Aluminium prices gained 0.43 per cent as reduced Gulf production and low exchange inventories supported the market, while Chinese output and capacity restarts could limit further gains. Aluminium prices settled 0.43 per cent higher at INR 348.65 (USD 3.63) as tight physical supply conditions supported the market. Disruptions linked to the US-Iran tensions have affected aluminium availability from the Gulf region, with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) production falling 44 per cent year-on-year in July. Low exchange inventories have added to supply concerns. London Metal Exchange (LME) stocks remained near a 36-year low, while inventories on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) declined 4.7 per cent from the previous week. However, expectations of improving supply have limited the market’s...
Leading Indian aluminium producer Vedanta has renewed its push to revive bauxite mining at Odisha’s Niyamgiri hills, about 13 years after the proposed project was shelved. With Niyamgiri hosting around 80 million tonnes of bauxite reserves, the renewed proposal brings the resource potential of the Kalahandi-Rayagada belt back into focus. Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal discussed reopening the Niyamgiri bauxite mining project with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in Bhubaneswar on September 26. Agarwal mentioned that the discussion addressed employment opportunities for involved tribal communities. “Today it was discussed for reopening of Niyamgiri. The affected tribals should be given jobs,” Agarwal stated. The state government also indicated that steps would be taken towards the...
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A well-acknowledged player in the automotive industry, Shubhson Automotive, situated in Pune, has declared acquiring Yogtech Industries (Fe), a DPIIT-recognized energy start-up. Fe is an expert in creating bespoke aluminium-based electric two-wheeler components and boasts of designing state-of-the-art battery technology. The strategic equity plus cash collaboration is worth US$1 million, and it strongly promotes Shubhson Automotive as a leading figure in the electric mobility industry. The company's EV Charging Aggregator Platform, also known as 'Swiftcharge', is opening new boundaries in the electric vehicle sector. Shubhson has partnered with dealers and other associates to propagate the installation of its indigenously made chargers along the highways so that a wide EV charging network...
According to China customs data, unwrought aluminium and products imports into China grew significantly by 20.1 per cent year-on-year to reach 231,452 tonnes in July 2023. Limited domestic stocks and expectations for robust demand in autumn drove the rise of China's aluminium imports. On a month-on-month calculation, China's unwrought aluminium and products imports recorded a 9.6 per cent rise from 211,235 tonnes due to the same reason, showed customs data. Aluminium stocks on the Shanghai Futures Exchange stood just above 100,000 tonnes in July 2023, the lowest level since December 2022. China's total imports of unwrought aluminium and products in the first seven months of 2023 amounted to 1.43 million tonnes, 12.2 per cent more than the same period of 2022. The rise in China's aluminum...
According to the Shanghai Metals Market, China's A00 aluminium ingot price has initiated the week on Monday, August 21, with an increase of RMB 80 per tonne to reach RMB 18,600 per tonne. The average prices are estimated to range between RMB 18,580 per tonne and RMB 18,620 per tonne, with a spot contract to be traded at a premium price of RMB 110-150 per tonne. On a week-on-week calculation, China’s A00 aluminium ingot price is standing 1.2 per cent higher than RMB 18,380 per tonne, learned SMM. In Wuxi, A00 aluminium ingot price has hiked by RMB 90 per tonne to stand at RMB 18,600 per tonne, followed by the rise of RMB 80 per tonne in Gongyi and Foshan to settle at RMB 18,540 per tonne. In Hangzhou and Linyi, A00 aluminium ingot price has grown by RMB 80 per tonne closing at RMB 18,600...
LME aluminium opened at US$2,144 per tonne last Friday, with its high and low at US$2,159 per tonne and US$2,135 per tonne, respectively, before closing at US$2,138 per tonne, a decrease of US$4.5 per tonne or 0.21 per cent from the previous trading day. On August 18, the London Metal Exchange witnessed a dip in aluminium prices, with the LME aluminium cash bid price halting at US$2,095.50 per tonne, dropping US$34.50 per tonne or 1.62 per cent and the LME aluminium official settlement price shedding US$35 per tonne or 1.64 per cent, closing at US$2,096 per tonne. If we consider the LME aluminium price live chart on May 17, the price was US$2,096 per tonne, which plummeted US$173 per tonne or 7.62 per cent Quarter-on-Quarter to rest at what it was last Friday. LME prices have not shown a...
NITREX, a global player in the surface treatment industry, has achieved yet another milestone by successfully commissioning two cutting-edge nitriding systems for Alumil S.A., Greece's largest extrusion company and a major architectural systems producer. This collaboration reinforces NITREX's position as an industry leader, with over 35 years of experience, a widespread global presence, and a portfolio of ground-breaking solutions. The nitriding system installation in Serbia was completed in October 2022, followed by the successful installation in Greece in November 2022. These two pit-type nitriding systems, strategically placed at separate locations, not only signify a stronger global presence for NITREX but also validate the industry's confidence in NITREX's expertise to optimize die...
A new seven-meter-tall aluminium sculpture called 'Carry Each Other' has been unveiled on Springfield Road in West Belfast. The local visual artist, Sara Cunningham-Bell, sculpted it for the Forth Meadow Community Greenway project. The sculpture symbolises the strength of the community in Belfast and the importance of supporting each other. It depicts an adult carrying a child on their shoulders, with the child carrying a bird representing the vision and upcoming plans. Belfast Lord Mayor, Councillor Ryan Murphy, stated that Carry Each Other is the signature piece of the Forth Meadow Community Greenway project, which also saw five smaller pieces of floor art installed along the route of the greenway. During the project's development phase, the artist engaged with almost 270 primary school...
Sustainability is a crucial aspect of the aluminium industry. Sustainable approaches benefit the environment, help companies meet regulatory requirements, and enhance their reputation with customers and stakeholders. First Solar Inc, a US-based producer of Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) profiles, has established a new industry benchmark for openness by publicly revealing the results of third-party social audits at its worldwide production facilities. Samsung envisions a civilization in which technology and humans coexist to conserve the environment for future generations. As a consequence, Samsung is encouraging South African consumers to participate in its "Everyday Sustainability" campaign by doing little acts of kindness in their daily lives. Australia and the US...
Novelis, a leading aluminium flat-rolled products company, recently announced a significant achievement in the industry. According to the company, recycled aluminium made up an average of 61% of its total inputs in the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2023. This impressive figure is due to Novelis' recycling of over 2.3 million tons of aluminium, including 82 billion used beverage cans. This increase in recycling is attributed to Novelis' focus on innovating new circular processes and partnerships, resulting in nearly $2 billion in investments since 2011. Novelis' push toward aluminium recycling is not only good for the environment, but it also makes business sense. Recycling aluminium requires up to 95% less energy and emits 95% less carbon than producing primary aluminium. As such,...
The end-user aluminium sector has been exposed to the unparalleled application of technology in recent years, with big companies turning their production lines more sustainable under the global ESG rules. Hydro is ruling the sector with its innovative yet eco-friendly approaches in the industry. Hydro Rein recently signed a notion with Norwegian landowner Opplysningsvesenets Fund (OVF) to assemble seven cooperative solar projects emitting 655 MW in an assorted compound. UK's PurOptima will incorporate Hydro's Circal in its flagship curtain wall and window-making line. Ball Corporation will sell its aerospace business to BAE Systems for $5.55 billion. The deal will close in H1 2024, subject to regulatory approvals. After-tax proceeds of $4.5 billion will be used to reduce net debt, with...
The downstream aluminium sector witnessed an active week started from August 14, 2023, with 17 new Chinese battery foil projects commissioning production, Sansera Engineering Ltd, a precision-forged and machined aluminium components manufacturer, planning to invest INR 300 crore for capacity expansion, and Beijing Easpring, a Chinese manufacturer of battery cathodes, constructing a production plant for for ternary cathode active material. In addition, Capral Limited, Goyal Aluminiums Ltd, and Hind Aluminium announced their financial results this week. As per the report covered by AL Circle on August 16, China is going to have 17 new aluminium battery foil projects. Some are under construction, while some have started production. The 17 projects will have a total production capacity of...
This week the global primary aluminium segment saw releases of the quarterly results of Century Aluminium and NALCO. As per the data, the National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), a Schedule 'A' Navratna CPSE, revealed that its quarterly earnings for Q1 FY2023-24 fell 40 per cent due to low global aluminium prices and weak demand. Century Aluminium Company, the owner's principal aluminium capacity in the United States and Iceland, reported results for the second quarter of 2023. Net sales for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023, grew by 4 per cent sequentially, mainly owing to higher realised aluminium prices. On Thursday, August 17, both the LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price surged by US$41.5 per tonne or 1.98 per cent and US$42 per tonne or...
House of Marley's recent launch, the famous Stir it Up series of sustainable turntables, has received a crisp new appearance, improved components and a psychedelic zoetrope slipmat with dancing animated Bob Marley. The newly refurbished turntable is composed of recycled aluminium, bamboo and glass. The turntable was inspired by "Bob Marley's love for music and the planet" and was created with sustainability as a driving theme. The belt-driven, Bluetooth-enabled turntable has ditched the typical silver highlights in favour of a leaner, more striking black colour, although it is still composed of recyclable aluminium. The speed-selection switch has been redesigned as a dial, with a 3.5-mm headphone input and a bright blue accent around its base. It has also been relocated to the left front...
Material testing is critical in large industries, as producers must be able to rely on the qualities of the raw materials they use. The Universal Tensile Testing Machine is one of the best examples of this. The test fixture is made of 3D-printed components and is constructed on top of an aluminium extrusion. For the construction of the frame of the machine, 550mm 2060 European Standard Aluminum Extrusion has been used. The machine was displayed by a student named Xieshi Zhang at the Hackaday.io, one of the world’s largest collaborative hardware development communities. Tensile testing machines are special versions of universal testing machines used to test the tensile strength of materials. It applies a tensile force to a specimen (stretches it) until it breaks, then quantifies the forces...
Stanford University's researchers have developed a new paint that incorporates aluminium flakes in an infrared reflective layer and nanoparticles in an ultrathin, infrared-transparent layer in a wide range of colours. For many years, reflective architecture has been lauded for its ability to keep indoor spaces cool by reflecting the sun's rays off white surfaces. This practice has gained global recognition as the effects of climate change continue to intensify, with applications ranging from informal settlements in India to rooftops in New York City. However, white paint is not always practical or culturally appropriate for certain architectural contexts. To address this issue, researchers at Stanford University have discovered a two-step paint solution for reducing indoor temperatures....
Reducing Embodied Energy and Decreasing Emissions (Remade) Institute, located in Rochester, New York, has successfully designed a “technological innovation capable of removing metallic impurities from recycled aluminium melts, thereby improving the quality of the aluminium and allowing it to be used for more diverse applications, including electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing.” Remade has a 170-member toll on its public-private partnership institution and is partly funded by the United States Department of Energy (DOE). The aluminium refining technology and associated R&D for the ultimate outcome was first initiated in 2020 by Remade. The CEO of St. Louis-based Phinix LLC, Subodh Das, is at the helm of this R&D project, known as “Selective Recovery of Elements from Molten Aluminum Alloys”....
On August 16, China's trade ministry asked that the United States immediately ease tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminium imports. The ministry made the remarks in response to a World Trade Organisation (WTO) dispute resolution tribunal that found China placing higher taxes on select US products. According to the ministry, China has taken notice of the WTO panel's findings and is reviewing the report, with the main reason being "the unilateralist and protectionist behaviours" of the US side. In 2018, the Trump administration imposed 25 per cent tariffs on some steel imports and 10 per cent penalties on certain aluminium imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Since then, the US has not enacted absolute quotas, but US negotiators have examined alternate managed trade...
UK-based Optima’s New York counterpart, PurOptima has declared that from now on all its glass and aluminium wall partitions or doors would consist of aluminium with recycled content, choosing Norsk Hydro’s Circal for this sustainable ideation. Norway-based Hydro anoints PurOptima as an international maker and supplier of indoor glass and aluminium partitions or doors. One of the biggest aluminium recyclers, Hydro, is quite positive about this new collaboration as it boasts of creating the flagship Circal with more than 75 per cent recycled post-consumer scrap. The Managing Director of Optima Products, Christian Mabey, quoted: “We have worked closely with Hydro to ensure we use aluminum with the maximum recycled content available and the lowest carbon footprint. This has led to our...
Dadco Alumina and Chemicals Limited, a leading supplier of high-quality alumina-based products and services in Europe, has received Performance Standard V2 (2017) Certification from the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative for producing smelter grade alumina and other alumina chemicals at Aluminium Oxid Stade (AOS) refinery in Stade, Germany. However, the facility has been recognised with the certification for its entire operations, including port, administration, storage areas, and landfill in Stade. Dadco’s AOS refinery has an annual production capacity of more than 1 million tonnes of alumina. They supply the alumina to smelters for processing into aluminium and deliver alumina chemicals for the production of flame retardants and water treatment products. The ASI Performance Standard V2...
