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.
Aughinish Alumina’s pre-tax profits in 2018 shrank YoY despite a 15% growth in revenues
A recent report shows the revenues of Aughinish Alumina refinery in 2018, ended on December 31, increased by 15 per cent over the year to stand at $757.1 million (€684 million) in spite of the US Treasury sanctions imposed on Aughinish’s parent company Rusal. During the time of the sanctions, the US treasury department had permitted the Rusal group to continue operating at Aughinish Alumina by issuing it with a number of general licenses. But despite the higher revenues, pre-tax profits of the company decreased by 19 per cent to $40.9 million in 2018, primary because of the increased operating costs by about 18 per cent from $606.53 million in 2017 to $715.2 million. Staff costs also grew from $52.8 million to $57 million that includes directors’ remuneration of $1.36 million. Directors...
A00 aluminium ingot price records a slight rise today after two significant declines; Input costs remain restrained
After the two significant declines by RMB 150 per tonne and RMB 70 per tonne on September 16 and September 17, the A00 aluminium ingot price has recorded a slight rise today, on September 18, by RMB 10 per tonne to stand at RMB 14,340 per tonne, found Shanghai Metals Market. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 14,320 per tonne and RMB 14,360 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a discount price of RMB 10-50 per tonne. In Foshan and Tianjin, the A00 aluminium ingot price has registered the highest rise of RMB 30 per tonne to hover at RMB 14,380 per tonne and RMB 14,350 per tonne, followed by Chongqing and Gongyi where the ingot price has increased by RMB 20 per tonne and RMB 15 per tonne to RMB 14,370 per tonne and RMB 14,225 per tonne. In other cities like Linyi,...
Chery to build production plant in China for electric light commercial vehicles
According to a recent report, Chinese automotive manufacturer Chery, in association with German electric vehicle producer Steatscooter, will build a production plant for manufacturing electric light commercial vehicles for postal and parcel transport use. As per the report, both Chery and Streatscooter will invest 500 million euros to build the plant in China, with an output capacity of 100,000 units per year. 2021 is the estimated time for the plant to be launched. Chery is one of the earliest new energy vehicle (NEV) producers in China. In 2018, it sold 60,000 NEVs, ranking behind BAIC Motor and BYD Auto. In 2020, it aims to produce 200,000 units. Data from China Industry Association showed the country’s production of new energy vehicles during January-August rose by 31.6 per cent over...
Satish Pai sees 2019 as a tough year for metals market: Source says
According a recent report, Hindalco managing director Mr. Satish Pai said in an interview that he believed the ongoing year (2019) to be a tough year for metals and commodities, with the US and China showing no sign of easing trade tensions. He pointed out the US-China trade wars which were expected to be sorted by the second half of the year did not yet happen, resulting in no growth in worldwide demand for metals. Commenting on the one-time plastic ban and aluminium being a better option, he said: “We took people from the Brazilian government to meet Niti Aayog on this topic because Brazil is a country that recycles a lot of more aluminium from cans and metals in general than this.” “Many countries in the world have started to ban single-use plastic and in general plastic in the forms...
UAE’s alumina imports from India to drop by 1% from the year ago, but from Indonesia to rise 8.4%
According to the global export-import data, the United Arab Emirates’ alumina imports from India is likely to drop marginally this year, in tandem with the current estimation of year-on-year decline in the UAE’s total imports of alumina. In 2019, the country’s alumina imports from India are estimated to come in at 607,085 tonnes, down 1 per cent year-on-year. The country’s total alumina imports are currently estimated to decline by about 4 per cent from 1.03 million tonnes in 2018 to 986,118 tonnes in 2019. But as far as the UAE’s alumina imports from Indonesia are concerned, the volume is estimated to grow this year by around 8.4 per cent to 296,168 tonnes. {newsStudioGallery} As the above graph shows, the United Arab Emirates’ alumina imports from India had even dropped in 2018 from...
A-Tech Australia to build aluminium components factory at former Electrolux site
A-Tech Australia, a leading supplier, manufacturer and installer of aluminium for Sydney’s urban landscape, has reportedly placed a plan with Orange City Council to redevelop the former Electrolux site for starting an aluminium factory. Under the proposal, A-Tech will locally produce aluminium components for the building industry, including windows, doors, curtain walls, facades, pergolas, and skylights, by investing around $30 million. “Currently around two-thirds of the local aluminium market (worth $832 million a year) is met by imports from China and Vietnam,” said A-Tech Australia CEO, Charlie Ibrahim. He also said, “By boosting the local aluminium manufacturing industry, home-grown businesses can substitute a significant proportion of these imports with locally-made products.” The...
Aluminium cans recycling rates in the US outperform plastic and glass bottles, reports Aluminium Association
A report from the Aluminium Association and the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) showed early last week that aluminium cans outperformed other competitive packaging types and materials based on several sustainability metrics. The report - “The Aluminium Can Advantage: Key Sustainability Performance Indicators 2019” revealed that aluminium cans were recycled nearly double the rate of glass or plastic bottles. While the consumer recycling rates of plastic bottle came in at 29.2 per cent and glass bottle at 26.4 per cent, the recycling rates of aluminium cans stood at 49.8 per cent. The average recycled content for an aluminium can produced also rose from 70 per cent to 73 per cent in the United States, compared to 23 percent for glass and 3 percent for plastic. As a result, the value of...
EGA publishes second annual Sustainability Report in accordance with ASI Performance Standards
After the first annual Sustainability Report last year for 2014, Emirates Global Aluminium has published its second report on September 15, with details of EGA’s management approach and sustainability performance at its operations and projects in both the UAE and Guinea for 2018. EGA has reportedly followed the Global Reporting Initiative Standards, the international benchmark for the public disclosure of economic, and environmental and societal performance while preparing its Sustainability Report. The report also meets the reporting and disclosure requirements set by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative Performance Standards, which define environmental, social, and governance performance standards for sustainability issues specific to the aluminium value chain. EGA was the first Middle...
Primary aluminium inventories grow by 6,000 tonnes after three weeks of decline
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the social inventories of primary aluminium in China have increased over the weekend as stocks across eight major consumption areas, including SHFE warrants, have grown by 6,000 tonnes from Thursday, September 12. The inventories are thus standing at 978,000 tonnes as of Monday, September 16. Week-on-week, the inventories have increased by 14,000 tonnes as stocks on last Monday, September 9, were at 992,000 tonnes. The chart below shows the current status of primary aluminium in China in more details: The primary aluminium stocks in Gongyi, Henan; Hangzhou, Zhejiang; and Chongqing have grown by 5,000 tonnes, 2,000 tonnes, and 3,000 tonnes to 86,000 tonnes, 53,000 tonnes, and 20,000 tonnes respectively. In many other cities like Nanhai, Guangdong,...
Week-long alumina price restraint ends with a growth of RMB22/t; A00 aluminium ingot price declines significantly
After remaining restrained at RMB 2,547 per tonne from September 6-12, the average spot price of alumina has recorded a growth of RMB 22 per tonne today, on September 16, to stand at RMB 2,569 per tonne, found Shanghai Metals Market. Witnessing the highest rise the alumina spot price in the north has grown by RMB 30 per tonne to RMB 2,590 per tonne. In the east and central, the price has increased by RMB 20 per tonne, on the other hand, to stand at RMB 2,570 per tonne, while that in the south is standing at RMB 2,510 per tonne after climbing up by RMB 5 per tonne. The Australian alumina FOB price has remained muted at US$ 293 per tonne since September 11, according to Shanghai Metals Market data. Among the other input costs, the price of aluminium powder has recorded a decline by RMB 0.10...
Alba certified to ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management System Standard
According to a recent report, Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C (Alba), soon to be the world’s largest aluminium smelter with Line 6, has been certified to the ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management System standard. The ISO 27001 is an international standard that sets out the requirements for an Information Security Management System (ISMS). To achieve this certification, a company requires demonstrating a systematic and ongoing approach to managing security risks to the company’s information systems. Speaking about receiving the certification, Alba’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Ali Al Baqali said: “As we progress to become the world’s largest aluminium smelter, we want to assure our stakeholders – shareholders, clients, and suppliers – that we are fully committed to the security of our...
MX3D builds lightweight aluminium bicycle frame using WAAM technology
MX3D, the Netherlands, has reportedly built a lightweight aluminium bicycle frame – the Arc Bike II by using Wire-Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) technology. This is the second WAAM bike frame produced at MX3D, following the production of a stainless steel frame designed by the students of TU Delft. To make the aluminium bike frame design tailor fit to the proportions of the rider’s body, MX3D team has used generative design software. The design was then translated by MX3D’s proprietary software into instructions for its robotic welding arm, allowing the frame to be built with twenty-four hours. Then a smart fixture set-up was developed which would allow any custom WAAM frame to be prepared easily for riding. According to MX3D, their new aluminium bicycle frame is one of many structures...
US aluminium scrap imports dropped 10.31% Y-o-Y in H1 2019; Imports in June declined by 3.38% M-o-M
According to the data shared by US Geological survey, the United States’ aluminium scrap imports in the first six months of 2019 came in at 313,000 tonnes, down 10.31 per cent from 349,000 tonnes in the same period last year. Let us here analyse the monthly trend of the United States’ aluminium scrap imports throughout the first half of 2019 {newsStudioGallery} As per the data of US Geological survey, the country’s imports in June stood at 54,200 tonnes, after recording a decline of 3.38 per cent month-on-month. In May, the imports were at 56,100 tonnes, up 5.64 per cent from 53,100 tonnes in April. As the graph above shows the United States’ aluminium scrap imports in April were also higher than the previous month because in March the country’s import volume was at 51,400 tonnes, which...
Faraday Institution to fund Nextrode project for developing electrode for Li-ion electric vehicle batteries
Oxford University’s Nextrode project that is researching ways to make electrode for Li-ion electric vehicle batteries more efficient has been reportedly chosen by the Faraday Institution. Faraday Institution is a research charity backed by the UK government. Last week, the institution announced that it would fund £55 million for five battery projects, in a bid to improve the technology that sits at the heart of electric vehicles. Today, Li-ion batteries are mostly made using a process called slurry casting, whereby the active materials are mixed in wet slurry and coated onto thin foils of aluminium or copper, then dried and compressed. This process is highly effective for mass production but involves a great cost to the manufacturer for being developed through trial and error. Also,...
YT introduces limited edition of CAPRA 29 with raw aluminium finish
After the runaway success of the limited raw edition of CAPRA 27.5 last year, YT has now launched CAPRA 29 limited edition, 100 per cent carbon free. This is the only CAPRA that runs a coil as stock, swapping out the Fox Float for a DHX2 with an SLS spring. Besides, it features raw aluminium finish and 170 mm of suspension travel. Also, it weighs extremely light with durable alloy components, which turn this enduro goat into a metal beast that feels most at home on the roughest tracks and in the bike park. This aggressive aluminium bike has also slackened off the head angle and seat tube angle by 0.5° down to 65° and 75.5° respectively, matching it to the geometry of the carbon versions. The claimed weight is 14.6 kg in medium size, which puts it 100 grams heavier than the standard Comp...
Primary aluminium inventories further decline by 34,000 tonnes week-on-week
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the social inventories of primary aluminium have again plunged this week ended on Thursday, September 12, as some regions have seen greater deliveries. SMM data shows the stocks across eight major consumption areas, including SHFE warrants, have decreased by 34,000 tonnes from a week ago to come in at 972,000 tonnes. On Monday, September 9, the inventories were at 992,000 tonnes after declining by 14,000 tonnes from last Thursday, September 5; so, the inventories today have dropped by 20,000 tonnes from that on September 9. The chart below shows the current status of primary aluminium inventories in more details: The above chart suggests that the primary aluminium inventories in Wuxi, Jiangsu have declined by 9,000 tonnes week-on-week to stand at...
Alcon shifts from glass bottles to Ball aluminium cans for its craft beer range BRAUS
Alcon has reportedly launched its craft beer range BRAUS in aluminium cans designed to offer a unique consumer experience and easy to sort and recycle. To maintain its position as a craft beer with a special taste and attitude, Alcon chose Ball’s leading HD technology for its cans that would reflect the personality of each flavour through the facial illustrations on the cans. Extending the appeal one step forward, Alcon has also added Augmented Reality (AR) technology to the cans. Shoppers can also download the BRAUS mobile application from the App Store or Google Play Store and then point their camera at the beer label to see and hear the portraits come to life. Nikita Volkov, marketing director for Alcon, commented: “With craft beer becoming increasingly popular in Russia, as well as...
A00 aluminium ingot price grows by RMB80/t and price of alloy (ADC12) by RMB50/t on limited supplies
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the A00 aluminium ingot price has further expanded its rise for the third day in a row by RMB 80 per tonne to RMB 14,550 per tonne, as of September 12. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 14,530 per tonne and RMB 14,570 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a discount price of RMB 10 per tonne to a premium price of RMB 30 per tonne. The incessant rise in A00 aluminium ingot price this week could be because of the tight supply of primary aluminium in the Chinese market due to low arrivals of stocks in inventories. Domestic production dropped, while commissioning of new or recovered capacity remained slow, resulting in limited availability in the market. The growth in ingot price today of RMB 80 per tonne has touched upon the...
