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 world leader in the production of low-carbon aluminium, Rusal has opposed arrangements that permit Rio Tinto to take sole control of the joint venture refinery, the Queensland Alumina Ltd (QAL). The global metal and mining giant’s shift functionally slits Rusal’s ingress to production and management at the alumina refinery under a ban implemented by the Australian Govt. against exporting alumina and bauxite to Russia. The Government of Australia imposed the ban in March 2022 as part of its sanctions drive against Russia over its standoff with Ukraine. A spokesperson from Rusal stated concerning operations of the Queensland Alumina refinery (QAL) and Australian autonomous sanctions said, “Rusal disagrees that the operations of its subsidiary, Alumina & Bauxite Company Ltd (ABC), do not...
The total amount of aluminium scrap exported for January 2022 stood at 32,300 tonnes. On a month-on-month calculation there was a downfall of 146,700 tonnes or 81.95 percent from 179,000 tonnes in December 2021 which further plunged by 29,000 tonnes or 13.94 percent from 208,000 tonnes in November 2021. As per the USGS data, in January 2022, the total amount of scrap exported by the United States was recorded at 32,300. On a year-on-year calculation, the amount nosedived by 120,700 tonnes or 78.88 percent from 153,000 tonnes in January 2021. For January to December 2021 the total amount of aluminium scrap exported by the United States closed at 2,100,000 tonnes. In January 2022, India imported 11,300 tonnes of aluminium scrap to the United States, the highest scrap import for the month....
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, India’s premier technology and Research University have introduced the nation’s first-ever native polycentric prosthetic knee intending to simplify the lives of innumerable amputated individuals. Named, ‘Kadam’ (which means legs) both metaphorically and literally, will aim at increasing users’ community participation, access to education, livelihood opportunities and overall wellbeing. This particular prosthetic can be used by both short and long residual limbs amputees after transfemoral (above knee) amputation. Many of its essential characteristics are frictional swing control adjustment for varied walking speeds and providing firmness while strolling on any geographical topography. It guarantees a 160° maximum knee...
LME aluminium opened at US$3,361 per tonne on Monday and closed at US$3,251.5 per tonne, down US$120.5 per tonne or 3.57 per cent. LME aluminium cash bid price halted at US$3,233.50 per tonne and LME aluminium official settlement price stopped at US$3,234.50 per tonne, with a downfall of 4.7 per cent and 4.72 per cent respectively, if compared with the records of Friday, last week. The 3-month bid price of aluminium also decreased by US$172 per tonne or 5.02 per cent to rest at US$3,249 per tonne. On the other hand, 3-month offer price faced the same percentage cut resting at US$3,251 per tonne. From Monday’s LME official price chart, December 23 bid price stood at US$3,110 per tonne and December23 offer price at US$3,115, both witnessing a downward swing of 5.6 per cent or US$185. LME...
On Tuesday, April 12, China’s A00 aluminium ingot price nosedived by RMB 380 per tonne to record at RMB 20,850 per tonne. The average price for the same day is expected to orbit between RMB 20,830 per tonne and RMB 20,870 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a premium price of RMB 60-20 per tonne. In Gongyi and Foshan the price has plunged by RMB 370 per tonne and RMB 380 per tonne to come in at RMB 20,840 per tonne and RMB 20,880 per tonne. In Wuxi and Hangzhou the price has declined by RMB 580 per tonne and RMB 570 per tonne to stop at RMB 21,220 per tonne and RMB 21,305 per tonne. For the same day in Chongqing and Shenyang, the price has witnessed downfall by RMB 355 per tonne and RMB 330 per tonne to halt at RMB 20,875 per tonne and RMB 20,900 per tonne. In Tianjin and Linyi...
Hindalco Industries Limited hiked its aluminium ingot and aluminium products prices on Saturday, April 9, following a sharp cut on the previous day. The major Indian aluminium player increased its aluminium ingot price by INR 4,000 per tonne to INR 293,750 per tonne, with effect from April 9. On the previous day, the price was slashed by INR 7,250 per tonne to INR 289,750 per tonne. On April 9, Hindalco’s aluminium wire rod price also saw a rise of INR 4,000 per tonne from INR 300,850 per tonne to INR 304,850 per tonne. Aluminium billets price experienced no exception but also an increase of INR 4,000 per tonne on the same day. On April 9, Hindalco’s aluminium billets price stood at INR 307,850 per tonne versus INR 303,850 per tonne on April 8. Hindalco links its aluminium ingot and...
On February 19 2022, due to an internal power distribution breakdown, one of the four production lines of Hydro's part-owned main aluminium facility in Brazil, Albras, was shutdown. However, as of April 8 2022, the aluminium facility will be restarted. As a result of the breakdown, one potline, the Albras plant in Barcarena, Pará state, was working at 25% capacity. The plant's other three lines were untouched, and no one was hurt. In Q4 2022, the production line is projected to be fully operational. Albras' entire annual production capacity is 460,000 tonnes. Hydro controls 51 percent of Albras, while Nippon Amazon Aluminium Co. Ltd owns the remaining 49 percent.
On Monday, April 11, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative announced that it has successfully certified TBC Ball Beverage Can Vietnam Limited against the Performance Standard under Provisional status and Chain of Custody Standard for responsible production, sourcing, and stewardship of aluminium. Founded in 2011, TBC Ball Beverage Can Vietnam Limited is a joint venture company, the factory of which is located in VSIP II-A, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam. TBC-Ball, spread across eight hectares of land, produces aluminium cans used by the beverage industry. The facility’s annual production capacity is around 850 million units, destined for contracted customers in Vietnam. ASI has granted the Performance Standard Provisional Certification under the Interim Policy regarding Audits, Audit-Related...
Some of the World’s biggest automobile manufacturers like BMW, General Motors and Volkswagen are linked through their suppliers with the controversial labour programme in China’s Xinjiang region which experts have blacklisted as pressing and indecent in the new report by Horizon Advisory, a US-based consultancy forum. China-based electric vehicle manufacturers including Nio and BYD are also linked to these controversial programmes in Xinjiang, according to the study. These concerns are basically around the production of aluminium, also raising ample eyebrows on alleged human rights violations in its supply chain. The modern complex supply chain is where raw materials would pass through multiple manufacturers or countries before being used in finished products, which is by all means not...
Segregated from the power networks of any other country, Iceland in 2021 winter did face a unique problem of running out of electricity. The Icelanders who used to merely live on fishing for their livelihood were fortunate enough to witness the emergence of a large aluminium-smelting industry fifty years ago on their soil, which usually yields ample wealth for the entire community. 850 kms from the Scottish Coast, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Iceland had always been self-sufficient when it came to electricity generation; in fact, the smelter played a huge role. Iceland could be fuelled by geothermal power and hydro generation since it is known as the land of glaciers located between two tectonic plates, highlands and also receives ample rainfall. It has even plotted to export...
The shortage of aluminium can due to supply chain constraints has stirred the beverage sector. Since the pandemic, the local breweries are struggling to cope with the shortfall. A craft brewery in Las Vegas, named North 5th Brewery Co. is a very famous brewery and has made a name for itself since the time of its inception. However, following the scarcity of aluminium caused due to high demand, the brewery is unable to increase its output. . During the last two years, the price has increased by roughly 125 per cent. Vendors are increasingly expecting larger purchases, according to Wyndee Forrest, president of the Nevada Craft Brewers Association. “The last thing we want to do is to turn it over to the consumer, so for the most part we’ve taken a little hit on that,” said Amanda Payan, the...
The smallest economy in the eurozone, Malta demonstrates a free market economy, which is heavily dependent on trade in both goods and services, primarily with Europe. The Maltese economy is a highly industrialised, service-based economy. However, it is classified as an advanced economy by the IMF and is contemplated as a high-income nation by the World Bank and an innovation-steered economy by the World Economic Forum. The major industries that generate aluminium scrap other than used aluminium food packing are Advance Manufacturing, aviation, construction, etc. The tenth smallest country in area, Malta exported 5423 tonnes of aluminium scrap during 2019-21, attracting $4.82 million from the export of scrap. In 2019, the Maltese export of aluminium scrap was documented at 2287 tonnes,...
According to the data shown by the Shanghai Metals Market, China produced 3.315 million tonnes of aluminium in March 2022, a decrease of 0.92 per cent year-on-year. Also, the daily average output stood 1,000 tonnes per day lower over the year to 106,900 tonnes but edged a hike of 1,700 tonnes per day month-on-month. From January to March 2022, China produced 9.465 million tonnes of aluminium in total, a drop of 2.8 per cent from the same period last year. China’s domestic aluminium production recommenced in March, along with many new capacities came into operation. In Yunnan and Guangxi, new and resumed aluminium capacity totalled 998,000 tonnes. With no production cuts in entire March, national aluminium production capacity reached 39.974 million tonnes as of early April. The effective...
The second-largest economy of the Arab world, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is devoted to executing its tactics of reinforcing priority industrial spheres like heavy industry and upgrading their contribution to the nation’s economic development, according to Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology. On 10 th April 2022, Dr Sultan’s also said during his visit to the Gulf Extrusions headquarters at Jebel that innovation, sustainability and foresight are pillars of the industrial sector’s growth. The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology would pursue to support the industrial companies in alluring foreign capital and consolidate the UAE’s position as a most attractive global destination for fresh investment and industries. Dr Al Jaber said, “The UAE gives...
Aluminium ingot production in Iran surged by 20 percent throughout the Iranian calendar year 1400, which ended on March 20, says the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO). IMIDRO is a large state-owned holding corporation operating in Iran's mining sector. According to IMIDRO statistics, yearly aluminium ingot output was 538,633 tonnes in 1400, 446,836 tonnes in 1399, and 278,318 tonnes in 1398. By the Iranian calendar year 1404 the country intends to produce 1.5 million tonnes of aluminium ingot annually (March 2025-March 2026). Apart from this, South Aluminum Corporation (SALCO) manufactured 173,594 tonnes of aluminium ingots, Almahdi Aluminum Company produced 150,738 tonnes, and Iran Alumina Company produced 37,243 tonnes. In the previous...
LME aluminium opened at US$3,392 per tonne last Friday and closed at US$3,372 per tonne, down US$28 per tonne or 0.82 per cent. Prices of commodities might be on the rise once again as East of Ukraine is still being vacated for this might just be the beginning of the end. LME aluminium cash bid price stood at US$3,393 per tonne and LME aluminium official settlement price halted at US$3,395, with a rise of 1.46 per cent or US$49 each, if compared with the records of Thursday. The 3-month bid price of aluminium also increased by US$49 per tonne or 1.45 per cent to rest at US$3,421 per tonne. On the other hand, 3-month offer price faced the same percentage rise resting at US$3,423 per tonne. From the LME official price chart of Friday, December 23 bid price stood at US$3,295 per tonne and...
A00 aluminium ingot price in China has further plunged over the weekend ended April 11, 2022, by RMB 570 per tonne to stand at RMB 21,230 per tonne, found the Shanghai Metals Market. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 21,210 per tonne and RMB 21,250 per tonne, with a spot contract to be traded at a premium price of RMB 70-30 per tonne. In Wuxi, A00 aluminium ingot price has nosedived by RMB 580 per tonne to come in at RMB 21,220 per tonne, followed by the decrease of RMB 570 per tonne in Foshan, Hangzhou and Linyi to RMB 21,260 per tonne, RMB 21,305 per tonne and RMB 21,350 per tonne, respectively. In Shenyang and Tianjin, primary aluminium ingot price has shrunk by RMB 520 per tonne to RMB 21,230 per tonne and RMB 21,330 per tonne, while the price in Gongyi has slumped...
Scientists from Belgorod State University (BSU) and Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) have discovered a series of patterns in the atomic structure of aluminium, which might lead to new and more resistant aluminium alloys for aviation. As per Anton Boev and his colleagues involved in the Skoltech project found that the structure of the particles, and hence the mechanical behaviour of the heat-treated alloy, changes in a predictable fashion. The researchers hope that the combination of mechanical qualities they've discovered will aid in extending the life of aeroplane components built of these materials. The institution is setup to study aluminium alloys at the atomic level because the evolution of the commonly used Al-Cu-Mg-Ag alloy structure and mechanical properties...
