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.
JAG Berhad ends agreement to explore bauxite mining opportunities
JAG Berhad’s memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Empire Mining Sdn Bhd to jointly explore bauxite mining opportunities in Pulau Langkawi has been reportedly terminated. The group said in a filing today, "The MoU was terminated in view that the parties could not mutually agree on the terms of the transaction." JAG Berhad is an investment holding company, engages in the extraction, production, and refining of ferrous, non-ferrous, and precious metals through the recovery and reclamation of industrial and electronic waste in Malaysia, China, Japan, and internationally. In March, it had inked the MoU with Empire Mining Sdn Bhd with an intention to extract, process, and produce bauxite on the island. Both the companies had agreed to negotiate exclusively with each other for three months...
US metal tariffs taking toll on South African aluminium and steel products manufacturers
Trade Union Solidarity on Thursday, June 20, reportedly said that the United States aluminium and steel tariffs were hurting South African manufacturers. At the same time it said that ever since the Trump administration granted tariffs exemption to Canada and Mexico, South African exporters of aluminium and steel products came under severe pressure. That’s because the exemption resulted in cheaper prices for Canadian and Mexican aluminium and steel compared to the South African price, pointed out Marius Croucamp, Solidarity deputy general secretary. He particularly said, “These manufacturers find themselves in a dire situation because exports to the US are rapidly drying up. Factories have already started retrenching and it is possible that factories may close down.” He argued that the...
China’s new-vehicle market to remain sluggish in H2 2019 for new State 6 emissions standards
At the Shanghai auto show in April, most of the auto company executives had projected that China’s new-vehicle market would rebound in the second half of 2019. But their prediction seems to be not turning true with Beijing’s resolve to enforce stricter emissions rules and a reluctance to cut taxes on vehicle sales. The sales of new light-vehicles in May also stood low for the 11th straight month, falling 17 per cent to 1.56 million. The slowing Chinese economy, thanks to the US tariffs, is also one of the factors for which the new-vehicle market fails to resume growth. Another direct cause for the slump is the Increasing number of provinces set to adopt tougher vehicle emissions standards ahead of schedule. Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, and Tianjin, along with about two-thirds of the...
AMETEK to exhibit latest innovations in process surveillance on aluminium production at Aluminium China 2019
AMETEK Surface Vision will reportedly put its latest innovations on display at Aluminium China trade fair, which is to be held in Shanghai’s New International Expo Centre from July 10 to July 12. At the event, the team of AMETEK will exhibit the latest advancements in surface inspection monitoring and process surveillance in aluminium production. As a leading developer of software-enabled vision systems, AMETEK Surface Vision for over three years has been innovating highly-precise, real-time detection, and classification of metal defects, with its market-leading SmartView® surface inspection solution. AMETEK Surface Vision’s SmartView system examines the surface condition in almost the same way a person would do. The system studies the area and compares it against expectations and past...
Further decline of Chinese alumina spot price to RMB2963/t buoys price drop of aluminium ingot
The average spot price of alumina has further extended its fall today, June 21, to RMB 2,963 per tonne, found Shanghai Metals Market. Yesterday, on June 20, the price was at RMB 2,973 per tonne, which indicates that the price today has dropped by RMB 10 per tonne. This marks the second consecutive decline in alumina spot price after remaining restrained at RMB 2,979 per tonne from June 17 to June 19. In east, central, north, and south, the alumina spot price has declined by RMB 10 per tonne and standing at RMB 2,970 per tonne, RMB 2,980 per tonne, RMB 2,940 per tonne, and RMB 2,975 per tonne, respectively. The Australian alumina FOB price has registered a drop by RMB 8 per tonne to come in at US$330 per tonne, as of June 21. On the further downfall of alumina spot price, the A00 aluminium...
ASI issues certification to Hydro’s Paragominas bauxite mine and Alunorte alumina refinery
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative announced that it issued certification to Hydro’s Paragominas bauxite mine and Alunorte alumina refinery against the Performance Standards and the Chain of Custody Standard. The certification covers both the production sites and the alumina from Alunorte originating from Paragominas (or other ASI certified plants). This means Hydro’s certifications have been extended to cover the entire aluminium value chain – from mine to casthouse to extrusion and rolling business areas. John Thuestad, Executive Vice-President of Bauxite & Alumina in Hydro, said: “The ASI certification of Paragominas bauxite mine and Alunorte alumina refinery is an important milestone in our commitment and efforts to produce aluminium raw materials according to the highest industry...
Romania’s bauxite import to record slight dip in 2019 after three consecutive years of rise
According to the global export-import data, bauxite import by Romania is likely to drop 6 per cent year on year in 2019 to stand at 1.7 million tonnes. Until last year, the country’s bauxite import continued rising since 2016. From 986,348 tonnes in 2016, Romania’s bauxite import in 2017 rose to 1.3 million tonnes. This in 2018 increased further to 1.8 million tonnes. As a consequence of the drop in import volume, Romania’s import cost of bauxite is expected to dwindle as well in 2019. Compared to US$60 million in 2018, the import cost this year is likely to come in at US$59 million. In 2017, Romania’s bauxite import cost was at US$1.3 million, while in 2016 at US$35 million. This indicates that Romania’s bauxite import rose year on year from 2016 to 2018. The imported bauxite to Romania...
Inner Mongolia Mengtai Group starts construction of its high-end aluminium alloy project
China-based coal operation company Inner Mongolia Mengtai Group Co. Ltd. has reportedly started constructing its high-end aluminium alloy project, which will have a production capacity of 200,000 tonnes per year. The news came after local news media reported at Dalad Banner Economic Development Zone in Inner Mongolia on June 18. This is a subproject under Mengtai Group’s 900,000 tonnes per year aluminium plate and strip project. The total amount of investment required for this project is about RMB 2 billion. Phase-one capacity of the project is expected to come online in 2020, with a capacity of 100,000 tonnes. It is designed with eight melting and casting lines. With molten aluminium produced by the Group as feedstock, the subproject will produce high-end aluminium alloy materials that...
Aluminium billet inventories record W-o-W decline today by 2,200 tonnes
Followed by the increase in aluminium billet inventories last week on June 13, the inventories today, on June 20, have recorded a plunge in China due to fewer arrivals of deliveries at warehouses and moderate downstream consumption. Shanghai Metals Market data shows that the stocks of 6063 aluminium billet across five major consumption areas have shrunk by some 2,200 tonnes week on week to stand at 71,700 tonnes, as of June 20. On June 13, the inventories had rebounded to 73,900 tonnes after rising by some 10,800 tonnes on weak. As the above chart shows that among the major cities, Wuxi, Jiangsu; Huzhou, Zhejiang; and Nanchang, Jiangxi have witnessed declines in aluminium billet inventories from 9,300 tonnes to 8,500 tonnes, from 9,000 tonnes to 5,500 tonnes, and from 17,600 tonnes to...
New build 62-metre Sanlorenzo motor yacht featuring aluminium and steel sold
A new 61.87 Sanlorenzo motor yacht has been reportedly sold to the buyer introduced by Camper & Nicholsons International. The yacht is currently under construction with aluminium and steel by Italian yard Sanlorenzo to a design by Officina Italiana Design and Lloyds classed and is scheduled for delivery in 2021. The yacht comes with three interior layout options and two top deck profiles. One of the deck profiles offers a fully enclosed top deck with wheelhouse, creating a private owner’s deck below, and the other profile offers a more conventional arrangement with an open sun deck and an enclosable veranda under the mast. Besides, the yacht boasts an array of desirable lifestyle features the include a Jacuzzi plunge pool on the sun deck, a swimming pool on the main deck, a full beach...
Baosteel to start test production at its upcoming aluminium project in June 2020
China’s largest listed steel producer Baoshan Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. (Baosteel) will reportedly start test production at its upcoming aluminium project in Henan province from mid-2020. The first phase of Baosteel’s aluminium alloy casting and deep processing plant will have a capacity of 300,000 tonnes per year and around 6.14 billion yuan of investment will be required for the project, according to Sanmenxia City Urban and Rural Integration Demonstration Zone. Baosteel had earlier shared its strategic intention to diversify its business into the automotive aluminium sector. Last year, the company had even taken a stake in Nanjing Yunhai Special Metals, which also makes aluminium alloy. Per the report, the construction of the Baosteel’s aluminium plant is expected to be completed by June...
Rio Tinto temporarily suspends operations at its Gove bauxite mine for safety concerns
According to a recent report, the Anglo-Australian mining corporation, Rio Tinto, has temporarily suspended the operation at its Gove Operations bauxite mine last week after Electrical Trades Union (ETU) delegates discovered improper lighting condition at the ship loading facility. ETU Northern Territory organiser David Hayes said that on investigation they found inadequate lighting throughout the whole area and that was the reason why they asked Rio Tinto to stop loading the ship until the installation of new lightings. "It's absolutely extreme that we would have to go there with a company like Rio Tinto, who is a massive multinational organisation, who would put their workers in a high-risk work environment, and have them trudging around with no lights on, or very little lighting,"...
USA researchers reveal single-step technique to produce aluminium wire, rod and tube parts
According to a recent report, researchers at the USA’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has demonstrated a single-step production technique called ‘friction extrusion’ to produce aluminium wire, rod, and tube parts from aluminium powder. According to them, this would specially benefit the specialised aerospace applications, where cost is not a limiting factor. A typical process of producing wire, rod, and tube parts from aluminium powder involves a lot of energy and multiple steps, such as loose powder loaded into a can and gases removed using a vacuum, followed by the can to be sealed, hot pressed, pre-heated, and placed into the extrusion press and then the can to be removed to reveal the extruded part made from consolidated powder. But this new technique eliminates all these...
Glencore intends to acquire Bosnia’s aluminium smelter Aluminij
British–Swiss multinational commodity trading and mining company Glencore has reportedly shown interest in acquiring Bosnia’s aluminium smelter Aluminij Mostar. The news came after Glencore’s general manager said this on Monday, June 17. Bosnia’s Aluminij has been in trouble for years and therefore, seeking a strategic partner who can protect it from bankruptcy. The company accumulated heavy debt over the years because of high alumina and electricity prices. The situation further worsened when Bosnian power utility Elektroprivreda HZHB prepared to cut electricity supplies to Aluminij on June 16 due to unpaid debts. Aluminij’s total debt is at 377 million Bosnian marka, of which 280 million marka is owed to the state utility Elektroprivreda HZHB. However, news wire Klix.ba reported on...
Nalco CMD receives ‘Global Indian Business Leader’ award
For outstanding financial and production achievements over the past four years, the CMD of National Aluminium Company Limited, Dr. Tapan Kumar Chand, has been honoured with the ‘Global Indian Business Leader’ award on June 17, 2019. On behalf of Dr. Chand, Nalco DGM (Corporate Communication) Asutosh Rath received the award in New Delhi. Based on Dalal Street Journal’s rating of Nalco as the fastest growing PSU in the last five years, the award ceremony organised by the Indian Achievers’ Forum acknowledged Dr. Chand for leading the company in growth path and achieving the global benchmark of the lowest-cost producer of bauxite and alumina in the world. Since July 2015 when Dr. Chand joined Nalco as CMD, the company had been consistently delivering across all parameters of production,...
Aluminium producers seek import hike and rational raw materials cost
Ahead of the budget, aluminium producers in India have reportedly urged the government to increase import duty on primary aluminium, aluminium scrap, and downstream products. Besides, they have also sought steps from the government to rationalise the costs of raw materials. Industry bodies such as the Aluminium Association of India (AAI) and FICCI have made the government aware of the fact that the rising aluminium imports, declining domestic market share, and rising production and logistic costs have taken a toll on the country's metal industry. Moreover, non-competitive energy costs and acute coal shortage are being found hitting the industry adversely, said Rahul Sharma, co-chairman of FICCI Committee on Mining and Minerals, in a press statement. He also pointed out that the lack of...
Chinese A00 aluminium ingot price extends fall by RMB80/t; Aluminium alloy (A356) declines by RMB100/t
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the A00 aluminium ingot price has extended its fall today, June 18, by RMB 80 per tonne to stand at RMB 13,850 per tonne. This is the fourth consecutive fall after a slight rise on June 12 from RMB 14,070 per tonne to RMB 14,080 per tonne. The average prices today are expected to range between RMB 13,830 per tonne and RMB 13,870 per tonne. Spot aluminium contract is likely to be traded at a premium of RMB 40 per tonne. Foshan has seen a major drop among all other cities in China, as the price there has declined by RMB 90 per tonne to stand at RMB 13,920 per tonne, followed by Tianjin and Gongyi, where the price has inched down by RMB 60 per tonne to RMB 13,880 per tonne and RMB 13,785 per tonne respectively. Hangzhou, Wuxi, Chongqing, and Shenyang have...
EGA achieves cost savings of AED20.8 million in H1 2019 through its ‘Suggestion Scheme’
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) reportedly announced yesterday, June 16 that it achieved cost savings of AED20.8 million through suggestion scheme in the first half of 2019. The EGA suggestion scheme first came into effect in May 1981 with the intention of involving the most valuable asset of an organisation – the employees. Getting their ideas and gaining their involvements are the two main vision of this scheme. Since January 2019, EGA employees have given over 14,000 ideas to reduce costs and improve processes at worksites. During the Holy Month of Ramadan, the company launched another campaign to accelerate the implementation of the employees' suggestions and award them. Around 5,812 suggestions were implemented during the Holy month. Abdulla Kalban, the Managing Director and CEO of...
