Germany is on track to generate over 600,000 tonnes of solar PV waste by 2030, creating a major recovery opportunity for aluminium and silver. A new study by the Fraunhofer Centre for Silicon Photovoltaics (CSP) highlights the approximate raw-material value locked in the country’s installed solar fleet. At the same time, it identifies a key challenge of an efficient recovery of the trapped aluminium and silver. Germany had roughly 5.35 tonnes of PV modules installed by 2023, containing around 660,000 tonnes of aluminium and 3,900 tonnes of silver, with a combined value of about EUR 4.8 billion (USD 5.4 billion) at current prices. These figures have risen considerably since 2023 and would need to almost double by 2030 if Germany is to meet its solar deployment targets. However, turning...
Aughinish Alumina has stepped up its engagement with Irish government representatives and officials as the European Commission considers further measures that could affect alumina exports from its Co Limerick facility to Russia. The increased engagement comes ahead of the next round of EU measures, with some member states expected to seek restrictions on Irish alumina exports to Russia. The European Commission is aiming to implement the measures before winter. Aughinish’s exports have come under increased attention following reports of shipments from the plant to Russian smelters. The resulting aluminium is sold to a company that supplies more than 100 Russian manufacturing companies, according to various industry sources. The latest trade data underlines the scale of the shipments. A...
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On Friday, April 14, the average alumina spot price in China inched down by RMB 1 per tonne to settle at RMB 2,917 per tonne. The prices in Lianyungang and Bayuquan have dropped by RMB 20 per tonne to settle at RMB 2,950 per tonne and RMB 3,050 per tonne. The price in Shanxi has fallen by RMB 10 per tonne to settle at RMB 2,940 per tonne. In Guizhou, Guangxi and Shandong, the prices have slipped by RMB 5 per tonne to peg at RMB 2,850 per tonne, RMB 2,800 per tonne and RMB 2,910 per tonne. The price in Henan has shown no change to halt at RMB 2,960 per tonne. The A00 aluminium ingot price in China has surged by RMB 210 per tonne to settle at RMB 18,710 per tonne, with the average price expected to be traded at a discount price of RMB 18,690 per tonne and RMB 18,730 per tonne. The spot...
LME aluminium opened at US$2,330.5 per tonne on Thursday, with its high and low at US$2,385 per tonne and US$2,321 per tonne respectively before closing at US$2,363 per tonne, an increase of US$39 per tonne or 1.68 per cent. On April 13, Thursday, the LME aluminium cash bid price came in at US$2,329 per tonne, with a noticeable augmentation of US$71 per tonne or 3.14 per cent and the LME aluminium official settlement price settled at US$2,330 per tonne, heightening by US$71.50 per tonne or 3.16 per cent. The 3-month bid price escalated by US$62.50 per tonne or 2.71 per cent to settle at US$2,364 per tonne, and the 3-month offer price went up the graph by US$63 per tonne or 2.74 per cent halting at US$2,365 per tonne. December 24 bid price and December 24 offer price halted at US$2,550 per...
At a ceremony held on Saturday at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, the U.S. Navy officially put a brand-new battleship into service. According to the Navy, the USS Santa Barbara, a so-called "littoral combat ship," or LCS, is a quick ship designed for surface warfare and near-shore and open-ocean naval security. The Navy's 32nd littoral combat ship is the Santa Barbara. It was declared in 2018, baptized, launched, and shipped in July 2022. One of the characteristics of the Independence variation of the LCS class is that it has an aluminium trimaran design. The Freedom, the other version, is a steel monohull. The USS Santa Barbara and its even-numbered aluminium versions are assigned to a squadron headquartered in San Diego. "The city of Santa Barbara is rich in history, spanning...
Weldall, a family-run enterprise hailing from Cannock district, has earned a lumpsum investment of £500,000 to amplify aluminium cladding production and generate more employment. The firm produces aluminium fabricated products and stainless steel items for the construction sector. Weldall has been committed to its business for the last 30 years and was founded by two expert welders. Their sons now run the windows and cladding firm, which has a wide market in London, Manchester and Birmingham. The latest £500,000 in funding will be useful for the company as it has procured a brand-new Bystronic cutting machine recently to enhance the organisation's production capacity by three times. Weldall projects revenue growth of 15 per cent if the business runs accordingly. The investment will also...
On April 11, 2023, the non-ferrous metals prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) closed a mixed trend. The three-month aluminium futures contract fell 1.3 per cent to $2,302/t, while zinc prices fell 0.4 per cent to $2,779/t. Lead dropped 0.4% to $2,087/t. In the meantime, nickel prices climbed 2.9 per cent to $23,472/t. Copper futures inched up by 0.6 per cent, closing at $8,854/t. According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, the US has released its March Consumer Price Index (CPI). The re-opening of the Chinese economy has delivered a positive note to the global metal industry. The nation contributes to around 57-60 per cent of world aluminium production. AlCircle’s latest industry-focused report, ‘ Global Aluminium Industry Outlook 2023 ’, unveils that the demand for the primary...
Hardwyn India, a company manufacturing aluminium products and basic architectural hardware, has published a 5 per cent increase in shares after it conducted discussions with the board to consider sub-divisions of equity shares in the next planned conference. Each share pertaining to the company is being sold at INR 10, which reflects only the face value. The stock opened with a 1 per cent hike and remained on the upward strive flashing green numbers till 10.30 AM in a feeble market. The company stock was quoted at INR 265.80, 4.50 per cent higher than usual. As per the documentation laid down by the authorities on March 11, it was stated that the Board of Directors are scheduled to meet on April 26, Wednesday. This meeting will focus on discussions and further decisions on the split of...
A group of U.S. Navy maintainers has been taught how to utilise a method Concurrent Technologies Corp. (CTC) developed for repairing aluminium structures without removing the gear from a ship. The business announced on Monday that staff at the Norfolk, Virginia-based Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center got training and transition support for the Reverse Sensitization Unit (RSU). Without removing or replacing the sensitised material, sensitised aluminium structures can be restored to their previously unsensitised state while still in situ. Aluminium alloys from the 5xxx family are strong, light, weldable, reasonably priced, and often corrosion-resistant when brand new. Assembling, running, and storing the unit were demonstrated by CTC in line with a NAVSEA-approved, RSU-specific...
RIMOWA has relocated one of its boutiques to enhance business opportunities in Thailand, and on March 29, it celebrated the grand opening. Since 1898, the German brand has excelled in making state-of-the-art aluminium luggage adored by celebrities worldwide. RIMOWA already has five distinct outlets in Bangkok, but the outlet in Thailand’s The Emporium Shopping Centre has received a full makeover courtesy of the brand. Thai celebrities like Jammy James, Supassra Thanachat, Kanawut Traipipattanapong, Tontawan Tantivejakul, and Maylada Susri were all present for the inauguration of this newly refurbished store. The German luxury luggage brand first set foot in Thailand as early as 2020, but this newly opened outlet features a lot of added details. The boutique encompasses an area of 105 sq....
According to a report on Thursday, April 12, Rio Tinto has started the construction work for a capacity increase to casting low-carbon, high-value aluminium billets by 202,000 tonnes at Alma smelter, Quebec. Rio Tinto is expanding its existing casting centre to include new state-of-the-art equipment such as furnaces, a casting pit, coolers, handling, inspection, sawing and packaging systems. The newly expanded centre is scheduled to begin operation in the first half of 2025. The report states the project involves an investment of C$240 million. It also states the facility will use renewable hydroelectric power to make aluminium billets. Rio Tinto expects the expansion will make the company more capable of meeting the anticipated growing demand for aluminium billets from North American...
On April 11, the 29 members of Alupro wrote a letter to Thérèse Coffey MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, urging her to take immediate action to ensure that a deposit return scheme (DRS) in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland further increases aluminium recycling rates without jeopardising the market. Alupro and its members, who speak for the aluminium packaging industry, seek a DRS that is fair and equitable and doesn't undermine the already effective recycling system for aluminium beverage containers. "From an aluminium perspective, whilst we welcome the publication of the government's response, we were disappointed by several elements of it – particularly the decision to exclude glass bottles despite widespread support for a scheme including them evident...
The price of imported aluminium scrap in India fell marginally, influenced by price movements on global commodities exchanges such as the London Metal Exchange (LME) and the Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX). These are recognised to have an impact on both the domestic and international markets in India. As a result of the major commodity exchanges being closed for Good Friday and Easter, and then it was a weekend, relatively few transactions had been reported in the international market during the past few days. Furthermore, trading channels observed a modest bid-offer imbalance in the market. Buyers have considerably lowered their bids for aluminium scrap by $40-60/t, resulting in weaker demand for the material in India's aluminium market. Additionally, it was reported that scrap...
According to the Shanghai Metals Market, China's production of metallurgical-grade alumina in March 2023 (31 calendar days) increased by 8.5 per cent month-on-month to total 6.64 million tonnes. In February (28 calendar days), the output stood at 6.12 million tonnes versus 6.37 million tonnes in January. The data indicates that China's domestic alumina production in March stood at the highest in Q1, registering an increase of 4.24 per cent from January (31 calendar days). In the first three months of 2023, China's domestic metallurgical-grade alumina output totalled 19.13 million tonnes – 5.74 per cent more than 18.092 million tonnes during the corresponding period of the previous year. On a year-on-year basis, China's alumina output in March '23 edged an increase of 4.7 per cent from...
Knest, one of the globe’s fastest-growing Indian firms producing aluminium formwork, has signed Rahul Dravid as its Brand Ambassador. The Indian legend will pose as the face of the brand as it thrives on discovering potent business avenues worldwide. Knest provides sustainable, innovative and safe constructional aid to many developmental projects on a global scale. The company is hailed for making robust aluminium formwork required for construction and other formative purposes. As it is already known, aluminium is infinitely recyclable, making it one of the most sustainable non-ferrous metals. Rahul Dravid, more fondly known as ‘The Wall’ in Indian cricket, has contributed lifelong to the betterment of the game. The fame the sport has in the continent can be majorly attributed to the...
Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO) announced on Wednesday, April 12, that it received the ‘PAT Top Performer’ award from R K Singh, Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy, for its constant efforts towards energy conservation under the Perform, Achieve, and Trade (PAT) Scheme. The presentation of the award took place on the occasion of the 21st Foundation Day of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), which introduced the PAT scheme to encourage energy-intensive industries to reduce specific energy consumption. The chief goal of the scheme is to make India’s industrial sector energy efficient. Vedanta’s subsidiary BALCO represents the Indian aluminium industry as an energy-efficient company, recognised as a Top Performer Designated Consumer. BALCO’s commitment to becoming an...
A00 aluminium ingot price has augmented by RMB 60 per tonne, officially closing at RMB 18,500 per tonne, as the Shanghai Metals Market recorded on April 13, Thursday. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 18,480 per tonne and RMB 18,520 per tonne, with spot contracts trading at discount prices of RMB 30 per tonne and RMB 10 per tonne. The eight provinces in China all have witnessed escalating prices today, with the aluminium price heightening the most in Wuxi by RMB 65 per tonne, resting at RMB 18,500 per tonne. In Chongqing and Linyi, the aluminium prices have gained RMB 60 per tonne, settling down at RMB 18,660 per tonne and RMB 18,490 per tonne, respectively. The aluminium prices in Gongyi, Foshan, Hangzhou and Shenyang have all soared by RMB 50 per tonne. The aluminium...
LME aluminium opened at US$2,306.5 per tonne on Wednesday, with its high and low at US$2,333 per tonne and US$2,290.5 per tonne, respectively, before closing at US$2,324 per tonne, an increase of US$21 per tonne or 0.91 per cent. On Wednesday, April 12, both LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price dropped by US$9 per tonne or 0.39 per cent and US$9.5 per tonne or0.41 per cent to settle at US$2,258 per tonne and US$2,258.50 per tonne. 3 month bid price and 3-month offer price went down by US$5.5 per tonne or 0.23 per cent and US$6 per tonne or 0.25 per cent to score at US$2,301.50 per tonne and US$2,302 per tonne. December 24 bid price and December 24 offer price moved down by US$2 per tonne to halt at US$2,495 per tonne and US$2,500 per tonne. LME...
On April 12, 2023, the global leader in developing and manufacturing high-value-added aluminium products and solutions and in aluminium recycling, Constellium, announced that Catherine Athènes, the Group Vice President of Global Sustainability and Public Affairs Europe, was elected to the Board of Directors of the Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI), a global non-profit, multi-stakeholder, standards setting and certification organization for the aluminium value chain. Athènes has over 20 years of expertise in the aluminium business and over 30 years of international experience in sustainability, corporate strategy, marketing, and sales. She has been leading Constellium's sustainability journey since 2018. Catherine Athènes said, “I am honoured to join ASI’s Board of Directors....
On April 7, Ball Aerospace officially felicitated the successful launch of its Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) instrument. This is one of Ball and NASA's sustainability initiatives in a coalition, wherein the instrument would supply critical data on air pollution in the North American ecosphere. Tempo was launched with the help of a commercial satellite via Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This Earth Venture instrument mission by NASA can be regarded as the first of its kind to be ever developed by the space agency. Tempo has been programmed to display high-resolution daytime levels of prime air pollutants each hour as it scans over the entire continent, from Mexico City's coasts to the Canadian oil sands in Alberta. This instrument will provide the...
