Workers at South32's Worsley Alumina refinery in Western Australia have begun a 48-hour stoppage, seeking greater security over their remuneration and working conditions ahead of Alcoa's planned acquisition of the company's aluminium assets for up to USD 5.6 billion. The industrial action involves members of the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) and the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU), with the ownership transition raising concerns over existing employment agreements and incentive payments. The stoppage began on November 10 and coincides with a scheduled shutdown at the refinery's main processing plant. Around 200 union members are employed at the Worsley operation, according to AMWU state secretary Steve McCartney, who said workers wanted their existing earnings protected...
Aluminum casthouses are facing a growing operational challenge of increasing the use of recycled metal without compromising melt quality, recovery rates or production efficiency. As manufacturers look to incorporate more post-consumer recycled (PCR) aluminum, processing lightweight scrap, machining chips and other low-density materials has become increasingly important. Such materials are difficult to introduce into conventional melting furnaces, making efficient scrap feeding and submergence essential to improving recycling performance. The challenge extends beyond scrap preparation. Maintaining consistent temperature and chemical composition throughout the molten metal bath is critical to producing specification-compliant aluminum. Equipment used for circulation and stirring must...
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Endurance Adler SpA, Italy (EA SpA), the step-down subsidiary of Endurance Technologies Limited and a direct subsidiary of Endurance Overseas Srl, Italy has acquired Grimeca Srl, Italy with effect from 21st May, 2020. The company has acquired a 100% stake in Grimeca for Euro 2.25 million. Endurance said the acquisition will help the company to strengthen technological prowess in the braking systems. Endurance expects the acquisition to provide impetus to the growth opportunities for the Company’s braking business in India, both for domestic and export markets. The company has paid Euro 0.9 million for the 100% stake in Grimeca and Euro 1.35 million for technical know-how and intellectual property rights of braking systems and chassis components, and the “G Grimeca” brand. Grimeca, which...
Shanghai Metals Market, after surveying 41 major aluminium processors in 12 provinces revealed that the average operating rates increased 1.3 percentage points on weekly basis to 78.8 per cent last week. This growth was primarily driven by sustained strong consumption from the construction and medical sectors. Demand for aluminium foil used in air-conditioners, beverage and beer packaging was found increased too, leading to the hike in aluminium processors’ operating rates. However, on the other hand, the impact from weaker export orders has emerged, according to SMM, especially for aluminium plates/sheets, resulting in lower operating rates at aluminium producers. Operating rates of primary alloy producers remained stable at 55 per cent, whereas operating rates at aluminium wheel plants...
Schletter Group, the international manufacturer of solar-mounting systems, made of aluminium and other metal components remains on a growth course. With the relocation of its Shanghai site to a new plant, the company is remarkably expanding its production capacities in China. Florian Roos, CEO of the Schletter Group said: "At our new location, which is perfectly tailored to our requirements, we now have the capacities we need for our growing business. In the new plant, which spans approximately 18,000 square meters, about 400 Schletter employees will from now on manufacture solar-mounting systems for the global market and the new plant also offers us room for potential future expansion." Since 2010, the Schletter Group has maintained its production site in Shanghai. Roos added: "Due to...
Hulamin Operations (Pty) Limited has joined Aluminium Stewardship Initiative as a new Production & Transformation member. This brings the total number of members working toward a responsible aluminium value chain to 121. “Hulamin has an organisational culture that places great value on its shareholders, employees, communities and other key stakeholders, with a clear understanding of the close connection between the health of these key stakeholders to that of the business. We believe that all we have in place will be enhanced by joining ASI. It will add credibility to Hulamin as a responsible and sustainable producer of aluminium products,” said Debra Jackson, Chemical & Environmental Specialist. “We view the certification processes of the ASI Performance Standard as an opportunity to...
The average Bauxite (6.5≤Al/Si＜7.5) price in Guangxi stands at RMB 265 per tonne on Tuesday, 26 May 2020, down RMB 15 per tonne or 5.36 per cent, after remaining flat at RMB 280 per tonne since May 12. The average price is expected to move within a range of RMB 230-RMB 300 per tonne. The average Bauxite (5.5≤Al/Si＜6.5) price in Guizhou has decreased by RMB 20 per tonne to RMB 280 per tonne today. The average price is expected to move within a range of RMB 240-RMB 320 per tonne. A00 aluminium ingot price has increased by RMB 100 per tonne from RMB 13260 per tonne to RMB 13360 per tonne. The price is expected to move within a range of RMB 13340 per tonne-13380 per tonne. Spot aluminium price is likely to be traded at a premium of RMB 70-110 per tonne. In Foshan and Wuxi, the price has risen...
The US dollar edged higher against a basket of rivals on Monday, while oil prices eased on concerns over rising tensions between the US and China over Beijing’s plans to impose security laws on Hong Kong and the possibility of sanctions from Washington. The London Metal Exchange was closed on Monday for spring bank holiday. On Friday, May 22, LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official settlement price stood at US$ 1473 per tonne after declining from US$ 1487 per tonne on May 21. SHFE Aluminium Price Trend Benchmark aluminium price for SHFE expanded its growth from US$ 1839 per tonne on Monday, May 25, to US$ 1,854 per tonne on Tuesday, May 26. The most-liquid SHFE July contract halted its increase at RMB 12,890 per tonne and trimmed some gains to close the day at RMB 12,840 per...
The Aluminium Association of India (AAI) seeks the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) to at once look into the distorted market of Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) which, according to it, is stemming an artificial demand and price surge in the power exchange. AAI vice-chairman Rahul Sharma said: “The association feels that it is apparent that the prices of Solar RECs in the last one year have shot up by more than 125% from INR 1000/MWhr to INR 2250/MWhr, putting an additional burden of INR 1.25/kwh of RE energy compliance for all consumers.” “This huge burden on the consumers is due to non-revision of REC prices since 2017 by the regulator, despite a steep fall in RE generation costs.” In a recent representation to the CERC, the AAI said, "There is an acute shortage of...
Nigeria has overtaken South Africa as Africa’s largest economy and with over 200 million people, it is the largest market in the continent. The economy of Nigeria is a middle-income, mixed economy and emerging market, with expanding manufacturing, financial, service, communications, technology and entertainment sectors. It is ranked as the 27th-largest economy in the world in terms of nominal GDP, and the 24nd-largest in terms of purchasing power parity. The West-African nation’s aluminium foil importation during 2017-19 has been showing a rapid growth as the import was recorded at 10,505 tonnes and the expenditure occurred stood at $42.57 million. The projection for 2020 import has been analysed at 11,711 tonnes and the expenditure might rise to $36.71 million. When the analysed import...
Shanghai-listed Ningbo Xusheng Auto Technology stated that it plans to invest 1.92 billion Yuan into the construction of an intelligent automation production plant, designed with an annualised capacity of 10 million light-weight aluminium alloy auto parts. Ningbo Xusheng Auto Technology Co., Ltd. is a China-based company majorly engaged in the research, development, manufacture and sales of die-cast precision aluminium alloy auto parts and industrial parts. The project, adapting to the development of new energy vehicles and lightweight market, will be equipped with automatic production lines for die casting, extrusion, and machining. Process technologies such as smelting, die casting, extrusion and machining will be adopted. Construction of the project will be starting in July’20 and...
An executive from a closed smelting unit of state-run Aluminum Corporation of China Limited, popularly known as Chalco, has demanded bauxite-rich Shanxi to become a major aluminium production hub. China is by far the world’s biggest producer and consumer of bauxite, the main ore source of aluminium. Gao Bingwei, director of the innovation studio at Chalco unit Shanxi Huasheng and a delegate at the National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing, pointed out that the Northern Province houses 1.5 billion tonnes of bauxite reserves, the highest within China. However, Shanxi only has aluminium smelting capacity of 1.21 million tonnes per year, accounting for 3 per cent of China’s total aluminium capacity, despite being the second-biggest alumina producing region, said Gao, according to the...
Metro Mining Ltd continues to watch closely the market situations forth deciding to formally proceed with stage-2 expansion at the Bauxite Hills Mine in Far North Queensland in Australia. In April’20, the company was instructed by the Queensland Treasury that the Queensland State Government would not exercise its veto right regarding the Metro Mining Bauxite Hills Mine Expansion proposal and supports its progression to the loan documentation stage. This is one of the last key milestones for the facility and Metro is now well advanced in satisfying all remaining CPs and reaching the financial close of the facility. The timing for the formal commitment to stage-2 is being influenced by the uncertainty over the outlook for global growth and associated weakness in aluminium and alumina prices...
Nova Scotia Ventilator Consortium initiated the project more than two months ago to support any vacuum for a breathing apparatus the COVID-19 pandemic might create. The ventilator is now ready if a second wave of the pandemic impacts the province in the fall. A thoroughly functional mechanical ventilator is anticipated to be submitted to Health Canada for certification and approval in the forthcoming days, marking the latest breakthrough for the Nova Scotia group that created it from scratch if their requirement that might arise from provincial hospitals. Doug Milburn, Vice-President of Protocase, is a member of the consortium that also consists of Dr Chris Milburn, respiratory technician Bruce Morrison, Halifax Company Enginuity Inc., Advanced Glazings, Nova Scotia Power Makerspace, Cape...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, social inventories of primary aluminium ingots have expanded decline over the weekend ending May 25, owing to stable demand and limited arrivals of stocks to warehouses. SMM data found that the inventories of primary aluminium have decreased by 55,000 tonnes across eight major consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrant, to stand at 924,000 tonnes, as of Monday, May 25. On last Thursday, May 21, the primary aluminium inventories were at 979,000 tonnes after declining by 79,000 tonnes. This represents the fact that the decline in primary aluminium inventories over the weekend slowed by 24,000 tonnes. The chart below indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories across China in more details: Wuxi has seen the highest fall in...
Africa produced 133,000 tonnes of primary aluminium in April 2020, a decrease of 1.48% from April 2019. The output reduced by 3.62% from March 2020’s production of 138,000 tonnes but up 4.72% from February 2020’s production of 127,000 tonnes, according to the latest data showed by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). Primary aluminium production came in at 534,000 tonnes in the first four months of 2020 as compared to 546,000 tonnes in the first four months of 2019. This marked a decrease of 2.2% year-on-year. IAI reported that primary aluminium production in Africa came in at 1.643 million tonnes in 2019 as compared to 1.668 million tonnes in 2018. That was down 1.5 per cent year-on-year.
The US dollar continued its rally against a basket of rivals on Friday. LME aluminium dropped 1.2% and SHFE aluminium lost 0.1%. Three-month LME aluminium slipped to an intraday low of US$1,493 per tonne in European trading hours on Friday. It closed close the day 1.15% lower at US$1,503.5 per tonne. As of Friday May 22, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1473 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1473 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1498.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1498.50 per tonne; Dec 21 bid price stands at US$ 1616 per tonne, and Dec 21 offer price stands at US$ 1616per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock stood at 1458100 tonnes. Live Warrants totalled 1226375 tonnes, and Cancelled Warrants were 231725 tonnes. LME aluminium...
Following the steep decline of RMB 310 per tonne on Friday, May 22, the A00 aluminium ingot price begins the week on Monday, May 25, with a rise of RMB 110 per tonne to reach at RMB 13,260 per tonne, found Shanghai Metals Market. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 13,240 per tonne and RMB 13,280 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a premium price of RMB 80-120 per tonne. Among the major Chinese states, Linyi has seen the highest growth of RMB 240 per tonne on May 25 to stand at RMB 13,310 per tonne, followed by the rise of RMB 160 per tonne in Foshan to come in at RMB 13,460 per tonne. In Hangzhou and Tianjin, the A00 aluminium ingot price has increased by RMB 140 per tonne to RMB 13,280 per tonne, while the price in Wuxi and Shenyang is standing at RMB 13,260...
Equatorial Guinea’s Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons (MMH) has reportedly signed five mining contracts for the first time in its history. This followed the heels of the conclusion of the country’s inaugural mining bidding round last year. The contracts have been signed with three different companies, which include one gold exploration contract in Block I with Manhattan Mining Investment, three contracts with Blue Magnolia in Block B for bauxite and precious metals and Block K and H for gold and precious metals, base metals, and rare earth minerals. One of the five contracts also includes a prospecting contract with Shefagold in Blocks N and O for platinum, palladium, silver, magnesium, phosphorus, chrome, copper, iron ore, and other associated minerals. According to the Ministry of...
Ball Corporation, the world's leader in sustainable aluminium packaging solutions for beverage, personal care and household products, has announced its partnership with Acosta, a leading sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods industry, to launch the company's aluminium cups in retail and on-premise outlets, including grocery, drug and C-stores, food service, specialty channels and select mass channel retailers, across the U.S. "We are thrilled about this new relationship with Acosta," said Daniel W. Fisher, senior vice president and chief operating officer, Global Beverage Packaging. "Their deep industry knowledge and cutting-edge technology will enable us to leverage the initial success of the Ball Aluminum Cup as we launch the brand into retail and on-premise outlets...
