39th International Conference and Exhibition ICSOBA 2021
Overview
- The 39th International Conference and Exhibition of ICSOBA (The International Committee for Study of Bauxite, Alumina and Aluminium) was held from 22 to 24 November 2021 online. The conference covered bauxite, alumina, bauxite residue, carbon for aluminium electrolysis, aluminium production, and aluminium recycling in a variety of technical sessions.
- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the ICSOBA 2021 was held as a virtual event to ensure the health, safety and comfort for all delegates, in line with our vision to be “the technology conference of the aluminium industry, for the aluminium industry”.
- With over 300 delegates registered for the conference, 39 corporate members and 15 sponsors the organizers of ICSOBA 2021 are humbled by this realization.
- The program included 10 high-caliber keynote speakers and 98 technical papers presented in two parallel sessions. In addition, two virtual plant tours of Alba Smelter and EGA Al-Taweelah Refinery were organized, as well as a discussion panel on strategic supply of alumina.
- For the first time this year several companies were invited to present their profile between the technical sessions. GEA, Jingjin Environment Protection, NALCO, Tokai Cobex, Eqip, ABC Flex and Trimet benefited from this opportunity.
- A complete set of documents (TRAVAUX book No. 50, presentations, exhibitor documents, recorded Question and Answer sessions, etc.,) were still available for download until recently on the vFairs partner’s platform (https://icsoba2021.vfairs.com/en/). As usual, all papers published in the TRAVAUX book, as well as the presentations, will be accessible from the ICSOBA website at https://icsoba.org/proceedings/.
- ICSOBA was fortunate to have Alba as the Host Sponsor fully committed and motivated to support ICSOBA in this endeavor. Now, more than ever, during these challenging times, we deeply appreciate the staunch support of various businesses and individuals. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed to the conference this year. In addition, the organizers are deeply grateful to the partners and sponsors who have worked with us at all stages of this important industry event.
Virtual Lobby of ICSOBA 2021
Auditorium of ICSOBA 2021
Agenda of ICSOBA 2021
Exhibition hall of ICSOBA 2021
Networking lounge of ICSOBA 2021
Download center of ICSOBA 2021
Aluminium Industry at the Crossroads: Growth, Sustainability and Innovation
Jonathan Grant
Secretary General,
International Aluminium Institute (IAI), London, United Kingdom
Short BioNavigating Geopolitical Turmoil While Staying the Course on Sustainability
Brijendra Pratap Singh
Chairman-cum-Managing Director,
National Aluminium Company, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
Short BioGrowth and Opportunities of Aluminium Industry – Indian Perspective
Operation of UTKAL Refinery – Best Practices and Utilization of Bauxite Residue at Hindalco
Vaishali Surawar
Chief Sustainability Officer (Joint President),
Hindalco Industries, Mumbai, India
Short BioOperation of UTKAL Refinery – Best Practices and Utilization of Bauxite Residue at Hindalco
Recent Technical and Market Developments in the Global Bauxite Mining and Alumina Refining Sector
Uday Patel
Senior Research Manager, Global Aluminium Markets,
Wood Mackenzie, London, United Kingdom
Short BioAluminium Market Outlook - A New Age of Disruption
Preventing Unplanned Production Stoppages Due to Safety Hazards and Accidents
Satish Pai
Jonathan Grant
Brijendra Pratap Singh
Saurabh Khedekar
Vaishali Surawar
Alan Clark
Uday Patel
Alex Lowery
Satish Pai
Managing Director,
Hindalco Industries, Mumbai, India
Biography
Satish Pai joined Hindalco Industries in 2013 and has been Managing Director since 2016. In his role as MD, he also oversees the operations of Hindalco subsidiary Novelis Inc., the world’s largest aluminium rolling and recycling company. Prior to joining Aditya Birla Group, Satish worked for 28 years with Schlumberger. Based out of Paris, he was responsible for Schlumberger operations globally.
He has charted a transformational path for the company from its traditional metals manufacturing role to being a provider of high
value engineered solutions in aluminium, copper and specialty alumina.
Mr Pai has served in key industry forum roles and currently serves as Director on the boards of Aditya Birla Management Corporation Pvt. Ltd., and BP p.l.c.
Jonathan Grant
Secretary General,
International Aluminium Institute (IAI), London, United Kingdom
Biography
Jonathan is Secretary General of the International Aluminium Institute where he oversees sustainability work, governance and communications. The IAI’s dual purpose is to promote standards in the aluminium industry and to promote aluminium in society. For over 25 years, Jonathan has led work on corporate strategy, energy and climate action, operating at the Executive Committee and Board level. Prior to joining the IAI, he worked at Rio Tinto in the strategy and climate teams, in PwC's sustainability practice and as technical advisor on climate change at Chevron. Jonathan has worked with a range of industry associations including IPIECA, WBCSD and ICMM and was Chair of the Board of the International Emissions Trading Association from 2019-2021.
Brijendra Pratap Singh
Chairman-cum-Managing Director,
National Aluminium Company, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
Biography
Shri Brijendra Pratap Singh, a distinguished professional in the steel and mining sector, holds a degree in Mining Machinery Engineering from IIT Dhanbad (formerly ISM Dhanbad), earned in 1989. He also possesses an MBA in Marketing, further enriching his academic credentials.
Beginning his career at the Iron Ore Mine of Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) in 1989, Shri Singh has amassed over 35 years of exceptional experience spanning both mining and steel operations. His professional journey is marked by key leadership roles and a deep- rooted expertise in integrated steel plants.
Prior to assuming charge as Chairman-cum-Managing Director of NALCO, Shri Singh served as Director-In-Charge of Burnpur and Durgapur Steel Plants and was a Board Member of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). His career is distinguished by a rare and comprehensive command of the operational dynamics of four major SAIL steel plants: BSP (Bhilai Steel Plant); BSL (Bokaro Steel Limited); DSP (Durgapur Steel Plant); ISP (IISCO Steel Plant).
His strategic vision and deep industry expertise have been instrumental in advancing the Company’s Brownfield expansion and capacity augmentation, driving the growth and sustainability of the Company.
In addition to his leadership at NALCO, Shri Singh is also a Director on the Board of Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) and Utkarsha Aluminium Dhatu Nigam Limited, both joint venture companies of NALCO.
Saurabh Khedekar
President & CEO – Alumina Business,
Hindalco Industries, Mumbai, India
Biography
Saurabh Khedekar is a transformation-oriented global business leader at the Aditya Birla Group, currently serving as CEO of the Alumina Business at Hindalco Industries Limited. He leads the integrated Specialty Alumina and Metal Grade Alumina verticals, powering high-growth sectors such as EVs, semiconductors, electronics, and renewables across 40+ countries. The portfolio includes the world’s lowest-cost alumina refinery and strategic businesses in Red Mud, Carbon, and Vanadium.
An ABG Leadership Program alumnus, Saurabh has over 25 years of experience across metals, cement, retail, and consulting, where he has spearheaded multi-billion-dollar acquisitions, driven profitability growth, and championed ESG excellence. He has also served as Principal Executive to the Group Chairman, Kumar Mangalam Birla, gaining deep exposure to enterprise-wide strategy and transformation.
Beyond business, he is deeply committed to community development, leading livelihood initiatives that empower artisans and local stakeholders like Aadyam Handwoven and the Kosala Livelihood and Social Foundation.
Saurabh Khedekar is a Chartered Accountant and an MBA from the Indian School of Business.
Vaishali Surawar
Chief Sustainability Officer (Joint President),
Hindalco Industries, Mumbai, India
Biography
· Accomplished sustainability and metals industry leader with 34 years of experience across steel, aluminium and copper sectors.
· Bachelor of Technology in Metallurgical Engineering from VNIT, Nagpur, and MBA from U21 Global, Singapore.
· Serves as Chief Sustainability Officer for Hindalco, leading sustainability strategy across 19 factories and 23 mines.
· Developed Hindalco ESG 2050 Strategic Goal Sheet and led publication of the company’s Integrated Report.
· Driving transformative initiatives in air, water, waste, biodiversity and single-use plastic reduction through 100+ projects.
· First woman Unit Head of Hindalco Taloja and the first female Unit Head within the Aditya Birla Group.
· Recognized as Frost & Sullivan Sustainability Transformation Champion of the Year (2023).
· Recipient of multiple Chairman’s Awards including Exceptional Contributor, Young Achiever and Team Excellence awards.
· International experience in product development and market expansion across Asia and Europe.
· Led Taloja plant to several prestigious recognitions including Denso Japan Outstanding Business Partner Award.
· Instrumental in Hindalco achieving global ESG leadership, including Top 1% ranking in S&P Global ESG assessments.
· Recognized as Indian Sustainability Icon (2024) and invited speaker at leading sustainability and circular economy forums.
· Received Ministry of Mines appreciation for outstanding leadership and contribution to the metals and mining sector in 2025.
· Vice-Chair for CII GreenCo forum and member for Jalshakti Water conservation group.
· Passionate advocate for women’s leadership, encouraging young women to be bold, confident and purpose-driven.
Alan Clark
Founder and Managing Director,
CM Group, Glenelg, South Australia
Biography
Alan Clark is founder and Managing Director of the CM Group, a privately owned research advisory specialising in the analysis of global base and minor metals industries. Alan is a metallurgical engineer (University of South Australia) with an MBA specialising in Management of Technology (University of Melbourne) and over 30 years’ industry experience. Alan began his career as a research engineer with RioTinto Aluminium (formerly Comalco), later taking on roles with RioTinto in research, process improvement and marketing, before establishing Clark & Marron in 1999, later becoming the CM Group in 2011.
Alan’s experiences cover many of the world’s base metals and minerals industries, including bauxite, alumina, primary aluminium, nickel, magnesium, lithium, scandium, tungsten and molybdenum. Alan is an authority on the global aluminium value-chain; he advises the world’s largest aluminium producers, as well as investment banks, fund managers, governments, trading houses, industry groups and technology providers seeking to better understand the industry. He is a regular speaker at international conferences and events.
Alan has strong connections into China’s base and minor metals industries, forged over more than twenty years of research and consulting in China. He boasts an extensive ‘guanxi’ (network) across the breadth of many of China’s metals industries. Alan has lived and worked in Australia, Europe and China and conducted dozens of on-the-ground research field studies in countries as diverse as Russia, South Africa, Jamaica, Vietnam, Indonesia, Argentina and Guinea.
Uday Patel
Senior Research Manager, Global Aluminium Markets,
Wood Mackenzie, London, United Kingdom
Biography
Uday Patel has over 30 years of experience in the metals and mining sector covering Aluminium and other metals. He joined Wood Mackenzie in 2014 and is Senior Research Manager, Global Aluminium Markets. His industry experience includes Outokumpu, Ma’aden Saudi Arabia, DUBAL where he contributed to the startup of EMAL phases 1 and 2. During his career he has also worked on a range of projects across the entire aluminium value chain, including detailed market studies, cost analyses and strategic advisory work for clients including rolled producers, aluminium processing companies and financial organizations. Uday is a graduate of the London Business School’s executive management programme, Sussex University and the University of Exeter
Alex Lowery
General Manager,
Wise Chem, New Albany, Ohio, USA
Biography
Alex Lowery is a leading expert in plant safety for the aluminum industry. His Aluminum Safety Management column in Light Metals Age magazine and the Aluminum Plant Safety Blog he edits are recognized globally.
Alex actively collaborates with aluminum associations around the world to develop innovative safety training programs and techniques that prevent injuries and save lives. Currently, he is spearheading a project focused on proper load securement for flatbed trucks.
Expanding his global reach, Alex recently launched a series of safety presentations in partnership with TALSAD (Turkish Aluminium Industrialists Association), a program he anticipates bringing to other countries worldwide. Alex has dedicated the past 17 years to editing the Aluminum Plant Safety Blog as a vital industry resource. In his spare time, he provides independent safety consulting services to help companies identify hazards and protect their workforce.
ORGANIZING and TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
With Michel Reverdy as Program Director the ICSOBA 2021 Technical Committee was composed as follows:
| Subject | Subject organizer | Reviewers |
|---|---|---|
| Keynote | Michel Reverdy | According to subject |
| Bauxite, Alumina, Bauxite Residue | Andrey Panov Carlos Suarez Thymis Balomenos | Steven Healy, George Banvolgyi, Stephan Beaulieu, Patrick James, Ajamu Duncan, Evandro Leao, Gokhan Demir, Helen Adamson, Frank Feret, Bijoy Satpathy, Andrey Panov, Carlos Suarez, Thymis Balomenos |
| Aluminium Reduction Technology | Vinko Potocnik | Stephan Broek, André-Felipe Shneider, Dagoberto Severo, Yashar Koçaefe, Kristian Einarsrud, Vinko Potocnik, BalK Kakkar |
| Carbon | Houshang Alamdari | Duygu Kocaefe, Gøril Jahrsengene |
ICSOBA 2021 President
Dr. Abdulla Habib
Chief Operating Officer, Aluminium Bahrain
Short BioAluminium is the metal of the future. As the world’s largest aluminium smelter ex-China, we believe in partnering with industry-specific associations such as ICSOBA that will enable us to exchange and transfer knowledge as well as best practices. Through this, we aim to achieve efficient and cost-effective solutions that will help us stay ahead of the curve in an ever-changing global environment. This in turn will translate Alba’s Vision ‘To be the number one aluminium supplier for the generations to come.
Dr. Abdulla Habib Ahmed
Chief Operating Officer, Aluminium Bahrain
Biography
Dr. Abdulla Habib Ahmed is currently Chief Operations Officer, Aluminium of Bahrain (Alba). His work experience includes 25 years in various roles in Reduction Lines, R&D and Customers Technical Support. He has PhD in Chemical Engineering and Master in Aluminium Smelting and MBA from ESSEC/ French Arabian School and had his higher education from University of New South Wales, Australia.
Student Grants
No student awards were considered at the virtual ICSOBA 2021 conference. However, for the last several years ICSOBA (registered in the province of Quebec) supports JER (Journée des Étudiants) conference organized by The Aluminium Research Centre – REGAL and offers a monetary funding. The REGAL brings together 36 regular members, 45 collaborator members from the public and private sectors, and about 170 students.
2021 Conference Satisfaction Survey
An online satisfaction survey (which begun in 2016) was carried out again following Virtual ICSOBA 2021. As this conference was the second consecutive of its kind, a significant number of 39 questions dealt with the virtual aspect of the conference. The feedback that the ICSOBA Board obtained from the survey is highly valuable. With ICSOBA 2020 as a reference the main results could be summarized as follows:
- A response rate confirms strong interest of ICSOBA delegates to provide feedback. 99 answers were collected which ensures a good representativity of the results.
- The main feedback is a very strong support to ICSOBA decision to go virtual in 2021. The choice to use a virtual platform rather than a “simple” webinar type conference was supported by 91% of the respondents. Connection to and navigation within the vFairs platform was very well rated. Organization of the Q&A session by block of 4 speakers was also fully supported (85%).
- The survey attendance was 30% for Bauxite & Alumina stream with 67% for Carbon and Smelting.
- With a 55% ratio, producers were again the most represented with the highest participation ever.
- Conference agenda in a flipbook format was highly rated. The absence of duplication of session was greatly supported at the level of 86%, thanks to the on-demand capability. Video on-on-demand was very much appreciated (78%) as well as resource downloading (81%), but some delegates experienced difficulties downloading multiple documents. For the virtual event, the audio and video quality of the broadcast is a must, on which we cannot compromise.
- The results on exhibition confirm those of the last year: our delegates value an exhibition (67%), but none of the proposed formats is clearly preferred. The new feature of “Company Presentation” was well received with some good improvement suggestions.
- We noted with great satisfaction that the technical quality of articles (79%) and 73% for innovative content has improved further compared to previous years.
- The forecast to attend next year Conference is 86%, back to the 2019 value and well above the 56% “historical rating“.
- The bi-annual Newsletter is confirmed as the preferred communication channel with same % as last year (42%)
The ICSOBA Board of Directors needed comprehensive feedback on Virtual ICSOBA 2021 to influence future ICSOBA events to adopt the most efficient and beneficial format. We received many suggestions regarding all points; this gives us great confidence for an improved format in the future. Your contribution is greatly appreciated, and we thank you for your participation.