As the International Magnesium Association looks ahead to the 2024 World Conference, we’re sharing some highlights from the World Conference in 2023, held in Calgary. The conference provided a comprehensive overview of the global magnesium industry, with a focus on supply and demand dynamics and primary production.
Day 1
The day one keynote address by Alan Clark from The CM Group delved into the supply situation in China during the second half of 2021 and highlighted the developments in 2022. Clark explored the reasons behind China’s provincial energy policy and its impact on the magnesium industry.
Insights were also shared about the status of new primary projects in the pipeline in China and the rest of the world.
Day 2
The day two keynote address by Kazumasa Yamazaki of the Japanese Magnesium Association reported on the supply and demand situation of magnesium in Japan from the latter half of 2022 to the first half of this 2023. Yamazaki reported on the activities of JMA, the status of magnesium industries, and the progress of applications in Japan.
Panel discussion
A panel discussion featuring industry experts such as Alan Clark from The CM Group, Daniel Chu from Shaanxi Yulin Magnesium Industry, Christoph Klein-Schmidt from Magontec, and Saif Mohamed from NEOM delved into topics like China’s ambition to establish a network of storage facilities outside the country, NEOM’s project to become a low-carbon primary producer in the Middle East, and the specific demand for low-carbon (“green magnesium”) by Automotive OEMs.
Primary production
Another key session of the conference focused on primary production. Guojian Liu from Qinghai Salt Lake Magnesium Co. Ltd. provided an update on the QSLM optimization project and discussed the strategic development outlook. Aaron Palumbo from Big Blue Technologies and Fouad Kamaeleddine from WHY Resources presented primary magnesium metal production from serpentine using closed-loop HCl leaching and continuous aluminothermic reduction. Roberval P. Brito from Rima Industrial S/A shared insights into the massive usage of biomass in magnesium silicothermic processes, showcasing the Brazilian approach to reducing the carbon footprint in magnesium primary production.
Awards of Excellence
The members of IMA honored their peers with six Awards of Excellence: Automotive Cast Products, Commercial Cast Products, Process, Wrought Products, and Environmental responsibility. The winner’s showcase can be viewed by visiting intlmag.org/showcase2023.
Summary
Overall, the conference provided a platform for industry leaders to exchange knowledge, discuss technological advancements, and address key challenges facing the global magnesium sector. The IMA is looking forward to bringing the global magnesium community together again for the 2024 World Conference in Fukuoka, Japan on May 19-21.
