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.
Limited consumption of downstream aluminium curbs billet inventory decline in China
Shanghai Metals Market found the aluminium billet inventories dropped over the week, marking the third consecutive weekly fall, but at a slower pace as consumption weakened. According to the data, the stocks of 6063 aluminium billet shrank 1,900 tonnes to stand at 116,200 tonnes across five major consumption areas, as of Thursday, October 31, compared to the decline of 11,000 tonnes to 118,100 on October 24. On October 17, the stocks decreased by 7,600 tonnes over the week to come in at 129,200 tonnes. The chart below indicates the current status of aluminium billet inventories across major markets in China: So, the above chart indicates that the billet inventories only fell in Foshan, Guangdong by about 9,000 tonnes to stand at 55,000 tonnes; while in all other the markets the stocks...
Prebaked anode price remains restrained despite Weiqiao’s price cut; A00 aluminium ingot price falls by RMB30/t
According to Shanghai Metals Market, Shandong Weiqiao Group, the top aluminium producer in China continues to reduce the benchmark purchasing price for prebaked anode for the fifth consecutive month by RMB 100 per tonne. This brought the Weiqiao’s prebaked anode purchasing price for November to RMB 2,800 per tonne in cash, compared with RMB 2,900 per tonne in October. The benchmark purchasing price in October was RMB 25 per tonne lower than in September. So, the purchasing price in September was at RMB 2,925 per tonne after being reduced by RMB 75 per tonne from August. But the further fall of Weiqiao’s prebaked anode purchasing price has not yet affected the spot price of the prebaked anode in China market, found SMM. As of Thursday, October 31, the price has remained unchanged at RMB...
TES to set up a new $20 million lithium-ion batteries recycling facility in Singapore
TES, the global electronic waste recycler, will reportedly open a new facility for recycling lithium-ion batteries in Singapore, said Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Koh Poh Koon on Wednesday, October 30. "This is an exciting development as the use of batteries for grid-related energy storage is projected to grow globally, to manage the increasing adoption of intermittent renewable energy such as solar," said Dr Koh at the Clean Energy Summit held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre. The new facility, named TES B, is expected to cost about $20 million. This investment is seen as a company investment to exemplify green growth opportunities. Dr Koh added that this new recycling facility would allow precious metals from the lithium-ion batteries to be reused to...
Chalieco wins RMB 5.3 billion contract to build alumina refinery in Indonesia
A consortium led by China Aluminium International Engineering, a listed arm of Chinese aluminium giant Aluminium Corporation of China, has reportedly won a contract worth RMB 5.3 billion (USD745.3 million) to build an alumina refinery in Indonesia. The news arrived after Chalieco confirmed on October 24 on receiving the report from PT Borneo Alumina Indonesia that it won the engineering, procurement, and construction contract. As per the report, the project will have an annual output of 1 million tonnes of metallurgical grade alumina. Chalieco said that it would receive the contract amount in two parts, without disclosing the division between partners or the schedule. In the first part, it will receive US$369.9 million and in the second, US$374.6 million. Chalieco will be in charge of the...
Spain to record a rise of 15% in aluminium tubes and pipes import in 2019; South Africa to be the leading supplier
According to the international export-import data, aluminium tubes and pipes import by Spain is likely to rise in 2019 after a drop last year. The data shows the import this year is expected to come in at 9,017 tonnes, compared with 7,871 tonnes, meaning a growth of 15 per cent. In 2018, Spain’s import had also increased by about 6 per cent year-on-year, as the import volume in 2017 was at 7,440 tonnes after recording a sweeping growth of about 110 per cent from 3,536 in 2016. In tandem with the growth in Spain’s aluminium tubes and pipes import, the cost is also foreseen to record a rise. Compared with US$30 million in 2018, Spain’s aluminium tubes and pipes import cost is likely to come in at US$38 million, up 27 per cent. The global export-import data shows that Spain’s import cost...
Bauxilum suspends bauxite, alumina production for unstable power supply and mismanagement
According to a recent report, CVG Bauxilum , Venezuela state-owned bauxite and alumina producer, has suspended its bauxite and alumina production due to a lack of imported materials, stable power supply, and mismanagement. The company and union officials said they renounced the plans of ramping up the monthly production levels of 18,000 tonnes of alumina and reviving the company’s 6 million tonnes per year open-pit bauxite mine before the end of 2020 for the uncertain future. Bauxilum's shutdown this month "shuts the lid on the aluminium industry's coffin," a senior company union official said. He added, "The entire Venezuelan aluminum industry from the Los Pijiguaos bauxite mine to the smelters is now shut down, possibly forever." Industry and national production minister Tareck El...
Illycaffè to launch new aluminium coffee capsules compatible with Nespresso coffee machines
A new range of aluminum coffee capsules is soon to hit the UK market as Illycaffè will reportedly launch them and make them available for UK retailers by 2020. As per the report, the capsules to be launched are a result of the licensing agreement between Illycaffè and JAB. Illy claims that its new capsules will be compatible with Nespresso coffee machines and will help the company “keep in-step with modern consumption trends.” Initially, three flavours will be available in the range: Classico, Intenso and Forte. Jacobs Douwe Egberts will reportedly handle the production and distribution of the capsules in retail channels outside Italy, while Illycaffè will be responsible for the distribution in all other sales channels, as well as all sales channels in Italy. Massimiliano Pogliani,...
China’s bauxite imports dropped in September for the second consecutive month
Shanghai Metals Market found that China’s bauxite imports fell in September for the second straight month, due to a weak supply from major sources such as the Republic of Guinea, as the latter entered a rainy season in July. Customs data under HS code 26060000 showed that China imported 6.75 million tonnes of bauxite in September, down 21.86 per cent from 9.04 million tonnes in August 2019 and 2.08 per cent from 6.89 million tonnes. This brought imports in the first nine months of 2019 to 78.13 million tonnes, up 26.79% from the same period a year earlier. From Guinea, China imported 1.79 million tonnes in the month of September, down 50.89 per cent from August, marking a decline for the second month in a row. From Australia, on the other hand, the China’s bauxite import volume rose by...
A00 aluminium ingot price records a slight rise further, while input costs remain restrained
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the A00 aluminium ingot price has recorded a growth of RMB 10 per tonne to stand at RMB 14,000 per tonne. This marks the fourth consecutive rise, but the price still stands lower by RMB 30 per tonne, compared with RMB 14,030 per tonne during the same period last month. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 13,980 per tonne and RMB 14,020 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a premium price of RMB 80-120 per tonne. However, the price rise today has not touched upon all the major markets in China, such as Foshan, Chongqing, Shenyang, Linyi, and Gongyi, where the price has witnessed falls or remained restrained. For instance, in Foshan, the ingot price has slipped by RMB 20 per tonne to RMB 13,910 per tonne, while that in Chongqing...
Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation becomes a guarantor to OPRL
Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) has reportedly joined the list of guarantors to the On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) scheme. The scheme is to reduce consumer confusion by providing consistent visual cues on whether or not packaging can be recycled. OPRL has over 400 members at the present. Existing guarantors to the OPRL are INCPEN (the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment), ACE UK (the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment), CPI (the Confederation of Paper Industries), LARAC (the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee) and plastic recycling charity RECOUP. They together will work alongside representatives from different sectors like cartons, paper and card, plastic packaging and so on to develop the label that will advise people how to...
Rio Tinto installs four 85-tonne bauxite residue filter presses at its refinery in Quebec
Rio Tinto has reportedly begun the commissioning of an industry-leading filter press technology at its Vaudreuil alumina refinery in Quebec, under CAD $250 million budget. Four 85-tonne presses have been already installed. The original scheduled time of commissioning the presses was six weeks later. By moving the refinery to dry stacking of bauxite residue in just 17 minutes instead of 3 years it takes currently, the new filter presses are expected to deliver environmental benefits. It will extend the life of the refinery operation as well, which supports 1,000 jobs in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region. The presses will be fully operational by early 2020. Bauxite residue is primarily composed of the insoluble fraction of the bauxite ore that remains after extraction of the...
Vedanta’s alumina cost falls to a two-year low on increased coal and bauxite supplies
Improved availability of coal from linked mines and robust output of around 1 million tonnes per annum from Vedanta’s captive Chotia block has helped the company achieve cost competitiveness in the manufacture of alumina. According to a report, Vedanta’s alumina cost at Odisha’s Lanjigarh refinery fell to a two-year low of $284 per tonne by the end of June 2019, down 17 per cent year-on-year. Increased production of alumina was one of the primary reasons, which was at the highest point ever, showing a spike of 37 per cent Y-o-Y. Materialisation of linked coal improved from 66 per cent in FY2019 to 72 per cent by the end of Q1 FY20. Higher local bauxite sourcing also aided Vedanta’s efforts to trim the production cost of alumina. Under a long-term linkage arrangement with the Odisha Mining...
Rusal’s bauxite production records a QoQ decline of 6.9% in Q3 2019
United Company Rusal in its third-quarter result of 2019 reports a decline of 6.9 per cent in bauxite production from 4,242 thousand tonnes in Q2 2019 to 3,948 thousand tonnes. In the first nine months of the year, the company, as per the report, produced 12,021 thousand tonnes of bauxite, compared with 10,128 thousand tonnes during the same period last year. This means the bauxite output grew 18.7 per cent year-on-year in the nine months of 2019. The production of alumina also grew in the third quarter of the year from 1,918 thousand tonnes in Q2 2019 to 1,957 thousand tonnes in Q3 2019, up 2.1 per cent quarter-on-quarter. With this, the total production in the nine months of 2019 amounted to 5,808 thousand tonnes, up 0.1 per cent from 5,816 thousand tonnes in the same period last year....
Rusal’s aluminium sales increased by 0.8% QoQ in Q3 2019 and production rose by 0.4%
United Company Rusal has reportedly announced its third-quarter result, which reveals only a small quarterly rise in aluminium sales, pressured by a weak metal market. Compared to the second quarter 2019, Rusal’s aluminium sales in the third quarter ended on September 30 increased by 0.8 per cent to amount to 1,091 thousand tonnes, while the production totalled at 942 thousand tonnes, up 0.4 per cent quarter-on-quarter. In Q2 2019, the sales were at 1,082 thousand tonnes and the production at 938 thousand tonnes. Rusal’s total sales of aluminium in the first nine months of the year clocked at 3,069 thousand tonnes, up 9.8 per cent from 2,794 thousand tonnes in the same period last year. But the production in the nine months remained flat at 2,809 thousand tonnes, compared with 2,810...
A00 aluminium ingot price in China remains restrained and so the input costs
Followed by the rise in the last two days, the A00 aluminium ingot price today, on October 25, has decided to end the week with restraint, as found by Shanghai Metals Market. The price has continued to remain at RMB 13,990 per tonne, with average expected prices to range between RMB 13,970 per tonne and RMB 14,010 per tonne. The spot contract is likely to be traded at a premium price of RMB 80-120 per tonne, according to SMM data. However, in many cities in China, the ingot price has recorded a drop. For instance, in Wuxi, Shenyang, Foshan, and Tianjin, the ingot price has inched down by RMB 15 per tonne and RMB 10 per tonne to stand at RMB 13,985 per tonne, RMB 13,945 per tonne, RMB 13,930 per tonne, and RMB 13,960 per tonne, respectively. In Hangzhou, Chongqing, and Gongyi, the price...
Rimowa adds two bright hues of suitcases to its Original aluminium collection
The German luggage manufacturer Rimowa never fails to mesmerise its patrons with its quirky innovation, and this time a bunch of colourful suitcases added to its Original aluminium collection. Inspired by the bright feathers of the scarlet ibis bird of Colombia’s and Venezuela’s tropical grasslands, and the vivid blue of the Mediterranean Sea, Rimowa’s new Original aluminium collection is now available in two fresh hues – scarlet and marine. The new line is made in the same way as Rimowa’s silver version, using a combination of anodising processes to inject directly into the suitcase’s skin to yield a result that is rich and metallic. The new shades are available in cabin, check-in and trunk plus sizes starting at all Rimowa stores. The price tag they carry is HK$8,350 (US$1,064). The...
Proposed strike by engineering workers at Aughinish Alumina refinery suspended
A proposed strike by engineering workers at Aughinish Alumina refinery, which was due to take place this week, has been temporarily stopped, as the dispute is referred to the Labour Court. The suspension notice came after High Court proceedings, initiated by Murphy International Ltd (MIL) against the trade union Unite, got settled following out of court talks between the parties. MIL had filed a lawsuit in the Republic of Ireland’s High Court late last week to prevent the strike, which the company claimed could result in the cessation of the refinery. MIL secured permission to serve short notice of proceedings against Unite. The injunction application was due to be heard by the High Court today. Meanwhile, out of court talks between the legal teams from both sides resulted in the...
Further decline in primary aluminium inventories by 34,000t lifts A00 aluminium ingot price in China
Social inventories of primary aluminium have further extended decline this week, marking the second consecutive week-on-week fall, found Shanghai Metals Market. Data shows the stocks across eight major consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, decreased by 34,000 tonnes from a week ago to stand at 882,000 tonnes, as of Thursday, October 24. The below chart indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories across China in more details: October 10 was the last day when the social inventories of primary aluminium had increased in China by 8,000 tonnes on greater cargo arrival. Post that, the inventories started recording incessant drops. On last Thursday, October 17, they declined by 61,000 tonnes to come in at 916,000 tonnes. This shows the decline was higher last...
