Novelis is cutting roughly one-third of its workforce at its Kingston, Ontario, aluminium facility, with the company citing the impact of US tariffs on aluminium imported from Canada. The company is reducing its salaried workforce by 10 employees and temporarily laying off approximately 70 hourly workers, according to a statement issued by Novelis on Friday, September 18. The cuts affect roughly one-third of the facility's workforce. “These are difficult decisions that affect our colleagues and their families, and we are supporting those impacted through this transition,” Novelis said. Novelis pointed to the Section 232 duties imposed by the US on aluminium imported from Canada as the reason behind the workforce reduction. To know the global production, demand and consumption forecasts of...
Saudi Arabia’s aluminium consumption could climb to as much as 1.8 million tonnes a year by 2030, as the Kingdom ramps up infrastructure and industrial development ahead of the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Ahmad Al-Alshaikh, executive vice president of Maaden’s Aluminum Business Unit, said demand is expected to reach at least 1.6 million tonnes annually by 2030, up from around 1 million tonnes currently. Consumption could potentially double over the next five to seven years, he said. Speaking on the sidelines of the Fastmarkets International Aluminium Conference in Budapest, Al-Alshaikh said construction of 15 new stadiums for the football tournament is helping to support aluminium demand, Reuters reported. Major exhibitions and preparations for the World Cup are also expected to contribute to...
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A team of Indian researchers from Shiv Nadar University in Delhi-NCR has developed a bioinspired aluminium surface with promising applications across marine engineering, food packaging, and healthcare. The study published in 'Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces,' demonstrated how nature-inspired designs (from the shape of lotus leaves to insect wings) can help produce multifunctional aluminium surfaces that are water-repellent, corrosion-resistant, antibacterial, and self-cleaning with minimal water use. Led by Harpreet S. Grewal, the researchers achieved these properties by engineering micro- and nanostructures on aluminium through a cost-effective and environmentally friendly fabrication method. The process involved imprinting aluminium sheets with micro-patterns, followed by...
China has topped the aluminium production for the past few years. An aluminium production cap to curtail overcapacity and emissions, a cumulative tariff of 145 per cent on Chinese aluminium articles entering the US imposed phase by phase, or bauxite import restrictions from multiple prime destinations have hit China’s ambitious industrial boom several times. However, the free flow of trade expansion is far from being curbed. This is an AI-generated image Of the total trade of aluminium worldwide in 2024, which was 13.68 million tonnes valued at USD 39.46 billion, 51.46 per cent was occupied for export of plates, sheets and strip exports, accounting for over 7 million tonnes. Meanwhile, foil exports contributed 23.41 per cent (3.2 million tonnes) to the total export number. Bars and rods...
An Australia-based emerging mineral processing technology company Zeotech has reportedly signed an offtake agreement with China-based international trading company Jiangsu Mineral Sources International (MSI) for the direct shipping of ore products like bauxite clay, pink cosmetic grade kaolin and low-iron kaolin. This agreement enables MSI to purchase these minerals from Zeotech, with specific quantities of each product for the next 5 years. The quantities of these products include 1.5 million tonnes of bauxitic clay, 150,000 tonnes of pink cosmetic grade kaolin and 800,000 tonnes of low-iron kaolin. The main focus of the MoU is diverged towards sustaining mining operations at Zeotech's Toondoon Kaolin Project in Queensland, Australia spanning over 28,000 hectares. The project focuses on...
In a bold step towards a greener future, Capral Aluminium has partnered with Australian clean-tech innovator Green Energy Systems (GES) to power the next generation of solar solutions. Under this agreement, Capral will provide its LocAl™ lower-carbon aluminium extrusions for use in the system's production. Headquartered in Sydney, Green Energy Systems is dedicated to advancing utility-scale solar with its patented deployment technology. GES dedicated two years of their time and hard work to present the much-awaited Solar Waves solar deployment system, setting a new benchmark in clean energy innovation. The Solar Waves solution will debut in a pilot installation over water canals in California. This initiative—led by collaboration between the Turlock Irrigation District, Solar AquaGrid,...
Sidel has introduced the EvoFILL Can Compact, a high-performance, space-efficient filling solution tailored for premium beverage producers operating at low to medium speeds, up to 40,000 cans per hour. This innovation caters to the increasing demand for flexibility and efficiency in the beer and carbonated soft drink sectors, particularly within the low-to-medium speed production market. Image source: Sidel The EvoFILL Can Compact is designed to handle a wide range of beverages, including carbonated soft drinks and hot-fill products while maintaining high precision and minimal product loss. Its compact 'plug and play' design integrates the seamer and process unit into a single block, reducing the machine's footprint and optimising the total cost of ownership (TCO). The system achieves a...
Aluminium futures have experienced a notable recovery, climbing to USD 2,440 per tonne after reaching an eight-month low of USD 2,340 on April 9th. This upward trend aligns with gains observed in other base metals, spurred by diminishing concerns over a potential US recession, which has alleviated pessimism surrounding global manufacturing activities. Image source: pixabay Contributing to this positive momentum, US President Trump has postponed the implementation of aggressive reciprocal tariffs and indicated forthcoming trade agreements. This shift has eased apprehensions that escalating trade barriers could dampen global demand for metals. Despite the recent rebound, aluminium futures remain down by 5 per cent for the year, primarily due to overcapacity risks from Chinese production....
It is time for India to emerge in grand celebration. India has yet again achieved the record-breaking milestone for producing rich minerals for the financial year 2024-25. This has been significantly possible for doubled output from the key industries and the non-ferrous minerals. Robust performance is witnessed in the bauxite and aluminium and other important minerals like iron ore, manganese and copper. Image source: ALS Global In FY24-25 (April to February), India's bauxite production stood at 22.7 million tonnes, showing an increase of 3.6 per cent from 21.9 million tonnes in FY23-24 (April to February). This reinstates India's position as one of the top bauxite producers, making it highly critical for the country's aluminium industry's robust growth. Within India's non-ferrous...
Egypt Aluminum, the largest aluminium producer in Egypt and one of the largest in Africa, has reportedly announced its financial results for the first nine months of fiscal year 2024-2025 ended March 31. In the first nine months of FY2024-25, the company posted an 89 per cent Y-o-Y increase in net profit after tax, which climbed to EGP 9.894 billion (US$ 194.91 million), up from EGP 5.227 billion (US$ 102.97 million) in the corresponding period last year. One of the leading players in the aluminium industry, Egyptalum recorded revenues of EGP 32.062 billion (US$673.3 million) for the period from July 2024 to March 2025, up from EGP 22.460 billion (US$ 442.7 million) in the same nine months of the previous fiscal year. With a robust financial performance, Egyptalum continues to strengthen...
Futures market: Before the holiday, the most-traded SHFE aluminium 2506 contract opened at RMB 20,035 per tonne, with a high of RMB 20,035 per tonne, a low of RMB 19,900 per tonne, and closed at RMB 19,910 per tonne, down 0.65 per cent. Trading volume was 73,500 lots, and open interest was 184,000 lots. LME aluminium opened at USD 2,444 per tonne before the holiday, with a high of USD 2,450 per tonne, a low of USD 2,440 per tonne, and closed at USD 2,442.5 per tonne, up USD 11 per tonne, or 0.45per cent. Macro: (1) Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng pointed out that China-US economic and trade cooperation is generally balanced and mutually beneficial. Indiscriminate tariffs harm both sides, disrupt normal business operations and people's consumption, trigger severe fluctuations in...
Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, announced the launch of the third season of EGA Ramp-Up, the company’s flagship programme to empower the next generation of UAE entrepreneurs in line with the Entrepreneurial Nation strategy 2031. EGA Ramp-Up, supported by the UAE Ministry of Economy, offers expert insights, mentorship, intensive training and networking opportunities to entrepreneurs developing impact-driven and sustainability-focused businesses that will grow the economy and create new job opportunities. The first two seasons of EGA Ramp-Up attracted hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs that have collectively created over 1,000 jobs. More than 35 per cent of the start-ups that participated in previous editions of the...
Amid a string of challenges like a projected USD 90 million loss in Q2, delays in the recommencement of the Kwinana refinery, and production setbacks at the San Ciprián aluminium smelter in Spain due to a power outage that has unsettled Alcoa itself as well as the global aluminium industry, the reassuring message about the Portland aluminium smelter in Victoria has brought a sense of relief. Chief Executive Officer William Oplinger has ruled out all the plans to shut down the facility for at least the next decade, announcing stark contrasting news to the troubled San Ciprián smelter, which faces disruptions even before resuming the full operations as planned. He expressed, "I am sick of closing sites. I am much more focused on the Portland side, of trying to make sure we can get it...
Impact Minerals Limited (ASX: IPT) has entered the final quarter of FY 2025 with Lake Hope firmly established as its flagship high-purity alumina (HPA) asset. A maiden Mineral Resource Estimate of 2.78 million tonnes at 25.1 per cent Al₂O₃ not only confirms the scale and grade of the deposit, but also underpins what the company describes as a “multi-decade HPA operation” in one of Western Australia’s most bedrock-secure jurisdictions. Over the three months to March 31, Impact clinched an AUD 2.87 million CRC-P grant to co-fund the pilot-plant design and construction in partnership with CPC Engineering and Edith Cowan University (ECU). That partnership has now recruited a senior membrane researcher, whose initial focus will be to dial in the first-stage leaching conditions of Lake Hope...
Nord Drivesystems will showcase its latest drive innovations at the iba 2025 in Düsseldorf, tailored for hygienically sensitive applications in the baking and confectionery sector. A highlight of their presentation will be the NXD tupH process—NORD's advanced aluminium surface treatment technology—designed to meet the industry's stringent hygiene and durability requirements. The food industry imposes strict hygiene requirements on all equipment, including drive systems. In addition to offering high reliability and energy-efficient performance, these drives must also be easy to clean thoroughly and quickly. At iba 2025 in Düsseldorf, NORD will present a comprehensive range of solutions designed for hygienically sensitive environments. NXD tupH surface treatment for aluminium Nord's NXD...
In March 2025, Cadoux Ltd, an Australian critical minerals company, progressed its High Purity Alumina (HPA) and Minhub rare earths projects. These initiatives, located in Western Australia and the Northern Territory, aim to bolster Australia's aluminium supply chain. The company advanced through engineering studies and permitting processes to achieve this goal. Image source: wikipedia.org The Minhub project, a multi-client rare earths processing facility in the Northern Territory, completed its site permitting process. Initial site works have commenced, with IHC Mining leading the feasibility study. For the HPA project, Cadoux neared completion of its Stage 1 engineering feasibility study. Stage 2 works have been initiated, focusing on innovative engineering solutions and market...
Paul Warton, Executive Vice President of Hydro Extrusions, has been appointed as the new chairperson of European Aluminium, succeeding Philipp Schlüter of Trimet Aluminium. Paul Warton previously served as Treasurer on the Executive Committee of European Aluminium. Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Brussels, European Aluminium is a member-based industry association representing the continent’s most comprehensive and dynamic aluminium value chain. The organisation includes over 100 members, ranging from primary aluminium producers to manufacturers of extruded, rolled, and cast products, as well as recycled aluminium producers and national aluminium associations. Collectively, they represent more than 600 production sites across 30 European countries. “As the world becomes increasingly...
Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Berhad anticipates a continued easing of the tight alumina supply this year, driven by rising global production. Group CEO Tan Sri Koon Poh Keong expects new refinery capacity expansions in Indonesia, India, and China to significantly boost alumina output globally. “This increase in supply is driving down high alumina prices, alleviating pressure on aluminium production costs,” said Koon Poh Keong in the company’s financial year ended Dec 31, 2024 (FY24), annual report. Koon noted that rising alumina prices in 2024—fuelled by temporary supply disruptions and heightened freight costs due to port congestion and geopolitical tensions—posed a major operational challenge for global aluminium producers. The average market price of alumina reached US$ 501 per...
A microcap company in the aluminium sector, Sudal Industries, has reportedly hit a 52-week low and is expected to show a downward trend, especially after a consequential drop witnessed in the last week. Currently, the company's long-term performance is said to be weak, with additional challenges faced in debt servicing and high promoter share pledges, irrespective of representing good financial results. Image source: RRBB As of May 5, 2025, Sudal Industries has hit the latest 52-week low at INR 33.65 (USD 0.40), indicating it to be highly unpredictable. The trend of the company shows a decline where the share prices are said to be underperforming below its sector at 1.88 per cent indicating a total of 149.63 per cent drop in comparison to the last six days. Nonetheless, Sensex has opened...
In a dramatic turn of events on Sunday, May 4, a bauxite-laden tanker veered off an overbridge in Rayagada and plunged 30 feet below, triggering a major accident. The vehicle, en route from Koraput to Jharsuguda, lost balance when the driver swerved sharply to avoid an oncoming scooter. The driver sustained injuries and was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. Two local fish vendors, who happened to be under the bridge at the time, suffered minor injuries. Police promptly arrived at the scene and launched a rescue operation. Authorities have begun investigating the cause of the incident and are reviewing safety protocols for heavy vehicle movement in the region. Rayagada – renowned for its rich bauxite reserves Rayagada, a district in...
