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.
Japan’s aluminium plates, sheets and bars exports to US declined 5.41% in August
According to the United States Geological Survey, Japan’s aluminium plates, sheets and bars exports to the US recorded a decline in August by about 5.41 per cent to 4,890 tonnes, followed after three consecutive months of growth. In July, Japan’s export volume of aluminium plates, sheets and bars to the US had increased 30 per cent month-on-month to come in at 5,170 tonnes, while that in June grew by 3 per cent from 3,890 tonnes in May to 3,990 tonnes. Thus, Japan’s aluminium plates, sheets and bars exports to the US from May to August totalled at 17,940 tonnes. From January to August, the total export volume was 32,900 tonnes, which represents the fact that Japan’s exports in the first four months of the year were lesser by 17 per cent than the next four months. After Japan, India was...
BMW invests 400 million euros in Dingolfing plant for highly automated electric vehicles production
According to a recent report, the BMW group is investing 400 million euros in restructuring its Dingolfing vehicle plant for the production of electric vehicles, including the highly automated BMW iNEXT. The update of the plant should be done by 2021 and the BMW iNEXT will be the first pure electric vehicle produced in Dingolfing. According to BMW, the Dingolfing plant after the revamp will be capable of producing the right mix of fully-electric vehicles, plug-in hydbrids and models with combustion engines to suit demand on a single assembly line. So, this investment is not only for the transmission to e-mobility but also for standard production of highly-automated vehicles. Milan Nedeljkovic, member of the board of management, BMW said: “Thanks to our flexible production structures, our...
Trump administration to restore aluminium and steel tariffs on Brazil and Argentina
On Monday, December 2, the US President Donald Trump announced to immediately restore aluminium and steel import tariffs on Brazil and Argentina and even harsher penalties of up to 100 per cent against $2.4 billion of French imports, as a retaliatory move against France’s new digital-services tax that has hit the US technology company. The reason cited for the aluminium and steel import tariffs on Brazil and Argentina was the unfair act by the US trading partners to disadvantage the country’s traditional economic pillars as well as its best hopes for future prosperity. Donald Trump tweeted, “Brazil and Argentina have been presiding over a massive devaluation of their currencies, which is not good for our farmers.” He also said the Federal Reserve body should take correct measures to...
Norsk Hydro to cut primary aluminium production at its Slovalco plant
A fully integrated Norwegian aluminium company Norsk Hydro announced on Monday, December 2, that it plans to cut 20 per cent production at its majority-owned Slovalco primary aluminium plant in Slovakia. Weak market is one of the reasons for the production cut, said the company. Located at the center of the actively growing aluminium market in Central Europe, Slovalco’s 55.3 per cent of the share is owned by Hydro Aluminium AS, while the rest (44.7 per cent) owned by Penta Investments. In 2018, Hydro had decided to expand remelt operations at its Slovalco plant in collaboration with joint-venture partner PENTA, aiming at producing and supplying the “greenest” aluminium metal in the industry. The expansion was for facilitating production of primary aluminium as well as for serving as a...
Nespresso and JDE form alliance for aluminium coffee capsules recycle in France
Followed by the invitation issued by Nespresso in late March 2019 to join its recycling programme, Dutch beverage brand Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE) has recently stepped forward and formed an alliance with Nespresso for recycling aluminium coffee capsules in France. The news came as Arnaud Deschamps, Managing Director of Nespresso in France, said: “It is our aim to ensure that all aluminium capsules in France are recycled. Given that aluminium is 100 per cent recyclable, it is our responsibility as a company to establish a system to ensure it is recycled effectively.” Nespresso had issued an invitation urging portioned coffee manufacturers to join its recycling programme aimed at improving the accessibility and convenience of aluminium capsule recycling. Nespresso and JDE are now reportedly...
Primary aluminium inventories again decline by 35,000 tonnes on weekend and 61,000 tonnes over the week
Shanghai Metals Market found the social inventories of primary aluminium across eight major consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, have extended decline over the weekend by 35,000 tonnes and over the week by 61,000 tonnes to stand at 720,000 tonnes, as of Monday, December 2. This further decline in inventories could be attributed to the fair consumption of primary aluminium against slower arrivals of stocks during the winter heating season. On last Thursday, November 28 , the inventories were at 755,000 tonnes after declining by 26,000 tonnes from 781,000 tonnes on Monday, November 25 . This represents the fact that the decline in primary aluminium inventories rose on Monday, December 2, from the previous week. The chart below shows the current status of primary aluminium...
Prebaked anode price declines by RMB130/t after a month-long restraint; A00 aluminium ingot price grows
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the prebaked anode price in the east has recorded a decline of RMB 130 per tonne to RMB 2,850 per tonne on December 2, followed by a month-long restraint at RMB 2,980 per tonne. Even throughout October, the price remained unchanged at RMB 3,030 per tonne until registered a drop on November 1 to RMB 2,980 per tonne. The markets in the central and southwest China have also witnessed a decrease of RMB 130 per tonne and RMB 90 per tonne in the prebaked anode price to RMB 2,910 per tonne and RMB 3,330 per tonne. In the northwest, however, the price has shown no sign of change from its month-long price of RMB 3,550 per tonne. The A00 aluminium ingot price, on the other hand, has extended its growth by RMB 60 per tonne to RMB 14,050 per tonne, primarily...
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...
