Spanish racing driverFernando Alonso has added a one-off Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse to his growing collection of rare cars. Known as chassis 8.100, the car is distinguished by bespoke aluminium bodywork that required more than 20 tonnes of aluminium to produce, along with dedicated CAD programmes developed by Bugatti. Its history is equally distinctive, being produced after an original customer pushed Bugatti to create something it had initially considered too expensive. For Alonso, the automobile fits closely with an approach to luxury he outlined in 2024 about choosing manufacturers that treat individual customers differently rather than simply producing cars in larger numbers. To know the aluminium casting demand forecast in the transportation sector, explore our report "Global...
China Rare Earth Group is in talks to acquire a controlling stake in Shenghe Resources, a move that could bring the Chinese rare earth producer under tighter state control while giving Beijing influence over Shenghe’s overseas holdings, including a stake in US rare earths company MP Materials. Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that discussions between the companies have been underway since earlier this year. One source said China Rare Earth Group is seeking a controlling stake, although neither source knew when the acquisition could be announced or completed. If the deal goes through, China Rare Earth Group would take control of Shenghe’s interests in foreign companies, including its 3 per cent stake in MP Materials. The US rare earths company counts the US Department of...
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Imported aluminium scrap prices in India witnessed an uptrend w-o-w, with fluctuations of up to 1.7 per cent, amid recovery demand post-New Year holidays. Amid a rise in London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices, certain scrap grades reported supply shortages. BigMint's benchmark assessment for Tense scrap originating from the US stood at $1,830/tonne (t), rising by $10/t w-o-w, while wheels from the UK were priced at $2,410/t, up $40/t w-o-w, both CFR west coast, India. This week, LME prices rose by around 2.62 per cent to $2,580/t.Meanwhile, stocks at LME-registered warehouses stood at 619,400 t, falling by around 7,000 t w-o-w.In the first 11 months of 2024, China's total aluminium production increased by 4.6 per cent y-o-y, reaching 40.22 mnt. Meanwhile, the global refined...
The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) and the European Recycling Industries Confederation (EuRIC) reportedly wrote letters to the European Union, cautioning potential threats to the European domestic scrap industry if protectionist measures are taken in response to the appeal by the European Steel Association (Eurofer) and European Aluminium for an effective action to tackle scrap leakage in a bid to attain national sustainability vision and secure industrial competitiveness. Image Source: European Aluminium EuRIC said in a statement that scrap exports by the European traders have kept the domestic recycling market alive, so any restrictions on scrap exports will cause injury to the recycling businesses and the EU’s overall economy. Highlighting the potentially harmful consequences,...
The non-ferrous green metal has changed the nation’s economic sustainability for countries like USA and UAE. Yes, we are talking about aluminium’s indispensability in domestic as well as commercial sectors across the globe. However, India is yet to utilise the full potential of one of the most promising base metals. With timely interventions, India can depend upon aluminium as the cornerstone of its Viksit Bharat vision, nurturing a bright economic future for the republic. Recent global incidents have endowed India with a hoard of opportunities and challenges, wherein bullish trade dynamics in aluminium are resurging off the back of its versatile applications. China’s decision to put a stop to its export tax rebate policy is a significant development that is likely to increase the price...
Emirates Global Aluminium wears another hat of success on the occasion of the landmark launch of MBZ-SAT, as the region's most advanced satellite contains EGA's Celestial solar aluminium. Launched on Tuesday, January 14, from the Space Launch Complex 4E at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, US, MBZ-SAT was developed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), using EGA's Celestial solar aluminium produced in Jebel Ali smelter. Aluminium has been a critical material used in space technologies since the launch of the first satellite in 1957, owing to its unique properties like lightweight, strength and resistance to corrosion. Aligned with the 'Make it in the Emirates' programme, EGA and MBRSC's collaboration represents a remarkable milestone in the space sector. 'Make it...
An international team of engineers has pioneered a scalable and innovative approach to fabricating topography-patterned aluminium surfaces, significantly enhancing liquid transport capabilities. These advancements hold great promise for critical applications, including electronics cooling, self-cleaning technologies, and anti-icing systems. Image Source: research website An important step in tailored surface engineering The research, recently published in Langmuir, was a collaborative effort between Rice University and the University of Edinburgh under the Rice-Edinburgh Strategic Collaboration Awards program. It highlights the use of cost-efficient vinyl masking techniques to create surfaces with high-resolution wettability contrast, unlocking new potential for improving phase-change...
Today, spot primary aluminium rose by RMB 140 per tonne compared to the previous trading day, with SMM A00 spot price closing at RMB 20,340 per tonne. Aluminium scrap market quotations mainly followed the upward trend. In the short term, the fundamentals remain tight on the supply side, and reverse substitution of primary aluminium persists. Currently, suppliers are gradually entering the Chinese New Year holiday, reducing their enthusiasm for shipments. Today, baled UBC aluminium scrap was quoted at RMB 14,850-15,700 per tonne (excluding tax), and shredded aluminium tense scrap was quoted at RMB 16,350-17,850 per tonne (liquid aluminium, excluding tax). As the Chinese New Year holiday approaches, traders are showing reluctance to sell, and some small factories are gradually shutting down...
On Thursday, January 16, the three musketeers of the Indian aluminium industry - Vedanta Limited, National Aluminium Company (NALCO), and Hindalco Industries Limited saw a 2 to 3 per cent gain in their intraday stock prices. The contributing factor was the increased aluminium prices to $2,606 per tonne on the same day, following the hike of 3.3 per cent in the previous week and marking a steady bullish trend over a more extended period of one year. Image Source: Freepik Additionally, two other global tailwinds buoyed the domestic stock prices: China's projected record-high aluminium production by the end of 2025 and the European Union's proposed 16th package sanctions on Russian aluminium. Emkay Research, a renowned India-based financial firm, expects global aluminium prices to remain...
The groundbreaking ceremony for Shanxi Huaxing Aluminum's waste heat utilisation project was successfully carried out. The waste heat utilisation project marks a significant step forward in advancing energy efficiency, emission reduction, and environmentally friendly production practices. The project aims to recover waste heat from the flue gas of the roaster by facilitating heat exchange between the roaster's flue gas and the high-temperature section of the fluidised bed cooler using a circulating heat medium water system. The plan is to lower the roaster's flue gas temperature from 160°C to 110°C and reduce the discharge temperature of the fluidised bed cooler to below 80°C. The project will incorporate an advanced automated control system to guarantee the system's efficiency and stable...
Norsk Hydro ASA has successfully issued €500 million of senior unsecured green bonds under its Euro Medium Term Note (EMTN) Programme. The new bond has a tenure of seven years and a fixed annual coupon of 3.625 per cent (3.649 per cent reoffer yield). Image Source: Hydro “We are very satisfied to have completed such a successful placement and issued our inaugural green bond. The strong interest confirms that Hydro is an attractive investment for bond investors. We are pleased to have achieved highly competitive terms,” said CFO Trond Olaf Christophersen. A green Eurobond is a type of bond issued to fund environmentally friendly projects within the European Union (EU). The proceeds from green Eurobonds are used to finance projects contributing to a low-carbon economy. The funds raised from...
[ SMM Morning Comment on Alumina: Increased Low-Price Transactions Domestically and Internationally, Short-Term Alumina Prices Expected to Decline] : Recently, the weekly operating rate of alumina has continued to increase slightly, with no significant changes on the demand side. Low-price spot transactions have been frequent in the market, with a larger decline compared to earlier periods. In Henan, the spot transaction price this Thursday was RMB 4,050 per tonne, down RMB 830 per tonne from last Thursday's price of RMB 4,880 per tonne. However, as of now, alumina capacity has not yet entered a state of large-scale losses. Alumina supply is expected to maintain a high operating rate in the short term, with the supply and demand fundamentals remaining in a slightly surplus state. Overall,...
Novelis, the world's largest recycler of aluminium, has been a driving force in advancing circularity and decarbonising the aluminium industry to foster a more sustainable future. This week, Novelis' Uhrichsville plant achieved a significant milestone by being recognised as a Sustainability Lighthouse by the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Global Lighthouse Network (GLN). As the first U.S.-based aluminium manufacturer to earn this distinction, Novelis is proud to join the ranks of visionary industry leaders transforming global sustainability practices. Image Source: World Economic Forum Achieving an industry-leading 97 per cent recycled content The Novelis facility in Uhrichsville, Ohio, home to 400 dedicated employees, has earned this prestigious recognition by achieving an industry-leading...
CITIC Dicastal’s Morocco plant has been recognised as Africa’s first ‘Lighthouse Factory’ by the World Economic Forum, marking a significant milestone in the continent’s embrace of intelligent manufacturing, particularly among nations participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. Experts have said that this recognition also supports Africa’s industrialisation and sustainable development. A ‘Lighthouse Factory’ represents the pinnacle of intelligent manufacturing and digitalisation, serving as a model for the best practices in applying ‘Industry 4.0’ technologies. The latest cohort of Lighthouse Factories offers a blueprint for the accelerated deployment of artificial intelligence solutions that enhance productivity, improve problem-solving capabilities, and foster innovation, according...
Vedanta Aluminium has achieved yet another significant milestone under sustainability by attaining a 28.5 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions against the FY2012 baseline.This accomplishment, aligned with the company’s Net Zero vision, reinforces the company’s ever-lasting commitment towards environmental protection. As part of its environmental efforts, Vedanta Aluminium is also committed to socio-economic upliftment and thus invested INR 1.1 billion (US$12.7 million) to support underprivileged communities across all the regions it operates in, as outlined in the company’s most recent Sustainable Development Report 2023-24. As India’s largest aluminium producer, Vedanta Aluminium is dedicated to enhancing both the socio-economic and environmental frameworks of these areas, with...
Yulin New Materials Group has reported significant progress this year, prioritising high-end differentiation in the aluminium industry while emphasising steady growth, enhanced quality and efficiency. The company has made consistent advancements in production and operations, achieving remarkable outcomes in high-quality development. As of November 30, the company's operating income has surpassed the annual target, marking a record-breaking year with a 28.27 per cent increase compared to the previous year. Souce: FreePik Significant strides have been made to advance high-quality projects. Between January and November, the company invested RMB 1.225 billion in fixed assets, achieving 99.69 per cent of the annual plan. The flat ingot production line of the aluminium-based new material...
Rio Tinto, a leading global mining group focused on finding, mining and processing the Earth's mineral resources, has wrapped up another year with impressive operation growth, as highlighted by its CY2024 results. From production volume to energy efficiency or safety measures, the company has demonstrated tangible improvements across all areas. Production overview In the full year 2024, Rio Tinto's bauxite production summed up at 58.7 million tonnes, reflecting a 7.5 per cent year-on-year rise from 54.6 million tonnes in 2023, following an annual increase of 2 per cent in the final quarter (Q4) output to 15.4 million tonnes, attributed to the implementation of the Safe Production System, delivering record annual production at Amrun and Gove. The company's aluminium production also grew in...
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the largest industrial company in the UAE outside of oil and gas and the world’s leading producer of premium aluminium, has announced the completion of civil works for the expansion project at its U.S. recycling subsidiary, Spectro Alloys. Source- EGA webiste Construction began in March’24 Construction began in March 2024, culminating in a 90,000-square-foot addition. This new facility enables Spectro Alloys to broaden its product range by producing billet from post-consumer aluminium scrap. Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said, “The completion of the civil works is an important milestone in the expansion of Spectro Alloy’s recycled aluminium production and our ambitions to grow EGA’s recycling business in the...
Despite persistent efforts by government authorities to promote piped natural gas (PNG) for industrial operations, refractory manufacturers in Punjab have raised significant concerns, citing technical challenges. They argue that PNG is unsuitable for high-temperature manufacturing processes and are urging the authorities to permit the use of pet coke under stringent pollution control measures. Image generated with AI tool The issue is currently being examined by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which is hearing a complaint regarding air quality violations by coal-fired furnaces in Mandi Gobindgarh. These furnaces are associated with industries such as recycled steel production, ceramics/refractories, cupola furnaces, and rolling mills. In response to pollution concerns, the NGT...
A tragic boiler explosion at an aluminium factory in Bihar's Samastipur district on Wednesday, January 15, has caused a major stir amongst the workers there. The factory, which specialises in manufacturing aluminium utensils, reported one worker dead and eight others injured. About the accident The injured individuals have been transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The incident triggered widespread panic, with workers and locals desperately fleeing the area to ensure safety. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the blast. Rescue operations were dispatched to ensure no one remained trapped under the debris. Rescuers, with the aid of an earthmover, cleared the debris to recover the bodies and rescue the injured. Of the injured, two sustained minor...
