Storvik has won a contract to operate and maintain the automated anode rod repair system at Alcoa's Mosjøen aluminium smelter in Norway. The agreement extends a partnership that began in 2016, when the company introduced its In-Line Rod Repair (ILRR) system at the plant. Storvik Mosjøen, a subsidiary of Storvik group will now handle the operation of the robotic repair line and maintenance of the anode yokes processed through it. Storvik Engineering built the system, with both companies working together on its installation and commissioning. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our report: " Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook " Anode rod assemblies are essential to primary aluminium...
Rio Tinto has secured a five-year operating arrangement for its Bell Bay aluminium smelter in northern Tasmania, backed by a government support package worth USD 200 million. The agreement includes a commitment to maintain a minimum level of employment at the 71-year-old facility until at least 2031, easing concerns over its future amid uncertainty about electricity costs. Rio Tinto's aluminium chief executive Jérôme Pécresse confirmed the employment commitment but did not disclose the number of jobs covered. The guarantee is understood to cover around 500 positions. Bell Bay currently employs about 550 people and supports a further 1,200 jobs, with its future previously uncertain as the company sought a new power agreement. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of...
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The global metal pipe market is estimated to reach US$97.7 billion by 2023 with a CAGR of 3.9 per cent from 2018 to 2023, according to a new market report published by Lucintel. The demand for aluminium tubes and pipes is expected to witness the growth over the coming years due to increasing demand from the construction, building and transportation sector. {newsStudioGallery} Belgium’s main exports partners are its neighbouring countries France, Germany and the Netherlands. The country’s aluminium tubes and pipes exports to France and Germany reduced by 7 per cent and 23 per cent from 2017 to 3447 and 3343 tonnes in 2018, respectively (estimated). Exports to the Netherlands and Poland stood at 2807 tonnes and 1434 tonnes last year. International trade data shows that Belgium’s estimated...
Shanghai Metals Market found enthusiastic sentiment across spot aluminium traders on Tuesday morning, February 19, in east China markets, as downstream consumers returned normal production and aluminium prices declined after four consecutive days of rising. Thus, the trades were brisk. Spot deals mostly occurred at RMB 13,340 per tonne to RMB 13,360 per tonne in Shanghai and Wuxi, and at RMB 13,350 per tonne to RMB 13,360 per tonne in Hangzhou, SMM research found. Traded prices were down more than RMB 30 per tonne from the previous morning. In Shanghai, spot discounts were at RMB 70 per tonne to RMB 60 per tonne against the SHFE March contract. This was slightly wider compared with Monday morning’s spot discounts at RMB 60 per tonne to RMB 50 per tonne. This could be attributed to...
Shanghai Metals Market research found that operating rates across some 50 Chinese extrusion manufacturers in January dropped on an incessant weak demand from the construction extrusion sector. Surveyed extrusion manufacturers in the said month operated at 49.02 per cent, month-on-month down by 5.67 percentage points, but up 1.12 percentage points year-on-year. The operating rate for construction extrusion, on the other hand, registered 47.23 per cent, down from a high of 63.69 per cent in June 2018. The operating rate for industrial extrusion also edged down, but in a limited range because of the stable demand from aluminium formwork and solar industry. From 59.77 per cent in December, the rate dropped to 58.75 per cent in January. Operating rates across large manufacturers with an...
The US dollar fell on Tuesday as optimism about the outcome of a fresh round of US-China trade talks in Washington this week prompted traders to scale back their safe-haven greenback holdings. Most LME base metals traded higher on Tuesday and aluminium edged up 0.2%. SHFE base metals, except for lead, ended higher overnight and aluminium inched up 0.2%. LME aluminium closed the day’s trading at US$ 1833.50 per tonne. The metal fluctuated on Tuesday, ending marginally higher at US$1,857 per tonne. LME aluminium is likely to trade at US$1,840-1,870 per tonne today. As on February 19, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1833 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1833.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1861.5 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1862 per...
After an intermittent plunge yesterday from RMB 13,410 per tonne to RMB 13,350 per tonne, the A00 aluminium ingot price has once again recorded a rise today, on February 20, to RMB 13,390 per tonne. This marks a growth of RMB 40 per tonne, according to Shanghai Metals Market. But due to the fall yesterday, the ingot price failed to continue at its highest point of this month RMB 13,410 per tonne. Today’s price is same as it was on 31 st of January. The average prices today are expected to range between RMB 13,370 per tonne and RMB 13,410 per tonne, with spot discounts to settle at RMB 70 per tonne to RMB 30 per tonne. In the east (Wuxi and Hangzhou), the A00 aluminium ingot price has grown by RMB 35 per tonne to reach at RMB 13,385 per tonne and RMB 13,390 per tonne respectively. The...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, operating rates at Chinese secondary aluminium producers averaged 54.84 per cent in January 2019, down month-on-month by 2.37 percentage points and year-on-year by 10.2 percentage points. Poor orders from downstream aluminium sector in January was one of the reasons for this bearish sentiment across secondary aluminium plants that even drove them into production cuts. Earlier-than-usual suspension before the Chinese New Year break at medium and small-sized secondary mills also took a toll on the overall operating rate, observed Shanghai Metals Market. SMM data shows that operating rate across domestic secondary aluminium plants may become lower in February, due to CNY closures. While large secondary mills mostly closed for seven days over CNY, most...
The Dutch start-up Vaan presents the world’s most sustainable luxury sailing yacht made almost entirely of circular materials, including recycled aluminium. The Vaan R4 is a catamaran built with 75 percent recycled aluminium from Hydro. “One of the biggest industry challenges today is that many of the products designed and produced are too difficult or expensive to take apart and recycle when they are no longer in use. We are proud to work with a visionary company like Vaan to address these challenges, and to contribute to the first recyclable yacht, which is built with our 75 percent recycled aluminium,” said Marijn Rietveld, Director Offshore and Marine in Hydro. The Vaan R4 is made from circular materials that can be recycled when it is no longer in use. A key material in the yacht is...
Grasim Industries Limited, a part of the Aditya Birla Group, signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Chlor-Alkali Business of K.P.R. Industries (India) Limited for INR253 crore in a cash deal. K.P.R. Industries’ Chlor-Alkali Business consists of an under-construction 200 TPD Chlor-Alkali project at Balabhadrapuram, Andhra Pradesh. Grasim said the transaction will be funded through internal accruals. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals. “Caustic Soda is a critical input in the aluminium sector. Given the expansion plans for the aluminium businesses, it will serve as an excellent sourcing point for leading aluminium players. We look forward to an early completion of this project," Birla Carbon Business CEO Santrupt B Misra said. Grasim said the acquisition is in line...
Honourable Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation stone of Runaya Refining at Jharsuguda, today. The project is an end-to-end green solution for the recovery of aluminium and processing residual waste from Aluminium smelters. The ceremony was held in presence of Mr. Annanya Agarwal - CEO, Runaya Refining, Mr. Bibhuti Bhushan Das - DM and Collector, Mr. Abhijit Pati - CEO, Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda and other senior members of the district administration and Vedanta Ltd. In the Photograph (in order of appearance from Left to right)- Abhijit Pati- CEO, Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda, Bhibuti Bhusan Das- DM & Collector, Jharsuguda, Ashwini Kumar Mohanty- SP, Jharsuguda, Annanya Agarwal- CEO, Runaya Refining LLP, Trilochan Manjhi- ADM, Jharsuguda. Speaking on the occasion...
A Courier-Journal reports that Braidy Industries that is constructing a massive aluminium rolling mill in north-eastern Kentucky in the U.S. is now seeking a new loan of up to US$800 million. The company is applying for the loan under a federal program that hasn’t given out a loan to any company in almost eight years. Kentucky governor Matt Bevin considered the aluminium mill planned for Greenup County as a major win in his administration’s efforts in order to create new jobs and attract more industries and business to the Commonwealth. The report says Braidy has applied for a loan of about US$800 million from the U.S Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing direct loan program. The amount will cover almost half of the estimated $1.7 billion cost to build the...
Since when the United States lifted sanctions on Rusal, the company got engaged in talks with Western Companies to resume reinsurance, said Russian National Reinsurance (RNRC) officials. US President Donald Trump’s administration lifted sanctions on Rusal and other core assets of Oleg Deripaska on January 28. Rusal’s talks with reinsurers indicate the company’s return to normal operations. Natalia Karpova, deputy chief executive RNRC, told reporters on Monday, February 18, that Rusal is now corresponding with western reinsurers for getting them back on board and sharing the aluminium company’s risks after sanctions been lifted. The names of the western reinsurers are not revealed, however. According to two sources familiar with the matter, Ingosstrakh, Rusal’s primary insurer, had been...
Tenova LOI Thermprocess, a supplier of custom heat treatment lines and specialist in aluminium scrap recycling equipment, announced that it will supply aluminium recycling furnace to Fonderie Pandolfo, the recycling and melting company in Italy. Tenova LOI Thermprocess has received the contract for the supply and installation of a Twin-Chamber Melting Furnace TCF®. “We are glad to continue our long and successful cooperation with Fonderie Pandolfo and its operating team. Our continuous development of processes and equipment received best feedback from our customer”, stated Erik Micek, CEO of Tenova LOI Thermprocess GmbH. Currently, more than 60,000 tonnes of refined and recycled aluminium are melted and cast into semi-finished products. The new installation will double production to meet...
Aluminium foil has made an essential part of flexible packaging and container applications along with its use in automotive and heat exchange components, insulation material and other industrial applications. Its use is witnessing a year-on-year growth across the world owing to characteristics like strength, formability, and barrier properties. {newsStudioGallery} In Europe, as flexible packaging market is expected to grow from $28.22 billion in 2016 to $ 41 billion by the end of 2021 at a CAGR of 7.76%, the United Kingdom emerges as a large consumer of aluminium foils. But according to our third-party data, the country’s estimated aluminium foil import saw a plunge in the last two years. In 2018, the UK’s foil import volume was approximately at 96,392 tonnes, a tad lower from 96,586...
ARD Aluminium (Pvt) Ltd will construct a US$ 1.7 million manufacturing facility at Mirigama Economic Processing Zone (EPZ) in Sri Lanka. The Board of Investment of Sri Lanka and ARD Aluminium (Pvt) Ltd signed an agreement to build a plant for the production of aluminium food containers with lids and aluminium foil wrap for food. ARD Aluminium can sell 20 per cent of its total production in the local market. Production at the facility is expected to begin in July 2019. Currently, these products are mostly imported from other countries, notably China. The investors, Akul Gupta, Dhiraj Agarwal and Rohit Agarwal, were present at the signing ceremony. Also present were Nishantha Gunawardana and Rohan Fernando, both Directors of the local manufacturing operator. The BOI was represented by...
With economic growth saturating in China, demand for light vehicles has dipped to a considerable extent across China cities. Despite the discounts and offers during Chinese New Year holiday, showroom traffics dropped in this period. A report from China Association of Automobile Manufacturers says China’s new light-vehicle deliveries dropped in January for the seventh consecutive month. The deliveries dropped 18 per cent to 2.02 million cars. Light trucks registered the steepest monthly decline since July 2018. The sales slump was registered across all major segments. Multipurpose vehicle demand dropped 27 per cent to around 129,600 while minibus deliveries tumbled 26 per cent to some 26,400 units. Sales of crossovers and SUVs fell 19 per cent to roughly 878,900. Sedan deliveries dropped...
German aluminium producer Trimet said that it installed a new rotary furnace on February 15 at its Gelsenkirchen plant in West Germany for expanding the group’s recycling capacity. The furnace is able to melt up to 200 tonnes of aluminium scrap every day and load up to 40 tonnes. The firm after the installation of the new furnace said the expansion is significant but did not specify the exact size of the capacity increase. Trimet operates three recycling facilities in Germany - at Gelsenkirchen, Harzgerode, and Essen. Combining all, the group's recycling capacity was at 250,000 tonnes in the last financial year ending on June 30, 2018. "Around 90pc of the aluminium in circulation is recycled, and the total quantity of recycled light metal continues to increase as a result of increasing...
The US dollar index slipped on Monday as optimism over a breakthrough in US-China trade talks drove investors to the euro and riskier currencies. LME base metals traded mixed on Monday and aluminium edged down 0.08%. SHFE base metals also closed mixed overnight while aluminium lost 0.3%. LME aluminium price dropped from last week and closed the day’s trading at US$ 1822.50 per tonne. Sharp gains in Chinese stocks boosted LME aluminium to a day-high of US$1,868 per tonne in Asian trading hours. It later lost some gains to end Monday at US$1,847 per tonne. As on February 18, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1821.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1822.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1852 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1854 per tonne;...
Average spot alumina price continued their downward trend and stood at RMB 2777 per tonne today, Tuesday, February 19. This marked a drop of 0.57 per cent or RMB16 per tonne from RMB2793 per tonne on February 13. The spot price is expected to range within RMB2777 per tonne. Alumina-East and Alumina-Central declined by 0.35 per cent and 0.71 per cent to stand at RMB2820 per tonne and RMB2790 per tonne. Alumina-East and Alumina-Central were at RMB2830 per tonne and RMB2810 per tonne on Wednesday, February 13.Alumina-North and Alumina-South stood at RMB 2760 per tonne and RMB 2775 per tonne today, respectively. In another update from SMM, after four consecutive rise in a row, aluminium ingot price reduced by 0.45 per cent or RMB 60 per tonne today. A00 aluminium ingot price stood at RMB...
