ASSA ABLOY has agreed to acquire Brazilian aluminium solutions manufacturer Rometal, strengthening its manufacturing presence in Latin America while expanding its portfolio of door systems, furniture fittings and aluminium products. Announced on November 12, 2026, the proposed acquisition would bring an established Brazilian business with approximately 500 employees into the Swedish group's Americas Division. Rometal recorded sales of approximately BRL 332 million (USD 59 million) in 2025, equivalent to approximately SEK 580 million (USD 57.57 million) in ASSA ABLOY's announcement. The purchase price has not been disclosed. ASSA ABLOY described the company's EBIT margin in 2025 as strong and expects the transaction to be accretive to earnings per share from the start. Rometal acquisition...
Finland-based renewable heat technology developer Coolbrook has joined Australia’s Heavy Industry Low-carbon Transition Cooperative Research Centre (HILT CRC) as an affiliate partner, bringing its electrified heating technology into research aimed at decarbonising alumina refining and the wider aluminium industry. The collaboration would explore how high-temperature electric heating can support next-generation alumina refineries, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Coolbrook would work alongside major alumina and aluminium producers, including Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), Alcoa, Rio Tinto, South32 and Hydro, as well as research organisations of CSIRO and Adelaide University. Initially, it would focus on HILT CRC’s Alumina Refineries’ Next-Generation Transition (AlumiNEXT) project,...
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The next generation 992 Porsche 911 is all set to make its debut later this year. Auto industry reports say the German automaker has used aluminium and high-strength steel in construction of its new flagship. Source:www.auto.ndtv.com The new generation 2019 Porsche 911 is based on an evolved MMB platform, which ensures more weight savings on the car, thanks to the use of aluminium and advanced steel in its construction. "The car cabin will also be more digitally connected this time round, with more tech wizardry and a digital interface added to the mix," an NDTV expert review confirms. Porsche hasn't confirmed power figures yet on the new 911, but the coupe will be offered in a number of variants including the Carrera 2S and 4S, Targa top and turbo charged versions. The car will be...
China imported 7 million tonnes of bauxite from the global market in January, an increase of 53 per cent year on year, revealed data released by the General Customs Administration of China. Guinea and Australia continued to be the biggest suppliers of bauxite to China. Image Source: Shanghai Metals Market Guinea’s exports of bauxite to China increased 114.57 per cent year on year in January, 2018. Guinea shipped 3.5 million tonnes of bauxite. Australia exported 2.4 million tonnes of bauxite in January, up 13.5 per cent year on year. Upcoming bauxite projects are expected to raise country’s bauxite production. According to Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (DIIS), Australian bauxite exports are estimated to rise 3.4 per cent year-on-year rate from FY 2017-2018 to FY 2021-2022....
According to the latest report from Aluminum Association, shipments of Aluminum Extruded Products (extruded shapes, pipe & tube, and rod & bar) by U.S. and Canadian producers stood at an estimated 204 thousand tonnes during January 2018, up 3.6 per cent over the volume in January 2017. On a month on month comparison, shipments increased 25.7 per cent over the December 2017 revised total of 162 thousand tonnes. Preliminary shipments for 2017 totalled 2.4 million tonnes, up 2.7 per cent over the volume shipped in 2016. Estimated shipments of Aluminum Drawing Stock, Bare Wire and Rod & Bar by U.S. and Canadian producers stood at 50 thousand tonnes during January 2018, slightly off from the January 2017 total and on a month on month comparison, the volume increased 24.3 per cent over the...
After a flat run in January and February, struggling to stay afloat in the face of slow demand, spot alumina prices in China have dropped today across all markets. SMM expected alumina prices to rally ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday in mid-February before downward pressure returns. However, alumina prices remained flat and dropped after the holidays. Today’s average spot alumina price stands at RMB 2819 per tonne, down from last closed RMB 2841 per tonne. Spot alumina prices have continued falling after touching the highest in November beginning. The price trend in last three months can be seen in the following graph: The average price of Chinese domestic alumina in four major regions stood at RMB 2,805 per tonne. Chalco Alumina and imported alumina prices remain unchanged today....
Altech Chemicals Limited has lodged a new provisional patent application with the Australian Patent Office (IP Australia). This incorporates the finished product high purity alumina technology developed by it for its HPA project. The new patent application incorporates various refinements made to Altech’s HPA processing route during project due diligence. Patent application also incorporates the company’s latest invention, the flexible finished product line that is capable of producing HPA product for both the synthetic sapphire industry and the lithium-ion battery industry. "Altech is pleased to report that as part of project due diligence initiated by KfW IPEX-Bank, a global freedom to operate search was conducted to confirm that the company will be free to produce, market, sell or...
After having crossed the US$2,200 per tonne mark last Friday, LME aluminium dropped again on Monday, February 27, as nearby aluminium spreads came under intense pressure. The light metal contract closed at US$2,188.50 per tonne, down from US$2,210 per tonne on February 23. Shanghai Metals Market opines that with pressure still there from short bets, LME aluminium will continue to test resistance at the 60-day moving average and move within the US$2,152-2,165 per tonne range on Tuesday, February 27. As on February 26, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$2,188 per tonne, LME aluminium cash (offer) price stands at US$2,188.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$2,159.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$2,160.50 per tonne; Dec 19 bid price stands at US$2,212 per tonne, and...
Norsk Hydro has made a $345 million binding offer to acquire Rio Tinto’s wholly owned Icelandic aluminium plant ISAL. The transaction also includes Rio's 53% stake in Dutch anode facility Aluminium & Chemie Rotterdam B.V. (Aluchemie), and 50% stake in Swedish aluminium fluoride plant Alufluor AB (Alufluor). Hilde Merete Aasheim, Head of Hydro’s Primary Metal business area, said: “We see great potential in exchanging competence and technology elements between our aluminium plants. We are now running a technology pilot in Norway which aims to be the world’s most energy-efficient and climate friendly aluminium production facility. These innovations will be expanded to other Hydro facilities, and as part of Hydro, ISAL will benefit from such technological spin-offs and competence.” Rio Tinto...
A new aluminium smelter will be constructed beside the hydroelectric plant on Ecuador’s Santiago River, starting June 2024, Pablo Campana, the Ecuadorian Foreign Trade and Investment Minister, said during his recent visit to Qatar. Source: Sputnik International The project costing around US41.9 billion initially will be placed before many global companies including UC RUSAL for discussion. The integrated aluminium smelter will use electricity from the Santiago River hydroelectric plant only after ensuring adequate power supply to various regions of Latin America. Campana visited the Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA) headquarters in Jebel Ali last November, where he was received by top officials from the aluminium company. The two sides discussed ways to develop and strengthen economic and...
Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, today announced that its emissions of perfluorocarbons were a record low for the company in 2017, and that EGA has signed an agreement with the University of New South Wales to research further reductions. Perfluorocarbons, known as PFCs, are a group of greenhouse gases and cutting down PFC emissions remains an important environmental goal for the global aluminium industry. EGA’s emissions of PFCs were 22 kg per tonne of aluminium produced in 2017 compared to a global average of 380 kg per tonne in 2016, according to International Aluminium Institute statistics. At EGA’s newer Al Taweelah smelter, PFC emissions in 2017 were seven kilogrammes per tonne of aluminium produced. In the...
Aluminium scrap imports by China, the world’s biggest aluminium producer, kept surging through the first month of 2018 as the country continues to step up its secondary aluminium production alongside smelter close-downs to check pollution. The figures spiralled up by 11 per cent year-on-year reaching 190,000 tonnes in January. The monthly import volume, however, was lower than in December when aluminium scrap imports totalled 202,374 tonnes. China imported 2.17 million tonnes of aluminium scrap during the 12-months period ending December 3, 2017, up 13.26 per cent from the previous year. The US remained the top aluminium scrap exporter to China followed by Hong Kong, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the UK. Aluminium scrap exports to China by these countries in 2017 were: Source:...
Notion VTec, a manufacturer and seller of high precision components for consumer electronics, digital imaging, and automotive industries, announced RM5.7 million of new investment in its aluminium extrusion technology. The company has received the grant assistance from the government. Image source: Notion VTec The investment will allow the company to save on the raw material costs and quality control for its production line products. “We are getting the facility ready and should be able to get returns on this of about 20% in five years,” Notion VTec executive chairman Thoo Chow Fah said. Thoo Chow Fah told The Edge Financial Daily that he expects to see the automotive segment to grow by 30% to 40% in 2018. The company hopes to grow its revenue by 20 per cent in 2018 and 2019. Notion VTec...
According to Shanghai Metal Market, SHFE’s aluminium inventory jumped to a record high at 811,839 tonnes as on Friday February 23, as shown by SHFE data. The stocks have been rising every week since late June 2017 and it is mostly driven by lower consumption by domestic manufacturers. There is no such significant movement in the prices of commodities and the raw materials. After the first significant gain on Friday Feb 23 to RMB 13,940, average A00 aluminum Ingot prices dropped today to RMB 13,910 per tonne. The prices are expected to move within a range of RMB 13,890-13,930. Spot discount will range within RMB 290-250 per tonne today. In the individual markets primary aluminium ingot prices drop around all markets. However, in the North China market aluminium ingot prices shot up RMB...
The benchmark aluminium price on London Metal Exchange climbed higher on Friday, February 23, to cross the US$2,200 per tonne mark as the market got direction from the return of China to trading after Lunar New Year Holidays. The light metal contract closed at US$2,210 per tonne, up from US$2,190 per tonne. Shanghai Metals Market forecasts that LME aluminium will trade at US$2,130-2,160 per tonne range on Monday, February 26, after testing resistance at the 60-day moving average. As on February 23, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$2,209 per tonne, LME aluminium cash (offer) price stands at US$2,210 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$2,165 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$2,165.50 per tonne; Dec 19 bid price stands at US$2,213 per tonne, and Dec 19 offer price is...
Norwegian aluminium company Norsk Hydro has confirmed that there has been no leakage or rupture of the bauxite residue deposits from its alumina refinery following reports of leakage and water contamination affecting communities in Barcarena. The plant, the world’s largest alumina refinery, is operating as normal, despite rainfall in the region last week. Alunorte alumina refinery produces 5.8 million tonnes of alumina per year. “The alumina production at the refinery has not been impacted, and internal and external inspections have not found proof of overflow and leakage from the bauxite residue deposits at Hydro Alunorte, Hydro said. “The water has been collected, channeled and treated in the industrial effluent treatment station as normal.” The technical studies were performed by the...
Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) which has been playing a significant role in creating environmental and sustainability awareness among local citizens and groups has collected 4,000kg of aluminium cans for recycling. The organisation has set a target of 28,000kg of can collection for 2018. Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) has rallied the nation for its 22nd cycle of the Can Collection Day. The event has brought together more than 115 entities from across the emirates to participate in the event. The combined effort of various hotels, families, academic institutions and corporations has collected 4,000kg of aluminium cans for recycling. The recycling campaign has grown due to the growing awareness of recycling practices, its importance and the interest and dedication of the local...
Responding to the U.S. Commerce Department’s tariff recommendations on steel and aluminium imports, President Donald Trump has expressed his willingness to impose the hardest of tariffs on steel and aluminium. As told to his confidants Trump is looking a global tariff of 24 per cent on steel imports, the hardest of the three options presented to him by the Commerce Department in January. As for aluminium is concerned, he is said to be considering as much as a 10 per cent duty on all imported aluminium, which would be about 2.5 per cent higher than the Commerce’s highest recommendations. Political and economic analysts are of the view that such huge tariffs on widely used commodities could spark retaliation from exporting countries like China and Canada and rise prices of end-use products...
Kian Joo Can Factory Berhad, a manufacturer and distributor of aluminium cans, tin cans and steel cans in Malaysia, recorded revenue of RM494.4 million in Q4, 2017, an increase from RM429.3 million in Q4, 2016. The increase in revenue was contributed by increase in demand for the Group's products and upward adjustments of selling price to absorb the increase in cost of direct material, the Group said. Profit before taxation was RM22.8 million compared to RM36.2 million in Q4, 2016. In the Cans Division, Group generated a total operating revenue of RM313.4 million in Q4, 2017, from RM281.9 million in Q4, 2016 due to increase in demand and adjustment in selling price for aluminium cans to reflect higher cost of materials. “Profit before taxation of this Division decreased by RM18.0 million...
Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Design & Development Centre, Nagpur in association with Corporate Monitor, Kolkata inaugurates a 2-day Seminar on “Development of Aluminium Alloys & downstream products for Defence, Aerospace & other strategic applications” at JNARDDC, Nagpur today. The event was inaugurated today by Dr. Tapan Kumar Chand, CMD Nalco, along with Dr. Anupam Agnihotri, Director, JNARDDC, Lokesh Srivastava, COO AL Manufacturing Solutions and representative of Ministry of Mines, representatives from the primary aluminium majors and downstream sector, representative from DRDO and aeronautical sector. The Theme session hosted presentations from Defence, Aeronautical sector, Railways and on the undergoing Aluminium Park. National and International Session on downstream...
