Nautor Swan has unveiled new details and official renderings of its 43.5-metre Swan Alloy 44, the Finnish yacht builder’s first aluminium supermaxi, with construction now underway in the Netherlands. The yacht is being built at Gouwerok Shipyard, where hull and deck construction are currently in progress. Once this stage is completed, the vessel will move to Viareggio, Italy, for final outfitting, launch and delivery, which is scheduled for 2028. The project will also become the largest yacht ever built by Gouwerok Shipyard and its first all-aluminium supermaxi. Although construction is taking place outside Finland, Nautor Swan’s team will continue to oversee key aspects of the programme, including its design philosophy, performance studies and supply-chain coordination. The Swan Alloy 44...
Neuman Aluminium has selected a 40-tonne aluminium melting furnace from industrial furnace supplier Jasper for Hirschvogel’s site in San Juan del Río, Mexico, to expand aluminium production at the facility. After Neuman’s melting furnace upgrade at its Marktl headquarters in Austria , the company is deepening its footprint in North America. Neuman Aluminium recently partnered with Hirschvogel for the project. Construction has begun on two production halls, each spanning 7,500 square metres, with production scheduled to start at the beginning of 2028. Explore- Most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook The furnace will be a tiltable 40-tonne melting furnace equipped with...
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The European Commission has proposed raising the European Union's electrification rate to 46 per cent by 2040, alongside a major overhaul of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) backed by more than USD 114.37 billion (EUR 100 billion) in industrial decarbonisation funding. Announced on July 18, 2026, the Electrification Action Plan and the proposed review of the EU ETS are aimed at reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels, lowering electricity costs, strengthening industrial competitiveness and keeping the bloc on track to meet its climate goals. According to the Commission, achieving the proposed electrification target could cut the European Union's annual fossil fuel import bill by around USD 297.29 billion (EUR 260 billion). The proposal will now be considered as...
Today, the most-traded SHFE aluminium contract 2609 closed at RMB 23,010 per tonne, down RMB 270 per tonne, a decline of 1.16 per cent. Trading volume reached 182,000 lots, up 122,000 lots W-o-W, surging significantly as capital fled the market, with bears actively adding positions to drive prices down. Open interest came in at 261,400 lots, up 13,708 lots W-o-W, also rising notably as both bulls and bears entered the fray, though bearish positioning showed greater strength. The VR reading remained above 100, pointing to a high-volume sell-off this cycle, a concentrated release of bearish momentum, and ample downward energy. The medium-term bearish trend remains unchanged, the short-term bounce has ended, and the market has shifted into a pullback after breaking below short-term moving...
Australia-based mining and metals company South32 released its financial report for the June quarter 2026 (Q4) and the FY2026 annual performance, delivering a mixed operational performance across its aluminium portfolio during FY2026. Higher year-on-year production from Brazil Alumina and Brazil Aluminium (despite its weak quarter-on-quarter output) offset softer sales at several operations and the suspension of production at Mozal Aluminium. Worsley Alumina maintained stable production levels. South32 CEO Matt Daley stated, “On 1 July, we announced a step change for South32, with the sale of our aluminium value chain business to Alcoa. Once complete, this sale will unlock significant value for shareholders and reposition South32 as a leading upstream base metals-focused company.” Explore...
The Aluminium Association of India (AAI) has urged the Ministry of Finance to strengthen safeguards for the domestic aluminium industry, citing shrinking export markets, rising imports and increasing global competition. In a representation to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), the association pointed to higher US tariffs, growing protectionism in Mexico, Indonesia's aluminium capacity expansion, Russian dumping and rising imports of low-quality aluminium scrap and aluminium products from Gulf and ASEAN countries as key challenges facing the sector. The association said India should adopt quality standards for aluminium scrap similar to those followed by major global markets, where only high-quality scrap is accepted for imports. It added that a calibrated customs duty...
Aluminium has long been the material of choice for flexible packaging because of its barrier performance, strength and recyclability. Today, however, another characteristic is attracting equal attention-its carbon footprint. For decades, discussions around aluminium packaging largely revolved around functionality. Could it keep moisture out? Would it extend shelf life? Could it be recycled at the end of its use? Those questions still matter, but a new one is steadily moving to the forefront: How much carbon is embedded in the aluminium before it even becomes packaging? That question is becoming increasingly relevant as businesses face growing pressure to account for emissions throughout their supply chains. For packaging manufacturers, reducing emissions is no longer only about designing...
Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, has received more than 980 applications from young Emiratis during the 2026 National Service Career Fair. During the event, EGA showcased a range of career opportunities for UAE Nationals, with a particular focus on attracting high school graduates for the company’s National Training programmes. University graduates who visited EGA’s stand were considered for opportunities within the Graduate Training programme. Following the event, all applications will be reviewed and assessed through EGA’s recruitment process, with shortlisted candidates progressing through screening, assessment and interview stages. EGA’s National Training programmes develop high school graduates for technical...
The Aluminium Extrusion Manufacturers Association of India (ALEMAI) has launched 'Aluminium Bharat-2026', a national initiative aimed at strengthening India's aluminium midstream and downstream manufacturing sector. The initiative was unveiled at a press conference in Mumbai ahead of an exhibition that will be held alongside Alumex India 2026 from September 26 to 29, 2026, at the Helipad Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. ALEMAI said Indian aluminium manufacturers, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), continue to face high raw material costs because of elevated interest rates, energy expenses and taxes on inputs. The association noted that under Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with ASEAN countries and the UAE, downstream aluminium products can enter India at zero...
Last week, domestic spot alumina prices moved steadily with a weak bias, and market trading sentiment was muted. As of July 10, the weighted national average spot price for smelter-grade alumina with a minimum purity of 98.6 per cent stood at RMB 2,762 per tonne, dropped RMB 14 per tonne from a week earlier, according to Mysteel's price assessment. On the supply side, domestic alumina operating capacity is around 95.7 million tonnes per year. Recently, production fluctuations have been minimal. An alumina refinery in Guizhou halted its calciner for maintenance at the beginning of this month and gradually resumed operations around the 14th; its current operating capacity is approximately 900,000 tonnes per year. Another alumina refinery in Guizhou plans to begin maintenance on one of its...
Futures: Futures: SHFE aluminium closed at RMB 23,280 per tonne, edging up 0.22 per cent, with intraday fluctuations between 23,145 and 23,295. The price was slightly above the 5-day MA (23,250) and 10-day MA (23,150.5), but well below the 30-day MA (23,409) and 60-day MA (24,028). Short-term moving averages provided limited support, while medium-term MAs still exerted bearish pressure. The MACD histogram showed DIF=-181.82, DEA=-272.64, and the negative histogram turned sharply positive to 181.64 (previously negative), forming a low-level golden cross, indicating that bearish momentum significantly weakened and bulls began to gain strength. Trading volume shrank to 59,200 lots, and the rebound lacked volume support. The recommended core trading range for SHFE aluminium is 23,100-23,600....
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices eased on July 17, as cash prices, futures contracts and longer-dated contracts all moved lower from the previous session. LME aluminium inventories also continued to fall, while the Platts alumina price recorded an increase. On July 17, the LME aluminium cash bid price fell from USD 3,169 per tonne to USD 3,152 per tonne, down 0.54 per cent. The cash offer price also declined from USD 3,170 per tonne to USD 3,154 per tonne, a decrease of 0.50 per cent. The LME aluminium three-month contract also weakened. The bid price dropped from USD 3,166 per tonne to USD 3,146 per tonne , while the offer price fell from USD 3,166.5 per tonne to USD 3,146 per tonne, representing declines of 0.63 per cent and 0.65 per cent, respectively. The December 2027...
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices eased on July 17, as cash prices, futures contracts and longer-dated contracts all moved lower from the previous session. LME aluminium inventories also continued to fall, while the Platts alumina price recorded an increase. On July 17, the LME aluminium cash bid price fell from USD 3,169 per tonne to USD 3,152 per tonne, down 0.54 per cent. The cash offer price also declined from USD 3,170 per tonne to USD 3,154 per tonne, a decrease of 0.50 per cent. The LME aluminium three-month contract also weakened. The bid price dropped from USD 3,166 per tonne to USD 3,146 per tonne , while the offer price fell from USD 3,166.5 per tonne to USD 3,146.5 per tonne, representing declines of 0.63 per cent in both cases. The December 2027 bid price...
Coventry University has partnered with aluminium foundry Alucast to investigate how recycled aluminium can be processed into high-grade materials suitable for use in critical industries. The initiative is part of the Clean Futures Programme and aims to help reduce the UK's reliance on imported primary-grade aluminium alloys, which are widely used across sectors including automotive and defence. According to the university, the UK currently imports up to 1.25 million tonnes of primary-grade aluminium each year because domestic production is insufficient to meet demand. Explore: The most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report – World Recycled ALuminium Market Analysis Industry forecast to 2032 As part of the project, researchers from Coventry University's Institute for...
CRISIL Ratings has upgraded the credit ratings of Vedanta Ltd, Vedanta Aluminium Metal Ltd and Vedanta Oil and Gas Ltd following the group's demerger, citing stronger business and financial risk profiles across the three companies. Vedanta Ltd's long-term rating was upgraded to CRISIL AA+/Stable from CRISIL AA/Watch Developing, while its short-term rating was reaffirmed at CRISIL A1+. The rating agency also assigned a CRISIL AA+/Stable rating to the company's non-convertible debentures. According to CRISIL, Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL) will continue to be fully consolidated with Vedanta because of the strong strategic, operational and financial integration between the two companies. HZL contributed more than 95 per cent of Vedanta's earnings in fiscal 2026 on a post-demerger basis, supported...
US June CPI fell 0.4 per cent M-o-M, the first month-on-month contraction since 2020, prompting the market to lower its expectations for US Fed interest rate hikes. However, Fed Chairman Warsh bluntly expressed "zero tolerance" for the persistent five-year high inflation, displaying a tough hawkish stance. According to CME data, the probability of a rate hike was 53.5 per cent in September, rising to 61.8 per cent in October and further to 74 per cent in December. The pressure on the valuation of the nonferrous metals sector from rate hike expectations has never fully dissipated. Elsewhere, renewed conflict in the Middle East and the less-than-expected progress in US-Iran negotiations have intermittently roiled futures with geopolitical risk premiums. Fundamentals side: Supply side, this...
Arrow Minerals Limited has been granted a new three-year Industrial Exploration Permit for its Niagara Bauxite Project in Guinea following a government review of the company's historical work and operational capabilities. The permit, issued by Guinea's Ministry of Mines and Geology on July 15, 2026, covers 499.61 square kilometres and is identical in area and boundaries to the company's previous exploration licence. It was awarded to Arrow's wholly owned subsidiary, Mineralfields Bauxite SARLU. The company said the permit followed the Guinean government's review of its exploration activities, operational capacity and ability to advance the project in line with the country's Mining Code. Managing Director David Flanagan said the new licence covers the mineralised plateaux hosting the...
PV aluminium extrusion: This week, the operating rate of the surveyed industry sample of PV frame enterprises held up well. Leading extrusion manufacturers continued to run at full capacity, supported by ample long-term orders on hand, with the core driver being the advancement of centralised PV projects toward year-end. In H2, the production schedule situation for downstream leading module enterprises is expected to be better than H1, but monthly incremental growth in PV frame demand will be steady M-o-M, limiting the extent of demand improvement. SMM also learned that PV frame processing fees have remained stable recently without notable changes. On balance, the operating rate of PV frame enterprises will likely maintain a consolidating-to-firm pattern in the near term. Raw material...
This week, imported aluminium scrap prices in China continued to pull back slightly. SMM data showed that the price of imported shredded zorba at Ningbo port was revised down from RMB 21,920 per tonne to RMB 21,820 per tonne, while at Tianjin port it dropped from RMB 21,970 per tonne to RMB 21,770 per tonne, with the decline narrowing W-o-W. An SMM survey learned that, with overseas aluminium scrap and ADC12 offers continuing to pull back, orders for imported aluminium scrap and cast aluminium alloys from Southeast Asia to the Guangdong region have recently increased compared to the prior period, and the import window has improved further. However, new transactions remained concentrated mainly on certain lower-priced resources and long-term cooperative clients, leaving spot market trading...
Laser Power & Infra Limited announced its first commercial order of advanced transmission conductors from Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL). The order, amounting to USD 436,100, is for a turnkey reconductoring project in the Nalagarh Electrical Division of Himachal Pradesh to improve the reliability of the state’s power supply. The project will utilize Aluminium Encapsulated Carbon Core Conductors (AECC) manufactured by Laser Power & Infra under a licensing agreement signed with TS Conductor Corp., USA, in March 2025. This project will replace traditional conductors with High Temperature Low Sag (HTLS) conductors, enabling increased transmission capacity without the need for new transmission towers or additional right of way. The company noted that this solution is...
