Century Aluminum’s proposed USD 4 billion primary aluminum smelter in Inola, Oklahoma, is “moving forward on all fronts” as the company prepares for construction, despite local opposition and legal challenges, CEO Jesse Gary said during the company’s third-quarter earnings call. Developed jointly by Century Aluminum and Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the project is designed to produce 750,000 tonnes of primary aluminum annually, potentially doubling U.S. primary aluminum production. The facility is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs and add USD 1.5 billion to Oklahoma’s gross domestic product, according to company estimates. The partners had targeted construction to begin by the end of 2026. However, local restrictions and permitting challenges have affected the...
Aluminium manufacturers are facing a challenge that extends across the entire production chain: improving output and product quality while making better use of raw materials, energy and existing equipment. From recovering metal from complex scrap to controlling billet solidification and achieving precision in rolled products, every stage presents technical demands that influence the efficiency and economics of the final operation. Addressing these demands requires more than conventional machinery. Equipment manufacturers are developing specialised technologies to tackle problems such as low scrap recovery, surface segregation, casting defects, unnecessary metal removal and inconsistent strip flatness. Increasingly, the focus is on improving process control, reducing production losses and...
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Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), the world’s largest aluminium smelter ex-China, announced the appointment of six new members to the company's board of directors on 05 April 2020. The company said the newly appointed six Directors by the shareholder Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat) to the Board of Directors. The Chairman of Alba's Board of Directors, Shaikh Daij Bin Salman Bin Daij Al Khalifa, commented: “On behalf of myself and the newly appointed Board of Directors of Alba, I take this opportunity to express our thanks and gratitude towards His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, for the trust placed in me and my fellow Directors to further develop the Company for the next stage of...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the social inventories of primary aluminium ingots have declined over the holiday-extended weekend, as demand has displayed a slight improvement. The data shows the stocks across eight major consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, have decreased by 41,000 tonnes from 1.676 million tonnes on Thursday, April 2, to stand at 1.635 million tonnes, as of Tuesday, April 7. Compared to a week earlier when the inventories were at 1.664 million tonnes, the stocks today have plunged by 29,000 tonnes. The chart below indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories across China in more details: From Thursday, April 2, the inventories in Nanhai and Gongyi have plunged by 28,000 tonnes and 17,000 tonnes, respectively, to stand at 403,000...
Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant (NCCP) has signed a 10-year contract with the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority for the supply of low-enriched nuclear fuel components, such as aluminium and uranium items, for the ETRR-2 research reactor. NCCP is a subsidiary of Russian nuclear fuel manufacturer TVEL. Oleg Grigoriyev, TVEL's senior vice president for commerce and international business, said: “the latest contract was a logical follow-up to several contracts for shipments of fuel components to Egypt fulfilled by NCCP over the last three years.” ETRR-2 - located in Inshas, 60 km north-west of Cairo - is an Argentinian-designed 22 MWt research reactor that started up in 1997. According to INVAP, the Argentinian state-owned applied research company that supplied and built the reactor,...
The US dollar held firm at more than one-week highs against a basket of currencies on Monday, April 6. LME aluminium closed lower overnight. The SHFE kept its night trading session suspended. Three-month LME aluminium fell to its lowest since January 2016 at US$1,459.5 per tonne in late European trading session. It closed the day lower at US$1,475 per tonne. Shanghai Metals Market expects the contract to move at US$1,450-1,500 per tonne today, As of Monday, April 6, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1424.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1424.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1460.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1460.50 per tonne; Dec 21 bid price stands at US$ 1594 per tonne, and Dec 21 offer price stands at US$ 1594 per tonne....
The average alumina spot price since the middle of March is recording relentless declines, and today, April 7, is of no exception, found Shanghai Metals Market. The aluminium raw material price in the spot market has registered a decline of RMB 41 per tonne to stand at RMB 2,205 per tonne. In the east, it is standing at RMB 2,220 per tonne after decreasing by RMB 60 per tonne, while that in the central and north is hovering at RMB 2,220 per tonne and RMB 2,195 per tonne after plunging by RMB 40 per tonne and RMB 35 per tonne, respectively. In the south, however, the price has remained restrained at RMB 2,520 per tonne. The Australian alumina FOB price has dropped by US$ 6 per tonne to US$ 231 per tonne. The imported alumina price has registered no change from its previous price RMB 2,315...
Alcoa Corporation, a global leader in bauxite, alumina, and aluminium products, on 6th April ’20, announced a change in the format of its Annual Meeting of Stockholders from in-person to virtual-only. This arrangement has been supported concerning the public health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and to support the health and well-being of the stockholders, employees, and their families. The company will hold its annual meeting in a virtual meeting format only, via webcast. As previously announced, the annual meeting will be held on Wednesday, 6 th May’20 at 10:00 a.m. EDT. As described in the Company’s proxy materials previously distributed for the Annual Meeting, stockholders at the close of business on March 11, 2020, the record date, are entitled to attend and participate in the...
The aluminium cans import market of Portugal reflects de-growth during 2017-20, though the total import volume stood at 22,312 tonnes, whereas the total foreign revenue expenditure reflects at $132.73 million. Portugal’s aluminium cans import in 2017 stood at 5697 tonnes, whereas the amount paid remained at $32.68 million. In 2018 the import rose by 0.68%, as the total import remained at 5736 tonnes and the foreign revenue paid was $32.98 million. Portugal’s import in 2019 again saw a decline of 2.89%, as the import reflected was 5570 tonnes and a decrease of 166 tonnes was recorded Y-o-Y. The foreign revenue paid was $34.64 million, which is more than the previous year, as the price was high during the time. In 2020 the projected import for aluminium cans is 5309 tonnes, which is again...
The aluminium cans import market of Portugal reflects de-growth during 2017-20, though the total import volume stood at 22,312 tonnes, whereas the total foreign revenue expenditure reflects at $132.73 million. Portugal’s aluminium cans import in 2017 stood at 5697 tonnes, whereas the amount paid remained at $32.68 million. In 2018 the import rose by 0.68%, as the total import remained at 5736 tonnes and the foreign revenue paid was $32.98 million. Portugal’s import in 2019 again saw a decline of 2.89%, as the import reflected was 5570 tonnes and a decrease of 166 tonnes was recorded Y-o-Y. The foreign revenue paid was $34.64 million, which is more than the previous year, as the price was high during the time. In 2020 the projected import for aluminium cans is 5309 tonnes, which is again...
Following World Health Organisation guidelines, New Zealand Aluminium Smelter Limited is making 103 litres of own hand sanitiser from its onsite laboratory. Smelter asset optimisation superintendent Roget Hackett said they collected the ingredients like ethanol, hydrogen peroxide, and glycerol under WHO guidelines and mixed in their lab. Although the smelter is not considered an essential service, yet it is exempted from the four-week lockdown, considering the extensive costs involved in shutting down and restarting all the pots. However, the smelter has adopted several precautions for continuing operations during the pandemic, such as dividing workers into two teams – blue and red and letting them work separately as much as possible with separate entry and exit points into the factory....
Indian aluminium producers are keeping their eyes at the possibility of accumulating of metal as COVID-19 outbreak has compressed the domestic consumption besides leading to a demand shrinking among importing countries. The present situation is like hocus-pocus for the aluminium companies that were already struggling due to weak commodity prices. The major global auto companies have reduced their production and the construction industry has also remained standstill, while the demand from the user industries has dropped immensely. The production of aluminium is expected to outpace demand which will exert pressure on aluminium prices unless substantial production cuts are announced by smelters in China and the rest of the world. In the Indian market, the flagging demand, whereas the slow...
The US imports of crude metal and alloys rose 16.44% or 49,000 tonnes year-on-year to 347,000 tonnes in January 2020. The US had imported 298,000 tonnes in January 2019, according to the latest Mineral Industry Survey report from the US Geological Survey. Crude metal and alloys imports increased by 9.46% from December’s imports of 317,000 tonnes and 14.9% from November’s imports of 302,000 tonnes. The US imported 3.8 million tonnes of crude metal and alloys in 2019, as compared to 4.13 million tonnes in 2018. This marked a decrease of 7.99% or 330,000 tonnes. On the export side, the US exported 16,600 tonnes of crude metal and alloys in January 2020, from 22,200 tonnes exported in January 2019. That was down 25.23% or 5,600 tonnes year-on-year. On a month-on-month basis, the exports...
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After back-to-back falls in the United States aluminium scrap exports in November and December, January 2020 saw a marginal rise, according to the US Geological Survey data. Compared to 140,000 tonnes in December 2019, the United States in January 2020 exported 146,000 tonnes, registering a rise of 4.29 per cent. In October and November, the United States’ aluminium scrap exports hovered at 157,000 tonnes and 151,000 tonnes, respectively, representing a month-on-month fall of 3.82 per cent in November 2019. In December 2019, the month-on-month decline in exports had increased to 7.28 per cent. Year-on-year, the United States’ aluminium scrap exports in January 2020 saw a rise of 4.29 per cent as well, as the export amount by the US during the same period last year was 146,000 tonnes. The...
Benchmark aluminium price on London Metal Exchange slightly increased by 0.24 per cent to US$ 1452 per tonne on Friday, April 3, from US$ 1448.5 per tonne on April 2. As of Friday, April 3, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1452 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1452 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1486 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1486 per tonne; Dec 21 bid price stands at US$ 1624 per tonne, and Dec 21 offer price stands at US$ 1624 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock stood at 1207925 tonnes. Live Warrants totalled 1062750 tonnes, and Cancelled Warrants were 145175 tonnes. <iframe width="500" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ltTDKEXzCzg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope;...
On Tuesday, March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a countrywide lockdown for 21 days starting Tuesday midnight. Since the announcement, no report of production cuts at smelters and refineries of three major Indian aluminium giants have arrived so far, except that Hindalco has temporarily scaled down operations at some of its aluminium and copper manufacturing facilities in line with the government's directives, according to a report last week. The government has, however, exempted key production facilities from having a continuous production process during the lockdown. Reports say there is enough availability of raw material and consumable stock with the plant premises for the next 15 days, at least, which is helping carry out the production seamlessly. The government has...
Australian Bauxite Limited (ABx) has reportedly appointed Clough for the design and construction of its first Alcore production plant in New South Wales. After six months of test work, Alcore has now decided to construct the first commercial plant where byproducts from aluminium smelters will be converted into aluminium fluoride. This aluminium fluoride can then be again sold back to the smelters as an essential electrolyte for smelting. On bagging the contract, Peter Bennett, CEO and Managing Director of Clough said: "Clough is a pioneering engineering and construction company, and our expertise with technology readiness, front-end engineering and EPC delivery will ensure a smooth transition for Alcore from the lab research stage to their first commercial plant." Alcore COO Phillip Hall...
According to the latest report from the US Geological Survey, US domestic primary aluminium production came in at 92,000 tonnes in January 2020. The average daily production was 2,980 tonnes, slightly less than that in January 2019. The output was essentially unchanged from that in December 2019. Total aluminium recovered from scrap was 269,000 tonnes in January, 8% less than the amount in January 2019. That was slightly more than the revised amount in December 2019 and 12% less than that in January 2018. Of this, 146,000 tonnes of aluminium was recovered from new scrap and 123,000 tonnes was recovered from old scrap. In January, the average U.S. spot market price of primary aluminium ingot was $0.945 per pound, essentially unchanged from December 2019. Inventories of primary aluminium in...
BMW Motorrad has disclosed the production-spec R18 cruiser, months after it showcased the smashing R18 concept at the 2019 EICMA. The concept was undoubtedly one of the best-looking motorcycles at the show. BMW has chosen from the wide catalogue of bolt-on aluminium parts to choose from, supplied by its official partners Roland Sands Designs. Then there are seats by US-based Mustang Seats. The BMW R18 looks stunning and, in many ways, resembles the 1936 BMW R5 cruiser. Parked side by side, the design inspiration is visible in its round LED headlamp, tear-drop-shaped fuel tank and the swooping rear fender. The design of the engine cam covers, for instance, draws inspiration from the old model, and it's the same case with the fish-tail-style exhaust. The need to comply with strict emission...
The main minerals mined in Sierra Leone other than bauxite are diamonds, rutile, gold, iron and limonite, though diamond mining makes the highest revenue in the overall mining sector. Diamond mining in Sierra Leone has been seen as one of the key factors for instability in the country and one of the reasons for the country's recent civil war. Sierra Leone's production of bauxite, an aluminium ore, is around 1% of the total global production. Deposits occur between Moyamba and Mano, on the Freetown Peninsular, at Krim-Kpaka in the Pujehun District, southern Sierra Leone; in the north on the road from Falaba to Waia, at Kamakwie and Makumre. Sierra Minerals Holdings is the only company mining bauxite in the country and the second-largest employer in the mining industry. It runs the Sieromco...
