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.
Nalco bets on long-term raw-material supply for stable alumina & aluminium operations
The Navratna CPSE under the Ministry of Mines, National Aluminium Company, is aiming to extend the longevity of its alumina refining and aluminium smelting operations, and therefore, trying to bank on long-term raw material security. According to a report, Nalco wants to commence the operations of its second bauxite mining lease of Pottangi in 2023, which will feed its fifth stream of alumina refinery at Damanjodi currently under expansion. The Pottangi mining lease and the Panchpatmalli mines have balance deposits of around 160 million tonnes together and are expected to offer ample bauxite to ensure the refinery operations for the next 25 to 30 years. Beside bauxite, Nalco also aims to begin mining from its captive Utkal-D coal block from the calendar year 2020, which is estimated to...
Update 2019: Top Five Aluminium Cans Manufacturers around the Globe
Aluminium cans are the most recyclable packaging units till the end of their lifecycle without quality degradation, and that makes them the preferred packaging material for brands across industries, ahead of other materials like plastic and paper. Recently, the Can Manufacturers Institute pointed out the average aluminium cans in the US have a recycled content of 73%, whereas that in the plastic PET bottles is less than 10 per cent. Besides, other qualities such as lightweight, strong, affordable, easy to handle, and highly resistant to corrosion have contributed to the journey of aluminium cans turning into the most widely used containers. In 2018, the demand for aluminium cans was estimated to grow between 3.7 – 4 per cent, and that in the next five years by some 4 – 3.6 per cent CAGR....
Ireland’s total bauxite imports to rise by 3% YoY in 2019; Imports from Guinea to increase by 5%
Rusal-owned Aughinish alumina refinery, which started with 800,000 tonnes per year capacity and now produces 1.9 million tonnes, alone makes Ireland a significant hub for alumina production. Said so, Ireland is the main alumina refining hub in entire Europe and therefore, a major bauxite importer after China, USA, and Ukraine. Since 2006, the country has been featuring as one of the world's top five bauxite importing countries, with the estimated import volume of 4.81 million tonnes in 2017 and 4.61 million tonnes in 2018, according to the international trade data. This represents that the import volume in 2018 was down by 4.15 per cent year on year. However, in 2019, the bauxite import by Ireland is expected to stand higher than the preceding year by about 3.03 per cent to 4.75 million...
Vedanta increases aluminium ingots price by more than 1% after two consecutive cuts
After two consecutive cuts, Vedanta Limited reportedly increased the prices of aluminium ingots by more than 1 per cent, with effect from Thursday, November 28. Thus, the ingots price now range between INR 142,500 per tonne and 155,500 per tonne. Companies generally link prices of their products to the London Metal Exchange’s three-month aluminium futures, which are up nearly 4 per cent in the current quarter. In August and September, aluminium prices on the LME were down. The aluminium vertical contributed around one-third to Vedanta’s consolidated sales in the September quarter . The net sales of Vedanta were INR 21,739 crore, after dropping by 3 per cent from INR 22,432 crore in the same period last year. Vedanta is present in the aluminium segment through its 51 per cent stake in...
Press Metal Aluminium reports a revenue drop of 11% YoY for Q3 2019
Press Metal Aluminium in its third-quarter financial report, ended on September 30, 2019, announced that its revenue stood at 2.12 billion RGT, after falling by 11 per cent year on year. In Q3 2018, the company’s revenue had totalled at 2.37 billion RGT. In the report, the company also revealed that in the first nine months of 2019 (January-September), it generated total revenue of 6.42 billion RGT, down 7.4 per cent from 6.93 billion RGT in Q3 2018. The net profit also dropped by 25.2 per cent year on year from 162.5 billion RGT to 121.5 billion RGT. The total net profit during January-September recorded a decrease too by 28.3 per cent year on year. From 473.6 billion RGT in the first nine months of 2018, the net profit during the same period of 2019 came in at 339.5 billion RGT. Basic...
Gränges agrees to buy Aluminium Konin for 2.3 billion Swedish crowns
Gränges, a global leader in aluminium engineering, manufacturing and innovation, has reportedly agreed to buy Polish aluminium producer Aluminium Konin for 2.3 billion Swedish crowns ($239 million). The news came after the company announced on Thursday, November 28, while also saying that this deal will help them expand presence in Europe and boost position in growth areas such as materials for electric vehicles. At present, the deal is subject to approval by competition authorities, but is expected to close in the second quarter of 2020. According to the report, the deal values Aluminium Konin at 6.9 times its annual earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). Gränges CEO Johan Menckel said, "Aluminium Konin contributes with technically advanced operations,...
Midland Pressure Diecasting installs new fully automatic aluminium diecasting machine at its Willenhall facility
To sum up 2019 with a boost in production, the UK-based fast-growing die casting foundries Midland Pressure Diecasting Limited (MPD) has invested £250,000 in the installation of a new fully automatic aluminium diecasting machine at its Willenhall facility. This new investment is reportedly expected to enhance the efficiency of the facility by creating an additional 20 per cent capacity and generate new jobs locally. Plant investment is an area which the company always gives a higher preference as part of the ambitious expansion plans. They also encourage their employees to present new ideas for improvement projects and spending suggestions. Ash Suman, Managing Director at Midland Pressure Diecasting, said: “We are always looking at company improvements, whether via investments into plant,...
Aluminium billet inventories decline for the seventh consecutive week by 8,800 tonnes
Shanghai Metals Market found aluminium billet stocks in the southern markets of China lowered significantly, leading to the further decline in inventories for the seventh consecutive week, as of November 28. Data showed the inventories of 6063 aluminium billet across five major consumption areas in China fell 8,800 tonnes from a week ago to stand at 77,900 tonnes. On November 21 , the billet inventories were at 86,700 tonnes after declining by 12,100 tonnes week-on-week. The chart below indicates the current status of aluminium billet inventories across China in more details: Not all Chinese cities have seen a downfall in aluminium billet inventories today. Only Foshan, Changzhou, and Nanchang have witnessed a fall. Compared to last Thursday, the inventories in Foshan has dropped by 9,100...
Sweeping decline in primary aluminium inventories by 44,000 tonnes boosts up A00 aluminium ingot price marginally
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the inventories of primary aluminium have increased the pace of decline this week and recorded a drop of 44,000 tonnes across eight major Chinese consumption areas, including SHFE warrants, to stand at 755,000 tonnes, as of November 28. On last Thursday, on November 21, the inventories had decreased by 35,000 tonnes week-on-week to stand at 799,000 tonnes, while on Monday, November 25, the inventories were at 781,000 tonnes after declining by 18,000 tonnes from Thursday. Weaker arrival of stocks due to production cut at many smelters during the winter heating season could be a reason for the decline in inventories. Given below is the chart that indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories across China in more details: As the above...
US aluminium scrap exports to Hong Kong rose month-on-month in August by 28%
According to the data from the United States Geological Survey, the aluminium scrap exports from the US to Hong Kong rose month-on-month in August by about 28 per cent to 12,100 tonnes; whereas in July, the export amount was down by 29 per cent from the previous month to 9,430 tonnes. In June, however, the export volume had recorded a rise of 18 per cent from 11,200 tonnes in May to 13,200 tonnes. {newsStudioGallery} This brought the total aluminium scrap exports from the US to Hong Kong during May-August to 45,930 tonnes. From January to August, the exports were at 75,000 tonnes, which indicates the fact that the exports in the first months of the year were lesser than the next four months by about 37 per cent. After Hong Kong, Indonesia was the next large importer of aluminium scrap...
Aluminium can industry disproves Coca-Cola’s claim of plastic bottles having a lesser carbon footprint
A week ago, the aluminium can industry reportedly disproved Coca-Cola’s claim that recycled PET bottles have a much lower carbon footprint than the aluminium cans. The Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) said the carbon footprint of both PET bottles and aluminium cans are comparable, claiming that aluminium cans perform significantly better than the plastic PET bottle on critical sustainability metrics, including recycling rate, recycled content and economic value. CMI President Robert Budway said, “The average aluminium can in the United States has a recycled content of 73%. This is significantly higher than plastic PET bottles in the United States, which have less than 10% recycled content.” He also said, “Most all recycled cans being transformed into new cans have a positive...
China’s aluminium sheet, plate and strip exports in October dropped by 1.9% M-o-M
According to China Customs data, China’s aluminium sheet, plate and strip exports in October declined by 1.9 per cent from a month earlier to come in at 193,500 tonnes. In September, China’s export amount was 197,100 tonnes after declining by 9.7 per cent from August and 20.2 per cent from the same period last year. China’s exports in October were down year-on-year as well by 17 per cent, indicating the fact that the rate of yearly drop declined in October compared with September. Shanghai Metals Market sees limited downside room in the exports in November and December. China’s exports of aluminium sheet, plate and strip in the fourth quarter are assessed to be around 600,000 tonnes.
Altech Chemicals’ high purity alumina to be used in semi-conductor applications
Now high purity alumina (HPA) is being used in the manufacture of epoxy moulding compounds (EMC’s) that are used in the semi-conductor industry to improve heat dissipation, said Altech Chemicals Limited, leading Malaysia-based HPA producer. Altech also recently started an investigation of the EMC for semi-conductor market for targeting some of its future HPA products into this market segment. Altech's initial investigation into the demand for HPA in the EMC semi-conductor market indicates a global market size in the range of 700 – 900 tonnes per annum, with a price of US$100 per kg being commanded by product that meets required specifications. Year-on-year growth in the market is expected along with the growth in the semi-conductor business. Altech believes that its low sodium HPA and the...
China’s aluminium scrap imports extended M-o-M fall in October by 47%; US was the top exporter
China customs data found that the country’s aluminium scrap imports in October extended the month-on-month decline by 47.3 per cent to stand at 60,240 tonnes. In September, the import volume had fallen by 18.7 per cent from 141,000 tonnes in August to 114,300 tonnes, which indicates the fact that the monthly decline rate in China’s aluminium scrap imports rose in October. On yearly basis China’s aluminium scrap imports in October dropped as well by 34.7 per cent from the same period last year, unlike September and August, when the imports had grown by 17.9 per cent and 7.4 per cent respectively over the year. The United States was the top exporter of aluminium scrap to China in October, followed by Malaysia. From the US, China imported 19,113 tonnes in October, down 31.2 per cent from a...
Aluminium alloys (ADC12) price grows by RMB100/t after two days of restraint; A00 aluminium ingot price declines
After two consecutive days of restraint at RMB 14,650 per tonne, the price of the aluminium alloys (ADC12) has recorded a rise of RMB 100 per tonne to stand at RMB 14,750 per tonne on November 26, found Shanghai Metals Market. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 14,650 per tonne and RMB 14,850 per tonne. It is to be noted here that the aluminium alloys (ADC12) price has shown a growing trend through November of about RMB 500 per tonne, except a few intermittent restraints. In the east and south today, the aluminium alloys (ADC12) price has grown by RMB 100 per tonne to RMB 14,750 per tonne and RMB 14,700 per tonne, while that in the west has inched up by RMB 50 per tonne to come in at RMB 14,400 per tonne. The price of the aluminium alloy (A380) has also registered a...
China’s primary aluminium production to grow 2.5%, while consumption to inch up 0.3% in 2020: Liang Xuan
China’s production of primary aluminium might grow much faster than consumption in 2020, said SMM senior aluminium analyst Liang Xuan at 2019 China Nonferrous Metals Industry Annual Meeting. Xuan also pointed that this could put pressure on aluminium prices in turn in the coming year. Output of primary aluminium in China is expected to increase 2.5 per cent to 36.44 million tonnes in 2020, after shrinking 1.51 per cent this year, Liang told delegates at the meeting; while consumption is likely to grow, but a slower pace of 0.3 per cent to 36.19 million tonnes from a decline of 1.48 per cent in 2019. With 1.99 million tonnes coming online in the first 10 months of the year, there was 40.69 million tonnes on an annualised basis of primary aluminium capacity built in China as of the end of...
United States aluminium imports from China recorded a rise in August after June
The United States Geological Survey found the US imports of aluminium from China (including crude, metal and alloys and semi-finished products) in August 2019 rose over the month by 1,104 tonnes or 13 per cent to come in at 8,831 tonnes. In July, the United States aluminium imports from China had recorded at 7,727 tonnes, after declining by 8,153 tonnes or 51 per cent from 15,880 tonnes in June. In June, however, the import volume had grown by 3,360 tonnes or 27 per cent from 12,520 tonnes in May. This indicates the United States aluminium imports from China had been oscillating over the months since May 2019. While in June the import volume had recorded a sweeping rise, in July it dropped, followed by a growth in August again. It is also to be noted the import volume in July was the...
Lanjigarh alumina refinery receives Kalinga Safety Excellence Award
The metals and mining conglomerate Vedanta Limited’s Lanjigarh alumina refinery was reportedly granted with Kalinga Safety Excellence Award at Bhubaneswar. Under the 10th edition of Odisha State Safety Conclave 2019, organised by the Institute of Quality & Environment Management Services (IQEMS), the Lanjigarh unit received bronze award under alumina sector category. Mr. Atif Hussain, Head – Safety, Vedanta Lanjigarh unit, collected the award in presence of eminent dignitaries, industry experts, business leaders, professionals and government officials. On receiving the award, Mr. Rakesh Mohan, Chief Operating Officer of Vedanta Lanjigarh said that Vedanta had been operating over the years ensuring safety and healthy work conditions, with its commitment towards the motto of Zero Harm, Zero...
