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.
Argentine aluminium producer Aluar starts a 50.4 MW wind park
Argentina-based aluminium producer Aluar Aluminio Argentino SAIC reportedly switched on a 50.4-MW wind park last week, located in the local province of Chubut. The wind park is named as Parque Ecolico Aluar and covers an area of 14,000 hectares. It has 14 wind turbines – all supplied by Vestas Wind Systems A/S. Vestas Wind Systems A/S is a Danish manufacturer, seller, installer, and servicer of wind turbines. The wind park is expected to generate enough power to meet the demand of more than 700,000 homes. But that will be possible only after it obtains approval from the Argentine wholesale power market administrator Cammesa to commence commercial operations. Parque Ecolico Aluar is just the first of a three-stage wind cluster. The second phase, comprised of 17 wind turbines with a...
Partnership between GB Railfreight and Liberty British Aluminium extends for 3 more years
GB Railfreight announced that they would be continuing their successful partnership with Liberty British Aluminium. Both the companies have agreed to extend their contract for the next three years. According to the extended contract, GBRf class 66 locomotives will bring alumina for Liberty British Aluminium from North Blyth to Fort William six days a week. The service enables the delivery of critical supplies to an industry which is not only central to the West Highlands, but the Scottish economy as a whole. John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight, said: “We are delighted to see the extension of this historic relationship between GB Railfreight and Liberty British Aluminium. The move will ensure the continuation of rail freight on the West Highland line. Our ambition at GBRf is to...
Spot aluminium trades improved on active participation of downstream consumers
On Thursday morning, February 21, spot aluminium trades across east China increased from the previous day, found Shanghai Metals Market. Most downstream consumers returned after the middle of the first lunar month and started active trading in the spot aluminium market, resulting in improved trades. In Shanghai and Wuxi, spot deals mostly occurred at RMB 13,420 per tonne to RMB 13,440 per tonne while in Hangzhou at RMB 13,410 per tonne to RMB 13,430 per tonne. Traded prices were up more than RMB 40 per tonne from the previous morning. The front-month aluminium contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange also inched up from the previous day. In Shanghai, spot discounts were heard at RMB 60 per tonne to RMB 50 per tonne against the SHFE March contract, slightly narrower than RMB 70 per tonne...
India’s estimated alumina imports from Australia and Vietnam grow YoY in 2018
According to the global export-import data, India’s estimated aluminium imports from Australia and Vietnam in 2018 grew year-on-year in tandem with the rise of the country’s total alumina imports. In 2017, India had imported 1.50 million tonnes of alumina from Australia and 339,459 tonnes from Vietnam, which in 2018 increased to 1.64 million tonnes and 697,770 tonnes respectively. This marks a growth of 9.3 per cent in India’s alumina imports from Australia and 106 per cent from Vietnam. In 2016, on the other hand, India’s alumina imports from Australia had pegged at 1.01 million tonnes and from Vietnam 174,779 tonnes. This indicates India’s alumina imports from Australia and Vietnam grew 49 per cent and 94 per cent respectively in 2017. {newsStudioGallery} According to a report from...
Residents at bauxite-mining areas in Kuantan under constant health examination: Says health minister
Malaysia health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad reported that his ministry is constantly monitoring the health of residents who live around bauxite-mining areas near Kuantan. He said the monitoring is carried out by obtaining regular health reports from various health and medical facilities in the area. “We monitor through case statistics, such as respiratory infections in clinics. We check whether there has been a significant increase in the problem. We also monitor the quality of fresh water and fruits, looking for traces of heavy metals in them,” Dzulkefly Ahmad told a media conference at the ministry. He continued, “We want to ensure that the people do not suffer as a result of bauxite-mining activities,” while adding that the matter was also brought up at the Cabinet meeting. All activities...
Chinese A00 aluminium ingot price continues to grow while input costs decide to show restraint
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the A00 aluminium ingot price records a rise yet again on February 21, 2019, Shanghai Metals Market found. From RMB 13,390 per tonne, as of February 20, the price today has increased by RMB 40 per tonne to RMB 13,430 per tonne. With this rise today, the A00 aluminium ingot crosses its highest price so far this month of RMB 13,410 per tonne. The average prices today are expected to range between RMB 13,410 per tonne to RMB 13,450 per tonne, with spot discounts to settle at RMB 70 per tonne to RMB 30 per tonne. In the east (Wuxi and Hangzhou), the ingot price has grown by RMB 45 per tonne and RMB 30 per tonne to stand at RMB 13,430 per tonne and RMB 13,420 per tonne respectively. In the south and north, on the other hand, the ingot price has increased by...
EU vows to retaliate if US auto tariffs come into effect: says European Commission
Soon after the US Commerce Department filed a report on Monday, February 18, empowering President Donald Trump to impose imported car tariffs within the next 90 days, the European Union responded and vowed to retaliate, reported a European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas. He specifically told a news briefing in Brussels "Were this report translated into action detrimental to European exports, the European Commission would react in a swift and adequate manner." German Chancellor Angela Merkel labelled as “frightening” the prospect that this report could label European car imports as a national security threat to the US, enabling the tariffs. The Trump administration had threatened to impose 25 per cent duties on European cars, especially targeting Germany, because he feels that the...
Spot aluminium trades in east China were brisk yesterday on lowered aluminium prices
Shanghai Metals Market found enthusiastic sentiment across spot aluminium traders on Tuesday morning, February 19, in east China markets, as downstream consumers returned normal production and aluminium prices declined after four consecutive days of rising. Thus, the trades were brisk. Spot deals mostly occurred at RMB 13,340 per tonne to RMB 13,360 per tonne in Shanghai and Wuxi, and at RMB 13,350 per tonne to RMB 13,360 per tonne in Hangzhou, SMM research found. Traded prices were down more than RMB 30 per tonne from the previous morning. In Shanghai, spot discounts were at RMB 70 per tonne to RMB 60 per tonne against the SHFE March contract. This was slightly wider compared with Monday morning’s spot discounts at RMB 60 per tonne to RMB 50 per tonne. This could be attributed to...
Operating rates across Chinese aluminium extrusion manufacturers lower in January 2019
Shanghai Metals Market research found that operating rates across some 50 Chinese extrusion manufacturers in January dropped on an incessant weak demand from the construction extrusion sector. Surveyed extrusion manufacturers in the said month operated at 49.02 per cent, month-on-month down by 5.67 percentage points, but up 1.12 percentage points year-on-year. The operating rate for construction extrusion, on the other hand, registered 47.23 per cent, down from a high of 63.69 per cent in June 2018. The operating rate for industrial extrusion also edged down, but in a limited range because of the stable demand from aluminium formwork and solar industry. From 59.77 per cent in December, the rate dropped to 58.75 per cent in January. Operating rates across large manufacturers with an...
Chinese A00 aluminium ingot price grows RMB40/t; Yunnan Aluminium to commission 100K tonnes of capacity
After an intermittent plunge yesterday from RMB 13,410 per tonne to RMB 13,350 per tonne, the A00 aluminium ingot price has once again recorded a rise today, on February 20, to RMB 13,390 per tonne. This marks a growth of RMB 40 per tonne, according to Shanghai Metals Market. But due to the fall yesterday, the ingot price failed to continue at its highest point of this month RMB 13,410 per tonne. Today’s price is same as it was on 31 st of January. The average prices today are expected to range between RMB 13,370 per tonne and RMB 13,410 per tonne, with spot discounts to settle at RMB 70 per tonne to RMB 30 per tonne. In the east (Wuxi and Hangzhou), the A00 aluminium ingot price has grown by RMB 35 per tonne to reach at RMB 13,385 per tonne and RMB 13,390 per tonne respectively. The...
Poor downstream orders, CNY breaks weigh on secondary aluminium plants operating rates: SMM
According to Shanghai Metals Market, operating rates at Chinese secondary aluminium producers averaged 54.84 per cent in January 2019, down month-on-month by 2.37 percentage points and year-on-year by 10.2 percentage points. Poor orders from downstream aluminium sector in January was one of the reasons for this bearish sentiment across secondary aluminium plants that even drove them into production cuts. Earlier-than-usual suspension before the Chinese New Year break at medium and small-sized secondary mills also took a toll on the overall operating rate, observed Shanghai Metals Market. SMM data shows that operating rate across domestic secondary aluminium plants may become lower in February, due to CNY closures. While large secondary mills mostly closed for seven days over CNY, most...
Rusal in talks with western companies to resume reinsurance: Source says
Since when the United States lifted sanctions on Rusal, the company got engaged in talks with Western Companies to resume reinsurance, said Russian National Reinsurance (RNRC) officials. US President Donald Trump’s administration lifted sanctions on Rusal and other core assets of Oleg Deripaska on January 28. Rusal’s talks with reinsurers indicate the company’s return to normal operations. Natalia Karpova, deputy chief executive RNRC, told reporters on Monday, February 18, that Rusal is now corresponding with western reinsurers for getting them back on board and sharing the aluminium company’s risks after sanctions been lifted. The names of the western reinsurers are not revealed, however. According to two sources familiar with the matter, Ingosstrakh, Rusal’s primary insurer, had been...
UK’s 2018 aluminium foil import from Germany sees YoY growth despite fall in total import volume
Aluminium foil has made an essential part of flexible packaging and container applications along with its use in automotive and heat exchange components, insulation material and other industrial applications. Its use is witnessing a year-on-year growth across the world owing to characteristics like strength, formability, and barrier properties. {newsStudioGallery} In Europe, as flexible packaging market is expected to grow from $28.22 billion in 2016 to $ 41 billion by the end of 2021 at a CAGR of 7.76%, the United Kingdom emerges as a large consumer of aluminium foils. But according to our third-party data, the country’s estimated aluminium foil import saw a plunge in the last two years. In 2018, the UK’s foil import volume was approximately at 96,392 tonnes, a tad lower from 96,586...
Trimet installs new furnace for expanding recycling capacity
German aluminium producer Trimet said that it installed a new rotary furnace on February 15 at its Gelsenkirchen plant in West Germany for expanding the group’s recycling capacity. The furnace is able to melt up to 200 tonnes of aluminium scrap every day and load up to 40 tonnes. The firm after the installation of the new furnace said the expansion is significant but did not specify the exact size of the capacity increase. Trimet operates three recycling facilities in Germany - at Gelsenkirchen, Harzgerode, and Essen. Combining all, the group's recycling capacity was at 250,000 tonnes in the last financial year ending on June 30, 2018. "Around 90pc of the aluminium in circulation is recycled, and the total quantity of recycled light metal continues to increase as a result of increasing...
Glencore to take delivery of 200K tonnes of aluminium from ISTIM in Port Klang, Malaysia
Anglo-Swiss mining company Glencore will reportedly take delivery of 200,000 tonnes of aluminium, which they had purchased on the London Metal Exchange, from warehouses owned by ISTIM UK in Port Klang, Malaysia. The news came when five sources familiar with the matter revealed the fact. According to the sources, Glencore wants the metal for delivery as a direct challenge to ISTIM, since the latter is preventing companies from taking LME-warranted metal when needed from its warehouses in Port Klang. But the company says it wants the aluminium because it needs to delivery to the clients. Sources said Glencore bought more than 1 million tonnes from Russia’s Rusal last year and took the bulk of production from Century Aluminium. Including all this, Glencore’s agreements to buy aluminium from...
US receives report for triggering auto tariffs from Commerce Department
On Sunday, February 17, the United States President reportedly received a report from the Commerce Department that said the US could trigger auto tariffs on imported cars and car parts and intensify tensions with Europe. Much detail about the report is not known yet, as Reuters confirmed that a department spokeswoman refused to disclose any details of the Section 232 national security report submitted to Trump by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. The disclosure of the submission came less than two hours before the end of a 270-day deadline. Trump has now 90 days to decide whether to act upon the recommendations. Auto industry officials expect at least some tariffs to be included on fully assembled vehicles or on technologies and components related to electric, automated, connected and...
Bauxite miners disregard government regulation and continue mining operations in Riau Islands, Indonesia
According to a recent report, unlicensed mining of bauxite is still found continuing on the islands of Angkut, Dendang and Bukit Bati in Bintan, Riau Islands, despite a government call to end the activities. "I do not know why they still continue to mine the bauxite,” said the head of Bintan and Tanjungpinang’s forest management and production department on Sunday. He also said bauxite mining sites in Bukit Batu are located close to the Bintan district administration office, while workers of mining firm CV Gemilang used the main road to transport bauxite to the port and sell it to PT Gunung Bintan Abadi. Per the regulation, no bauxite mining trucks are allowed to use public road to transport bauxite. Earlier, Environment and Forect Ministry forest preservation director Sustyo Iriyono had...
Sweden’s aluminium scrap export to drop YoY in 2019; Germany to continue as leading purchaser
According to the global export-import data, Sweden’s aluminium scrap export is estimated to extend its plunge even this year. From 127,018 tonnes of export in 2018, Sweden in 2019 is likely to ship 124,719 tonnes in total, down 2 per cent. This would mark the second consecutive year of plunge in aluminium scrap export from Sweden, as because in 2018, the country’s export had pegged at 127,018 tonnes after plunging from 130,249 tonnes in 2017. {newsStudioGallery} Germany is the country where Sweden exports the maximum amount of aluminium scrap. But in tandem with the year-on-year drop, Sweden this year is expected to ship a lesser amount of aluminium scrap to Germany. In the year last, Sweden had shipped around 54,416 tonnes while this year it is estimated to export 54,069 tonnes. In 2017,...
