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Mar/Apr 2013
This month Aluminium International Today breaks with tradition and offers readers not one, but two EXCLUSIVE interviews with CEOs from major aluminium companies. We travelled to California to meet Jack Hockema, Kaiser Aluminum's CEO and we made a slightly shorter journey – into London, the UK capital – to discuss the global primary aluminium industry with UC Rusal's deputy CEO, Oleg Mukhamedshin.
What both men have in common is optimism. Jack explains how the aerospace industry's move to monolithic design has been extremely beneficial to the well-being of Kaiser Aluminum. Oleg says he is optimistic because the situation can't get any worse. The solution, he says is to adopt a rational approach to production.
Aerospace virtually kicks off the issue with Myra Pinkham's USA Update focusing on the emergence of carbon fibre composites, a discussion that continues in the Jack Hockema interview.
There's an interesting China Update from CRU's Ling Wong who discusses Xinjiang province in North Western China, widely touted as 'the new Henan' thanks to cheap power and zero tax incentives. And then, as a kind of precursor to our exclusive interview with Oleg Mukhamedshin, Eugene Gerden looks at how depressed aluminium prices have forced UC Rusal to revise its future development strategy.
Mahmood Daylami, the Gulf Aluminium Council's secretary-general, looks at how the Gulf region is developing its downstream industry while Sapa North America's Jeff Henderson argues that interesting opportunities for aluminium extruders exist in the automotive and construction industries.
SMS Meer discusses heavy duty rolling presses, Otto Junker looks at log and billet heating and Ametek says that aluminium recycling requires accurate testing equipment to determine the identity of different alloys.
We take a look at mining and refining with articles from consultants David Sugden on what it takes to make a bauxite mine; and Peter-Hans ter Weer on the economies of scale of alumina refining.
LOI Italimpianti's Hermann Meyer and BWG's Dr. Andreas Noé are the subjects of this month's Perspectives articles.
Recent News
Italy: Novelis opens new continuous casting line at Pieve near Milan
Aluminium rolling and recycling giant, Novelis, has opened a new aluminium recycling and continuous casting line at its Pieve Emanuele facility in Milan, Italy.
USA: Mixed feelings on Alcoa’s stewardship of the Yadkin river
Alcoa, the American aluminium giant, pays a lot of attention to the environment when it comes to its various smelting, mining and refining operations around the world, but the company is facing criticism from some quarters over its stewardship of the Yadkin River in North Carolina.
Australia: Alcoa’s massive drop in profits
Alcoa of Australia has filed full-year accounts and revealed that the company's profits of $106.2 million were down from $569 million. Sales fell by 12% and the company's return on capital was 3% – down from 9.47% at the end of 2011.
Decision in June on Chalco JV, says Rusal
Oleg Mukhamedshin, deputy CEO of Russian aluminium producer UC Rusal, says a decision will be made next month (June) on its planned joint venture projects with Chinese producer Chalco, according to a report by Dow Jones.
Recent Features
High-flying optimism
While some companies in the global aluminium industry straddle a parallel universe of depressed metal prices, soaring energy costs and smelter closures, Kaiser Aluminum's strategy positions it to avoid these woes and achieve success in good economic times and bad. Matthew Moggridge, Editor of Aluminium International Today meets the company's CEO Jack Hockema.
Realistic optimism
Oleg Mukhamedshin, deputy CEO of UC Rusal, the world's largest producer of aluminium, talks exclusively to Aluminium International Today's editor, Matthew Moggridge
Climate-positive
Svein Richard Brandtzaeg, CEO of Norsk Hydro, talks exclusively to Aluminium International Today about reducing emissions, his short-term concerns for the industry and his long-term optimism.
By Matthew Moggridge, editor of Aluminium International Today.
Forget cheap energy
Trimet's CEO Dr. Martin Iffert says that the days of cheap energy are over and that soon there will be nowhere to hide. Future survival will depend on a smelter's ability to adapt its production processes to renewable energy and the industry's determination to promote the environmental benefits of aluminium in the application phase.
By Matthew Moggridge, editor of Aluminium International Today