AlCircle News Edited By "Debanjali Sengupta"
Debanjali Sengupta is a passionate content writer with 10 years of experience in Business writing, Web Content writing, Blogging, Editing and Research. She is responsible for generating and editing content for AlCircle Newsletter and other online and offline content for enhancing the brand value and its visibility among global users.
Energy and commodities trader Vitol to remove aluminium stock from LME for cost-cutting purpose
Vitol, an energy and commodities trader, is mulling over reducing its storage costs by withdrawing some substantial aluminium volume from London Metal Exchange (LME) warehouses in Port Klang, Malaysia. Image source: Vitol By removing stocks from LME-approved warehouses, Vitol can save 56 US cents per tonne because that's the amount being charged for aluminium storage in Port Klang, about five times higher than rent in warehouses outside the LME's system. However, upon request, Vitol has declined to comment. As per the report, aluminium stock at LME-registered facilities in Port Klang, known as cancelled warrants, rose by more than 40,000 tonnes on Monday, January 6. Although the LME gives a monthly breakdown of inventories, sources said Vitol accounted for much of the cancelled warrants...
NAPCO and Oman Aluminium commit to strengthening Oman's indigenous aluminium industry
According to a report on Friday, January 10, a key partnership agreement is signed between National Aluminium Products Company (NAPCO) and Oman Aluminium Cast Company at Knowledge Oasis Muscat to advance Madayn’s overarching goal of enhancing the market of local resources and supporting indigenous industries in the Sultanate of Oman. Image source: Oman Aluminium Cast Company Under the agreement clause, Oman Aluminium Cast Company will supply NAPCO with its high-quality aluminium billets made from raw metal provided by Sohar Aluminium, and the billets will be used by NAPCO to manufacture aluminium profiles for local and international markets. This inter-company collaboration, under the patronage of the integrated Aluminium Economic Cluster team in Suhar Industrial City, is strategically...
Alba celebrates a new high of aluminium production – 2024
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) yet again outperformed and achieved a new high of aluminium production in 2024. On Thursday, January 9, the company announced it attained 1,622,261 tonnes of net finished production in 2024. Image source: Alba Output over the years: From 2021 to 2023, Alba produced 1,561,222 tonnes, 1,596,000 tonnes, and 1,620,665 tonnes yearly , clearly reflecting a consistent annual rise. However, delving down into each year, we see a downtrend in growth percentage. In 2022, Alba's aluminium production increased by 2.23 per cent Y-o-Y; in 2023, it rose by 1.5 per cent, and by 1 per cent in 2024. Nonetheless, the consistent advancement in Alba's production each year sets a positive benchmark before the primary aluminium producers worldwide. Commenting on this remarkable...
EGA partners with Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week to advance shared low-carbon goals in the aluminium industry
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), scheduled from January 12 to 18, 2025, has reportedly secured Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) as its Associate Partner for three years. The partnership, which represents a collaboration built on common sustainability goals, was signed by Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, and Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of EGA. Imaage source: Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week This year, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, supported by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and its clean energy leader Masdar, will serve as a global platform for advancing economic, social, and environmental progress in line with the UAE's sustainability goals, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, and other stakeholders seeking sustainable...
Top 5 downstream aluminium projects of 2024 to redefine the value-added product industry
The ever-increasing demand for value-added aluminium products has left no nook of the world untouched for new projects. From India to China to the United Kingdom, aluminium product manufacturing plants have cropped up in many parts of the world. While some manufacturers have expanded their capacities by building new phases, some have debuted with new facilities to tap into the potential business opportunities. Let's explore the top downstream aluminium projects that commenced in 2024, aiming to meet global demand, mainly from the automotive, renewable energy, and packaging sectors. Alro's advance precision cutting facility - Cutsmart Systems Alro Slatina, one of the largest vertically integrated producers in Europe, commissioned a new cutting-edge aluminium processing facility, Cutsmart...
Update: Brijendra Pratap Singh takes over as NALCO’s new CMD
Brijendra Pratap Singh has assumed his new position as Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of National Aluminium Company (NALCO) at the company’s corporate office in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. Brijendra Pratap Singh was selected for this esteemed position in September 2024 by the Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB), a high-powered body constituted by the Government of India. Mr Pratap, who has succeeded NALCO’s former CMD Sridhar Patra, comes with over 35 years of experience in mines and steel sectors. He was Director-In-Charge for Burnpur and Durgapur Steel Plant and member on the Board of SAIL. With strategic vision and deep industry knowledge, Mr Pratap was instrumental in advancing SAIL’s modernisation goals, driving the growth and sustainability of India’s steel...
Europe's primary aluminium production drops 3% M-o-M in Nov’24, but full-year outlook remains positive
According to the International Aluminium Institute, primary aluminium production in Europe (including Russia) during November 2024 stood at 590,000 tonnes, reflecting a downfall of 2.96 per cent from 608,000 tonnes a month ago. Of the output in November, Russia & Eastern Europe accounted for 59.66 per cent, and Western & Central Europe 40.34 per cent. However, despite the monthly fall in November, Europe’s primary aluminium output looks positive this year, with only about 341,000 tonnes short of matching last year's record of 6.729 million tonnes. Production in Russia & Eastern Europe: In November 2024, Russia & Eastern Europe produced 352,000 tonnes, down by 2.76 per cent from 362,000 tonnes in October, attributed to one less operational day because the daily average output showed no...
US primary aluminium production shows a 4% monthly rebound in October, but no positive change seen in YTD output
According to the latest data from the US Geological Survey, the United States' domestic primary aluminium production showed a month-on-month rebound in October 2024. Aluminium scrap recovery also grew in the same month, suggesting an overall boost in aluminium operations nationwide. However, the question remains: does this monthly improvement signal a silver lining in the backdrop of sluggish performance of primary aluminium production in the United States, or has it translated into a positive shift in year-to-date output? Growing by about 4.4 per cent M-o-M, the United States' October output stood at 57,000 tonnes in October, following a 2.5 per cent drop in September from 56,000 tonnes to 54,600 tonnes . But unfortunately, this monthly hike was not enough to lead to an increase in the...
Norway, a trendsetter in EV market, is upping the game with zero-emission goals. Aluminium reaping benefits!
Norway has established itself as the world's leading consumer of electric vehicles, driven by continuous strategic planning, government policies, and incentives designed to promote EV adoption as part of the country's carbon reduction goals. Among all the electric vehicle variants, Norway particularly boasts the highest market share of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) worldwide, thanks to tax exemptions for making BEVs financially attractive over traditional combustion engine vehicles. A few years later, after BEV consumption exceeded expectations, the government removed some incentives and even reduced tax benefits. But fortunately, nothing dampened the enthusiasm for electric vehicle purchases. That's because, beyond economic incentives, the net-zero carbon emissions goal from the...
Hydro Alunorte installs two more electric boilers powered by renewable energy to curb CO2 emissions
Hydro's Alunorte alumina refinery located in Brazil has reportedly brought two new electric boilers into operation that produce steam using renewable energy as a source of electricity instead of coal to reduce up to 550,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year. Image source: Hydro The world's largest single-plant alumina refinery, Alunorte, has invested NOK 580 million (US$51.37 million) to add these two new electric boilers to an existing one installed in 2022. Now, the three boilers saving substantial amounts of carbon emissions reinforce Alunorte's position as one of the lowest emission refineries in the alumina refinery. The new boilers can produce a total of 270 tonnes of steam per hour, sourcing energy from the Brazilian Mendubim solar plant and the Ventos de São Zacarias...
Maxion Wheels’ Czech aluminium facility acquires ASI Performance Standard Certification
The world’s leading aluminium and steel wheel supplier, Maxion Wheels, has acquired the Performance Standard V3 (2022) Certification from Aluminium Stewardship Initiative for manufacturing and distributing light alloy wheels at its Czech aluminium facility in Ostrava. The achievement of this certification testifies to Maxion’s efforts towards sustainability across the operations at its 1.8 million per annum capacity aluminium wheels plant in Ostrava, where it practices melting, casting, heat treatment, machining, painting, and associated support processes. The certification also indicates that Maxion Wheels Czech s.r.o. conforms to all 11 principles and 62 criteria defined by the ASI Performance Standard under sustainability pillars – Environment, Social, and Governance while addressing...
Role reversal: Thailand replaced Malaysia as the second-largest aluminium scrap importer in September 2024
The latest data from the US Geological Survey reflects a shift in the market dynamics for aluminium scrap in Thailand and Malaysia. Thailand, which usually happens to be the third-largest aluminium scrap importer from the United States, ranked second in September, beating Malaysia’s import volume. According to the USGS data, Thailand accounted for 18 per cent of the United States aluminium scrap exports, while Malaysia contributed 17 per cent. On a month-on-month basis, the United States aluminium scrap exports to Thailand grew by 20.45 per cent, but exports to Malaysia decreased by 4.5 per cent. Thailand imported 31,800 tonnes of aluminium scrap from the United States in September, compared to 26,400 tonnes in August. On a year-on-year basis, the import in September 2024 increased by 37...
Metro Mining missed its 2024 bauxite shipment target by a narrow strip. What lies ahead in 2025?
Metro Mining has achieved a new annual high with 5.7 million tonnes of wet bauxite shipment. The consistent growth month-on-month since August 2024 has led to a yearly shipment increase of 24 per cent. But despite the growth, the Australian mining company has failed to achieve its annual target of 6 million tonnes. The company’s growth pattern In August 2024, Metro Mining's bauxite shipment was 720,000 tonnes , recording a month-on-month growth of 13 per cent. In the subsequent month, the shipment volume reached 780,000 tonnes, bringing the total shipment in Q3 to 2.13 million tonnes. The Australian mining company shipped more bauxite in October, achieving 69.5 per cent of the annual target with 793,420 tonnes. On a month-on-month basis, the shipment volume in October rose 1.72 per cent,...
Press Metal is set to grow in 2025 buoyed by demand recovery from China and alumina supply ease
The New Year 2025 is expected to deliver strong financial and operational performance for Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Berhad, a Malaysia-based aluminium company with extensive global reach, thanks to the rising demand from China and reduced raw material costs due to increased alumina supply. According to a report from UOB Kay Hian (UOBKH) Research, the resurgence in aluminium demand from China due to the economic stimulus package is set to substantially boost aluminium consumption, including that from Press Metal, leading to estimated business growth. Projected alumina price ease in the near future owing to increased supply from the resumption of Rio Tinto’s Australian refineries and new capacities in China, India, Guinea, and Indonesia will also support Press Metal’s profitability....
Asia & Africa’s metallurgical-grade alumina production drops 5.18% M-o-M but gains 1.16% Y-o-Y
According to the International Aluminium Institute, Asia & Africa region produced 1.164 million tonnes of alumina (metallurgical + chemical) in November 2024. While metallurgical-grade alumina output was 1.135 million tonnes, chemical-grade production was 29,000 tonnes. Compared to the previous month, the metallurgical-grade alumina production in November recorded a drop of 5.18 per cent from 1.197 million tonnes, in tandem with the fall in daily average output from 38,600 tonnes to 37,800 tonnes. However, on a year-on-year basis, Asia & Africa’s alumina production registered a growth of 1.16 per cent from 1.122 million tonnes. In November, Asia & Africa’s metallurgical-grade alumina production accounted for 9.8 per cent of the world’s 11.508 million tonnes of output, compared to 10 per...
VR Infraspace Ltd sees a 5% share jump following the announcement of its entry into aluminium manufacturing
VR Infraspace Limited, an Indian-based company engaged in the construction and development of residential and commercial properties, has experienced a 5 per cent increase in stocks following its announcement to acquire a 70 per cent stake in Daxon Aluminium Private Limited for only INR 56,000 (US$653.11). Upon the announcement, the company’s shares rose to INR 302.30 (US$3.53) per share from its previous closing price of INR 287.95 (US$3.36) per share. After the completion of the acquisition, which is scheduled in February 2025, Daxon Aluminium, the producer of aluminium tubes, coils, foils, and extrusions, will become a subsidiary of VR Infraspace, complimenting the latter’s diversification goals into aluminium manufacturing. Specialised in residential projects offering luxurious living...
NALCO celebrates 2024 with new milestones - fourfold growth in net profit and 97% production capacity achievement
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), a 'Navratna' company under the Schedule 'A' category of CPSEs, is on the way to adding one more year of experience to its four decades of excellence in the mining, metal and power industries. Established on January 7, 1981, NALCO has evolved over the past 44 years into India's largest integrated producer of bauxite, alumina, aluminium, and power, demonstrating unwavering commitment, resilience, and dedication. The year 2024 further reflected its perseverance, echoing impressive achievements in both operations and financial performance. Although NALCO follows the financial year calendar from April 1 to March 31 for its operation, we are taking an opportunity at the beginning of 2025 to reiterate NALCO's year-to-data achievements. NALCO's...
China Aluminum Cans Holdings Ltd appoints new independent non-executive director
China Aluminum Cans Holdings Limited, an investment holding company that manufactures and sells aluminium aerosoal cans in Mainland China, Africa, and America, has reportedly announced the departure of Ms Guo Yang as an independent non-executive director, with effect from January 1, 2025. Ms Guo Yang will be succeeded by Ms Luo Mei Kai, an experienced financial management consultant. Ms Kai will also serve as chairman of the remuneration committee and a member of the audit and nominational committees. Ms Luo will bring with her more than 20 years of strong experience in financial consulting. She will draw an annual salary of HK$144,000 from China Aluminium Cans Holdings Limited.
