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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Scientists at Purdue University say they have developed a new aluminium alloy with strength comparable to stainless steel. According to researchers at the university’s School of Materials Engineering, altering the metal’s crystal lattice by introducing distortions known as “stacking faults,” or omitting a layer in the crystal’s atomic structure, can add strength to the metal that it would not have ordinarily possessed. Two stacking faults, known as “twin boundaries,” are capable of enhancing the alloy’s strength even more. Purdue professor Xinghang Zhang says that a particular stacking fault, referred to as 9R, holds special promise for strengthening aluminium. “It has been shown that twin boundaries are difficult to be introduced into aluminum. The formation of the 9R phase in aluminum...
According to the latest import-export data published by China General Customs, China’s imports of alumina decreased 60.84 per cent YoY to 143,284 tonnes in December 2017. The country imported 2.86 million tonnes of alumina in 2017, down 5.31 per cent YoY. Image source: SMM China’s alumina imports from Indonesia were down 1.36 per cent YoY in December. China imported 50, 224 tonnes of alumina from Indonesia last month. China exported 4,654 tonnes of alumina in December, up 102.06 per cent YoY. For the full year, exports were down at 55, 737 tonnes. Image source: SMM China exported the largest amount of alumina to South Korea and the US. In December, South Korea and the US imported 2,043 tonnes and 632 tonnes of alumina respectively.
In a bid to enhance production, Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation Ltd. (CMDC) has sought forest land diversion of 99.35 hectares of land in the state. The Corporation intends to carry out detailed exploration of more number of bauxite blocks and develop Pathrai Bauxite mines in the state. The government has confirmed one bauxite block ready for auction. The Central Ministry of Mines has been monitoring the process from close quarters; Consensus had it that Mineral Auction Rules be amended so that the auction process becomes more systematic and logical while still retaining checks on the successful bidders. The Rules were amended last year on November 30. The new rules allow the states the flexibility to allocate a certain mineral block in the 2nd round unlike earlier when...
Novelis, the top aluminium supplier is of the view that growing automotive aluminium demand opens up new business for tier one automotive part suppliers while challenging them to get used to an aluminium dominant environment. Ganesh Panneer, Novelis vice president and general manager of the automotive division spoke about this after the inauguration of company’s recent third-of-a-billion-dollar investment in automotive aluminium manufacturing. The aluminium rolling and recycling leader promotes the use of aluminium in automotive from the sustainability standpoint as well as from a performance standpoint. Since aluminium is recyclable, it can be put into a closed-loop recycling system. Aluminium makers like Novelis can take scrap back from the plants and also from auto OEMs and feed it...
Aluminium traded at India’s Multi Commodity Exchange gained by 1.34 per cent on Monday, January 29, as demand picked up in the spot market and speculators built up fresh positions amid positive cues in the international market. MCX aluminium reached INR 143.50 per kg in futures. Price of aluminium for delivery in January edged higher by INR 1.90, or 1.34 per cent, to INR 143.50 per kg, in a business turnover of 479 lots on MCX. The light metal for delivery in February gained by INR 1.80, or 1.27 per cent, to INR 143.50 per kg in 410 lots. Market watchers were of the opinion that due to pick up in demand from end user industries in the spot market participants created fresh positions. Rising strength in other base metal markets overseas also influenced aluminium price movements at futures...
The leading flexible and rigid packaging company, Amcor has resolved to make all its products recyclable and reusable by 2025. The products include aluminium foils and aluminium cans for the food and beverage industry. With this decision, Amcor joins the list of elite consumer retail brands like Coca Cola, Loreal, PepsiCo, Unilever, and Walmart who have already pledged to to use environmental friendly materials in their product packaging. “During WEF was an appropriate time for Amcor to join major brands and retailers and be the first global packaging company in making a shared, determined commitment to address the major challenge of plastics in the environment and protect our planet for tomorrow,” Amcor CEO Ron Delia, said at World Economic Forum in Davos. According to Delia, Amcor...
According to a HuffPost UK a number of major coffee capsule brands in UK have set up their green agenda to recycle the plastic and aluminium coffee capsules. If not recycled, aluminium coffee pods reportedly take between 150 to 500 years to decompose. That is the reason the major coffee capsule brands in UK are creating awareness about recycling coffee capsules. Plastic and aluminium, the two materials that the majority of coffee capsules are made from must be separated before recycling, and this needs special recycling plants and specialist recycling schemes. Leading capsule coffee company Nespresso told HuffPost UK that they facilitate recycling of about 21% of their pods, with the remainder going to landfill or being incinerated. Nespresso allows its members to recycle their capsules...
Yantai Lishin Electronic&Mechanical Co., Ltd, based in Shandong Province, China, will supply die cast aluminium enclosures for electrical & electronic equipments. The company said that aluminium enclosures will prevent users of the equipment from getting electric shocks. “For electrical or electronic equipment manufacturers, aluminium cabinets or aluminium enclosures are very important to prevent electrical shocks", according to company press release. Made of ADC12 die casting aluminium, these aluminium enclosures are available in the sizes ranging from 125x80x58mm to 400x230x180mm. Yantai Lishin Electronic&Mechanical Co.,Ltd is one of the professional casting suppliers of aluminium casting, including high pressure die casting, gravity die casting and zinc alloy die casting.
India’s aluminium bar rods and profiles import will continue over the medium term till a significant percentage of the large downstream processing projects get completed. The imports will be necessary to support the massive construction work going on across the grids of the country. According to a recent estimate, India will import 41,530.6 tonnes of aluminium bar rods and profiles in 2018. India ranks third after China and US as the fastest growing construction market in the world. A new report Global Construction 2030 forecasts the volume of construction output will grow by 85 per cent to $15.5 trillion worldwide by 2030, with three countries cumulatively accounting for 57 per cent of the global growth. India also ranked third on the US Green Building Council's (USGBC) annual ranking of...
Hydro starts aluminium production at its technology pilot in Karmøy that aims at verifying the credibility of the world's most climate-and energy efficient aluminium technology in an industrial scale. Hilde Merete Aasheim, Executive Vice President for Hydro's Primary Metal business area confirms the news in his statement: "We're now producing aluminium in the technology pilot, and we are very excited that we can now start to use this technology at an industrial scale." This Hydro-developed technology will produce aluminium with 15 per cent less energy with the lowest CO2 footprint in the world. The technology pilot in Karmøy is expected to be a world leader in low energy consumption and high productivity. "Through the technology pilot we have developed the world's best electrolysis...
National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco) said in a report that it has recorded a growth of 7.65 per cent in its bauxite production in 2016-17 fiscal. The company has produced 6.825 million tonnes of bauxite in 2016-17, from 6.340 million tonnes in 2015-16. “Bauxite mines have achieved highest ever production with bauxite transportation of 68.25 lakh tonne achieving 100 per cent capacity utilisation and has surpassed previous best of 63.40 lakh tonne achieved in 2015-16, registering a growth of 7.65 per cent," according to the report. Nalco’s aluminium production stood at 387 thousand tonnes in last fiscal, up 4 per cent from 372 thousand tonnes in the previous fiscal. The company has registered an all-time high production of 2.1million tonnes of alumina in 2016-17 fiscal, an increase of...
After showing an upward movement last week due to restocking ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday in mid-February, average aluminium A00 ingot prices in China has closed the week on a lower level at RMB 14450 per tonne. This week has started with a moderate gain and the average A00 ingot prices today stand at RMB 14,485 per tonne. The prices are expected to move within a range of RMB 14,480-14,490. Spot discount will range within RMB 150-110 per tonne today. Among the domestic markets, A00 price in South China market remains the highest at RMB 14,535 per tonne. Average prices of aluminium alloys have registered no change in any of the markets today despite the fluctuation in A00 ingot price. The market remains passive and there are fewer activities at the end of the month. SHFE aluminium...
Putting an end to Vedanta’s years-long bauxite hunt, the Government of Odisha has awarded two bauxite mines in the state. The two mines totalling 15 mtpa bauxite reserves will be able to take care of 75 per cent of Vedanta’s 20 mtpa bauxite requirement. Vedanta has been involved in developing a bauxite mine in Odisha’s Niyamgiri hills in a joint venture with the Odisha Mining Corporation Ltd (OMCL); on completion it would have regularised bauxite supply to the company’s nearby alumina refinery in Lanjigarh. However, environmental activism and socio-political unrest kept posing hurdles to the project. With the receipt of lease for two bauxite mines, the company now hopes to ride over the roadblocks created due to raw material crunch and the excessive financial drain. Expressing hope about...
Ball Corporation has announced a partnership with Spanish water brand Aguas Minerales de Firgas for the production of aluminium cans for new range of Sou Tea and Sou Tonic drinks. The 33 centilitre aluminium sleek can will be manufactured in company’s La Selva plant in Spain. Myriam Galmés, sales manager at Ball South Europe, said: “The partnership with Aguas de Firgas demonstrates that cans are becoming increasingly popular as the pack of choice for soft drink beverages such as tea and juice, which were not traditionally sold in a can.” Ana Belén Quintana, commercial and marketing director at Aguas de Firgas, commented: “The design of the new beverages reflects the premium character of the brand and provides a distinctive look against competitors in both the tonic and tea markets.” “With...
LME aluminium remained almost unchanged over the weekend as dollar showed signs of reversal from its current lows. The light metal contract rose marginally from US$2,237.5 per tonne on Thursday, January 25 to close at US$2,238 per tonne on Friday, January 26. With the US dollar still staying in the negative territory after US GDP data release, commodity market is expected to see extended volatility in the near term. Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) forecasts that LME aluminium will trade in the range of US$2,230-2,270 per tonne on Monday, January 29. The support from the five-day and 10-day moving averages is likely to remain weak. As on January 26, LME official cash buyer aluminium price (Bid Price) stands at US$2,237 per tonne, cash seller & settlement aluminium price (Offer price) is...
In an update regarding Mercantile OFM’s acquisition of up to 50 per cent of the issued shares in Bauxite Resources Limited, the miner announced that Mercantile has increased the bid consideration to 11 cents from the earlier 9 cents for one of every two of its shares. Further, it has extended the offer period to 7 pm (Sydney time) on February 28, 2018. Mercantile OFM would be required to pay a sum of $2,045,530 (Additional Consideration) for the shares of the bauxite mining company if Mercantile OFM acquires 50 per cent of all BRL Shares on issue in which it does not have a Relevant Interest, the first bidder’s statement stated. In the last circular, however, Bauxite Resources had advised its shareholders not to take any action in relation to the offer until the Board of Directors had...
Chinese customs released the import and export data on refined copper, primary aluminium, and other base metals in December 2017. According to the report China imported 6,659 tonnes of primary aluminium in December 2017. This registered a 90.40% drop YoY. The amount is however more than 6,173 tonnes of import in November 2017. For the full year 2017, China exported 116,234 tonnes of primary aluminium, which is also 41.22% less than the amount in 2016. As for exports of the primary aluminium are concerned, China exported 248 tonnes of the metal in December 2017, about 1% decline from the amount in December 2016. The amount is however, more than 126 tonnes of aluminium exported in November 2017. For the full year 2017, China exported 14,315 tonnes of primary aluminium, a drop of 15.35% YoY....
According to news published by Reuters and reported by China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Henan province produced more aluminium than Shandong for the first time since 2011, becoming the country’s top aluminium producing region in 2017. The province produced 12.12 million tonnes of aluminium in 2017, according to NBS data. Shandong, home of China Hongqiao Group and Xinfa Group, churned out 10.67 million tonnes of aluminium last year. Paul Adkins, managing director of consultancy AZ China, said: “Henan province is the alma mater of the aluminium industry in China. The first smelter was up in Fushun [in China’s northeastern Liaoning province] but the aluminium industry grew over decades in Henan.” Last week data showed China’s primary aluminium production in December stood at 2.71...
