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.
World alumina production grows 1.9% Y-o-Y during Jan-Nov 2024, partially affected by output curtail at Alcoa’s Kwinana refinery
Through the first eleven months of 2024, the world’s metallurgical-grade alumina production stood at 125.66 million tonnes, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 1.91 per cent from 123.304 million tonnes, according to the latest data revealed by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). Separately, the chemical-grade output amounted to 8.113 million tonnes, up 3.97 per cent from 7.803 million tonnes. In November 2024, the world’s monthly production of metallurgical-grade alumina was 11.508 million tonnes, down by 3.22 per cent from 11.891 million tonnes in October, in tandem with the dip in daily average output. In November, the production each day was 100 tonnes less, standing at 383,500 tonnes versus 383,600 tonnes in October. However, on an annual basis, the world’s alumina...
This time, China is decreasing tariffs on aluminium to enhance domestic trade
Import tariff reductions are an effective strategy to boost the domestic market, just as tariff hikes are often used to protect local industries. Recently, the Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China reduced import tariffs on ethane and specific recycled aluminium and copper raw materials, encouraging the inflow of high-quality foreign products and stimulating domestic demand for superior goods. As per the report, the reduction of import tariffs will be effective from January 1, 2025, on 935 items from some of the most favoured nations. Those products include cyclic olefin polymers, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers and automatic transmissions for special-purpose vehicles such as fire trucks and repair vehicles. Tariffs will also be reduced on sodium zirconium cyclosilicate,...
China’s alumina and primary aluminium prices continue to decline over the last weekend of 2024
It's a new week but not a new beginning! Both alumina and primary aluminium prices have continued to decline over the weekend, albeit at a lower rate than the previous day . According to the Shanghai Metals Market survey, the average alumina spot price has decreased by RMB 6 per tonne, compared to a downfall of RMB 7 per tonne on Friday, December 27. Therefore, the price on Monday, December 30, has come in at RMB 5,712 per tonne versus RMB 5,718 per tonne on December 27. Among the provinces, Lianyungang and Bayuquan have witnessed a sharp fall of RMB 50 per tonne to RMB 6,000 per tonne, and the prices in Shanxi and Henan have registered declines of RMB 15 per tonne and RMB 10 per tonne to average RMB 5,710 per tonne and RMB 5,670 per tonne, respectively. However, alumina prices have...
Here’s what European aluminium leaders have further said about technology, digitalisation, and circular economy!
For many years now, Europe is continuously innovating ways to optimise aluminium production while reducing carbon emissions. Whether by implementing advanced technologies, switching to renewable energy sources, or boosting recycling efforts, Europe's focus is dedicated to sustainable aluminium production. European aluminium industrial leaders have spoken about all these practices in AL Circle's latest e-Magazine titled 'ALuminium Industry: Focus Europe ', highlighting technological developments to produce aluminium with the lowest energy consumption and human interference and about their recycling initiatives to build closed-loop recycling and circular economy within the aluminium landscape. Thomas Payer, Sustainability Manager of Speira, a leading European aluminium rolling and recycling...
Huanghe Xinye Co., Ltd obtains the second ASI Certification in one year for its smelting facility in Xining
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has granted its Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard V2 (2022) Certification to Huanghe Xinye Co., Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yellow River Upstream Hydropower Development Co., for the production of liquid aluminium and aluminium ingots at Xining City facility in China. The facility has an impressive production capacity of 600,000 tonnes of primary aluminium and 300,000 tonnes of carbon anode. Earlier this year, the facility obtained the ASI Performance Standard V3 (2022) Certification , conforming to 11 principles and 62 criteria under three sustainability pillars – environment, social and governance, as regulated by ASI. The ASI CoC Standard V2 Certification acknowledges those companies that produce and process aluminium through the value chain into...
MAAN Aluminium sees a 3% jump in shares following new press commencement
MAAN Aluminium Limited, one of the pioneers in the Indian aluminium extrusion industry, has experienced a 3 per cent jump in shares following the commencement of commercial production at the newly installed 30 MN short stroke back loading press. Image Source: LinkedIn, MAAN Aluminium Ltd The new press, equipped with advanced technologies, has doubled the production capacity from 12,000 tonnes to 24,000 tonnes. It supports 30 mm wider profiles and enables the production of all series alloys (1xxx to 7xxx), strengthening MAAN Aluminium’s position in the Indian and international markets. The press with cutting-edge technologies can streamline operations and enhance production efficiency, boosting the company’s competitiveness in the global aluminium extrusion market. On December 27, MAAN...
Know what to expect from Vedanta’s revised demerger plan, scheduled in January 2025
Vedanta Limited has brought a different plan for its demerger scheme, which is to retain the base metal business under the parent company's umbrella. So, instead of six separate companies, billionaire Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta will demerge into five distinctive entities – Vedanta Limited, Vedanta Aluminium, Vedanta Oil and Gas, Vedanta Steel and Ferrous Materials, and Vedanta Power, with the process to be completed by January 2025, distributing shares in 1:1 ratio. This revised demerger plan is in response to lenders' feedback and efforts to restart the Tuticorin copper smelter. Vedanta thinks this strategic move will ease the process of lenders' approval, given the recommencement of the smelter will streamline operational and financial complexities. However, as the new demerger plan...
China's secondary cast aluminium alloy capacity to grow by 1.32 million tonnes this year, exacerbating market oversupply
According to the Shanghai Metals Market, there are currently 41 new and under-construction secondary aluminium projects in China, with a combined capacity of 4.63 million tonnes. Of this total capacity, 44.28% (2.05 million tonnes) is dedicated to secondary cast aluminium alloys across 28 planned projects, while the remaining capacity, 2.58 million tonnes, is allocated to secondary wrought aluminium alloys. Image Source: CFS Foundry Among 28 secondary cast aluminium alloy projects, 16 are expected to be operational by the end of 2024, adding 1.32 million tonnes to the total capacity. The pace of capacity expansion has slowed this year compared to 1.88 million tonnes of new operational capacities in 2023. Most of the new capacity planned for this year is scheduled to commence in H2. Only...
AMAG Austria triumphantly traverses through all odds of 2024, flagging strong fiscal output and committed sustainability drive
AMAG Austria Metall AG is a leading sustainable manufacturer and supplier of premium rolled aluminium products, including sheets, strips and plates, recycled aluminium alloy castings, and ready-to-install components. The company, with production sites at Ranshofen in Austria, Übersee and Karlsruhe in Germany, and Sept-Îles in Canada, is known for delivering exceptionally high-quality products used in a wide range of industries, such as aerospace, automotive, mechanical engineering, packaging, architecture, electrical, and sports industries. Standing firm to the commitment to building a greener future, the company every year strives to strengthen its sustainability efforts throughout the supply chain and operations while focusing on a circular economy and clean technology. 2024 has also...
China’s primary aluminium imports demonstrate a rising trend annually through November 2024
Based on the General Administration of Customs data, the Shanghai Metals Market revealed that November primary aluminium imports were 13.8 per cent down month-on-month but 22.5 per cent up year-on-year. According to SMM, China’s imports of primary metal in November were 150,700 tonnes, which brought the cumulative imports to about 1.975 million tonnes, up 44.5 per cent Y-o-Y. Net imports were approximately 132,000 tonnes, as the country exported 18,800 tonnes in the same month. China’s net imports of primary aluminium in November stood 17 per cent down M-o-M but 23.5 per cent up Y-o-Y. From January to November, the net import volume totalled 1.866 million tonnes, recording a 51.5 per cent increase Y-o-Y. On the other hand, China’s exports of primary aluminium from January to November...
Africa’s primary aluminium production from January to November 2024 sees a 1.5% dip
In eleven months of 2024, Africa has produced 1.44 million tonnes of primary aluminium, compared to 1.462 million tonnes a year ago. That reflects a year-on-year downfall of 1.5 per cent, in contrast to the 2.87 per cent hike in global primary metal output . Consequently, the country’s contribution to the world’s primary aluminium production has dipped from 2.26 per cent to 2.16 per cent this year. Several factors contributed to this downfall, such as irregular power supply hindering smelting operations, lack of investments in new smelting facilities or upgrading existing ones, increased prices of alumina hiking operational costs, and so on. According to the International Aluminium Institute, Africa in November 2024 produced 133,000 tonnes of primary aluminium, down by 2.92 per cent from...
Vedanta Aluminium introduces advanced Logistics App to optimise internal operations
Vedanta Aluminium has made another leap in respect to digital innovation. The company has introduced an advanced Logistics App, developed in collaboration with Krishca Strapping Solutions, aimed at enhancing the company’s transport loading and lashing operations to a global standard. Image Source: Vedanta Aluminium Vedanta Aluminium has made another leap in respect to digital innovation. The company has introduced an advanced Logistics App, developed in collaboration with Krishca Strapping Solutions, aimed at enhancing the company's transport loading and lashing operations to a global standard. The app features the latest technologies that can solve critical operational challenges, including vehicle turnaround time and streamlining vehicle operations to significantly boost productivity....
Alba partners with Comvision (India) to enhance inventory management and tracking systems
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) has deployed yet another cutting-edge technology for operational enhancement. According to a report on December 24, Alba has partnered with Comvision (India) Private Limited, a leading provider of intelligent transportation solutions, to upscale its inventory management and tracking systems. The companies have entered a strategic partnership, represented by Alba’s CEO Ali Al Baqali and Comvision’s MD and CEO Harjinder Kaur Talwar. Under the agreement signed, Comvision will provide Alba with a customised, innovative RFID-based inventory management system, enabling access to real-time visibility and tracking inventory across all shipping yards including sites in Bahrain, optimising operations and reducing costs. The new technology is named ‘Albavision’ and...
US aluminium plates, sheets and bars exports downtrend by 2.77% in Q3 2024, attributed to Canada
The United States' aluminium plates, sheets and bars exports decreased through the third quarter of 2024, totalling 189,800 tonnes. The export volume fell sharply by 2.77 per cent from 195,200 tonnes compared to the previous quarter. In September 2024, the United States exported 59,400 tonnes of aluminium plates, sheets and bars, which reflected a M-o-M decline of 7.76 per cent from 64,400 tonnes. The export volume in August decreased by 2.42 per cent from 66,000 tonnes in July. There has been a continuous declining trend in the United States aluminium plates, sheets and bars exports since May 2024, barring an intermittent hike of 11.68 per cent in July to 66,000 tonnes. From January to September, the United States' aluminium plates, sheets and bars exports totalled 583,000 tonnes, down...
SMM aluminium and alumina prices decline due to overall subdued demand in the market
According to the Shanghai Metals Market survey, China’s primary aluminium and input costs have shrunk overnight, indicating muted demand for the commodities. The only exception is bauxite, with its domestic price remaining unchanged and imported price gaining US$ 0.08 per tonne to US$105.84 per tonne. Image Source: Caixin A00 aluminium ingot price On Tuesday, December 24, China’s A00 aluminium ingot price has dwindled by RMB 80 per tonne to stand at RMB 19,790 per tonne, averaging between RMB 19,770 and 19,810 per tonne. The provincial prices have also shrunk across the board, with Hangzhou and Shenyang witnessing a decline of RMB 100 per tonne to RMB 19,810 per tonne. Wuxi has also seen a fall of RMB 100 per tonne today, reaching RMB 19,790 per tonne, followed by the downfall of RMB 90...
US alumina imports downtick Y-o-Y from January to September 2024 despite hikes in Q2 and Q3
According to the United States Geological Survey, the United States alumina imports through the first three quarters of 2024 reflected a year-on-year downfall of 1.1 per cent, despite sequential growth in the second and third quarter of the year. Image Source: iStock A sharp fall in Q1 by 20.33 per cent Q-o-Q and 11.46 per cent year-on-year to 286,000 tonnes has contributed to the downfall in the United States year-to-date alumina imports. Even the subsequent increase in the second and third quarter by 13.64 per cent and 16.31 per cent, respectively, failed to offset the year-to-day downtick. In the second quarter of 2023, the United States alumina imports were 325,000 tonnes, which climbed up in Q3 to 378,000 tonnes, also up by 5.29 per cent Y-o-Y from 359,000 tonnes. From January to...
November 2024: China’s unwrought aluminium alloy imports decline 8.8% Y-o-Y, while exports grow 28.6%
According to the Shanghai Metals Market survey, China’s unwrought aluminium alloy imports in November 2024 recorded a month-on-month decline of 11.6 per cent and a year-on-year fall of 8.8 per cent to reach 200,000 tonnes. The cumulative imports reached 1.1076 million tonnes, reflecting an annual rise of 8.6 per cent. Image Source: Shanghai Metals Market Among the sources of imports, Malaysia was the highest, followed by Thailand, South Korea, Russia, and Vietnam. From Malaysia, China imported 37,400 tonnes, which accounted for 37 per cent of the country’s total imports. From Thailand and South Korea, China imported 17,000 tonnes and 12,500 tonnes, 17 per cent and 12.2 per cent of the monthly imports, while the imports from Russia and Vietnam stood at 12,300 tonnes and 4,700 tonnes....
World primary aluminium production poised to outstrip 2023 record, reaching 66.522 million tonnes by November 2024
Based on the latest data revealed by the International Aluminium Institute, the world's primary aluminium production is set to surpass the previous year's output, marking a new year's high. In December 2024, the world's primary aluminium output needs to achieve only above 4.194 tonnes to exceed the 2023 total of 70.716 million tonnes. From January to November 2024, the world's primary aluminium production reached 66.522 million tonnes. Image Source: Flickr In November 2024, the world's primary metal output decreased by 3.07 per cent M-o-M, reaching 6.04 million tonnes. However, according to a year-on-year calculation, the production saw an increase of the same percentage, 5.863 million tonnes. However, calculating the daily output of November vs October, the monthly decline was only due...
