A 15,000-ton shipment of primary aluminum from Venezuela has arrived at the Port of Avondale in New Orleans, Louisiana, marking the first Venezuelan aluminum shipment to the United States in nearly a decade and potentially reopening a long-dormant supply route between the two countries. The cargo was unloaded on October 5 in an event attended by US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Representative Julia Letlow. The shipment is part of a broader commercial initiative involving US investment firm Heeney Capital and commodity trader Mercuria Energy Group, with the aluminum produced by Venezuela’s state-owned CVG Venalum. The shipment is considerably larger than Venezuela’s last reported US-bound aluminum cargo. The country last shipped primary...
Alurion Resources has cleared a key logistics hurdle for its Amargosa bauxite project in Brazil, with an independent study confirming that Bahia’s public road network can support haulage of up to 11.5 wet million tonnes per annum (Mtpa). The assessment by transport engineering firm Engimind covers three potential haulage levels of 5.75, 8.625 and 11.5 wet Mtpa. Its findings double the original scoping study base case and give Alurion a defined road route as it advances towards a Prefeasibility Study (PFS) targeted for mid-2027. Road capacity supports higher Amargosa volumes The study confirmed the northern route to the Port of Enseada via the BR-101 highway as suitable for the project. The route is about 160km from the North District and 220km from the Central District. Importantly, the...
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The BMW Group is once again setting the standard for the circular economy. The new MINI Cooper SE Convertible, with a combined power consumption of 17.2kWh/100 km according to the 'Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure' (WLTP) and carbon emissions of 0 g/km, will be the foremost series model to be produced with alloy wheels 100 per cent from recycled aluminium. The Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) is a chassis dynamometer test cycle for determining emissions and fuel consumption from light-duty vehicles. Dr Nicolai Martin, Senior Vice President of Development Automated Driving, said, “As a premium manufacturer, we entrenched sustainability in the development from very early on. The light alloy wheels of the fully electric open-top four-seater are a...
In 2023, the electrical & electronics, packaging, and industrial sectors across the end-user group are anticipated to witness substantial growth. With the Indian government's significant emphasis on carbon neutrality, it is expected to give the aluminium market a fresh life. Starting in 2024, the BMW Group plans to purchase aluminium from Rio Tinto's hydro-powered facilities in Canada and has signed a letter of understanding to that aim. Apart from this, for the first time in seven years, PepsiCo, an American multinational food, snack, and beverage firm headquartered in New York, announced revamping its 7UP aluminium cans. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) announced on February 22, 2023, that their partnership with Titagarh Wagons Ltd (TWL), the company that makes coaches for Indian...
The Department of International Trade's executive non-departmental public agency, the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), said on February 22 that it had started reviewing the suggestion for anti-dumping remedies on imports of Chinese aluminium extrusion. Ricoh added the 6000 series aluminium alloy (AlSiMg) to its Binder Jetting (BJT) materials repertoire. The 6000 series is often used in conventional production and offers outstanding strength and corrosion-resistant properties for various applications. The Silver - Ecovadis Sustainability Rating was granted to Inductotherm Heating & Welding. The triple BSI-ISO accreditation for Inductotherm Heating & Welding, which includes ISO9001 for Quality, ISO45001 for Occupational Health & Safety, and ISO14001 for the Environment, was granted in June...
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has increased its aluminium ingot and aluminium products prices, with effect from Thursday, February 23, after several cuts since February 7, 2023. This week, the company has lifted its aluminium ingot price by INR 1,600 per tonne to INR 228,150-231,650 per tonne versus INR 226,550-230,050 per tonne on February 16. NALCO’s aluminium wire rod price has also seen an increase of INR 1,600 per tonne to INR 232,650-237,000 per tonne, following a cut a week ago to INR 231,050 -235,400 per tonne. Aluminium billets price stands at INR 232,600-235,250 per tonne, compared to INR 231,000-233,650 per tonne. NALCO links its alumiium ingot and aluminium products prices to the three month of futures of aluminium on the London Metal Exchange, which surged by...
This week started with the news of a fresh round of power restrictions implemented in China's Yunnan province. To stabilise the electrical supply, the Yunnan province of China directed the aluminium smelters in the area to adopt another round of output limitations. Since September, several of China's energy-intensive aluminium companies in Yunnan and neighbouring provinces have been operating their smelters at a reduced capacity. On the other hand, in a similar reference, Citi, an American multinational investment bank and financial services company, stated that with the reopening of the Chinese economy, the demand for aluminium is expected to increase and surpass iron-ore. As per the forecast, aluminium prices are expected to increase from 15 per cent to 30 per cent in the coming three...
The President of the United States of America, Joe Biden's administration, announced a new round of measures to mark the first anniversary of the Ukraine-Russia geopolitical crisis. The statement said, "The measures will significantly increase costs for aluminium smelted or cast in Russia to enter the US market." A few days ago, AlCircle reported that the US plans to impose a 200 per cent import tariff on Russian aluminium. The rounds of sanctions against Russia that were put in place due to the Russia-Ukraine geopolitical crisis largely spared metals. Russia is one of the leading producers of aluminium ex-China and contributes 6 per cent to global production. However, according to industry experts, this will have a minor impact on the global aluminium market. Russian aluminium, which...
On Wednesday, February 22, Constellium SE, a global leader in developing, manufacturing, and recycling aluminium products, announced the fourth quarter and full-year results ended December 31, 2022. The company reported its revenue grew by 8 per cent year-on-year to €1.8 billion in Q4 2022, bringing the revenue of the entire year to €8.1 billion versus €6.2 billion. The revenue increased in CY2022 despite a stagnant volume of annual shipments at 1.6 million tonnes. Shipments in Q4 2022 contracted 4.42 per cent Y-o-Y from 385,000 tonnes to 368,000 tonnes. So, the revenue grew last year backed on the global aluminium price hike. Constellium also revealed its net income amounted to €30 million in Q4 2022 compared to €7 million during the same period in 2021. The company’s net income in the...
Citigroup Inc. or Citi, an American multinational investment bank and financial services company, stated that, with the reopening of the Chinese economy, the demand for aluminium is expected to rise, surpassing iron-ore. The broker emphasised the numerous supply issues faced by aluminium, which analysts predict would coincide with a seasonal and reopening-driven revival in demand, leading to a considerable tightening of the physical market in China. Citi forecasted that this would increase aluminium prices to US$2700 ($3964) per tonne for the following three months and suggested that they might reach US$3000 per tonne. These projections indicate an increase of 13 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively, above the current price of US$2388 per tonne. Supply disruptions will worsen in the...
Two leading mobility solution providers and rolling stock giants from two different parts of the world, Alstom and Medha Servo Drives, have reportedly participated in bidding to manufacture 100 lightweight Vande Bharat trainsets. While Alstom is the only bidder among the five contenders not partnered with any one, Medha has teamed with a Swiss company Stadler Rail. The other three contenders are Siemens of Germany with BEML, Russian Transmashholding with Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, and Titagarh Wagons with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). Aluminium will replace steel in the coaches for the first time in the Indian Railways, making the trains lighter and more energy efficient. “This will usher in a new era of travel in India with lighter and more energy efficient aluminium trains...
The Anglo-Australian mining and metal company Rio Tinto has formally changed its designation of Taiwan in its regular revenue reports. Taiwanese client revenues will now be reported as coming from "Greater China" rather than the previous designation of "other Asian regions," which excluded China and Japan. An Australian business-focused print media house reported the change. The financial reporting house also published that Rio Tinto receives over 50 per cent of its annual revenue from China. Additionally, the Chinese state-owned mining and metal company, Chinalco, is Rio Tinto’s largest shareholder, with just over 14 per cent ownership. During the 2008 financial crisis, Chinalco strived to acquire a more significant stake in Rio Tinto, but the Australian government occluded the...
The Indonesian company engaged in the activity of bauxite mining PT Cita Mineral Investindo Tbk. (CITA) delivered guarantees to associated companies PT Kalimantan Aluminum Industry (KAI) and PT Kaltara Power Indonesia (KPI) worth US$249.5 million (IDR 3.8 trillion). In the information disclosure on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX), CITA's management said, "CITA would seek approval from the shareholders at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in connection with the plan for a guarantee transaction from CITA in the form of a corporate guarantee that KAI and KPI will receive. The guaranteed value is estimated at around US$249.5 million (Rp.3.8 trillion) This guarantee is based on CITA's proportionate shareholding in KAI and KPI for the loan facility that KAI and KPI will receive, with a...
The Chinese aluminium producer Tianshan Aluminium Group, located in Shihezi, a sub-prefecture-level city in Northern Xinjiang, announced its plan to procure three bauxite mines in Indonesia for USD$30.3 million. On February 23, 2023, the Chinese company engaged in comprehensive aluminium production and sales, Tianshan Aluminum’s units, signed a deal to buy Inti Tambang Makmur and obtain the mining rights of three Indonesian mines with a total of over 30 million dry metric tonnes of bauxite. However, according to the previous announcements, negotiations between the two parties were initiated in August 2021, when they inked a cooperation intention agreement. Tianshan Aluminum stated that acquiring the Indonesian bauxite projects is the Chinese aluminium company's first overseas expansion....
According to the Shanghai Metals Market, China's domestic A00 aluminium ingot price has suffered a loss of RMB 140 per tonne on Friday, February 24, after displaying restraint for the past two consecutive days. SMM data shows the price has come in at RMB 18,480 per tonne, standing W-o-W high by RMB 20 per tonne. The average prices are estimated to range between RMB 18,460 per tonne and RMB 18,500 per tonne today, with a spot contract likely to trade at a discount price of RMB 130-90 per tonne. Muted consumption of the metal, rising inventory, and overseas interest rate hikes together contributed to the poor price trend. Generally speaking, it is currently in the process of transitioning from low to peak season. In Wuxi, Hangzhou, and Shenyang, China’s domestic A00 aluminium ingot price...
LME aluminium opened at US$2,415 per tonne on Thursday and closed at US$2,389.5 per tonne, a decrease of US$23.5 per tonne or 0.97 per cent. On Thursday, February 23, both LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price went down by US$17 per tonne or 0.71 per cent to settle at US$2,368 per tonne and US$2,368.50 per tonne. 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price fell by US$20.5 per tonne or 0.84 per cent and US$21 per tonne or 0.86 per cent to score at US$2,407.50 per tonne and US$2,408 per tonne. December 24 bid price and December 24 offer price slipped by US$15 per tonne or 0.57 per cent to reside at US$2,585 per tonne and US$2,590 per tonne. LME aluminium opening stock came in at 568800 tonnes. Live warrants and Cancelled warrants were halted at 447575 tonnes...
On February 22, 2023, the company manufacturing coaches for Indian Railways, Titagarh Wagons Ltd (TWL), publicized that their partnership with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), the largest government-owned power generation equipment manufacturer, has made them the sole fully Indian consortium among the five contenders for the around USD$ 8.7 billion (INR 72,000 crore) Vande Bharat train contract. Vande Bharat is a high-performance train operated by Indian Railways, and it is considered the fastest train in India. Titagarh Wagons Ltd., a major engineering and wagon company, also unveiled plans to invest around USD$ 85 million (INR700 crore) in capital expenditure over the next 4-5 years to increase production capacity and related infrastructure. Prithish Chowdhary, the Chief...
On Tuesday, February 21, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative announced it welcomed Hindalco Alupram Works, an aluminium extrusion manufacturing plant in Ernakulum District of Kerala, as a new Production and Transformation member. The plant is equipped with two extrusion presses, of which one was installed in 1955 with an initial capacity of 1,250 tonnes and the other in 1961 with a capacity of 3,300 tonnes. Alupram Works currently has a production capacity of 12,000 tonnes per annum, with both presses together. The major raw material used in the extrusion process is aluminium billets and Die steel. Its Die shop has a production capacity of manufacturing 720 dies per annum, offering the widest range of shapes and alloys. Depending on the requirement of the extrusion plant, aluminium billets...
On Thursday, the aluminium billets inventories in China plunged by 21,300 tonnes W-o-W to halt at 181,000 tonnes. This week, the stockpile of aluminium billets accelerated the decline. Each of the four major markets saw a decrease in inventory due to massive cargo outflows from warehouses, with Nanchang being an exception. The demand, however, has constantly been increasing. As a result, the overall inventories are anticipated to continue to decline the following week. The figure below provides further information on the current state of aluminium billet inventories in China: As per the data, the inventories in Wuxi and Foshan slumped by 8,400 tonnes and 6,400 tonnes to stop at 39,400 tonnes and 93,100 tonnes. In Huzhou and Changzhou, the inventories recorded a drop of 6,000 tonnes and...
The Japanese multinational imaging and electronics company, Ricoh, adds the 6000 series aluminium alloy (AlSiMg) to its Binder Jetting (BJT) materials. The 6000 series is a kind of aluminium alloy frequently used in traditional production and brings excellent strength and corrosion-resistant qualities to various applications. Ricoh stated that the 6000 series aluminium alloys are some of the hardest to sinter because they are more prone to oxidation and have a lower tolerance for impurities. The business introduced a 4000 series aluminium (AlSi) in 2020, which was made possible for Binder Jetting by using liquid-phase sintering technology. To create the 6000 series, Ricoh collaborated with the Bremen, Germany-based Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technologies and Advanced Materials...
