Bell Bay Aluminium (BBA), Australia's oldest aluminium smelter, is reviewing its workforce and offering redundancies for a small number of positions, just over a month after receiving an AUD 200 million (USD 137.52 million) government support package aimed at securing the facility's future until at least 2031. Up to 10 roles are understood to have been affected by the review, although the smelter is expected to retain its existing workforce of approximately 550 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. Some redeployment opportunities will also be available, while the positions identified are not understood to involve frontline services. The changes reportedly include some former participants in Bell Bay Aluminium's graduate programme. Rio Tinto, which operates the smelter near George Town in...
Atlas Metals Group plc has terminated its proposed acquisition of Universal Pozzolanic Silica Alumina Ltd (UPSA), ending a transaction first announced in June 2025, as the company shifts its acquisition focus towards lithium and graphite assets in Africa and South America. The natural resources and energy company said the decision followed recent due diligence difficulties and actions by UPSA representatives that it believes materially changed the merits and viability of the transaction. Atlas Metals is also seeking to recover material amounts owed to it by UPSA. The proposed acquisition was initially announced on June 17, 2025, with the signing of a conditional share purchase agreement (SPA) disclosed on September 10, 2025. However, the company has now decided to terminate the agreement,...
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The European Aluminium discussed with industry experts and policymakers the future of Europe’s energy infrastructure following the ongoing energy crisis during its annual Spring Meetings 2022, where both the industry and energy sector stressed the need to facilitate affordable and low-carbon energy uptake for industrial users to support navigate the current crisis while meeting the EU’s target for climate neutrality. European Aluminium commenced its 2022 Spring Meetings with a cross-industry stakeholder debate on “Fit for net-zero: Industrial decarbonisation in an energy-sensitive environment”. The event, bringing together Europe’s aluminium players from more than 600 facilities in 30 European nations, welcomed officials and industry experts from the energy sector, including the...
National Aluminium Company Limited has slashed its aluminium ingot and aluminium products prices by INR 10,000 per tonne or 3.5 per cent on April 28, in line with the continued decrease in LME aluminium benchmark price since April 22. With the latest cut, NALCO’s aluminium ingot price has come in at INR 272,650 – 276,150 per tonne compared to INR 282,650-286,150 per tonne on April 21. NALCO is currently selling its aluminium wire rod at INR 275,150 – 279,500 per tonne versus INR 285,150-289,500 per tonne a week ago. Aluminium billets price is hovering around INR 276,100 – 278,750 per tonne, facing a downfall of INR 10,000 per tonne from INR 286,100-288,750 per tonne. NALCO links its aluminium ingot and aluminium products prices to the three-month future price of aluminium on the London...
Japan’s leading manufacturer of aluminium windows and doors, TOSTEM, on observing its market in Thailand wishes to expand company shares, particularly in the retail market (B2C) there. The great demand for sustainable living amidst the risk of pandemics and rising intergenerational transfer is prompting the company to acquire more market shares. TOSTEM and others like it, EXSIOR, INTERIO and SUPERWALL are portfolio brands for LIXIL Group headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The group can be considered the best in Japan when it comes to building materials, housing products and services. Mr Wicha Worasayun, the CEO of LIXIL, is also responsible for TOSTEM’s LHT Asia outlook. He said that the company anticipates rising demand for not only high-quality and functional housing products but also...
According to the Shanghai Metals Market, primary aluminium inventories in China have decreased this week by 34,000 tonnes or 11 per cent across eight major consumption areas, including SHFE warrants. Thus, compared to 1.02 million tonnes last Thursday, April 21, primary aluminium inventories have come in at 987,000 tonnes as of April 28. The chart below indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories across China in more details: In Wuxi, primary aluminium inventories have decreased by 25,000 tonnes week-on-week to 490,000 tonnes as delivery recovered in the region. Shipments from Wuxi were mainly delivered to surrounding areas. Gongyi received a very few due to tight truck transportation capacity and restricted cross-province transport. Gongyi’s primary aluminium...
According to a report released on Wednesday, April 27, Vedanta Aluminium has built up an Extended Reality (XR) experience zone to increase safety training for its employees and partners. The zone is comprised of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) technologies that will help the company conduct simulation-based training for an immersive, engaging and safe learning experience of the workforce. This initiative reflects Vedanta’s enthusiasm in remodelling its business with advanced digital solutions, intelligent automation and in-house innovations to improve manufacturing efficiency and excellence. Other advanced technologies deployed by Vedanta Aluminium for safety excellence are: Deep Learning algorithms and sophisticated modelling techniques that help the...
The metal aluminium is now extensively used in building and construction due to its inherent property of lightness and corrosion resistance. It is applied in the form of external facades, roofs and walls, windows and doors, staircases, railings, shelves and other several applications. Aluminium is also broadly utilized in airframe structures and is increasingly being used in automotive frames to diminish weight and enhance fuel efficiency. An export-driven economy, Hungary revealed that the global slowdown and fluctuating demand in its primary export markets have harmed economic growth, particularly in the export-orientated automotive and consumer electronics sectors. The Central-European nation Hungary exported 56,016 tonnes of aluminium structures from 2019-to 21, attracting foreign...
According to the Indian Industrial Value Chain Council (IIVCC), the group representing the organizations involved in the industrial production and consumption supply chain activities across India stated that the state-owned integrated aluminium company Nalco, whose surfeit quantity of alumina produced remains inaccessible to the domestic aluminium manufacturers, now that manoeuvring them towards considerable dependency on imports and inflating their cost load. Ashok Kumar Agrawal, the National Convener of IIVCC, Nalco was allotted bauxite mines in gratis to uplift the national aluminium industry. Consequently, the surplus alumina that is not being absorbed by Nalco needs to be supplied to other aluminium producers rather than exporting the raw material. The domestic alumina demand of...
LME aluminium opened at US$3,071.5 per tonne on Wednesday and closed at US$3,116 per tonne, an increase of US$36 per tonne or 1.17 per cent. On 27 th April, the LME aluminium cash bid price stood at US$3,099 per tonne, with a 0.10 per cent or US$3 per tonne decline. LME aluminium official settlement price halted at US$3,100 per tonne, falling 0.08 per cent or US$2.5 per tonne. 3-month bid price stopped at US$3,115 per tonne, losing 0.06 per cent or US$2 per tonne. The 3-month offer price came in at US$3,117 per tonne, dropping US$1 per tonne or 0.03 per cent. On the same day, December 23 bid price and December 23 offer price settled at US$2,998 per tonne and US$3,003 per tonne, respectively, both with a 0.27 per cent or US$8 per tonne hike. LME aluminium opening stock continued to...
The initial aluminium smelter in the Middle East region, which commenced its journey with a production of 120,000 tonnes per annum in 1971, Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), at present, is the world’s largest single-site aluminium smelter ex-China has evolved as the first Bahraini Company to have successfully achieved sustainability-linked refinancing for its US$1,247,475,000 syndicated loan facility in connection to the Line 6 Expansion Project. The US$1,247,475,000 senior-unsecured Conventional and Islamic Facility carries an interest margin of 235 basis points per annum over the sum of the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) and the Credit Adjustment Spread (CAS). However, this new facility comes up with an 8-year tenor and the principal amount will be repaid in 16 semi-annual...
i2r Packaging Solutions, the pioneers of aluminium foil tray making has been honoured with another Queen’s Award for Enterprise. Though it is their second win and this time they are being awarded for innovation, for their first, in 2020, they won owing to international trade capabilities. The company can proudly place itself among the 226 selected organisations, nationally recognised by the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2022. i2r received the award for their patented product i2r Ultra™ smooth wall aluminium foil container which is a super-strength light-weight tray used for packaging high quality ‘ready to cook’ utility products including red meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, BBQ food and desserts. Though the company is well acknowledged for innovation excellence, this award...
According to China customs data, the country’s aluminium foil exports in March 2022 stood at 126,800 tonnes, reflecting month-on-month increase of 34 per cent and year-on-year 9 per cent. Thailand, India, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates were the top four destinations of China’s aluminium foil exports, accounting for 8.92 per cent, 7.34 per cent, 6.51 per cent, and 6.30 per cent, respectively, of the total exports in March. China’s top five aluminium foil export provinces were Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Shandong, and Henan, which produced 101,200 tonnes combined, accounting for 79.8 per cent of the total output. East China is China’s major aluminium foil production and export centre. However, the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Shandong, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and other...
The heightened demand for heavy industry products has instigated Coates Industrial Solutions from Australia to release a white paper on how companies might address the resource question, keeping safety and performance in mind during planned shutdowns and maintenance events. During the above mentioned period, businesses certainly go through a few open challenges but first, there is the need to improve operational efficiencies and site safety with fewer resources and a broader skills gap. The Covid pandemic adds to the situation making it one of the toughest times in the history of mankind. After examining these pain points, the white paper titled, ‘ Mining for efficiency in the heavy industry’ serves businesses with data on how to address them. The prime advocacy consists of: · Experienced...
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The Chief Executive Officer of Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), Ali Al Baqali rolled out the company’s approved Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Roadmap by the Board of Directors, to underline the company’s strong commitment to Bahrain’s, an island country in Western Asia towards the objective of ‘Net Zero Emissions by 2060’ under the leadership of HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On 27 th April 2022, the first aluminium smelter in the Middle East region, Alba’s CEO held a presentation on the company’s ESG Roadmap in a hybrid format -- both in-person and via the virtual platform. It was attended by Company’s Executives, Directors, and Management team as well as numerous employees and contractors’...
The United Kingdom’s aluminium packaging recycling rate reached a new high of 68 percent in 2021, with more than 156,000 tonnes collected for recycling (a 3 percent rise year-on-year). More over four out of every five beverage cans (82 percent) were recycled last year, matching the previous high of 2020. “It’s pleasing news indeed to report yet another record-breaking year for aluminium packaging recycling. While the total UK market size grew, recycling rates kept pace. More importantly still, the vast majority of material was collected through kerbside, bring and on-the-go systems, which maximised the potential for closed-loop recycling,” said Alupro’s executive director, Tom Giddings. Despite a rising domestic market, the amount of aluminium packaging collected through kerbside, carry,...
In March 2022, primary aluminium production in Russia & Eastern Europe stood at 350,000 tonnes, reflecting a month-on-month hike of 11.46 per cent from 314,000 tonnes. However, in February, the output was down by 10.03 per cent or 35,000 tonnes month-on-month from 349,000 tonnes. On a year-on-year calculation, Russia & Eastern Europe’s primary aluminium production in March 2022 stood down by only 3,000 tonnes from 353,000 tonnes. In Q1 2022 ended March 31, primary aluminium production in Russia & Eastern Europe totalled 1.013 million tonnes – 2.78 per cent less than 1.042 million tonnes in Q4 2021. On a year-on-year basis, the output registered a drop of 1.17 per cent from 1.025 million tonnes. In the entire year 2021, primary aluminium production in Russia & Eastern Europe amounted to...
The Bank of Greece, which is the central bank of the country, in its annual report stated a slash in prediction for economic growth to 3.8% in 2022 from 4.8% earlier and elevated its forecast for the inflation rate to 5.2% under the base scenario, in its annual report. As a nation, in 2020, Greece emerged to have countered a very deep recession and even under optimistic assumptions, a full recovery is going to take beyond 2021. Furthermore, the recession and the cost of the measures to diminish it have already navigated to a further sharp rise in Greece's already excessively high public debt. The South-eastern European nation Greece imported 265 tonnes of aluminium powder and flakes during 2019-21, disposing of foreign earnings of $734,467 tonnes for the aluminium product. In 2019, Greece...
Graham Kerr, the CEO of South32 does not anticipate a global recession but said that the economic outlook is dormant because of the war in Europe, the Covid epidemic in China and rising commodity prices that may worsen in the coming months. On Tuesday, mining and energy stocks were mostly released for purchase fearing a lockdown in China which would hinder the demand for commodities. Moreover, the Russia-Ukraine conflict had already inflated the market putting severe pressure on the metal industry. Primary signs of “demand destruction” were visible amid the inflationary pressures; specifically in the car manufacturing industry and the World Bank, since last week the latter lowered its global growth forecast from 4.1 per cent in January to 3.2 per cent as noted by Alcoa that time. South32...
Following the failure of Orthios, the massive former aluminium plant at Holyhead, and multi-million-pound recycling equipment, are up for sale. The joint administrators have put up for sale the assets of Orthios (Anglesey) Technologies Limited and its subsidiaries, Orthios Feedstock (Anglesey) Limited and Orthios Otech 5 Limited. The 230-acre land can be purchased independently or as part of a package with the assets. After smelting ceased in 2009, Orthios formally took over the Anglesey Aluminium plant in Holyhead in 2016. It established a materials recycling facility (MRF) and was working on a Plastics-to-Oil (P-2-O) unit at the time. “This is a rare chance to acquire a valuable and near-complete green technology asset. Although further investment is required to complete the facility,...
