The global aluminium industry is entering a new phase of competition, with access to raw materials, affordable energy and production capacity increasingly shaping the position of major producers. China is preparing a large overseas smelting expansion, Ghana is attracting investment in its bauxite reserves, and India and Vietnam are advancing new aluminium projects. However, the expansion drive comes against a complicated market backdrop. Alumina prices have fallen sharply, energy and logistics costs remain significant, and trade policies are reshaping the economics of production and exports. Together, these developments point to a market in which securing resources is only part of the challenge; converting them into competitive aluminium will matter just as much. Africa’s bauxite...
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...
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On 1 st April 2022, the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness during his visit to the United States stated at the National Press Club in Washington DC that the Russian aluminium giant, Rusal owned Windalco alumina assets in the Caribbean island of Jamaica ‘are safe’ from any type of sanctions. Following the Jamaican Prime Minister’s meeting with the US Vice-President Kamala Harris, Holness commented that he sought no valid reason for the divestment of Windalco by Rusal, despite its shareholder Oleg Deripaska being under US and European Union sanctions in regards to the Ukraine-Russia stand-off. Prime Minister Holness after his news briefing at the National Press Club in Washington on 1 st April made his first public statement on Rusal’s noteworthy assets on the Caribbean island by...
The President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa has stated the highest truth for the betterment of his people by saying African countries should look inward for sustainable development, giving particular importance to infrastructure and energy as that is the most vital source of steady economic growth. Following his tour of the two power plants in Maputo on 5 th April 2022, President Mnangagwa explained to the public that Zimbabwe has been importing power since it achieved independence in 1980, but lacked in prioritising the infrastructure and energy, which deprived adding value addition. Zimbabwe a minerals rich nation is known as the African treasury for gas, which was found in Muzarabani, platinum in Mhondoro Ngezi, coal in Hwange and water in Kariba Dam and the Zambezi River, all of...
Hindalco Industries Limited has continued to trim its aluminium products and aluminium ingot prices as the LME aluminium ingot price keeps pursuing a downtrend. With effect from April 6, Hindalco has reduced its aluminium wire rod price by INR 3,000 per tonne to INR 304,850 per tonne. On April 5, the price stood at INR 307,850 per tonne, seeing a cut of INR 6,250 per tonne from the previous day. Hindalco's aluminium billets price has also been reduced by INR 3,000 per tonne from INR 310,850 per tonne to INR 307,850 per tonne. Aluminium ingot price has come in at INR 293,750 per tonne, down by 1.01 per cent from INR 296,750 per tonne. Hindalco links its aluminium ingot and aluminium products prices to the three-month future of aluminium on the London Metal Exchange, which further decreased...
According to the monthly PMI report presented by the Shanghai Metals Market, the composite PMI reading for China’s aluminium downstream processing sectors came in at 49.1 in March, recording a month-on-month rise of 19.8 percentage points and a year-on-year decline of 14.1 percentage points. Aluminium processing industry, as a whole, stumbled in March for many reasons, including the outbreak of a new COVID wave across Shandong province, north-east China, and other places affecting production and transportation that resulted in less-than-expected operating rates and new orders. Also, the wait-and-watch sentiment of downstream consumers due to soaring domestic aluminium prices contributed to the downtrend in operating rates. In March 2022, indexes for aluminium plate/sheet and construction...
Vedanta Limited, a globally diversified natural resources company announced on Thursday, March 31, that its board of directors had approved plans to procure 580 MW of renewable energy (RE) for the company's operations in India. This power source has the potential to prevent around 2.7 million tonnes of GHG emissions from entering the environment once it is operational. Vedanta intends to partially replace current captive thermal power capabilities with renewable energy for smelting and other processes, as well as fulfil the power requirements of Vedanta Aluminium Jharsuguda, Balco, and Hindustan Zinc's capacity growth. Vedanta has signed an Electricity Delivery Agreement (PDA) with special purpose vehicles (SPVs), who are affiliates of Sterlite Power Technologies Pvt Ltd (SPTPL), a...
The metal aluminium is recognized as of the most recycled and recyclable materials in today’s use. As it is said that aluminium beverage can, car door or window frame are often recycled directly back into it and this procedure can happen infinitely. Now depending on the sort of scrap and the required product quality, various types of furnaces for melting aluminium scrap are used. The North African nation, Morocco is primarily a free-market country with some state control. Since 1990, the government has exceptionally limited its role in the economy, eliminating trade barriers and selling several state-owned enterprises. Morocco exported 52,499 tonnes of aluminium scrap during 2019-21, which incurred revenue earnings of around 60 million tonnes from the export. In 2019, the aluminium scrap...
Scarcity in the supply of coal is being witnessed in India for two years in a row since Coal India has restricted its deliveries to industrial customers to carry out smooth supplies to the power plants. The country is moving towards a mandatory demand peak due to summer but the fuel stockpiles are far below the target level. The India state-owned Coal India Limited with headquarter in Kolkata, West Bengal limited its daily supplies to non-power sector users to 275,000 tonnes, which is around 17% lower than the recent average daily volumes. Even the company is cutting down on railway transportation and relying more on trucks due to the unavailability of a proper schedule which means slower delivery speed for the industrial customers. However, the Indian coal mining giant CIL is yet to make...
Alumina output in South America during January-February 2022 totalled 1.859 million tonnes, reflecting a year-on-year downfall of 8.6 per cent from 2.034 million tonnes, found the International Aluminium Institute’s data. In February, alumina production in South America amounted to 864,000 tonnes (including both chemical and metallurgical-grade), seeing a sharp fall by 131,000 tonnes or 13.17 per cent month-on-month. In January, the output dropped by only 1 per cent from 1.004 million tonnes to 995,000 tonnes. Compared to the preceding year, South America’s alumina production in February 2022 stood 10.47 per cent or 101,000 tonnes lower than 965,000 tonnes. In the first two months of 2022, alumina production in North America scored at 391,000 tonnes, down by 19,000 tonnes or 4.63 per cent...
Shortage of aluminium cans following the COVID-19 pandemic is still wreaking havoc on the aluminium industry. Aluminium cans are in low supply due to supply chain difficulties. The aluminium supply chain constraint is taking a toll on Secret Tail Brewing Company, which has been in the industry for the past five years. Charlie Barrett, the owner of Secret Trail Brewing Co., said a can with a lid used to cost 20 cents, which currently has hiked by 25 per cent to stand at 25 cents. Secret Trail now cans roughly 500 cases every two months with 24-16 ounce cans in each case. “We haven't raised prices this year, but we may think about it for next year on the cans. We haven't raised prices at all for our beer, so we might have to do something the first of next year though just because we have to...
LME aluminium opened at US$3,450 per tonne yesterday and closed at US$3,455 per tonne, an increase of US$40 per tonne or 1.17 per cent. On 5 th April, LME aluminium cash bid price stood at US$3,414 per tonne and LME aluminium official settlement price halted at US$3,415. The former recorded a fall of 0.86 per cent or US$29.50 per tonne and the latter decreased by US$29 per tonne or 0.84 per cent. 3-month bid price stood at US$3,440 facing a downswing of 0.55 per cent or US$19 and 3-month offer price came in at US$3,441 per tonne falling by US$20 per tonne or 0.58 per cent. On the same day, December 23 bid price settled at US$3,340 per tonne and December 23 offer price at US$3,345, both witnessing a rise of 0.45 per cent or US$15 per tonne. LME aluminium opening stock continued to decrease...
Vedanta Limited reduced its aluminium ingot and aluminium products prices for the second time in a row in the new financial year 2022-23. With effect from April 5, the company cut its aluminium ingot selling price by INR 4,250 per tonne or 1.4 per cent to INR 297,000-344,500 per tonne. On April 2, the price ranged between INR 301,250 per tonne and INR 348,750 per tonne, seeing a trimming of INR 2,000 per tonne. Like any other Indian aluminium producers, Vedanta Limited links its aluminium products and aluminium ingot prices to the three-month futures of aluminium on the London Metal Exchange. So, in tandem with the continuous downfall in LME aluminium benchmark price from US$3,483 per tonne on April 1 to US$3,415 per tonne on April 5, Vedanta cut its aluminium prices. On a month-on-month...
The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is a business-led initiative aimed at promoting sustainability throughout the aluminium value chain. On Tuesday, April 5, Symetal's aluminium foil rolling plant (Oinofyta) and aluminium foil conversion facility (Mandra) in Greece has been successfully accredited against the ASI Performance Standard for responsible aluminium production, procurement, and stewardship. For a wide spectrum of worldwide customers, including the culinary, pharmaceutical, and electric car battery industries, the firm provides specialised aluminium foil materials primarily utilised in packaging solutions. Symetal's two plants have a combined yearly production capacity of 78,000 tonnes of aluminium foil, with the firm exporting over 90% of its output to about 70 countries....
Three sources have confirmed that some Japanese aluminium buyers have agreed with at least two global producers on the premium payment of $172 per tonne for June shipments, compared to $177 million in the previous quarter. That reflects a quarter-on-quarter downfall of $5 per tonne or 2.8 per cent from $177 per tonne. The decline of premium for the June quarter marks a second consecutive quarterly drop, even less than initial offers of $195-250 per tonne made by producers. In the last quarter, the premium of aluminium shipments to Japan had seen a significant fall of 20 per cent on the ease of local spot premiums and overseas prices, recording a first quarterly decline in six months. In the December quarter of 2021, the premium was set at $220 per tonne. Japan is Asia’s biggest importer...
Specialized is on the track to achieve a new benchmark for the aluminium road bike sector with the all-new Allez Sprint 2022. It is inspired by the much-feared and also liked Tarmac S17, which makes it a close replica of the same. Specialized Allez has a very long history starting as early as 1981 when the Americans were presented with the steel Allez marking the beginning of an era. Soon bikes were being made with different materials and the experimentation was in full swing. But today, Allez sprint is aluminium dependent and after so many years Specialized has turned its eyes towards this particular non-ferrous metal. The new model is an aluminium clone of the carbon racer which has been welded using D’Aluisio Smartwelding technology to become the world’s fastest aluminium road bike. In...
Ice Industries has secured contracts for the supply of large outdoor machine enclosures for its Grenada, Mississippi facility. This will increase the number of employments in the locality. To safeguard this virgin enclosure business, Ice is going to invest more than $4 million. It is planning to upgrade the paint capabilities, protruding its existing capacity to encompass powder coating for both steel and aluminium enclosures. To cope with the eventual increase in production, Ice is also upgrading its large-format tandem stamping press lines. Ice Industries is a global supplier of a broad range of capabilities consisting of deep drawn metal stamping, CNC machining; MIG, TIG and resistance welding; assembly, rolled and welded pressure vessels, large format enclosures, high volume banking,...
On Sunday, April 3, an explosion in an aluminium plant in the Guangdong province city of Qingyuan took the lives of 4 workers. As per the local media, the explosion may have caused a liquid aluminium spill, posing a serious threat to the workers there. “The explosion may trigger a liquid aluminum leak and relevant departments are now dealing with the accident,” says Daily Global Times. However, this is not the first time that something like this has happened in China. In 2007, a molten aluminium leak had taken the life of 14 people and wounded 59 at a plant in east China's Shandong Province.
After about a week, Hindalco Industries Limited has further trimmed its aluminium products and aluminium ingot prices, with effect from April 5, 2022. Hindalco has reduced its aluminium billets price by INR 6,250 per tonne or 1.97 per cent to INR 310,850 per tonne. The previous price cut was on March 31, which had brought the company’s aluminium billets price to 310,850 per tonne, down by INR 7,000 per tonne from INR 317,100 per tonne. With the latest cut, Hindalco’s aluminium wire rod price has come in at INR 307,850 per tonne versus INR 314,100 per tonne on March 31. That also reflected a decrease of INR 6,250 per tonne. With effect from April 5, Hindalco is selling its aluminium ingot price at INR 296,750 per tonne as against the selling price of INR 303,000 per tonne on the previous...
The usage of aluminium powder has been in the production of various types of explosives and fireworks. However, it is also utilized in the manufacturing of certain types of electronics and is included in many paints and sealants. An exceptional series of flakes are used for inducting systems and non-electric spark ignition systems, while a thin coating of aluminium powder inside the initiation tube is applied and the firing stimulation is similar to a dust explosion. The high-income advanced economy nation in Central Europe, Slovakia imported 2514 tonnes of aluminium powder and flakes during 2019-21, incurring foreign revenue of around $5.92 million. Slovakia’s import of aluminium powder and flakes in 2019 was recorded at 700 tonnes, counting an expenditure of $1.95 million, whereas, in...
