Germany’s aluminium foil export market is showing a shift after two years of steady recovery. The upward trend that had returned after the 2023 downturn failed to hold, with shipments slipping again even as some markets continued to show resilience in H1 2026. The change becomes clearer when the recent history is put together. Germany exported 151,000 tonnes in H1 2022, but the volume dropped to 138,000 tonnes in H1 2023, down 8.6 per cent. Exports then began to recover, reaching 141,000 tonnes in H1 2024, up 2.2 per cent, and 144,000 tonnes in H1 2025, an increase of 2.1 per cent, according to ITC data. In H1 2026, however, exports fell back to 140,000 tonnes, down 2.8 per cent year on year. The decline is relatively modest, but it marks a break in the recovery - raising the question of...
Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, today announced a technology upgrade pilot at the company’s Al Taweelah smelter, which will further improve productivity and efficiency. The pilot upgrades to 13 DX technology reduction cells will be used to prove the performance of the new technology, called E40, before industrialisation across all 808 DX technology reduction cells at potlines 1 and 2 at Al Taweelah. If applied to all 808 reduction cells, EGA’s E40 technology has the potential to increase hot metal production from the two potlines by 67 thousand tonnes per year, while reducing net specific energy consumption and associated carbon dioxide emissions from power generation by approximately six per cent per tonne of...
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Maaden, a Saudi state-owned mining company, has announced its Q4 2024 financial results, whereby it says its new aluminium recycling plant at Ras Al-Khair is undergoing a pre-feasibility stage. The company says its bankable feasibility stage is expected in the third quarter of 2024. The plant will reportedly have an annual recycling capacity of 400,000 tonnes. However, no details are shared on the project's construction and costs. This aluminium recycling project represents Ma'aden's strong commitment to sustainability, environmental well-being, and a circular economy. In April 2024, Ma'aden acquired special recognition at the Sharjah Award for Excellence in Performance Improvement in pursuit of sustainability and positive transformation in the mining sector. In the Middle East, the...
The "Green Technology and Engineering Demonstration of Efficient Production of New Powder Materials by Bayer Process Red Mud" project by Chinalco Shandong Co., Ltd. has achieved a significant milestone. The project bagged the first prize of the Science and Technology Progress Award from the China Environmental Protection Federation in 2023. This recognition highlights the company's innovative advancements in the comprehensive use of red mud, marking a new technological breakthrough. Chinalco Shandong Co., Ltd. is the first entity in China to establish a research institute dedicated to using red mud. The company has wholeheartedly embraced the new development concept, consistently prioritising ecological and green development. By enhancing the safety level of its industrial chain, Chinalco...
The Indian State-owned integrated aluminium company NALCO has reported a substantial 76 per cent increase in its first-quarter (APR-JUN FY25) profit, reflecting the impact of higher aluminium prices and reduced costs. For the quarter ending June 30, the state-owned firm's consolidated profit surged to INR 588.42 crore (approximately $70 million), up from the previous year's figures. The boost in profit comes as global prices for base metals, including aluminium, have climbed sharply during the quarter due to supply concerns and increased demand. This uptick in commodity prices generally leads to higher selling prices for metals, enhancing miners' profit margins. According to an exchange filing, Nalco reported a consolidated profit of INR 333.76 crore for the same period last year....
According to the Shanghai Metals Market survey, China's alumina production continued to record an annual rise in July 2024, buoyed by increased operating rates in Shanxi, Henan, Hebei, and Guangxi. In July (31 days), China's metallurgical-grade alumina output was 7.173 million tonnes, registering a month-on-month rise of 4.84 per cent from 6.842 million tonnes and a year-on-year increase of 4.43 per cent. From January to July, China's metallurgical-grade alumina production totalled 47.466 million tonnes, up 3.92 per cent Y-o-Y. The daily average production stood at 231,400 tonnes, an increase of 3,300 tonnes from 228,100 tonnes per day in June. At the end of July, China's metallurgical-grade alumina capacity stood at 100.6 million tonnes, with an operating capacity of 84.46 per cent and...
Is life possible on Mars? This is one of the most trending questions scientists are trying to solve. According to the latest reports, scientists have devised a novel method to warm Mars by introducing engineered particles—similar in size to commercial glitter and composed of iron or aluminium—into its atmosphere as aerosols. These particles would help trap escaping heat and scatter sunlight onto the Martian surface. The goal is to enhance Mars' natural greenhouse effect, potentially increasing its surface temperature by about 50 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) over a decade. While this approach alone wouldn't make Mars habitable for humans, the researchers view it as a feasible first step toward long-term planetary warming. "Terraforming refers to modifying a planet's environment...
Researchers at the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), have developed a semiconductor chip insulator made from artificial sapphire, a breakthrough that could potentially extend smartphone battery life. The study proposes that the atomically thin sapphire film could facilitate the creation of more efficient two-dimensional circuits. Image source- CAS/CMG About the research A research team led by Di and Tian Ziao from the State Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits at the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, part of CAS, has developed a single-crystal aluminium wafer and introduced oxygen atoms at room temperature to create a single-crystalline aluminium oxide layer just 1.25...
As a testament to its exemplary mining practices, Baphlimali Bauxite Mine of Utkal Alumina, a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, has been awarded the 5-Star Rating Award. This award, bestowed by the Ministry of Mines, Government of India, highlights the mine's outstanding performance in social responsibility, environmental stewardship, technical and scientific excellence, and sustainable land use. The esteemed accolade was presented by the Honourable Union Minister for Coal and Mines, G. Kishan Reddy, alongside the Honourable Minister of State for Coal and Mines, Satish Chandra Dubey, during a ceremony organized by the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) and the Ministry of Mines. The event celebrated the nation's top-performing mines, with Baphlimali Bauxite Mine, the largest mining...
Century Aluminum Company, a US-based producer of primary aluminium, announced its second quarter 2024 results, revealing net sales of $560.8 million, up 14.57 per cent sequentially from $489.5 million, despite lower shipments. The higher average aluminium price, ranging above US$2,500 per tonne in May, primarily buoyed the sales figure. Century's adjusted EBITDA during the second quarter was recorded at $34.2 million, a sequential increase of $9.2 million, driven by favourable global aluminium prices on LME and regional price premiums of $21.8 million, offsetting lower volume of shipments. Century's gross profit in the June quarter was $20.4 million, up 23.64 per cent from $16.5 million in the March quarter. Operating income also increased sequentially from $1.9 million to $6.4 million....
Indonesia’s state-owned mining holding company, MIND ID, has officially announced that its Smelter Grade Alumina Refinery (SGAR) project is on track to commence operations in September 2024. This project is a critical element of MIND ID’s broader strategy to bolster infrastructure and increase the value of mineral commodities within Indonesia. Melati Sarnita, Director of Business Development at PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Inalum), shared that Indonesian President Joko Widodo will visit the project site to mark the commissioning phase of the Mempawah project in West Kalimantan. The President has been formally invited to the site, underscoring the national significance of this initiative. On August 9, 2024, Melati said, “We want to start the bauxite injection process according to plan....
According to the Shanghai Metal Market (SMM) survey, China’s A00 aluminium ingot price on August 12 has decreased by RMB 20 per tonne from the previous day, settling at RMB 18,990 per tonne. This price shift marks a slight decline from the previous trading session, highlighting a fluctuating price trend in the aluminium market. On the last day, the price jumped up by RMB 230 per tonne, but again, the week started with a downfall in price. The price is up by RMB 160 per tonne from RMB 18,830 per tonne last week. As of today, the average price may range between RMB 18,970 per tonne and RMB 19,010 per tonne, whereas the spot contract is likely to be traded at a discount price of RMB 60 per tonne to RMB 20 per tonne with an average of RMB 40 per tonne. Region-wise analysis: Prices have...
Novelis Inc., an American industrial aluminium company that has etched its name in flat-rolled product manufacturing and recycling, announced the first quarter results for FY2024-25, which ended June 30. The results revealed robust earnings growth, led by a double-digit increase in beverage packaging shipments. As per the report, the company's net sales in Q1 rose 2 per cent over the year, amounting to $4.2 billion. Higher shipments and increased average aluminium prices jointly boosted the sales. Novelis' total flat-rolled product shipments surged 8 per cent to 951,000 tonnes from 879,000 tonnes in the previous year, primarily due to demand recovery for beverage packaging sheet, which was impacted earlier by customer inventory reduction activity. Novelis' Q1 report indicates the...
LME aluminium opened at US$2,280 per tonne last Friday, reaching a high of US$2,329.5 per tonne and a low of US$2,280 per tonne. It closed at US$2,295 per tonne, up US$11 per tonne, an increase of 0.48 per cent. On Friday, August 9, both LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price skyrocketed by US$58.5 per tonne or 2.65 per cent to settle at US$2,262.50 per tonne and US$2,263 per tonne. LME aluminium 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price surged by US$60 per tonne or 2.65 per cent and US$58.5 per tonne or 2.58 per cent to dock at US$2,318 per tonne and US$2,318.50 per tonne. December 25 bid price and December 25 offer price hiked by US$55 per tonne or 2.27 per cent to peg at US$2,468 per tonne and US$2,473 per tonne. LME aluminium opening stock came in at...
Aluminium is an essential component of the global economy, and this week, the upstream sector witnessed some significant events. Top events like LME aluminium registered its first rise of the month on Tuesday, August 6, following two consecutive days of downfall by a total of US$61.50 per tonne. Vedanta recorded a 37 per cent rise in its net profit for Q1 FY2025, contributed by the aluminium business. Apart from this, a lot of new appointments like Ravi Paliwal joining as the new CEO of Ash Management at Vedanta Aluminium, Ricardo Fontes Santana joining Aluminium Bahrain as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Louis Langlois was appointed as the new Senior Vice President of Treasury and Capital Markets at Alcoa Corporation. To know more about how the week went by, read below: On...
The sole primary aluminium producer in Argentina and one of the largest in South America, Aluar Aluminio Argentino has commenced construction on a significant 336MW expansion of its renewable energy park in Puerto Madryn, located in Chubut province, as reported by BNamericas. The project, valued at US$400 million, is set to include 56 Goldwind turbines, boosting the park's overall capacity to 582MW. This ambitious expansion is part of Aluar's ongoing commitment to sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint of its aluminium production. As part of Aluar's commitment to sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint of aluminium production, the company continues to replace fossil energy with clean energy. The additional energy generated by the expansion, known as Stage V, will be...
Scientists at the Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals of the Siberian Federal University (SFU) have developed an effective model for casting flat ingots from an economically alloyed aluminium-scandium alloy, initially created at the university for RUSAL. This innovative modelling approach for ingot crystallisation enables Russian manufacturers of aluminium semi-finished products in the shipbuilding, space, and aircraft industries to reduce production costs significantly. About this model By utilising this refined model to optimise casting parameters, manufacturers can produce ingots with more uniform structure and composition. As a result, products made from these ingots exhibit increased strength and wear resistance, are less prone to failure, and show a marked reduction in manufacturing...
Aluminium ADC12 prices were recorded at INR 219,000 per tonne ex Delhi, a decrease of INR 2,000 per tonne m-o-m, as per BigMint assessment. In Chennai, prices were recorded at INR 218,000 per tonne, a drop of INR 1,000 per tonne m-o-m. However, bids are INR 3,000-4,000 per tonne lower. Better availability and a drop in scrap prices have decreased the price of ADC12 alloyed ingots. Meanwhile, spot prices of aluminium ADC12 alloyed ingots (non-OEM) in Delhi NCR and Chennai remain firm, per the latest assessment. In the Delhi-NCR region, ADC12 spot prices were assessed at INR 209,000 per tonne ex-Delhi, aligning with domestic tense scrap prices, which settled at INR 174,000 per tonne. Bids are at INR 165,000-170,000 per tonne ex-Delhi. Likewise, Chennai's ADC12 prices were reported at INR...
Mitsui & Co., a leading Japanese trading company, has strategically increased its stake in Nippon Amazon Aluminium (NAAC) as part of its forward-thinking strategy to expand its decarbonisation and metal business portfolio. This strategic move will significantly enhance Mitsui's access to low-carbon aluminium ingots produced in Brazil, potentially reshaping the aluminium industry. Mitsui's stake in NAAC, which holds a substantial interest in the Brazilian primary aluminium-producing company Aluminio Brasileiro (Albras), increased to 46 per cent from the previous 21 per cent. While the financial details of the transaction remain undisclosed, the move will boost Mitsui's offtake of Albras' aluminium ingots from 80,000 tonnes per year to 140,000 tonnes per year. NAAC was established in 1977...
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) announced that Alcoa was recently recertified with the ASI Performance Standard V3. The recertification was provided for Alcoa’s Aluminerie de Bécancour Inc. and Aluminerie de Deschambault facilities in Canada, encompassing Aluminium Smelting, Casthouse, and associated administrative operations. Since June 1, 2023, all recertifications must adhere to the updated 2022 Standards. With this recertification, Alcoa has effectively transitioned to the 2022 ASI Performance Standard. Launched in May 2022, the ASI Performance Standard V3 and Chain of Custody Standard V2 establish a higher benchmark for responsible production, sourcing, and stewardship within the aluminium value chain. The ASI Performance Standard V3 outlines 11 principles and 62 criteria...
