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.
Novelis hires new Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer
The world-leading aluminium rolling and recycling firm, Novelis Incorporation, has announced today, on March 11, that it has hired Roxana Molina, who would be leading the company’s global metal and non-metal procurement programs as Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer. She will replace former Chief Procurement Office Nick Madden and report to President and CEO Steve Fisher. Molina will join Novelis with more than 30 years of global procurement experience in diverse roles. She worked at Ford Motor Company for 25 years in several purchasing leadership positions in Europe, North America, and South America. Steve Fisher said, "Roxana's impressive global experience managing thousands of suppliers while delivering record cost savings in challenging business environments will make...
Outotec to deliver technology and services to NALCO for refinery expansion
According to a recent report, Outotec has bagged a contract to deliver technology and services to National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) for its alumina refinery expansion in Damanjodi, Odisha. The order is worth EUR 15 million and is booked in Outotec’s 2020 first quarter order intake. As per the contract, Outotec will deliver the engineering of two alumina calciners and hydrate filtration plants and supply key equipment as well as advisory services for installation and commissioning. <iframe width="500" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DoMxSuUnZlE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> With this expansion, Nalco's alumina refinery will expectedly achieve higher production by about 1...
Restraint at A00 aluminium ingot price for a day follows by a plunge of RMB20/t today; Aluminium alloy(A356) drops by RMB50/t
After remaining restrained last day, followed by a significant decline of RMB 240 per tonne, the A00 aluminium ingot price has recorded a plunge yet again of RMB 20 per tonne, as on March 11, according to Shanghai Metals Market. The ingot price, thus, stands at RMB 12,810 per tonne, as of today. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 12,790 per tonne and RMB 12,830, with spot contract to be traded at a discount price of RMB 50 per tonne to RMB 10 per tonne. Among all the major Chinese cities, Tianjin has witnessed a drop of RMB 20 per tonne to RMB 12,820 per tonne, while Chongqing, Shenyang, and Gongyi have seen a dip of RMB 10 per tonne to RMB 12,830 per tonne, RMB 12,865 per tonne, and RMB 12,730 per tonne, respectively. Other cities like Wuxi and Linyi, on the other hand,...
China issues fourth batch of aluminium scrap quotas for 2020 allowing 100 tonnes
China’s environmental authorities on Saturday, March 7, announced the fourth batch of aluminium scrap import quotas for 2020, which would allow 100 more tonnes of high-grade aluminium scrap to China. With this quota, the total aluminium scrap import allowed for this year comes to 284,549 tonnes. The volume of import quotas so far stood 87.5 per cent higher than the actual imports in the fourth quarter of 2019, but 14.2 per cent lower than the actual imports in the first quarter of 2019. After the decline in aluminium scrap import quotas in the fourth quarter of 2019, shortage of supply took place and kept aluminium scrap prices at high levels till the 2020 Chinese New Year holiday. The holidays in the secondary aluminium sector extended due to the Coronavirus outbreak, with production...
China’s unwrought aluminium and aluminium products exports dropped 25.2% YoY in two months’ time
China Customs data showed a drop in China’s exports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products in the first two months of the year, primarily attributing to the production shut amid the outbreak of the COVID-19. The exports by China in January and February totalled at 669,000 tonnes after plunging by 25.2 per cent from the same period last year, showed the data. Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, aluminium processors in China mostly delayed their resumption of production by up to 20 days in February, while some small plants remained closed until early March. That caused the slowdown in China’s exports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products in February. China’s exports also fell in late January this year, as aluminium processors suspended deliveries about two weeks ahead of the...
Car passenger sales in China fell 78.5% YoY in February; NEVs production tumbled 77.4% over the year
According to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data, the passenger car sales fell last month due to the outbreak of the epidemic Coronavirus. The retail sales of sedans, multi-purpose vehicles (MPVS), and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) totalled at 252,308 units in February, down 85.3 per cent from January and 78.5 per cent from the same period last year. This sharp decline in February could also be attributed to the Lunar New Year holiday, noted the auto industry association. The total sales in the first two months of 2020 stood at 1.97 million units, down 41 per cent from the corresponding period of the year last. Production of new energy vehicles also shrank last month amidst the outbreak of the virus. Only 12,000 NEVs produced in China obtained qualification certificates in...
A00 aluminium ingot price remains restrained after sharp decline last day; Bauxite(4.5≤Al/Si＜5.5)Shanxi price drops
After a sharp decline of RMB 240 per tonne last day, the price of A00 aluminium ingot in China has remained restrained today, on March 10, at RMB 12,830 per tonne, found Shanghai Metals Market. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 12,810 per tonne and RMB 12,850 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a discount price of RMB 40 per tonne to RMB 0 per tonne. But many of the major Chinese cities, except Hangzhou and Linyi, have seen a plunge in A00 aluminium ingot price. In Hangzhou and Linyi, the price has remained unchanged at RMB 12,820 per tonne and RMB 12,920 per tonne, respectively, while Shenyang has seen a drop of RMB 75 per tonne to RMB 12,840 per tonne. In Foshan, Wuxi, and Chongqing, the ingot price has slipped by RMB 10 per tonne to stand respectively at...
LME aluminium price climbed up to US$1689/t amidst the biggest gain of US dollar in last three years
The US dollar rebounded on Tuesday after consecutive days of major losses, as signs of global policy easing to cushion the economic impact from the COVID-19 epidemic eased some of the investors’ concerns. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of other currencies, climbed to the highest level this week at 96.6 and recorded the biggest gain in the past three years. Three-month LME aluminium climbed to an intraday high of US$ 1,714 per tonne on a rebound in crude oil prices and finished the day 0.77 per cent higher at US$ 1,702 per tonne. The trading range is expected between US$1670 per tonne and US$ 1720 per tonne today. After continuing decline till Monday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price on Tuesday, March 10, recorded a significant growth of US$ 45.5 per tonne to...
Further rise in primary aluminium inventories push down the A00 aluminium ingot price to as low as RMB12830/t
On the further rise of the social inventories of primary aluminium, the A00 aluminium ingot price has recorded a sharp decline of RMB 240 per tonne to RMB 12,830 per tonne. For the first time in the last one year, the A00 aluminium ingot price has come below the RMB 13,000 per tonne level. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 12,810 per tonne and RMB 12,850 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a discount price of RMB 50 per tonne to RMB 10 per tonne. In Foshan, Wuxi, and Hangzhou, the price has witnessed a drop of RMB 240 per tonne and stands at RMB 12,820 per tonne. In Gongyi, the price has declined by RMB 235 per tonne to RMB 12,745 per tonne and that in Chongqing and Linyi, the price has plunged by RMB 230 per tonne to RMB 12,850 per tonne and RMB 12,920 per...
Three-month LME aluminium lost 1.86% last Friday amidst the US dollar’s biggest weekly decline
The US dollar recorded the biggest weekly decline in nearly three years while the Japanese yen strengthened as the widening reach of the coronavirus sent investors scrambling for safety. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of other currencies, slipped to the lowest level since February 2019 at 95.7 and finished the week 2.02 per cent lower. Three-month LME aluminium lost 1.86 per cent last Friday, March 6, and finished at US$ 1685.5 per tonne, with US stock futures and crude oil prices slumping over the weekend. Trading range is expected at US$ 1650 per tonne to US$ 1720 per tonne today. As of Friday, March 6, LME aluminium cash (bid) price further declined to US$ 1686.5 per tonne from US$ 1714 per tonne on March 5. LME official settlement price also recorded a...
B&O launches new Smart Home Assistant Speakers featuring aluminium chassis
Bang & Olufsen, a high-end Danish audio maker, has reportedly released new Smart Home Assistant Speakers – the Beosound Balance. Available in two colours, the speakers are equipped with seven different internal speakers to give users a stereo sound effect as well as an overall louder experience. B&O has collaborated with a British industrial designer LAYER and worked together to give consumers the best experience with a style featuring a solid oak base, an aluminium chassis, and a ‘fabric mesh covered cylinder’ rising from the base, forming the main part of the speaker. The new speakers also contain a large, upward facing subwoofer, housed inside the wooden cylindrical base. The low frequency sound comes out of the aluminium grilles from the cylinder. The top part of the speaker contains...
Three-month LME aluminium stood as low as US$1,722.5/tonne this week; Dollar index plunged lowest since January 2
The US dollar fell on the first two day of the week. On Monday, the dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of other currencies, slipped to the lowest level since January 16, at 97.18. On the next succeeding day, it declined further lowest since January 8 at 96.92. On March 4, the currency recovered the ground, with index bounced back 0.43 per cent and hit an intraday high of 97.6; but on March 5, again slipped to a fresh eight-week low to the lowest level since January 2 at 96.51. Three-month LME aluminium ended 0.88% higher on March 2 at US$1,716.5 per tonne. On March 3, it rose to an intraday high of US$ 1,734 per tonne and finished 0.67 per cent higher on the day at US$ 1,728 per tonne. But on March 4, the three-month LME aluminium slipped to as low as US$ 1,717 per...
China’s primary aluminium production shrank in February to 2.87 million tonnes: SMM
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the primary aluminium production in China shrank to 2.87 million tonnes in February, but year-on-year it was up by 6.9 per cent. Operating rates were down by 0.2 percentage point from the end of January to 89.3 per cent, as newly-commissioned projects were still ramping up. As of the end of February, the total primary aluminium capacity in operation was 36.6 million tonnes in China, while the existing capacity was 40.99 million tonnes on an annualised basis. China’s total primary aluminium production in the first two months of the year stood 5.1 per cent higher year-on-year at 5.94 million tonnes. That was faster than consumption growth, resulting in soaring inventories. As of March 5, social inventories of primary aluminium stood at 1.49 million...
China’s daily alumina production dropped 0.52% M-o-M in February
China in February 2020 produced 5.4 million tonnes of alumina, of which metallurgical-grade materials accounted for 5.17 million tonnes, according to Shanghai Metals Market. Daily production of metallurgical-grade alumina averaged 178,000 tonnes, 8.19 per cent lesser than February 2019 and 0.52 per cent from January 2020. Capacity cut at many refineries amidst the deadly Coronavirus outbreak was one of the reasons for the dip in daily alumina output. In January, production of metallurgical-grade alumina averaged 179,000 tonnes per day. However, some alumina refineries have begun to recover production since late February, as their inventories of imported and domestic bauxite recovered to safe levels after truck transport capacity tightness eased and private mines in Henan resumed work...
Altech looks forward to US$ 90 million mezzanine debt from Macquarie for its Malaysia HPA Project
Altech Chemicals announced this week announced the probability of getting mezzanine debt worth US$ 90 million from Macquarie Group for its Malaysian High Purity Alumina Plant project. Altech said the positive response from Macquarie came on the back of the recent increased profile of planned lithium-ion battery plants being constructed in Europe. However, the receipt of the debt is subject to various internal approvals and inter-creditor arrangements with senior lender KfW IPEX-Bank in Germany, said Altech. Altech’s Malaysian HPA project will secure kaolin clay feedstock from Meckering in West Australia, and the plant will be capable of producing alumina product that can achieve 99.99 per cent purity. According to the report, Altech has also posted a suit of innovative financing...
A new building for Oklohoma Contemporary Art Centre is designed with extruded aluminium fins
The US firm, Rand Elliott Architects, has reportedly designed a new building with extruded aluminium for the Oklahoma Contemporary Art Centre. The 53,916-square-foot building is covered with 16,800 extruded aluminium fins, replacing the original home at Oklahoma City's State Fair Park. Thousands of extruded aluminium fins used for the building walls, which rise to varying height and angles, have been custom fabricated and taken through a process to lend a stronger sheen to the metal and make them more reflective. "The new building is architecture created to celebrate the ever-changing light in Oklahoma," firm founder Elliot said. Earlier, the firm also used white aluminium fins for the parking garage of the Chesapeake Energy Corporation in Oklahoma. For Oklahoma Contemporary, the fins...
LME aluminium price plunged to $1715/t with the US dollar decline to eight-week low; SHFE price dropped too
The US dollar slipped to a fresh eight-week low as US benchmark 10-year Treasury yields declined and traders bet the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates further, after slashing them by 50 basis points this week. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of other currencies, slipped to the lowest level since January 2 at 96.51. Three-month LME aluminium trimmed some losses after it dipped to a session low of US$ 1,722.5 per tonne, which remained above the five- and 20- day moving average. It finished the day 0.35 per cent lower at US$ 1717.5 per tonne, with open interest up 2,625 lots to 744,000 lots as longs loaded up their positions. Today, LME aluminium is expected to hover range-bound between US$1,700 per tonne and US$ 1,730 per tonne. As of Thursday, March 5,...
Ball Corporation receives ASI Performance & CoC Standard Certification for responsible production
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has announced today, on March 5, that it has certified Ball Corporation with its Performance and Chain of Custody Standard Certification. 23 plants of Ball Corporation in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, as well as the regional headquarter, quality assurance, and manufacturing facilities for beverage can bodies and ends have received the certification, as per the report. Ball Corporation, the world’s largest producer of aluminium cans, is the first can manufacturer to achieve the ASI Certification for its responsible production, sourcing, and stewardship of aluminium. The ASI Performance Standard sets out 59 criteria under the three sustainability pillars of Governance, Environment, and Social, which address key issues such as biodiversity, indigenous...
