to-abate sectors.
CONTACT US
40+ years of experience delivering events for the manufacturing industry
Head of Secretariat, Leadership Group for Industry Transitions (LeadIT) and Research Fellow Stockholm Environment Institute
Cédric de Meeûs
Dolf Gielen
Vice-President, Group Public Affairs & Government Relations Holcim
WHAT MAKES SIM EUROPE UNIQUE? No other event is inviting decision makers from across hard-to-abate sectors
Associate Professor in Environmental and Energy Systems Studies Lund University
Three exhibition zones will deliver end-to-end solutions for visitors
Director IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre
Modulation Specialist EnergyFlex Pty Ltd
Dr Jörg Rothermel
Managing Director Energy, Climate Protection, Raw Materials German Chemical Industry Association (VCI)t
Head of R&D and Technology Kanthal
Philippe Bastien Regional President, Architectural Glass Division AGC Glass Europe
Stefan Grüll
CEO and Co-Founder S1Seven GmbH
Zakia Khattabi
Minister of the Climate, The Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal, Belgium
Sponsored by:
For further information on exhibiting, sponsoring or speaking at SIM Europe, contact the team today:
Nadine Bloxsome, Event & Content Director nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855 115
José Sebastião, Commercial Director josesebastiao@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855 013
Organised by:
www.SustainableIndustrialManufacturing.com
Part of:
LIGHTENING THE IMPACT OF HEAVY INDUSTRY
SPEAKERS CONFIRMED INCLUDE:
Lord Adair Turner Chair Energy Transitions Commission
CAN YOUR COMPANY CONTRIBUTE TO A CLEANER INDUSTRIAL FUTURE?
Anthony Hobley Executive Director Mission Possible Partnership
Andrew Purvis
Pernelle Nunez
Dr. Max Åhman
Gökçe Mete PhD
Director Safety Deputy Secretary General Environment and / Director – Sustainability Technology International Aluminium World Steel Association Institute
Christina Sobfeldt Jahn
Head of PPA Origination & Execution Ørsted
Henning Bloech
Ilhan Savut
Jean-Marc Moulin
Lead Analyst - Circular Economy BloombergNEF
Director of Sustainability Extruded Solutions Norsk Hydro
Chris Bayliss
Anne-Claire Howard
Global Director Sustainable Solutions Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials
Director of Standards Aluminium Stewardship Initiative
Geoff Matthews
Dilip Chandrasekaran
CEO ResponsibleSteel
Show the world how at SIM Europe 2022. Hosting leaders from the worlds of industry, innovation, science, government and investment, Sustainable Industrial Manufacturing (SIM) in Brussels will provide an opportunity for those at the frontier of cleaner industrial manufacturing to present sustainable solutions to some of the world’s largest industrial companies and manufacturers across five hard-to-abate sectors.
CONTACT US
40+ years of experience delivering events for the manufacturing industry
Head of Secretariat, Leadership Group for Industry Transitions (LeadIT) and Research Fellow Stockholm Environment Institute
Cédric de Meeûs
Dolf Gielen
Vice-President, Group Public Affairs & Government Relations Holcim
WHAT MAKES SIM EUROPE UNIQUE? No other event is inviting decision makers from across hard-to-abate sectors
Associate Professor in Environmental and Energy Systems Studies Lund University
Three exhibition zones will deliver end-to-end solutions for visitors
Director IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre
Modulation Specialist EnergyFlex Pty Ltd
Dr Jörg Rothermel
Managing Director Energy, Climate Protection, Raw Materials German Chemical Industry Association (VCI)t
Head of R&D and Technology Kanthal
Philippe Bastien Regional President, Architectural Glass Division AGC Glass Europe
Stefan Grüll
CEO and Co-Founder S1Seven GmbH
Zakia Khattabi
Minister of the Climate, The Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal, Belgium
Sponsored by:
For further information on exhibiting, sponsoring or speaking at SIM Europe, contact the team today:
Nadine Bloxsome, Event & Content Director nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855 115
José Sebastião, Commercial Director josesebastiao@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855 013
Organised by:
www.SustainableIndustrialManufacturing.com
Part of:
56 SUPPORTING COP26
Aluminium packaging: When what is on the outside is as important as what is inside Co-authored by Dr Mandy Glew,* and Steve Hodgson** It is a fashionable belief today that once the global pandemic situation improves and life returns to its previous flow, we, as a society, will treat the world around us with more respect, responsibility and consciousness. We hope that humankind will stop taking nature for granted and will change its collective attitude towards our environment, once the restrictions imposed on unnecessary travel and global economic activity relent. But it is essential to remember that, when activity does ramp up again, the solutions for more sustainable production already exist and are readily available to us. Using sustainable materials is one of the simplest and fastest ways to reduce the carbon footprint of business operations without compromising the quality of the final product (even improving it in certain cases). Metal represents the most recycled packaging. According to Metal Packaging Europe, an umbrella organisation for the producers and suppliers of metal packaging, more than 80 % of steel packaging and 76 % of aluminium beverage cans are recycled in Europe. Aluminium is one of the metals that is essential for a low-carbon future due to its infinite recyclability without degradation of quality. Aluminium is lightweight, cans are space-efficient, meaning transport requirements are not as onerous as those required for glass. Less power is needed to chill drinks in cans, which is particularly important in regions with warmer climates. Moreover, a staggering 75 % of all aluminium ever produced is still in use. As the European Aluminium Association puts it, ‘aluminium’s unique properties and uses in energy-efficient products make it essential in the transition towards carbon neutrality.’ NielsenIQ’s European market data for 2020 shows that beverage producers
already acknowledge the benefits of aluminium packaging, with aluminium cans outperforming all other packaging substrates in every beverage category. Beer cans demonstrated 14% growth vs. one year ago (compared to PET at + 12% and glass at +1 %). They also outperformed the Carbonated Soft Drinks category at +12 %, with PET at +7% and glass declining at -8 %. The greatest growth for aluminium cans was registered in the Energy category, at +32 % (vs. PET at +20 %). However, not all forms of metal are equal and not every form of metal packaging is produced with an equal carbon footprint. For example, we know that producing metal with renewable power instead of burning fossil fuels reduces emissions. According to some estimates, more than 70% of global primary aluminium is still produced with non-renewable energy. Today, RUSAL is already one step ahead with more than 80% of its aluminium produced using hydropower. Its low-carbon aluminium brand ALLOW is produced using hydro-powered smelters in Siberia, and it is leading the sustainability shift within the aluminium industry. It comes with independentlyverified statements of carbon footprint and energy source, assuring users of its low-carbon credentials. ALLOW aluminium has an average of 2.4 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per tonne of aluminium produced versus the world average of 12 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per tonne of aluminium produced worldwide, direct and indirect (Scope 1 and 2 emissions). Additionally, RUSAL is developing inert anode as a next generation technology to further close the gap to zero. Packaging producers are starting to make their manufacturing processes transparent. In March, Ball Corporation, one of the world’s largest producers of
packaging solutions, earned Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) certification for all 23 of its Europe, Middle East, and Africa beverage can facilities. This is an important signal to the industry, as Ball has become the first beverage can manufacturer to meet ASI’s rigorous environmental, social, and governance principles. In 2020, RUSAL extended ASI certification to five further smelters. With the extension, nine of RUSAL’s facilities have already confirmed that their activities meet the requirements of the ASI. This reinforces responsibility in the supply chain for aluminium packaging. The pandemic may have decreased pollution and CO2 emissions over the past months, but the alarming trend of global warming and resource overuse is a reality that will increasingly affect our societies and environment. That is why sustainable supply chains have moved from being a popular public relations instrument to an essential characteristic of almost any production. These companies stand out among key stakeholders – including consumers and investors – who are now paying special attention to the impact of production on the environment. And whilst responsibility lies in part with governments, it also lies with companies that are in a position to drive change through adopting a more circular approach. When we emerge from this pandemic, it is critically important that we take an international, coordinated, publicprivate approach to drive the transition towards a carbon neutral global economy in a carbon-constrained world. We have an opportunity to slow the impacts of climate change when life returns to the previous norms and paces. But businesses must act now. The irreversible problems caused by climate change cannot be ignored any longer. �
*VP, Commercial, Ball Beverage Packaging, EMEA, **Sales and Marketing Director, RUSAL November/December 2021
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Aluminium International Today
02/11/2021 15:16:59
SUPPORTING COP26 57
www.aluminiumtoday.com
Properzi ingots technology:Less CO2 emissions Figures calculated to be above 280Kg of CO2 per each ton of primary aluminium obtained. Continuus-Properzi attended the Greener Aluminium Summit where we proudly introduced the new company focus: "CO2ntinuus Green Ingots". This ecosustainable answer to the production of aluminium ingots focuses on the reduction of CO2 in the production processes made possible by Properzi ingot casting technology Continuus-Properzi remains firm in its “green commitment”! After a thorough study of all the savings, Continuus-Properzi has issued a detailed technical report which quantifies the above advantages and others that correspond to less CO2 emissions and can be characterised by the following main attributes:
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a) b) c) d) e)
Higher metallic yield Higher quality Higher packing density Less consumption of straps (PET) Absence of preheating need
This report includes only the main benefits of Properzi ingot casting technology (in terms of ingot quality, operational costs, procedures and several other characteristics), and provides clear evidence that “CO2ntinuus Green Ingots” are Greener compared to the other ingot types available on the market, with a reduction of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere conservatively calculated to be above 280Kg of CO2 per each ton of primary aluminium converted into Properzi Ingots.
The data and information mentioned above have been calculated with a scientific approach, all the necessary references to the technical literature and the detailed explanation of the calculations are included in a technical report issued by Continuus-Properzi and validated by BSI Group (British Standards Institution). We are available to provide more information regarding the above data and technical report to anyone in the aluminium industry interested in producing Properzi ingots. During the next weeks, we will inform our Ccustomers, already producing the Properzi ingots, about the results demonstrated by our process in order to allow them to also Certify this savings in their production chain. �
02/11/2021 15:20:04
58 CASTHOUSE
www.aluminiumtoday.com
Overcoming zirconium poisoning with grain refiner research Research at Brunel University London’s centre for casthouse technologies has revealed how to overcome the effects of zirconium ‘poisoning’ of grain refiner in the production of aluminium alloys. Zirconium is increasingly being added to melts to produce aluminium alloys that provide unique properties such as high tensile strength - typically higher than 400MPa (UTS) – together with enhanced recyclability, machinability and corrosion resistance. However, new research from grain refiner specialist MQP at BCAST at Brunel University London has demonstrated the effect and mechanism whereby zirconium poisons grain refiner, one of the key additives required in the casting process to eliminate defects such as cracking in the cast product. John Courtenay, chairman of MQP – which conducted the research with BCAST as part of a three-year project to better understand the mechanism of nucleation within the aluminium melt said combined usage of 6000 and 7000 alloys in North America and Europe was expected to exceed two million tonnes in 2021, with continued growth through to 2028. “The aluminium industry has had to adapt to today’s automotive industry’s challenging requirements for aluminium alloys that provide ultra-high tensile strength, with typical applications including extrusion-based crash management systems, body-in-white structural components and battery enclosures,” he said. “A key technical development has been the introduction of zirconium, which offers potent alloy strengthening due to the nucleation of trialuminide intermetallics. During our research, we have been able to define the mechanism by which zirconium exerts a ‘poisoning effect’ on Al-Ti-B based grain refiners, resulting in reduced potency and leading to high addition rates and larger grain sizes. “Our research with Dr Yun Wang and Professor Zhongyun Fan at BCAST using state-of-the-art electron microscopy has shown how an ultra-potent 5:1 grain refiner could overcome the zirconium
John Courtenay
poisoning effect. This has led to the development of our Optifine 5:1 125 grain refiner, which has four times the number of active nuclei compared to a low efficiency grain refiner and delivers the required grain size at an addition rate of 1kg/t compared to the >4kg/t required when using standard grain refiner. “Ultimately, we want to help ensure casthouses can successfully cast high strength zirconium containing 6000 and 7000 alloys for automotive by overcoming the zirconium ‘poisoning’ problem through the use of a consistent ultra-high efficiency grain refiner. Optifine 5:1 125 meets this need head on.” � Find out more about Optifine 5:1 125 and how it can benefit your casthouse operations: https://www.mqpltd.com/electricvehicle-sector-to-benefit-from-powerfulnew-aluminium-grain-refiner/ �
November/December 2021
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OPINION PIECE 59
Why the battle against mining and waste will be won in the emerging markets By Raymond Onovwigun* Six billion. That’s the amount of people who currently live in an emerging market country – or approximately 85% of the world’s population. The emerging market of Africa is a big part of that. It’s enormous, growing, and the one I know most. With a population of 1.2 billion people, and expected to grow another 800 million by 2040 (according to the IEA), it will rise the equivalent of the populations of the US and Europe combined over the next 20 years. Right now there is an international effort to industrialise Africa; A great race to mine Africa into an economic power, seeing more resources than ever churning out from the continent. The study, ‘The Sino–European race for Africa’s minerals’ states, “the dawn of the 21st century has brought about a new
scramble for mineral resources on African soil. China’s rising wealth levels and the country’s growing demand for mineral commodities, combined with Europe’s eagerness to maintain its traditional sphere of influence and secure the continent’s need for resource imports from Africa, have added up to an international race for Africa’s minerals.” We see it on the ground. There’s a hustle and energy to the place that you can only understand if you are a part of it. This developing market has historically been one of the most exploited in terms of irresponsible mining practices. The West (and others) take advantage of the unregulated conditions, despite marketing sustainable principles and implementing high waste diversion rates at home. When we view this problem in the context of the enormous scale of population and
consumption in Africa, then add to it the chronic lack of sustainable infrastructure, it becomes clear the negative effects of mining are being felt without any of the mitigators; loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, fauna displacement, deforestation, carbon emissions, contamination of water, air, and soil, labour exploitation and low wages, all with no plan to get the renewable potential out of the resources that have been mined at such a high environmental and human cost. Without action the effects will be felt everywhere. The destruction of emerging market eco-systems, and the effect that has on global climate change, won’t get any better for any of us until we take the fight to where the biggest sustainability gaps are – the 85%... Not many people know this, but
*CEO, Romco Group Aluminium International Today
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November/December 2021
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60 OPINION PIECE
although Africa represents a fifth of the global population it only produces about 1% of the world’s recycled metals. A difficult number to digest when you know it has been used as a dumping ground by the West for years. There are only around 50 metal recycling facilities on the entire continent. To give perspective, there are more than 250 in Europe alone. It’s estimated that only 13% of recyclable goods are salvaged and recycled in Nigeria, with almost no formal waste diversion process in place, which is probably similar to most countries in the region. You can clearly see there is a problem. At Romco Metals, as recyclers of nonferrous metals, we know the huge amount of energy and carbon emissions that can be saved compared to primary production; up to 95% less power required, 95% less CO2 emissions, and 7.62 m3 of landfill cleared per ton for metals like aluminium. We started recycling in the region seven years ago in Nigeria, and what excites us most now is the opportunity we have to meet the growing industrialisation by building Africa as a whole into a powerhouse in sustainability. Realising the full potential from the minerals being mined and doing some of the most effective work we can do to minimise carbon emissions globally. A cleantech revolution on the continent is already underway – with recycling, renewable energy, and sustainable infrastructure projects at its heart. It’s exciting to see, but it’s only just scratching the surface of what should be done. November/December 2021
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The real opportunity we have is to embed sustainable infrastructure into the actual design of economic expansion across the region. Circular economic principles are fundamental to sustaining an emerging market’s viability. Recycling capabilities and sustainable systems must be built as the commerce expands — not be made as a tack on after-thought.
The African market is unique. The continent is hugely resource rich with very young demographics, but the secondary market is under-developed, fractured, and somewhat informal. This is fuelling a boom that some can find real opportunity in. Increasing recycling and building a sustainable economy of jobs, people, and communities is the most responsible way to take advantage of the boom. Admittedly it’s a huge challenge, but the battle against irresponsible mining and waste across the globe can be won if governments, NGOs, and businesses make it a priority to take the battle to the places where the most neglect is – the emerging markets. Success requires partnerships, an innovative approach, and a determination to see the benefits. But can also yield great financial results. As big businesses around the globe look to be more mindful with their resources, they should look at the companies working on the ground in emerging markets. A good partnership could be the change that ensures a company’s CSR filters right through the supply chain. An investment in sustainability infrastructure in emerging markets punches well above its weight in impact. It’s a truly green idea, not just a greenwashed idea. Success also makes a tangible difference not just to the environment, but to peoples’ lives and livelihoods. In markets in need of such amelioration I know it’s a battle well worth fighting. �
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