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.
EGA marks a major milestone: Its Al Taweelah alumina refinery achieves nameplate capacity in a year
Emirates Global Aluminium, on July 8, has announced the achievement of nameplate capacity at its new Al Taweelah alumina refinery for June, a major milestone achieved just 14 months after the production began at the refinery in April 2019. This marks a world-class performance because usually the four-step alumina processing at new refineries takes several years or more to achieve a month of sustained production at design capacity at each step of the process. EGA has reported no injuries during the production at refinery. Zaher Alhabtari, Executive Vice President Upstream and Capital Projects at EGA, said today: “We began preparing for operations back in October 2013, when Al Taweelah alumina refinery was still on the drawing board. Our careful planning has enabled us to deliver a...
Vedanta Ltd increases its aluminium ingot and billet prices by INR1250/t with effect from July 8
Vedanta Limited has increased its aluminium ingot and aluminium billet prices with effect from July 8, following the two consecutive cuts on July 1 and July 4. The aluminium ingot price has been raised by INR 1,250 per tonne or 1 per cent to INR 136,750-149,750 per tonne. After the last cut, Vedanta’s aluminium ingot price was in the range of INR 135,500-148,500 per tonne. With the latest hike, Vedanta's aluminium billet price has come in at INR 144,750 per tonne, up by INR 1,250 per tonne or 1 per cent from INR 143,500 per tonne, as of July 4. The Indian aluminium producers generally link prices of its products to the three-month futures of aluminium on the London Metal Exchange, which in the last two days recorded growth from US$ 1581.5 per tonne to US$ 1596.5 per tonne. However, the...
Average alumina spot price in China expands growth to stand at RMB2408/t, A00 aluminium ingot price declines higher
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the average alumina spot price in China has recorded a higher hike today, on July 8, by RMB 38 per tonne to stand at RMB 2,408 per tonne. In the east, the alumina price has grown by RMB 50 per tonne to RMB 2,400 per tonne, while that in the central and north has increased by RMB 35 per tonne to come in at RMB 2,415 per tonne. In the south, the price has continued to remain restrained at RMB 2,520 per tonne. The imported alumina price has grown by RMB 50 per tonne to RMB 2,350 per tonne, but the price of Australian alumina FOB has remained muted at US$ 264 per tonne. The A00 aluminium ingot price, on the other hand, has continued to decline, rather at a higher pace, from RMB 14,420 per tonne to RMB 14,320 per tonne, found SMM. The average prices are...
LME aluminium price recorded a slight rise to close at $1596.5/t; SHFE dipped after six declines in a row
The US dollar inched higher against a basket of currencies on Tuesday, July 7, holding above the near two-week low hit in the previous session, as investors turned uneasy over new coronavirus flare-ups and local lockdowns in some countries. Three-month LME aluminium held onto one-month highs on Tuesday, ending flat at US$ 1,635 per tonne in choppy trading. It is likely to continue to move between US$ 1,620-1,660 per tonne today. As of Tuesday, July 7, LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official settlement price increased by US$ 3.5 per tonne to stand at US$ 1596.5 per tonne. 3-months bid price and 3-months offer price stood at US$ 1630 per tonne, up by US$ 4 per tonne from the previous day. Dec 21 bid price and Dec 21 offer price came in at US$ 1726 per tonne compared to US$ 1725 per...
Lancefield Recycle Centre launched, accepting aluminium coffee pods to oral care products
Lancefield Recycle Centre has been reportedly launched last week, where people in the neighbourhoods can dispose of and recycle aluminium coffee pods to oral care products such as electric toothbrush. Also, items like bread tags, writing instruments, dish washing and air products, contact lenses and cases, and batteries can be disposed of and recycle at this newly launched recycle centre. Coffee pod brands accepted at this centre are Nescafe Dolce Gusto and Espresso. LNH coordinator Vivien Philpotts said the Neighbourhood House was working in partnership with Macedon Ranges Sustainability’s Waste and Recycling group and TerraCycle to deliver the project. The Neighbourhood House initiative enables residents to ethically dispose of normally hard-to-recycle waste through simple sorting at...
Aluminium stocks at Japan ports continue to grow by 9.5% M-o-M in May 2020
Aluminium stocks at three major ports in Japan- Yokohama, Nagoya, and Osaka, extended growth by 9.5 per cent or 29,500 tonnes month-on-month at the end of May, found Marubeni Corporation. At the end of April, the stocks at these Japanese ports were 309,000 tonnes, which in the next month increased to 338,500 tonnes. Aluminium stocks (in tonnes) at the three major Japanese ports in May were as follows: So, as the above chart indicates, the aluminium stocks at Yokohama port in May 2020 increased by 6,200 tonnes or 3.86 per cent month-on-month from 160,500 tonnes in April to 166,700 tonnes. Year-on-year, the stocks at Yokohama grew by 13,700 tonnes or 8.95 per cent from 153,000 tonnes. At Nagoya port, the aluminium stocks increased by 22,800 tonnes or 17.07 per cent month-on-month from...
Alcoa Warrick operations marks 60-year milestone, a pioneer in the aluminium food and beverage container market
Alcoa Warrick operations has passed 60-year milestone, undergoing a series of constant growth and evolution. Facilities have been added and modified over the years, while thousands of employees have come and gone. Three generations, going on four, have benefitted from Warrick operations’ presence in the community. In the last six decades, the US integrated aluminium facility has churned over 28 billion pounds of metal. It began on June 9, 1960, with the first molten metal siphoned from pot No. 7, trucked over to a new ingot plant and poured into moulds. Warrick Operations, consisting of a smelter, rolling mill, and power plant, is North America’s largest producer of coated container sheet for the food and beverage industry. “Our metal has helped and continues to help provide food and...
China allows 209,600 tonnes of additional aluminium scrap import in the ninth batch of quotas, highest since April
China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment has issued the ninth batch of aluminium scrap import quotas for 2020 on Monday, July 6, according to Shanghai Metals Market report. The Ministry has confirmed that the ninth batch of quotas would allow 209,660 tonnes of additional high-grade aluminium scrap imports to China, the largest since April. In the seventh and eighth batches of quotas, the authorities had allowed 1,480 tonnes and 5,840 tonnes of additional scrap to enter China. With the latest expansion, the cumulative quotas for this year have reached 693,659 tonnes, according to Shanghai Metals Market. China is expanding its aluminium scrap import quotas anticipating the usage of secondary aluminium to replace the primary metal. At China Aluminium Processing Industry Summit 2020,...
Chinese alumina spot price expands by RMB35/t on market sentiment boost, A00 aluminium ingot price down by RMB20/t
The average alumina spot prices in China have continued to rally upon the market boost on Chalco’s announcement of alumina production cut, found Shanghai Metals Market. On Tuesday, July 7, the average alumina spot price has expanded by RMB 35 per tonne to stand at RMB 2,370 per tonne. In the central and north, the average alumina price has also recorded a hike of RMB 35 per tonne to hover at RMB 2,380 per tonne, while that in the east has grown by RMB 50 per tonne to come in at RMB 2,350 per tonne, according to SMM data. In the south, however, the price has remained restrained at RMB 2,520 per tonne. The imported alumina price has jumped by RMB 25 per tonne to stand at RMB 2,300 per tonne, but the Australian alumina FOB price has remained muted at US$ 264 per tonne. However, despite the...
COVID-19 Impact: Japanese aluminium premium stands lowest at $79/since December quarter 2016
According to a recent report from Reuters, some Japanese aluminium buyers have agreed to pay $79 per tonne of premium to a global producer for July to September shipments. Compared to the previous quarter premium, it is down by 3.7 per cent, attributing to the lower demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the April-June quarter, the premiums that Japan had agreed to pay were $82 per tonne. Japan is Asia’s largest aluminium importer. The premium it agrees to pay each quarter for primary aluminium shipments over the benchmark London Metal Exchange (LME) cash price sets the pricing tone for the region. The downfall in premiums for the September quarter marks the fourth straight quarterly decline and the lowest since the October-December quarter in 2016. While some Japanese buyers have agreed...
EDS drags New Zealand Aluminium Smelters to court for premix toxic waste storage
The Environmental Defence Society has reportedly filed Declaration Proceedings in the Environment Court today, July 6, against New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Limited concerning the storage of over 10,000 tonnes of ouvea premix at sites on Kana Street, Mataura, Southland. New Zealand Aluminium Smelter while processing aluminium produces a by-product called dross. Dross can then be subjected to an aluminium recovery and recycling process, which generates one of the outputs called ouvea premix, a potential resource for fertiliser manufacturing and steel production. “We are concerned that if the stored ouvea premix gets wet, it produces ammonia gas which is toxic to humans. It can also harm aquatic life. There are residences nearby as well as a Te Kohanga Reo child care centre,” said EDS CEO...
Vehicle scrappage policy is in the final stage of approval, awaited for Union Cabinet’s nod: Nitin Gadkari
Speaking at the inauguration of Auto Expo 2020 on Thursday, July 2, Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari confirmed that the long-delayed vehicle scrappage policy is in its last lap and to be rolled out soon. Two days before Mr Gadkari said this, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman reported that several rounds of inter-ministerial consultation related to the vehicle scrappage policy are already done. The policy is now close to finalisation. The proposed policy in India, which is seen as an attempt to eradicate the fleet of aged, polluting commercial vehicles and boost demand for new cars, is in progress for over the past six months. Gadkari said the policy is approved from his end, and now it has to get a nod from the Union Cabinet. "It is in the final stages and I have...
Three-month LME aluminium fell nearly 1% to end at $1612/t; SHFE price up for the fifth straight day
The US dollar was hemmed into a narrow range on Friday, while European stocks closed lower as concern over a spike in US coronavirus infections tempered the optimism arising from upbeat economic data out of the US, China and the eurozone. Three-month LME aluminium fell 0.74 per cent to end at a session-low of US$ 1,612 per tonne on Friday, July 3. It advanced 0.91 per cent on the week, marking the third straight weekly gain. It is likely to move between US$1,600-1,640 per tonne today. As of Friday, July 3, LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official settlement price declined from US$ 1601.50 per tonne to US$ 1581.50 per tonne. 3-months bid price and 3-months offer price stood at US$ 1614 per tonne after decreasing by US$ 7.5 per tonne from the previous day. Dec 21 bid price and Dec 21...
Norsk Hydro: Production restored at Paragominas bauxte mine and Alunorte alumina refinery
Power supply to Hydro’s Paragominas bauxite mine, in the state of Pará in northern Brazil, has been reportedly restored, allowing the production at the mine to recommence. The three transmission towers that overturned, leading to a power outage and temporary production halt at Paragominas mine, have been repaired and restored within the expected time frame, as per the report. As a result, the production, which was cut at Hydro’s Alunorte alumina refinery, has also been reinstated. About 50-70 per cent of the total capacity was reduced at Alunorte refinery due to bauxite production halt at its primary bauxite ore supplier Paragominas mine, in a bid to balance the inventories. The report states that there were no personnel injuries, damage to other production assets or impact on the nearby...
LME aluminium price showed bullish sentiment this week on opening stock decline, SHFE trended up at $2022/t
The US dollar started the week on a negative footing and edged lower on Monday, June 29, and extended the downfall on Wednesday, July 1. Three-month LME aluminium closed higher on Monday, June 29, for the second consecutive session, ending at US$ 1,613 per tonne, up 0.97 per cent on the day. On Tuesday, June 30, it hovered in a broad range between US$1,615-1,626 per tonne and ended higher on the day at US$1,618 per tonne. However, on the next day, the dollar index touched a one-week low of 97.025 before closing at 97.153. LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official settlement price started the week on Monday, June 29, at US$ 1589 per tonne, an increase of US$ 7 per tonne from US$ 1582 per tonne on Friday, June 26. Continuing to grow, the prices on Tuesday, June 30, stood at US$ 1602...
Adbri’s shares nosedive 25% on Alcoa’s decision of lime supply contract termination
Since the time Alcoa declared its decision to not renew a long-standing lime supply contract with Adbri-owned Cockburn Cement, Adbri started seeing a plunge in its shares. According to the report, the company’s share price closed 25 per cent lower on Friday at $2.35. Alcoa’s decision is believed to have stripped $515 million from the value of the company, formerly known as Adelaide Brighton. Lime is a strategic material needed for alumina refining, and Alcoa had almost 50-year uninterrupted supply relationship with Adbri for sourcing lime. Also, Alcoa’s decision to terminate the contract is estimated to risk up to 50 jobs, including contractors at Adbri. The contract used to contribute $70 million to Adbri's annual revenue. The company said it would not possible to quantify the full...
US aluminium crude metal and alloys imports fall 17% in Q1 2020, imports from Canada up 35%
In the first quarter of 2020 (January-March), the United States imported 740,000 tonnes of aluminium crude metal and alloys, compared to 895,000 tonnes in the first quarter of the previous year, found the US Geological Survey. Hence, the import volume in Q1 2020 registered a decline of 155,000 tonnes or 17.32 per cent over the year. In March 2020, the United States’ imports of aluminium crude metal and alloys stood at 246,000 tonnes, down by 66,000 tonnes or 21.15 per cent from 312,000 tonnes in March 2019. But on a month-on-month basis, the March imports rebounded by 38,000 tonnes or 18.27 per cent from 208,000 tonnes. In February, however, the United States aluminium crude metal and alloys imports decreased month-on-month by 139,000 tonnes or 40 per cent from 347,000 tonnes in January....
COVID-19 Recovery: New-vehicle sales in China rise for the third consecutive month in June, CAAM estimates
According to estimates released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers on Thursday, July 2, Chinese new-vehicle sales continued to grow for the third consecutive month in June 2020, as the industry recovery from COVID-19 crisis gained speed in the past three months. Based on the data provided by key automakers, CAAM estimates that the industry-wide sales in June have escalated by 11 per cent to 2.28 million tonnes. With this, the total industry-wide sales are estimated to stand at 10.24 million in the first six months of 2020, marking a drop of 17 per cent from a year earlier, added the trade group. After a year-on-year shrink of 42 per cent in the first quarter of 2020, China’s new-vehicle market started rebounding in April with sales rising 4.4 per cent year over year. In...
