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COMPANY NEWS WOR LDWIDE
done to date. In 2013 these rate increases will
virtually eliminate the benefits provided by
the Unique Arrangement.
The consequence of this decision is Ormet
must immediately begin the shutdown of half
of its existing operations to conserve cash.
This means three out of six potlines or a capacity
of 135,000 tpy will be shut down.
Aluminij Mostar secures
power contract until year-end
2012, up 1.8% from the year before.
Vendanta restarts alumina refinery
Vedanta Aluminium Ltd has restarted its alumina
refinery at Lanjigarh in Odisha, about
seven months after the company had shut
down the plant due to shortage of bauxite.
The company has revived its plant by procuring
bauxite from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh
and Gujarat. The refinery has a nameplate capacity
of 1m tpy, but will initially run at 60%
of its capacity.
■
Secondary smelting and recycling
Bosnia’s primary aluminium smelter Aluminij
Mostar has secured a power contract with
Slovenian GEN-I on the supply of 100 MW for
a 5-month period as from 1 August. The power
contract offers better conditions than the
previous one with Croatian HEP, especially
when transmission costs are taken into account,
says CEO Ivo Bradvica. The new price
scheme, however, was not disclosed. Aluminij’s
need of electricity amounts to 225 MW.
The remaining 125 MW will be supplied by
Elektroprivreda HZ Herceg-Bosna. The smelter
was under threat of closure due to high
electricity prices paid previously.
EU Commission approves
merger of Emal and Dubal
The European Commission has approved the
merger of Dubal and Emal into the newly
created joint venture Emirates Global Aluminium.
The deal would not raise competition
concerns in the EU because of the very
limited overlap between the parties’ activities
and the presence of other competitors, which
are not capacity constrained.
■
Bauxite and
alumina activities
Vale mulls divesting stake in
Brazilian bauxite producer MRN
Miner Vale is considering selling its stake in
Brazilian bauxite producer Mineração Rio
do Norte (MRN). Vale SA is currently MRN’s
main stakeholder with 40% shares, followed
by BHP Billiton (14.8%), Rio Tinto Alcan
(12%) and other stakeholders. Vale’s strategy
is to have a smaller portfolio, focused on its
more profitable divisions. Iron ore remains
Vale’s main business along with coal.
MRN produced 17.1m tonnes of bauxite in
© Hydro
Alumetal doubles capacity at
secondary aluminium plant
Foundry alloy producer Alumetal has doubled
the capacity of its Nowa Sol facility in western
Poland to 66,000 tpy with the launch of a second
production line. Alumetal operates three
production sites in Poland with a total capacity
of 170,000 tpy of aluminium alloy, following
the latest expansion at Nowa Sol. The company
expects to produce 120,000 tonnes of
aluminium alloy in 2013 as the new production
line is ramped up to full capacity. Its two
other facilities are in Gorzyce, in south-east
Poland, and Kety, in southern Poland.
MRT invests in new
automated die casting cell
UK-based company MRT Castings has commissioned
a new advanced die casting cell
that further enhances the high quality of its
die casting facilities. The Colosio PFO 250 die
casting cell’s innovative features include:
• Real-time shot control: by monitoring and
storing process data, the advanced control
system of the new machine affords MRT accurate
repetition of all the injection parameters,
pressures, speeds and strokes to ensure consistent
high quality casting at all times.
• Fully integrated two-axis automatic die
sprayer – enabling fast, effective and consistent
lubrication of even the most complex die
forms.
• Robotic casting extractor with integrated
cooling conveyor – increasing productivity
and improving repeatability.
• A new Ramsell-Naber gas-fired melting
furnace with recuperative burner technology,
thus reducing energy consumption and emissions.
The Colosio PFO 250 delivers a locking
force of 250 tonnes, making it suitable for
aluminium components up to 3.5 kg.
Alupro: That calls for a Carlsberg!
The UK Aluminium Packaging Recycling
Organisation (Alupro) has announced that
Carlsberg UK has become its newest member
and has also joined the funding partners of
the ‘Every Can Counts’ recycling programme.
Carlsberg UK is the first brewer to join Alupro
and its membership marks the company’s
commitment to increase the recovery and recycling
of its aluminium cans used across its
portfolio of beer and cider brands.
Through its funding partnership of the
Every Can Counts programme, Carlsberg aims
to take the ‘away from home’ recycling message
directly to consumers, in particular at outdoor
events such as music festivals. Already
this summer Carlsberg UK staff have been
supporting recycling promotions under the
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