Germany does cars, machinery and engineering rather well, and all of that needs a lot of aluminium. So, when three international players put serious money and muscle into the country's aluminium industry, it's worth a look. Together, the three companies offer an interesting snapshot of more recycling, more specialised products, stronger local supply chains and lower-carbon production. Here is who is doing what, and why it matters. EGA: The Gulf giant moving into Hannover Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) is the world's largest "premium aluminium" producer. It already ships over 600,000 tonnes of primary aluminium to Europe every year, with the automotive and construction industries among its key customers. Then it did something it hadn't done in a decade: it bought a company. That company...
METLEN announces the signing of a long-term commercial agreement with a major Japanese chemical company for the future supply of gallium, representing up to 16 per cent of METLEN’s total annual gallium production from its production facility in Greece, which is currently under construction. The commercial terms of the agreement remain confidential. The new agreement marks the second strategic commercial arrangement announced by METLEN for the future supply of gallium, further confirming strong international demand for a reliable European source of supply. As global industries seek to diversify critical raw material supply chains, METLEN continues to establish itself as a trusted long-term partner for leading industrial and technology companies across multiple regions. The growing...
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UK-based bike maintenance items manufacturer Juice Lubes has become popular for its flagship Aluminium Anti-Seize (AAS) Paste that perfectly oils the stuck mechanisms of any ride. Unlike its precursor, the copper lubes, this aluminium variant can be applied for smooth transitions in the winter season. Using lubricants for stuck bike parts is a good practice among riders that saves them a fortune while the ride goes for routine servicing. Where oils and other products have inflammatory properties, the aluminium anti-seize paste acts as a cooling and oiling agent at the same time. Until this specific discovery was made, there was a prevailing notion that only copper could be used as a lubricating agent for the stuck components of a bike. But with age, it was deciphered that many other...
The professed carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) will safeguard the European industry from importing less expensive, more polluting goods by impersonating the domestic carbon pricing in the European Union. However, it will start with aluminium imports, among others like iron and steel, cement, fertilisers and electricity, and hydrogen. It was reached the day after the G7 industrialised nations announced that they would establish an "international climate club" to promote a sustainable industry. Pascal Canfin, the Chairman of the European Parliament's environment committee, said, "For the first time, we will ensure fair treatment for our enterprises, which pay a carbon price in Europe, and their foreign competitors, who do not." “This is a major step that will allow us to do more...
On Monday, December 26, A00 aluminium ingot price in China slipped by RMB 40 per tonne to stand at RMB 18,760 per tonne, with the average prices standing between RMB 18,740 per tonne and RMB 18,780 per tonne. The spot contract price is expected to be traded at a premium price of RMB 120 to RMB 160 per tonne. The prices in Hangzhou and Linyi have climbed up by RMB 20 per tonne to stand at RMB 18,850 per tonne and RMB 18,790 per tonne. On the other hand, in Foshan and Gongyi, the prices have slipped by RMB 50 per tonne and RMB 40 per tonne to peg at RMB 18,780 per tonne and RMB 18,620 per tonne. On the same day in Chongqing and Tianjin, the A00 aluminium ingot price has declined by RMB 30 per tonne and RMB 20 per tonne to settle at RMB 18,780 per tonne. In Wuxi, the price went down by RMB...
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has slightly elevated its aluminium ingot and aluminium products prices by INR 1,400 per tonne, with effect from Saturday, December 24, following two back-to-back cuts on December 15 and 21. The raise on December 24 has brought NALCO’s aluminium ingot price to INR 224,250-227,750 per tonne versus INR 222,850- 226350 per tonne on December 21. NALCO’s aluminium wire rod price is currently hovering around 228,750-233100 per tonne, with effect from December 24, seeing a rise from INR 227,350- 231,700 per tonne on December 21. Aluminium billets price has come in at INR 228,700-231,350 per tonne, compared to INR 227,300-229,950 per tonne a couple of days ago. NALCO has increased its aluminium ingot and aluminium products prices in response to the...
LME aluminium opened at US$2,391.5 per tonne last Monday, with its high and low at US$2,410 per tonne and US$2,363 per tonne respectively before closing at US$2,395.5 per tonne, an increase of US$3.5 per tonne or 0.15 per cent. On December 23, Friday, LME aluminium cash bid price slumped by US$19.50 per tonne or 0.82 per cent, closing at US$2,341.50 per tonne and the LME aluminium official settlement price dropped by US$20 per tonne or 0.85 per cent to rest at US$2,342 per tonne. The 3-month bid price and the 3-month offer price experienced a downfall of US$24 per tonne or 1 per cent to close pre-holidays at US$2,371 per tonne and US$2,373 per tonne, respectively. December 23 bid price and December 23 offer price both witnessed a similar plunge of US$23 per tonne or 0.92 per cent,...
The century-old Indian trade association, Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), has lobbied for a decrease in the basic customs tax and correction of the inverted duty structure on crucial raw materials for the aluminium industry since high import charges are a big disadvantage for the sector that is largely dependent on imported raw materials. According to Assocham's pre-Budget note for 2023–2024, high import duties on raw materials make Indian finished goods more expensive and uncompetitive in global markets, providing little protection against cheaper finished product imports and inhibiting domestic value addition within the nation. The organisation representing the interests of trade and commerce in India, Assocham, said, "Indian aluminium producers have...
In Russia & Eastern Europe, primary aluminium production amounted to 333,000 tonnes during November 2022, which reflected a month-on-month decline of 11,000 tonnes or 3.20 per cent, found the International Aluminium Institute. In October, the output was 344,000 tonnes, up by 3.61 per cent from 332,000 tonnes in September. On a year-on-year calculation, primary aluminium production in Russia & Eastern Europe during Nov'22 edged a downfall of 6,000 tonnes or 1.77 per cent from 339,000 tonnes. From January to November 2022, Russia & Eastern Europe churned out 3.738 million tonnes of primary aluminium, down by 1.32 per cent from 3.788 million tonnes during the same period last year. In Western & Central Europe, primary aluminium production stood at 224,000 tonnes during November 2022,...
The largest shipyard in Croatia, Brodosplit, announced its initiation of building a self-propelled crewless ship focused primarily on firefighting and preventing sea pollution in maritime accidents and rescue operations. On December 22, 2022, Brodosplit stated, "The hull and superstructure will be made of shipbuilding aluminium alloy, and this project will create a functional, recognizable, and innovative product with a high technological level." However, as per the information from Brodosplit the length of the ship is 23.95 meters. It is co-financed by funds from the European Union's Research and Development budget. As a leading partner in the project, Brodosplit is collaborating with engineering company Marine and Energy Solutions DIV, shipyard Brodogradiliste Specijalnih Objekata, and...
Last week witnessed some notable activities in the aluminium end-user market, with UAE launching the very first lunar rover ‘Rashid’ into space, weighing only 10 kg due to the use of aluminium in the making. Oneplus, the Chinese gadget maker, has announced launching its first keyboard along with the Oneplus 11 5G smartphone and both the devices would have percentages of aluminium in the constitution to propagate the company’s Net Zero initiatives. Graphene Manufacturing Group Ltd (GMG) shared the incredible outcomes of heat transfer simulations for aluminium coated with THERMAL-XR (TXR) in comparison with uncoated bare aluminium. United Arab Emirates' (UAE) Lunar Rover 'Rashid' is set to conquer the moon's surface after the scheduled landing in April 2023. This is the very first lunar...
The bauxite segment of the global aluminium industry has witnessed some of the most crucial happenings during the last days of the year. Previously, during an economic forum, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said Indonesia would announce a ban on commodity exports without disclosing which or a timeframe for implementation. On December 20, 2022, the President announced that the country would impose a ban on bauxite exports from June 2023 onwards. On the side, the Australian Securities Exchange listed Canyon Resources receives new investors and shareholders to advance the development of the Minim Martap bauxite project. The future development prospects of the Minim-Martap project view Cameroon as the new source of high-grade bauxite supply that will feed the world’s growing demand. The...
The Guangzhou Futures Exchange, China's newest commodities market, saw a decline of 1 per cent on Thursday from China, the world's largest producer of industrial silicon. To focus on "new energy" components like lithium and rare earths, the market was founded in that year. Gränges began construction on an expansion at its Newport factory to increase the manufacturing of aluminium battery cathode foil (BCF). Gränges will now be the first business in the US to support BCF manufacturing thanks to this investment. BCF is a vital part of lithium-ion batteries used to make electric cars. AddUp, a provider of metal additive manufacturing solutions established by the French businesses Michelin and Fives, has unveiled the FormUp 350 Evolution. Based on the architecture of the FormUp 350 New...
Titan has introduced a new smartwatch in India with the added main feature of Bluetooth calling, as the model has a speaker and a microphone that lets the user directly talk through the watch when paired with a smartphone. Available in blue, grey, gold and black hues, the dial has been packed inside a 100% recyclable aluminium case flaunting the company’s logo. The Titan Talk BT calling smartwatch marks the brand’s venture into the sustainability zone as the silicon strap is easily changeable if weary. The dial comes inside a rigid aluminium case that has the Titan logo embedded on it and two additional buttons on the right edge. The smartwatch has a 46mm dial and is protected by a transparent mineral glass. Aluminium is an excellent choice for such an intelligent device that looks after...
This week, the global primary aluminium segment witnessed limited but significant events. To begin with, Norsk Hydro and the other two partners announced their planning's to construct an onshore wind farm along Norway's west coast for a price ranging from 3 and 4 billion Norwegian crowns ($304 million-$405 million). When approved, the project will provide one terawatt hour (TWh) of sustainable energy for existing and prospective businesses in the Hoeyanger and Sunnfjord regions. Another significant event was the acceptance of the modified climate plan, with a focus on 2050, which was adopted by the Board of Rusal, a major producer of aluminium worldwide with operations in Russia. Under the market forefront, the World Primary aluminium production in November 2022 witnessed a drop of 3.21...
Aluminium is one of the most sustainable metals found abundantly on the earth's surface, with an ability to retain its original properties even after undergoing rigid recycling processes. Therefore, companies that promote aluminium as their base raw material are always searching for sustainability drives across the entire value chain, which can renew their flagship objects without emitting the estimated amount of carbon or Green House Gases (GHGs) such products usually leave behind. Products made of aluminium, if collected properly, can initiate a circular economy which can be very beneficial for the earth's atmosphere. Moreover, the Paris Environmental Pact of 2015 has instigated many global brands to follow green environmental practices that can curtail carbon emissions to a great...
According to the Shanghai Metals Market, social inventories of primary aluminium across China’s eight major consumption areas, including SHFE warrants, stood at 475,000 tonnes on December 22, registering a further decline of 7,000 tonnes week-on-week. That pulled down the inventories even below the 5-year low last week. Compared to the end of November, the current stocks edged 41,000 tonnes lower and 416,000 tonnes less than last year. The chart below indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories across China in more details: In Nanhai and Wuxi, primary aluminium inventories decreased by 5,000 tonnes and 4,000 tonnes, respectively, to hover around 108,000 tonnes and 89,000 tonnes, respectively. But inventories in Shanghai inched up by 1,000 tonnes to amount to 38,000...
The American multinational automotive electric vehicle manufacturing company, Tesla, has revealed its own 'Wireless Charging Platform', a wireless charger that can charge up to three Qi devices simultaneously. According to our report, the charging mat's concept is similar to Apple's AirPower in that the three devices can be placed anywhere, each receiving up to 15 watts of power. Tesla claims that the Cybertruck served as inspiration for the charging mat's angular shape. It has an Alcantara surface, an aluminium housing, and a magnetic stand that can be detached and used for flat or angled charging. Elon Musk, owned Tesla, said, "Inspired by the angular design and metallic styling of Cybertruck, our Wireless Charging Platform provides 15W of fast charging power per device for up to three...
As of Thursday, December 22, SMM's social inventory of aluminium billets was 57,600 tonnes, a decrease of 3,800 tonnes from a week prior, primarily due to Foshan. According to SMM research, several aluminium billet factories in Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, and Gansu reduced or suspended production in the middle of December, 10–20 days earlier than in previous years, as a result of sharply declining orders, the COVID-19 pandemic's worsening effects after control measures were loosened, and the depressing real estate market. The figure below provides further information on the current state of aluminium billet inventories in China: The inventory in Wuxi hiked by 4,300 tonnes to stand at 10,800 tonnes from 6,500 tonnes recorded last week. On the same day, in Changzhou and Huzhou, the inventories...
The innovative engineering company that has transformed the industry for more than 125 years, Gränges has entered two new credit facility agreements and refinanced part of the debt portfolio. A three-year term loan for USD 100 million and a three-year term loan for SEK 3,500 million are included in the original facility agreement, which Citibank, Danske Bank, Svenska Handelsbanken, and Nordea structured. The deal will be connected to Gränges' sustainability goals and has a framework that is related to sustainability. Sustainability coordinators include Danske Bank and Nordea. Under the second facility agreement, signed with AB Svensk Exportkredit, there is a term loan worth USD 40 million and a term loan worth USD 20 million, each of which has a term of 3 years. This agreement will be...
