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.
Rusal’s aluminium production increases by 1.3% Q-o-Q to 939,000t in Q3 2020, VAP sales rise by 25.4%
Rusal announced that its aluminium production in the third quarter of 2020 totalled 939,000 tonnes, increasing by 1.3 per cent quarter-on-quarter from 927,000 tonnes in Q2. Siberian smelters represented 93% of the output. Rusal’s aluminium production increased in the third quarter after a drop in the earlier quarter by 1.4 per cent Q-o-Q. Aluminium sales continued to rise quarter-on-quarter, albeit slower than the previous quarter, to amount to 1.008 million tonnes in Q3 2020 versus 976,000 tonnes in Q2. In the September quarter, sales volume increased by 3.3 per cent, while in the June quarter it raised by 6.8 per cent. Sales of value added products also increased quarter-on-quarter by 25.4 per cent to 455,000 tonnes, demonstrating a recovery of VAP share in total sales mix to 45 per...
No new aluminium production in China’s West, suggests Environment Ministry
On Tuesday, October 27, China’s environment ministry said no new aluminium production would be encouraged in the country’s sprawling western region, which occupies more than half the country’s total land area, including the Xinjiang region. Aluminium smelters in China have been increasingly building plants in western parts of the country, particularly in Yunnan, owing to its rich source of cleaner hydropower. Ministry gave the same suggestion for coke as well. In response to a National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) document released in August on “encouraged industries” for China’s West, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said aluminium and coke be excluded from the list. “Coking and electrolytic aluminium are high-polluting and high-energy consuming industries and they...
Chinese alumina spot price sheds RMB4/t to settle at RMB2290/t; A00 aluminium ingot price falls sharply by RMB140/t
The average alumina spot price in China has recorded a dip of RMB 4 per tonne to stand at RMB 2,290 per tonne on Wednesday, October 28, according to the Shanghai Metals Market data. In Henan, alumina price is standing at RMB 2,290 per tonne as well but by declining RMB 10 per tonne from the previous day. In other Chinese cities, the price has remained restrained. Imported alumina price and Australian Alumina FOB price have also remained muted at RMB 2,310 per tonne and US$ 277 per tonne, respectively, as of October 28. A00 aluminium ingot price has declined sharply by RMB 140 per tonne to stand at RMB 14,740 per tonne on October 28, found the SMM data. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 14,720 per tonne and RMB 14,760 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a...
Google Pixel 5: Brand’s first phone with 100% recycled aluminium
Google seems to have reached its goal of including recycled materials in its gadgets by recently producing Pixel 5 with 100 per cent recycled aluminium. Earlier this year, Google announced its commitment towards climate action plan for the next decade, along with its commitment towards incorporating recycled materials in all its products by 2022. “Last year, consumer hardware made public our ambition to leave people, the planet and our communities better than we found them. We committed that all of our products would include recycled materials by 2022. We hit that goal early: This year all of the new Pixel and Nest products are designed with recycled material,” wrote David Bourne, Google’s Sustainability Systems Architect. Google Pixel 5 is the brand’s first phone being made with recycled...
Alba made a loss of BD 11.6 million in Q3 2020 as its Revenue from Contracts with Customers declined 8.5% YoY
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) has reported its financial results for the third quarter and nine months of 2020, revealing that it experienced a loss of BD 11.6 million (US$31 million) in Q3, up by 209 per cent year-on-year from a profit of BD 10.7 million (US$28.4 million). In total nine months of the year, Alba made a loss of BD22.3 million (US$59.2 million), up by 164 per cent year-on-year from a Loss of BD8.4 million (US$22.4 million). With regards to the Revenue from Contracts with Customers in the third quarter of 2020, Alba generated BD262.7 million (US$698.6 million) versus BD287.1 million (US$763.6 million) in Q3 2019 - down by 8.5 per cent YoY. During January-September, total Revenue from Contracts with Customers reached BD782.6 million (US$2,081.5 million), up by 6% YoY from...
World alumina production gains 1.37% Q-o-Q to 32.935 MT in Q3 2020, output in September stands down by 3%
The world alumina production in the third quarter of 2020 improved by 1.37 per cent quarter-on-quarter from 32.935 million tonnes to 33.386 million tonnes, according to the latest data released by the International Aluminium Institute. On a year-on-year basis, the output in Q3 found almost flat compared with 33.268 million tonnes. In September, the world alumina production was 10.717 million tonnes, down by 6.02 per cent from 11.404 million tonnes in August. On a year-on-year calculation, the output in September inched down by 1.12 per cent from 10.838 million tonnes. In China, alumina production during September was 5.855 million tonnes, 3.22 per cent lower than 6.050 million tonnes month-on-month but flat compared with 5.880 million tonnes during the same period last year. In Q3,...
LME aluminium price shed $6.5/t to settle at $1822.5/t; SHFE price decreased to $2200/t
Three-month LME aluminium shed 1.11 per cent to settle at US$ 1,822 per tonne on Monday, after hitting its lowest in more than two weeks at US$ 1,821.5 per tonne earlier in the session. It is likely to fluctuate between US$ 1,810-1,850 per tonne today. LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official settlement price decreased by US$ 6.5 per tonne from US$ 1829 per tonne to US$ 1822.50 per tonne, as of Monday, October 26. 3-months bid price and 3-months offer price stood at US$ 1837.50 per tonne, down by US$ 5 per tonne from US$ 1842.50 per tonne on October 23. Dec 21 bid price and Dec 21 offer price declined from US$ 1895.50 per tonne to US$ 1890.50 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock hovered at 1473900 tonnes. Live Warrants stood at 1216650 tonnes, while Cancelled Warrants at...
Primary aluminium production in East & Central Europe declines by 3% M-o-M in September 2020
According to the International Aluminium Institute data, East & Central Europe produced 338,000 tonnes of primary aluminium in September 2020 compared with 349,000 tonnes in August. This means the production in East & Central Europe shrank by 11,000 tonnes or 3.15 per cent month-on-month in September 2020. On a year-on-basis, the production in September 2020 stood down by 6,000 tonnes or 1.74 per cent from 344,000 tonnes. In the third quarter of 2020, primary aluminium production in East & Central Europe came in at 1.03 million tonnes, flat quarter-on-quarter but down by 2.83 per cent from 1.06 million tonnes in Q3 2019. Total primary aluminium production in East & Central Europe during the first nine months of 2020 stood at 3.11 million tonnes, slightly up from 3.10 million tonnes during...
China’s secondary aluminium producers’ operating rates improve to 59.6% in September: SMM
According to the data released by the Shanghai Metals Market, China’s secondary aluminium producers’ operating rates increased by 6.6 percentage points month-on-month in September to stand at 59.6 per cent. In August 2020, China’s secondary aluminium operating rates were 53.1 per cent gaining 2.8 percentage points over the month. However, despite the significant growth month-on-month, secondary aluminium producers operating rates in September stood down over the year by 1.1 percentage points. Imports of aluminium scrap into China decreased due to lesser quotas and also the output of domestic scrap aluminium amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, arrivals of imported aluminium alloy ingots decreased too in September as the arbitrage window was closed in early August. Demand, however,...
A00 aluminium ingot price in Chongqing hikes by RMB20/t to RMB14890/t; Input costs remain restrained
A00 aluminium ingot price has remained restrained at RMB 14,940 per tonne, as of Monday, October 26, following a drop from RMB 14,950 per tonne on Friday, October 23, according to the Shanghai Metals Market. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 14,920 per tonne and RMB 14,960 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a premium price of RMB 140-180 per tonne, down by RMB 50 per tonne from the previous day. However, the restraint at A00 aluminium ingot price has not touched upon all the major Chinese markets except Gongyi, where the price has remained muted at RMB 14,840 per tonne. In Chongqing and Shenyang, the price has increased by RMB 20 per tonne and RMB 15 per tonne to stand at RMB 14,890 per tonne and RMB 14,905 per tonne, respectively. In in Hangzhou and Tianjin,...
Gränges sales volume increases 1% to 86.7 Ktonnes in Q3 2020, but total sales during Jan-Sept decline 8.2%
Gränges, a global leader in aluminium engineering, manufacturing and innovation, has announced the financial report of Q3 2020 declaring that its sales volume increased by 1.1 per cent to 86.7 Ktonnes (85.8). However, net sales decreased to SEK 2,575 million (2,998). Adjusted operating profit in the September quarter stood at SEK 203 million (190), while adjusted operating profit per tonne amounted to 2.3 kSEK (2.2). Profit for the period came in at SEK 124 million (198). Cash flow before financing activities increased to SEK 348 million (155), including capital expenditure of SEK 61 million (409). Adjusted cash flow before financing activities was SEK 380 million (442). Gränges’ total sales volume during January-September 2020 stood down by 8.2 per cent year-on-year to 247.4 Ktonnes. Net...
Century Aluminum to close its Mt. Holly plant in December 2020, causing worries to Goose Creak businesses
The high possibility of Century Aluminum to close down by the end of this year has already caused many Goose Creek businesses worried about the effects on the local industry. On Tuesday, October 20, Century Aluminum announced its Mt. Holly plant might close on December 31 unless they abled to secure a competitively-priced power arrangement with Santee Cooper. The plant’s closure will expectedly affect nearly 300 jobs and also those who have been doing business with Century Aluminum. It would be a huge loss for many local businesses like Allen and Webb, an industrial service and repair company, said Charles Swicord, the president of Allen and Webb. “We do a lot of business out there. We have 38 employees. We do a lot of repair business,” Swicord said. “We’re probably not going to lay...
Primary aluminium inventories in China shrink by 24,000 tonnes on October 22: SMM
According to the Shanghai Metals Market, primary aluminium inventories in China have shrunk by 24,000 tonnes this week, ending on Thursday, October 22. Data shows the inventories have declined across eight major consumption areas, including SHFE warrants, to stand at 695,000 tonnes versus 719,000 tonnes last week, October 15. The chart below shows the current status of primary aluminium inventories across China in more details: In Wuxi, primary aluminium inventories have decreased by 13,000 tonnes to stand at 208,000 tonnes, followed by the fall of 7,000 tonnes in Shanghai to 111,000 tonnes. In Nanhai, the inventories have inched down by 3,000 tonnes to come in at 197,000 tonnes, while that in Hangzhou and Tianjin have dipped by 1,000 tonnes to stand at 72,000 tonnes and 45,000 tonnes,...
Marcventures Holdings set to develop a bauxite mine Samar
Marcventures Holdings Inc. (MHI) is reportedly set to develop a bauxite mining property in Samar, once approved by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau. This will make MHI the only firm in the Philippines with bauxite as a mineral commodity. According to MHI president Isidro Alcantara, the company has kept aside P2.5 billion for the development of the project. MHI is expecting the issuance of its environmental compliance certificate (ECC) by the first quarter of 2021. Construction will expectedly complete in two years. MHI obtained the bauxite mine in Samar in 2016. Bauxite is a highly valued raw material used for the production of alumina, which is then used for producing aluminium. Alcantara said, “We will be going into discussions with potential partners because there is no experience in...
China’s alumina spot price dips by RMB5/t to RMB2301/t after a restraint last day; A00 aluminium ingot price rises
The average alumina spot price in China has recorded a drop of RMB 5 per tonne to stand at RMB 2,301 per tonne on Thursday, October 22, after remaining restrained last day, found the Shanghai Metals Market,. In Shanxi, the price has declined by RMB 10 per tonne to come in at RMB 2,290 per tonne, while its average prices are expected to range between RMB 2,280 per tonne and RMB 2,300 per tonne. In Shandong and Henan, however, the price has remained restrained at RMB 2,285 per tonne and RMB 2,300 per tonne, respectively. In Guangxi and Guizhou, the average alumina price has decreased by RMB 15 per tonne and RMB 5 per tonne to stand at RMB 2,330 per tonne and RMB 2,340 per tonne, respectively. China’s imported alumina price has slid by RMB 10 per tonne to RMB 2,320 per tonne, while the price...
EGA’s employee-led continuous improvement programmes help saving AED 60 million in 2020
Emirates Global Aluminium has announced today, on October 21, that it could save almost AED 60 million since the beginning of this year, thanks to its employee-led continuous improvement programmes. Since January, EGA employees have submitted 18,400 ideas through the company’s suggestion scheme to solve operational, safety, and environmental challenges, resulting in cost savings of over AED 28 million so far. EGA’s ‘Tamayaz’ programme, led by experts for detail analysis of the company’s operational processes and guide teams to implement improvements, has saved over AED 32 million. The most important idea in 2020 is using a laser detection system to prevent the entry of foreign objects into a critical piece of machinery. This has helped in preventing breakdowns which require time to fix....
Africa’s primary aluminium production in Q3 2020 drops by nearly 1% Q-o-Q, output in September down by 3% M-o-M
In September 2020, primary aluminium production in Africa stood at 131,000 tonnes, found the International Aluminium Institute’s latest data. In the month earlier (August), Africa’s primary aluminium output was 135,000 tonnes, meaning the country’s production in September declined by 4,000 tonnes or 2.96 per cent month-on-month. On a year-on-year, the production decreased by 3,000 tonnes or 2.2 per cent from 134,000 tonnes. Africa’s primary aluminium production in August 2020 had risen month-on-month by 2,000 tonnes or 1.50 per cent from 133,000 tonnes in July. But on a yearly basis, the production stood down by 4,000 tonnes or 2.88 per cent from 139,000 tonnes. Africa’s primary aluminium production in the third quarter of the year amounted to 399,000 tonnes, down by 0.75 per cent from...
ASI welcomes Thai Beverage Can Limited as a new Production & Transformation member
The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has recently announced that Thai Beverage Can Limited has joined ASI as a new Production & Transformation member. This brings the total number of ASI members to 138. Thai Beverage Can Limited (TBC) is a Thai-American joint venture company between Berli Jucker Public Company Limited, Standard Can Company Limited, and Ball Corporation of USA. The company manufactures two-piece aluminium cans and ends for beverages and beer, using advanced technology of Ball Corporation, the world’s leading provider of metal packaging for beverages, food and household products. As a member of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, Thai Beverage Can Limited is now committed to achieving ASI Certification to support responsible practices in the aluminium value chain, said...
