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.
China’s aluminium extrusion exports inflate by 35.36% Y-o-Y during January-February 2024
According to China customs data, domestic aluminium extrusion exports from January to February 2024 totalled 170,900 tonnes, reflecting a month-on-month increase of 3.26 per cent and a year-on-year hike of 35.36 per cent. The export volume stood at 108,300 tonnes and 62,000 tonnes in individual months. The export in January encountered a month-on-month increase of 21.86 per cent and a year-on-year rise of 23.55 per cent, and the export in February decreased by 42.14 per cent M-o-M but hiked by 62.15 per cent Y-o-Y. The general downtrend in China’s aluminium extrusion exports during February of every year could be attributed to the traditional domestic peak season, which turns into increased consumption of aluminium products within China. There was no major change in the list of export...
Jindal Aluminium upgrades its Bhiwadi extrusion plant with cutting-edge production techniques, investing INR 300 crores
Jindal Aluminium Limited, India’s largest extrusion company, has transformed its Bhiwadi plant into a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility with a recent investment of around INR 300 crores. Jindal has reportedly deployed cutting-edge production techniques to ensure production efficiency at the plant. Two years ago, Jindal Aluminium acquired the Bhiwadi assets from Indo Alusys Industries Limited for INR 100 crore. This valuable acquisition has increased Jindal’s aluminium extrusion capacity by 40 per cent to 1,50,000 tonnes per annum. Initially, this plant started with a monthly production of 500 tonnes, and now it produces 2,500 tonnes of engineered aluminium every month. Thanks to the addition of a new foundry, extrusion presses, heat treatment, and surface treatment facilities over a...
February 2024: World primary aluminium production manifests a growing trend, marking an increase for the back-to-back year
According to the International Aluminium Institute survey, world primary aluminium production in February 2024 (29 calendar days) amounted to 5.554 million tonnes, experiencing a decline of 8.35 per cent from 6.06 million tonnes in January. However, on a year-on-year basis, the world primary aluminium output in February edged an increase of 4.12 per cent from 5.334 million tonnes. Also, the combined production in January and February stood year-on-year higher by 3.31 per cent, from 11.234 million tonnes to 11.606 million tonnes. Since the last year, world primary aluminium production has shown a steady growth in February. The output in February 2023 encountered a hike of 2.95 per cent from 5.181 million tonnes to 5.334 million tonnes. The average daily primary aluminium production in...
China’s A00 aluminium ingot price accumulates RMB100/t overnight; Low-carbon aluminium price inflates by 0.70%
According to the Shanghai Metals Market survey, China’s domestic A00 aluminium ingot price has built up by RMB 100 per tonne overnight to stand at RMB 19,340 per tonne on Thursday, March 21. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 19,320 per tonne and RMB 19,360 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a discount price of RMB 80-40 per tonne. On a week-on-week calculation, the ingot price today has reflected an increase of RMB 80 per tonne or 0.42 per cent from RMB 19,260 per tonne , found the Shanghai Metals Market. In Foshan, Wuxi, and Linyi, A00 aluminium ingot price has increased by RMB 100 per tonne to stand at RMB 19,300 per tonne, RMB 19,330 per tonne, and RMB 19,290 per tonne, respectively, followed by the rise of RMB 90 per tonne in Hangzhou and Gongyi to RMB...
Huafeng Aluminum Industry Co., Ltd. acquires ASI dual certification for plate, strip and foil blank manufacturing
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has granted dual certification to Huafeng Aluminum Industry Co., Ltd., a facility of Jiangsu Zhongji Lamination Materials Co., Ltd., for the manufacture of aluminium plate, strip and foil blanks. On Tuesday, March 19, Huafeng Aluminum Industry Co., Ltd. acquired both Performance Standard V3 (2022) and Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard V2 (2022) certification. The facility has an annual production capacity of 50,000 tonnes of aluminium plate, strip and foil blanks, which are particularly used in aluminium foil production and other downstream applications. The ASI certification programme was developed through an extensive multi-stakeholder consultation process and is the only comprehensive voluntary sustainability standard initiative for the aluminium value...
Vedanta revises its aluminium prices twice in three days; finally trims the ingot price by INR1750/t
Vedanta Limited has revised its aluminium prices twice in only three days this week. On Tuesday, March 19, 2024, Vedanta increased its aluminium selling prices in line with the LME aluminium price growth on the two previous days, and on March 20, it cut the prices in response to the LME price change. On Tuesday, March 19, Vedanta Limited added INR 1,750 per tonne to its aluminium ingot and product prices in tandem with the LME aluminium price hike by US$19.50 per tonne in two days, during March 15-18. Thus, Vedanta’s aluminium ingot price came in at INR 217,250-223,200 per tonne, and Vedanta’s aluminium billet and wire rod prices stood at INR 224,500 per tonne and INR 224,000-231,500 per tonne, as of Tuesday, March 19. However, soon the next day, Vedanta extracted the same amount of INR...
Vista Metals to invest $60 million in building a new aluminium casting facility in Ohio
Vista Metals, a market leader in the manufacturing of speciality aluminium products, is reportedly investing $60 million in a new aluminium casting facility in Bowling Green, Ohio, Kentucky, to strengthen its position as a manufacturer and supplier of speciality aluminium products in the US market. Vista Metals’ aluminium products are primarily used for manufacturing seamless rolled rings, closed die forgings, and open die forgings for the aerospace, defense, industrial, and other industries. As per the report, the company has started the initial site preparation and will soon commence the phase-wise construction. With this new investment, the company hopes to create more than 50 well-paying full-time jobs in Bowling Green. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said: “The growth of Kentucky’s...
Kevin Person from Wagstaff Inc., a Washinton-based aluminium casting technology provider, will retire as CEO
On March 19, Wagstaff Inc., a Spokane, Washington-based machinery, technology and service company that enables aluminium producers to transform molten aluminium into solid shapes using ‘direct chill casting’, announced that its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kevin Person, would retire on March 29, 2024. The company also said that its current Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Steve Anderson, would succeed Kevin Person and serve as the new CEO. Kevin Person is a well-known personality in the aluminium manufacturing sector in Spokane for about a half century. Before serving Wagstaff for 25 years, he was associated with Kaiser Aluminum for 21 years. During his tenure in Wagstaff, Person held the titles of Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Application Engineering Manager. Under...
European Aluminium suggests ban on Russia-origin aluminium and not on Rusal
European Aluminium, a member-based industry association representing Europe's aluminium value chain, commands the European Union to impose sanctions on aluminium supplied from Russia and exclude EU-based companies owned by Rusal. The European Union has been considering banning aluminium of Russian origin due to the geopolitical crisis between Russia and Ukraine. So far, the action has not come into effect but has not been completely discarded, given the volume of Rusal's aluminium supplies. In 2023, Rusal sold 4.2 million tonnes of aluminium, most of which was produced in Russia. Rusal also has operations in other parts of the world, such as Ireland, Sweden, Jamaica, Guinea and China, but these assets mainly produce bauxite and alumina. However, it should be noted here that European...
Hydro to source processed aluminium scrap from Sims Alumisource for its North American extrusion unit
Norsk Hydro, a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, is eyeing to source processed aluminium scrap for its North American extrusion plants. According to a report, Hydro has signed a multi-year agreement with Sims Alumisource for the same purpose. Hydro is the largest producer of aluminium billets in North America, owning twelve recycling facilities in the United States and Canada. This recent agreement will facilitate Hydro's North American Extrusions business unit with around 36,000 tonnes of additional post-consumer aluminium scrap. Hydro and Sims Alumisource has had a long working relationship in refining and processing post-consumer aluminium scrap into furnace-ready material for extrusion billet casting. Using more post-consumer aluminium scrap for manufacturing extrusion...
Hydro Extrusions signs agreement to sell its fabrication unit in Kaunas
According to a report on Monday, March 18, Hydro Extrusions has signed an agreement to sell its fabrication unit in Kaunas, Lithuania, to VE Invest UAB. Hydro’s Kaunas plant primarily operates as a fabrication unit for Hydro’s extrusion plants in Sweden and Denmark. The plant has approximately 170 employees. As per the agreement signed, Hydro will sell 100 per cent of its shares to VE Invest UAB, with all rights and obligations. The employees will continue working the organisation under the leadership of Paulius Velicka, the current managing director. Bruno D’hondt, Senior Vice President and Head of Hydro Extrusion Europe commented: “We strongly believe that for our colleagues in Kaunas this change represents the best guarantee of a good future under a new owner. They will continue to...
2023: Four months of relentless fall in India’s aluminium scrap imports from the US negates its annual growth
According to the United States Geological Survey's findings, India's aluminium scrap imports from the US decreased over a year in 2023, accounting for 21.94 per cent of the United States total aluminium scrap exports versus 22.95 per cent last year. As per the USGS data, India imported 452,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap from the US in 2023 compared to 459,000 tonnes in 2022, indicating a year-on-year drop of 1.53 per cent. After August 2023, India's aluminium scrap imports from the US fell relentlessly each month. In September, the imports decreased by 5.5 per cent to 42,700 tonnes, which further declined the following month by 17.33 per cent to 35,300 tonnes. In November, the import volume was 30,700 tonnes, down by 13.03 per cent month-on-month, and continued to fall in December by 21.82...
The Americas’ alumina production in January 2024 sees a downfall, with greater intensity in North America
Total alumina production in the Americas during January 2024 witnessed a downfall month-on-month and year-on-year. According to the International Aluminium Institute data, the output in January 2024 amounted to 1.215 million tonnes, down by 4.1 per cent from 1.267 million tonnes in December 2023 and 2.80 per cent less than 1.250 million tonnes in January 2023. The downfall was contributed by both South America and North America, except that the former saw month-on-month and year-on-year decline, unlike North America, wherein the alumina output only decreased on a year-over-year calculation and edged a rise month-on-month. However, the intensity of the annual downfall in North America was much higher than in South America. According to the International Aluminium Institute data, alumina...
China’s combined primary aluminium production during Jan-Feb 2024 grows 5.5% Y-o-Y: NBS
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), China’s primary aluminium production during January-February 2024 amounted to 7.1 million tonnes, up 5.5 per cent from the same period of the previous year. Although the combined data for two months reflect a year-on-year increase, output fell in either of these two months. The annual growth of amalgamated primary aluminium production resulted from increased profit margins. According to a Reuters report based on Antaike’s research, smelters enjoyed an average profit of RMB 1,964 per tonne in February 2024, which was 50 per cent higher than the corresponding period of the previous year. Reuters also reported that February profits decreased month-over-month due to the rally in the price of alumina, a key raw material for smelters....
Primary aluminium weekly recap: Eivind Kallevik appointed as Hydro's new President & CEO; Hindalco cuts aluminium prices by about 1%
Among all the verticals of the aluminium value chain, primary aluminium has been one of the busiest this week. New appointments at global giants, financial results, and project announcements made significant headlines in the primary aluminium sector. What created a buzz in the industry was the decision of Hydro’s CEO & President Hilde Merete Aasheim of leaving the company after 5 years. Eivind Kallevik, who is currently an Executive Vice President and Head of Hydro's Aluminium Metal business area, would succeed Ms Aasheim as the new President and CEO, with an effect from May 13, 2024. To know more: https://www.alcircle.com/news/eivind-kallevik-succeeds-hilde-merete-aasheim-as-the-new-president-and-ceo-of-hydro-110191 Sohar Aluminium announced that it appointed Matt Liddy as its Business...
Hydro Husnes to upgrade the remaining 120 electrolysis cells at Line A with cutting-edge technology
According to a report on March 14, Norsk Hydro will soon begin upgrading the remaining 120 electrolytic cells at Hydro Husnes Line A with state-of-the-art technology, investing NOK 225 million. This is the final stage of upgradation that started with Husnes' Line B and continued with 80 out of 200 electrolytic cells in Line A. Now, the turn has come for the remaining 120 cells, which when completed, Hydro Husnes will become one of the most modern and energy-efficient primary aluminium-producing plants in the world. Johan Berg, Head of Hydro's aluminium operations in Norway, said: With this investment, we are realizing the full technological potential of the electrolysis by upgrading the remaining 120 cells. We are gearing up for the future." Hydro Husnes reached its production milestone...
Jiangsu Kuna New Energy Co., Ltd. bags ASI Performance Standard certification for aluminium profiles production
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has reportedly certified Jiangsu Kuna New Energy Co., Ltd. against Performance Standard V3 (2022) certification. Jiangsu Kuna New Energy Co., Ltd. is a China-based company that has achieved the ASI certification for manufacturing aluminium profiles at its facility in the Xiangshui County Industrial Economic Zone, Yancheng, Jiangsu. The company is primarily engaged in the research, development, and production of industrial aluminium profiles, automotive profiles, window system profiles, precision aluminium profiles, and other solar frame systems. These products mainly serve the rail, automotive, renewable energy, and construction sectors. The ASI Performance Standard V3 (2022) certification defines 11 principles and 62 criteria under three sustainability...
Aluminium recycling at the heart: Ball Aluminium Cups® installs a reverse vending machine at Copper Mountain Resort
On March 14, Ball Aluminum Cups®, together with Copper Mountain Resort and the POWDR Adventure Lifestyle Corporation, announced that they successfully installed a Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) at Jack's Slopeside Grill in Copper Mountain, a famous mountain and ski resort in Colorado, to boost the practice of aluminium recycling in the mountain town. The reverse vending machine installed in Copper Mountain is powered by the Recycle Track Systems® (RTS) Cycle platform. Recycle Track Systems® is a leading recycling data collection provider. It helps businesses and communities manage waste more responsibly using technology to streamline collection routes and stay in contact with pickup sites. The installation of RVM will help the mountain town increase recycling rates, incentivising aluminium...
