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.
“As a commodity, aluminium like water seeks the path of least resistance to access the highest net back regional market”- Jean Simard, President and CEO of the Aluminium Association of Canada
The Aluminium Association of Canada (AAC) is a non-profit organisation that brings together Canada’s three primary producers - Alcoa, Aluminerie Alouette, and Rio Tinto. It represents the Canadian primary aluminium industry towards population, public authorities, current and future aluminium users, as well as key environmental and economic stakeholders. Jean Simard, being the President and CEO of the Association, has shared his comprehension on the potential performance of the aluminium market in Canada in 2020, how the LME price movement in the year last can drift the Candian market this year, and also how USMCA trade deal can help in a sustainable development in North American aluminium industry in 2020. Besides, if you want to know how the increase in semi-finished import by the US can...
Alba met and signed agreements with three Italian companies for advanced commercial opportunities
On Tuesday, February 4, Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) took part in a high-level Bahraini delegation to Italy, as an opportunity to explore further expansion and partnership opportunities with Italian companies. Organised by the Bahrain Economic Development Board, the delegation was led by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister of Bahrain, according to a Bahrain News Agency report. As part of the delegation, Alba chairman of the board of directors Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa met with some of the eminent Italian companies, like Fluorsid, FATA, and Techmo Car, and signed important agreements to advance commercial opportunities for both parties. “As one of the key contributors to Bahrain’s economy, Alba is deeply...
“As India grows and evolves, it will have higher consumption patterns across all sectors, and aluminium consumption will also hence grow” – Abhijit Pati, Chief Executive Officer, Bharat Aluminum Company Limited
Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO) was established in 1965 as a Public Sector undertaking in Korba, Chhattisgarh. After its disinvestment in 2001, the Vedanta Group has taken over its management. The plant is hailed as one of India’s greatest disinvestment turnaround success stories, with a massive production capacity of 575,000 tonnes from its initial production of 100,000 tonnes when Vedanta acquired a 51% stake in the plant. Mr. Abhijit Pati is the Chief Executive Officer of Bharat Aluminum Company Limited. Mr. Pati is a name to reckon with the Aluminium Industry for the past three decades and he has joined BALCO after a long stint as Chief Executive Officer of Vedanta Limited’s, Jharsuguda unit, which is one of the largest single location smelters in the world, outside China. He...
Rusal announces to modernize Sayanogorsk and Khakas Aluminium Smelters with RUB 5.2 billion
Rusal has announced to invest RUB 5.2 billion in 2020 for upgrading Sayanogorsk and Khakas Aluminium Smelters. It says the largest projects will be carried out in the casthouse of Khakas and the electrode production at Sayanogorsk Smelter with improvements to equipment on the site. In the casthouse of Khakas, a new cleaning system of crude aluminium will be installed, which will increase the purity of the metal and insure growth of its potential for product sales. Besides, two transformers will be replaced at one of the silicon rectifier substations to intensify the reliability of power supply. In Sayanogorsk Smelter, a large-scale modernization of anode baking furnaces will be carried out, which will involve a cost of RUB 12 billion in total. Currently, the Technical Directorate...
Heesen’s second hybrid superyacht in 5000 aluminium FDHF class hit the water last week
According to a recent report, the Dutch shipyard Heesen has launched the second hybrid superyacht in 5000 aluminium FDHF class. The 49.8 metre long yacht named Electra, after being prepared for intensive sea trials in the North Sea, hit the water last week ahead of its delivery date April 2020. Frank Laupman of Omega Architects has designed the exterior of the superyacht, combining a shallow-draft hull with an efficient diesel-electric propulsion engine. The design includes a near-vertical bow, long waterline and extensive use of glass. The interior of the yacht has been designed by Christiano Gatto, who has infused contemporary style with a grand staircase, custom furniture, and dark oak flooring contrasted with pale coloured panelling and cabinetry. The interior layout can accommodate...
Weiqiao raises its prebaked anode purchasing price by RMB20/t; A00 aluminium ingot price today grows by RMB10/t
According to the recent update on Shanghai Metals Market, Shandong Weiqiao Group has raised the benchmark purchasing price for prebaked anode by RMB 20 per tonne for February. This brings the price to RMB 2,620 per tonne in cash. In the last seven months, Weiqiao consecutively cut its prebaked anode benchmark purchasing price. For January, the price was reduced by RMB 70 per tonne to RMB 2,600 per tonne in cash; while in December, the price was at RMB 2,670 per tonne after being declined by RMB 130 per tonne. But in China’s spot market, the average prebaked price has seen no change today, February 5, found Shanghai Metals Market. Yesterday, the price rose by RMB 10 per tonne from RMB 2,780 per tonne to RMB 2,790 per tonne. Other input costs have also recorded restraint today. The average...
Alcoa completes the sale of its Gum Springs Waste Treatment Business to Veolia ES Technical Solutions
Alcoa Corporation has completed the sale of its subsidiary firm Elemental Environmental Solutions LLC (EES), which operates a 1,300-acre hazardous waste treatment business in Gum Springs, Arkansas. The news came after the US-based world’s eighth-largest aluminium producer announced this today, February 4. The firm is sold to Veolia ES Technical Solutions LLC (VTS) at $250 million, of which $200 million Alcoa received in cash upon closing of the sale on January 31, 2020, as per the terms of the agreement. The remaining $50 million is to be paid to Alcoa after the satisfactory post-closing conditions. The EES sale is part of Alcoa’s plan to pursue non-core asset sales, with the goal to generate between $500 million to $1 billion in cash. Alcoa expects the EES sale to bring a gain of...
Final Call: Feature Your Brand in the Second Edition of our Flagship E-magazine “Aluminium LeaderSpeak 2020”
The second edition of AlCircle’s flagship e-magazine “ Aluminium LeaderSpeak 2020 ” is getting ready to be published this month. Means, the time is near to hear from the key players of the aluminium value chain industry about the market trend and analysis of this year and beyond. The companies and associations that have already confirmed their participation in this magazine include Hydro, BALCO, FIVES, Outotec, Assan Aluminium, Aluminium Association of Canada, and European Aluminium Association. But the AlCircle Team would still love to welcome more companies and associations on the magazine, in a bid to magnify the participation & outdo the global reach in this edition. Aluminium LeaderSpeak is a series of annual e-magazine, whereby the aluminium industry leaders share opinions as...
LME aluminium continued to inch down to $1694.50/t; US dollar recovered from two-week lows
The US dollar recovered from two-week lows against a basket its rivals on Monday, as stronger-than-expected manufacturing data boosted investor sentiment. Fears about the coronavirus, meanwhile, eased after China took measures to cushion the impact of the new epidemic and pledged to do more to contain it and support the country’s financial markets. Three-month LME aluminium fell for a ninth straight day on Monday, February 3, dropping below $1,700 per tonne to end at $1,696.5 per tonne. It shed 1.65% on the trading day. It is expected to trade between $1,680 per tonne to $ 1,730 per tonne today. LME aluminium cash (bid) price, on February 3, inched down to US$ 1693.50 per tonne from US$ 1709 per tonne on January 31, while LME official settlement price decreased to US$ 1694.50 per tonne...
Centerplate together with Pepsico offered Aquafina water in aluminium cans at Super Bowl LIV on Feb 2
In collaboration with American food and beverage company Pepsico, sports venue hospitality provider Centerplate offered Aquafina water in aluminium cans at Super Bowl LIV on February 2, 2020. The collaboration aimed to provide over 100,000 cans of Aquafina to support the Hard Rock Stadium’s mission to eliminate 99.4 per cent of single-use plastics in 2020. Centerplate is the official food and beverage partner of the stadium. In January, Centerplate also established a partnership with Ball Corporation and Bud Light to offer sustainable drinks packaging at Super Bowl LIV. Centerplate CEO Steve Pangburn said: “We want to lead the way in providing innovative solutions for our clients and guests, especially in support of our mission, vision and values.” “This is another example of a...
EGA secures revolving credit facility worth $600 million
Emirates Global Aluminium, the UAE’s largest industrial company outside oil and gas, announced on Monday, February 3, that it secured a revolving credit facility worth $600 million, with a syndicate of UAE and international banks. The credit facility, priced at a competitive margin, is committed for three years replacing uncommitted facilities extended to EGA separately by a number of banks. Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of EGA, said: “EGA has grown into a substantial global business with operating assets on two continents and at every step of the aluminium value chain from mine to metal. This committed revolving credit facility is the next step in the evolution of our financing and balance sheet management strategy and enables a robust and structured approach to...
Old vehicles scrappage policy awaiting fine-tune by concerned ministries: Nirmala Sitharaman
Scrappage policy for old vehicles is awaiting a “fine-tune” by concerned ministries, and as soon as that is done it will be announced. Such was the statement from the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, February 1, after the Union Budget 2020-21. She said, "Scrappage policy is in the works ... I would wait for the concerned ministries also to fine-tune everything and tie up the loose ends and then come to a stage where it can be announced by the ministry.” "So many things depend on how far they are mature and right for me to use it in the budget, but that does not mean because I've not announced it in the budget no work is going on in that area," she added. The policy, once approved, will reportedly be applicable for all vehicles, including two-wheelers and three-wheelers....
Labour Ministry meeting with BCGI results in arbitration; Workers can resume duty
The Ministry of Social Protection’s Department of Labour’s meeting with the management of Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. (BCGI) on Friday, January 31, resulted in arbitration. Workers are thus, can return to work now under the three below mentioned conditions as communicated to the company and Department of Labour. Those workers who were laid off on 23rd and 30th of January must be without the loss of pay or service given that the acts of sending them off violate Section 12 of the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act Two employees who suffered from electrical shocks while on duty and were not subsequently paid for the hospital expense and later on, were also off the job should be compensated Appointment of Arbitration Tribunal to resolve wages and salaries grievance Guyana...
China sees a “never-before” price drop in A00 aluminium ingot post CNY holiday; Input costs remain unchanged
Post the Chinese New Year holiday from January 24 to February 2, 2020, the Chinese market has seen a “never-before” sharp drop in A00 aluminium ingot price of RMB 500 per tonne to stand at RMB 13,600 per tonne on February 3, found Shanghai Metals Market. This brings the price as low as was found in February 2019. The average prices today are expected to range between RMB 13,580 per tonne and RMB 13,620 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a discount price of RMB 120 per tonne to RMB 80 per tonne. This sharp decline could be attributed to the current suspension of downstream operations due to Coronavirus, resulting in poor demand and transaction of aluminium ingots. Shenyang in China has seen the highest drop in the ingot price of RMB 550 per tonne to RMB 13,600 per tonne,...
Know How AlCircle’s third e-magazine “Aluminium Middle East: Focus 2020” took the internet by storm
We are once again more than happy to share the performance metrics of our third quarterly e-magazine “ Aluminium Middle East: Focus 2020 ”, which in just two months has achieved overwhelming responses from all over the world. In the era of advanced digital media when every outcome is measurable and transparent, we are delighted to find how our e-magazine has created a buzz on the internet. In two months’ time, the magazine has reached 37,111 viewers across 50 countries and achieved 120,719 hits in total. The average time spent by a user on the magazine is 7 minutes 4 seconds , with a direct reach of 852 . Besides, it has earmarked a notable performance on social media. While on Facebook, it has achieved 10,426 reach , on LinkedIn and Twitter, it has secured 5,428 and 1,665 reach ,...
Worldwide increase in aluminium powder market value to boost Germany's export revenue by 6.5% in 2020
According to a recent study, the worldwide market value for aluminium powder is expected to expand at a CAGR of roughly 2.5 per cent over the next five years to reach US$ 1060 million in 2024 from US$ 910 million in 2019. Amidst this bullish aluminium powder market trend, Germany is also likely to generate higher revenue this year from its aluminium powder and flakes export. From US$61 million in 2019, the country’s revenue in 2020 is estimated to increase by 6.5 per cent to US$ 65 million, suggests the global trade data. In fact, the country has been seeing a year-on-year rise in aluminium powder and flakes export value over the past four years. In 2017, the value was US$ 41 million, which in 2018 grew 24.3 per cent to US$ 51 million. In 2019, this growth did not cease but continued by...
Labour Ministry summons BCGI management to disccus the layoff of 288 workers
The Ministry of Social Protection’s Department of Labour, on Thursday afternoon, reportedly requested the management of Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. (BCGI) to be present in a meeting on Friday to discuss the layoff of 288 employees last week. Junior Minister of Social Protection Keith Scott has been harping that BCGI did not properly inform the Ministry about the layoff. He said if the meeting on Friday yields no resolution, then the Chief Labour Officer would declare a deadlock and refer the dispute to no adjudication. Depending on this, the workers could be compensated, said Keith further. 142 workers sent home last week because the company could not receive tax concessions on fuel and the rest 146 being started sending from Thursday, as some workers continued to block the Berbice...
Rusal invests 60 million roubles to modernise coke-calcining process at Volgograd aluminium smelter
United Company Rusal, one of the world’s largest aluminium companies by primary production output, has reportedly invested around 60 million roubles for modernising coke-calcining kiln at its Volgograd aluminium smelter. The modernisation of the kiln is for enhancing the environmental aspects of production and intensifying the plant’s coke calcining process. Following the modernisation, the kiln’s capacity is expected to increase to 12 tonnes per hour as compared to 8-9 tonnes at any other comparable plants. The modernisation includes the development of new structural segments for making raw materials go through a preparatory ‘drying’ process so the coke enters the heating chamber of the kiln has a lower moisture content compared with earlier generations of kilns. The consumption of...
