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 A00 aluminium ingot price further builds up RMB110/t, marking 1.32% M-o-M growth
According to the Shanghai Metals Market survey, China’s domestic A00 aluminium ingot price has further increased by RMB 110 per tonne to close the week at RMB 19,160 per tonne as of March 8. That brings the aluminium ingot price to 1.05 per cent higher week-on-week than RMB 18,960 per tonne . On a month-on-month basis, the price is up by 1.32 per cent from RMB 18,910 per tonne . Today, the average price of A00 aluminium ingot is estimated to range between RMB 19,140 per tonne and RMB 19,180 per tonne, with the spot contract traded at a discount price of RMB 60-20 per tonne. A00 aluminium ingot price across provinces In Wuxi and Hangzhou, the A00 aluminium ingot price has surged by RMB 110 per tonne to come in at RMB 19,160 per tonne, while the price in Shenyang and Tianjin has reached RMB...
US levies preliminary countervailing duties on aluminium extrusions from China, Indonesia, Mexico & Turkey
On Tuesday, March 5, the US Department of Commerce announced the implementation of preliminary countervailing duties on aluminium extrusion imports from China, Indonesia, Mexico, and Turkey, claiming to protect the business of domestic extrusion manufacturers. For each country, the Department of Commerce has levied different duties depending on the category of products they offer. For instance, the duty rate for China ranges between 15.41 per cent and 169.66 per cent, for Indonesia ranges between 6.69 per cent and 43.56 per cent, for Mexico between 1.68 per cent and 77.8 per cent, and for Turkey between 1.45 per cent and 147.53 per cent. The US DOC has imposed the preliminary countervailing duties following the petition signed by the US Aluminum Extruders Coalition and the United Steel,...
Saildrone’s first Surveyor autonomous vessel featuring aluminium hull hits water for trial
From water to land, the use of aluminium is rolling out everywhere. According to the latest report, a United States-based Ocean intelligence company, Saildrone, has launched the first of a new generation of Surveyor autonomous vessels featuring aluminium. Founder and CEO Richard Jenkins said the demand for these vessels is proliferating. He added, “We expect the need for ocean observing to continue to grow in size, complexity and quality. Aerial, surface and subsurface technologies all have a role to play in ocean observations.” The 20-metre brand-new vessel SD-3000 is similar to previous versions that are currently sailing the ocean and collecting data. The only difference is that the new vessel’s hull is made of aluminium instead of a fibreglass/carbon composite. “Aluminum was chosen...
2023: US domestic primary aluminium production sees a 13% fall Y-o-Y; daily output mirrors the trend
According to the US Geological Survey, the United States’ domestic production of primary aluminium in December 2023 stood at 64,000 tonnes, reflecting an increase of 3,000 tonnes or 4.9 per cent M-o-M from 61,000 tonnes. On a year-on-year calculation, the output remained absolutely unchanged, as per the data. The United States’ total primary aluminium production in 2023, however, experienced a downfall of 12.89 per cent from 861,000 tonnes to 750,000 tonnes. The average daily production in December 2023 was 2,060 tonnes, restrained compared to the previous year and essentially unchanged from 2,040 tonnes in November 2023. The average daily output in full-year 2023 was 2,050 tonnes per day, down by 13.14 per cent from 2,360 tonnes. The total amount of aluminium recovered from scrap in...
LME aluminium benchmark price drops US$4/t after an increase last day; SHFE price regains US$11/t
LME aluminum opened at US$2,226.50 per tonne on Wednesday, March 6, with high and low at US$2,243.50 per tonne and US$2,220 per tonne, respectively, before closing at US$2,223 per tonne, down US$5.5 per tonne or 0.25 per cent. On March 6, the LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price dropped by US$4 per tonne to stand at US$2,187 per tonne and US$2,187.50 per tonne, respectively, following a rise of US$9 per tonne on the previous day. The 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price dipped US$3 per tonne on March 6 to reach US$2,230 per tonne and US$2,231 per tonne. December 25 bid price and December 25 offer price also lost the same amount to settle at US$2,440 per tonne and US$2,445 per tonne, respectively. LME aluminium opening stock amounted to 581,900...
Vedanta Aluminium COO Sunil Gupta elected CII’s Odisha State Council Vice-Chairman
Sunil Gupta, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Vedanta Aluminium Business, has reportedly been elected vice-chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)'s Odisha State Council for the 2024-25 term of office. The news came after the name was announced during the CII Odisha State Annual Day 2023-24 celebration in Bhubaneswar on March 5, 2024. Sunil Gupta looks after the strategic operations of Vedanta's aluminium business across its plants at Jharsuguda, Lanjigarh, and Balco as well as the mines. With over 29 years of diverse experience, Mr Gupta has contributed immensely to achieving significant financial growth and operational efficiency, establishing the company as India's largest aluminium producer. He constantly strives to expand production, enhance the availability of bauxite...
Trond Olaf Christophersen to play a dual role at Hydro as executive vice president & new acting CFO
Norsk Hydro has reportedly appointed Trond Olaf Christophersen as an interim or acting CFO. He will act in the role only for a period of time until a new CFO is hired. Trond Olaf Christophersen replaces CFO Pål Kildemo, who will bid farewell to Hydro by August 31 at the latest to join one of the competitors. However, Trond Olaf Christophersen will perform in the new role with effect from March 6, 2024. Mr Christophersen is Hydro's Executive Vice President for Corporate Development. He will remain in his current role and act as CFO for an interim period. A report says the search for a new CFO has already started. On March 1, Hydro announced the resignation of Pål Kildemo, who is joining Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) as a new Chief Financial Officer. Until he takes a leave, scheduled on...
Aughinish Alumina exploring decarbonising solutions, eyes hydrogen as a clean energy source
Rusal Aughinish Alumina, located in Limerick, Ireland, is considering using hydrogen as an alternative clean energy source and deploying electric heat pumps at its refinery, aiming to decarbonise its high-heat refinement process. According to a report on March 6, Aughinish Alumina, the largest refinery in Europe, has started working with the state to explore the viable sources of hydrogen and develop decarbonising solutions for its refinery. Eamon Ryan, the environment minister, and Willie Walsh, the chief executive of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), and Michael O’Toole, the community affairs manager with Aughinish Alumina, are at the forefront of this pioneering initiative. Shifting to green energy This initiative represents Aughinish Alumina's commitment to reducing...
Vedanta Aluminium appoints new chief human resource officer at Jharsuguda
According to a report, on March 6, 2024, Vedanta Aluminium announced that it appointed Pankaj Surekha as its new chief human resource officer at Jharsuguda. Mr Surekha has prior work experience at Reliance Industries for 11 years, leading the rewards team, which takes care of compensation design and implementation for employees, including expats. Surekha has 15 years of total work experience in compensation design, employee engagement, and learning and development. He has also worked at Wipro Technologies and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. He holds an M.A. degree from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and a Bachelor of Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. He announced his new job on LinkedIn, writing, “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Chief...
China’s alumina price loses 0.5% since March 1, with a drop of RMB3/t today; A00 aluminium ingot price discards RMB90/t
According to the Shanghai Metals Market survey, China’s average alumina spot price has continued to decline since the beginning of March and today marks the fourth consecutive day. As per SMM data, the alumina price has experienced a drop of RMB 3 per tonne on Wednesday, March 6, to stand at RMB 3,332 per tonne. From March 1 to March 6, the alumina spot price has shed off RMB 16 per tonne or 0.48 per cent, according to SMM. Alumina prices in Shandong, Henan, and Shanxi have unanimously witnessed a drop of RMB 5 per tonne, settling at RMB 3,245 per tonne, RMB 3,355 per tonne, and RMB 3,345 per tonne. The Australian alumina FOB price, on the other hand, has remained restrained at US$360 per tonne as of March 6, 2024. In tandem with the continued price drop of alumina, A00 aluminium ingot...
2023: EGA posts another year of record-high performance from mining to metal
Emirates Global Aluminium has reportedly announced its competitive financial and operational results for 2023, revealing the highest-ever production across the value chain. The company posted that it produced 2.66 million tonnes of primary aluminium in 2023 at Al Taweelah and Jebel Ali versus 2.65 million tonnes in 2022. Alumina output stood at 2.48 million tonnes in 2023 compared to 2.43 million tonnes a year ago, with Al Taweelah refinery continued to grow its production beyond nameplate capacity. The refinery alone met 48 per cent of EGA’s alumina needs in 2023. The production of CelestiAL solar aluminium also edged an increase of 9,000 tonnes Y-o-Y from 57,000 tonnes to 66,000 tonnes. Sales & exports EGA also announced record sales of cast metal at 2.75 million tonnes in 2023, up by...
Alba signs partnership agreement with World Economic Forum to strengthen its position as a global leader
On Monday, March 4, Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), one of the world’s largest aluminium smelters, signed an Associate Centre Partnership Agreement with the World Economic Forum (WEF) under the Advanced Manufacturing Industries Cluster. The signing ceremony was led by Alba’s Chief Executive Officer Ali Al Baqali and WEF’s Head of Global Partner Development and Member of the Executive Committee Alexandre Raffoul at Alba premises. Other key representatives who attended the signing ceremony included Chief Supply Officer Waleed Tamimi and Operational Excellence Manager Ahmed Bahar from Alba, as well as the Regional Manager—Business engagement, Middle East and Africa, Joanna Lahham, and Community Curator, Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains, Ian Cronin, from WEF. This partnership is...
China’s alumina output depletes 6.8% in Feb’24 due to weaker operating rates in Henan, Guizhou & Guangxi
According to the Shanghai Metals Market, China’s metallurgical-grade alumina production in February 2024 (29 calendar days) amounted to 6.262 million tonnes, experiencing a 6.8 per cent fall from 6.72 million tonnes in January (31 days). But on a year-on-year basis, the output increased by 2.4 per cent. The average daily production in February 2024 was 215,900 tonnes a day, down by 0.42 per cent from 216,800 tonnes in the previous month. As of the end of February 2024, China’s alumina production capacity was 100 million tonnes, with an operating capacity of 78.82 million tonnes. The month-on-month downfall in China’s alumina production is attributed to weaker operating rates in a few Chinese provinces such as Henan, Guizhou, and Guangxi. In Henan, the alumina operating rate was 55 per...
LME aluminium price dips by US$1/t to come around the previous month’s level; SHFE adds US$14/t
LME aluminum opened at US$2,235 per tonne on Monday, March 4, with high and low at US$2,242 per tonne and US$2,216.50 per tonne, respectively, before closing at US$2,238 per tonne, down 0.31 per cent. The LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price dipped by US$1 per tonne to come around the same prices as the previous month. While the former derived at US$2,182 per tonne on March 4, the latter came in at US$2,182.50 per tonne. During the same period last year, the LME aluminium benchmark price was at a similar level at US$2,183.50 per tonne. But compared to the same period in January, the benchmark price stood 2.37 per cent lower than US$2,235.50 per tonne. On a year-on-year basis, the LME aluminium benchmark price on March 4 marked about a 7.5 per cent fall....
Competition for Middle East aluminium to grow intense if EU bans Russian metal
The global aluminium industry is cautious about the potential competition between the United States and European buyers for Middle Eastern aluminium if the European Union bans Russian metal, leading to price hikes to the 2018 level when sanctions were imposed on Rusal. As an impact of the possible aluminium price hikes due to the intense race for aluminium from the Middle Eastern countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, product costs will inflate for Western companies from the transport, packaging, and construction industries, fuelling an additional challenge besides high energy costs. Although, as per the last report, the European Union may refrain from banning Russian aluminium, the bloc is expected to soon propose another package with new import bans, resulting in a...
Africa & Asia’s (ex-China) alumina production registers a 15.8% annual hike in January 2024
According to the International Aluminium Institute, alumina production in Africa & Asia (ex-China) stood at 1.212 million tonnes in January 2024, reflecting a slight month-on-month fall of 0.57 per cent from 1.219 million tonnes. However, on a year-on-year basis, Africa & Asia’s (ex-China) alumina output registered an increase of 15.76 per cent from 1.047 million tonnes. After an annual downfall in Africa & Asia’s alumina production in January 2023, the regions experienced a hike at the beginning of this year, signalling a positive future. Africa and Asia’s alumina production started building up in H2 2023, which seemed to have continued in January’24. The daily average alumina production in Africa & Asia (ex-China) during January was 39,100 tonnes, slightly down by 200 tonnes from the...
China’s alumina price continues declining by RMB6/t, impacting aluminium ingot price; Aluminium fluoride price tumbles RMB200/t
According to the Shanghai Metals Market survey, the average aluminium spot price in China has further decreased over the weekend by RMB 6 per tonne to start the week at RMB 3,342 per tonne, as of Monday, March 4. In Shandong and Shanxi, the alumina spot price has declined by RMB 10 per tonne to stand RMB 3,255 per tonne and RMB 3,355 per tonne, with average prices to range between RMB 3,210-3,300 per tonne and RMB 3,310-3,400 per tonne, respectively. In Henan, the price has dropped by RMB 5 per tonne to RMB 3,375 per tonne, with average prices to hover around RMB 3,330-3,420 per tonne. Aluminium fluoride and bauxite prices Among other primary aluminium input costs, aluminium fluoride price, on the other hand, has hiked by RMB 200 per tonne to RMB 9,150 per tonne, after remaining...
LME aluminium price moves up US$20.5/t but still stands 1.3% lower M-o-M; SHFE starts the week muted
LME aluminium opened at US$2,224.50 per tonne last Friday, with high and low at US$2,248.50 per tonne and US$2,208 per tonne, respectively, before closing at US$2,236 per tonne, up 0.36 per cent. LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price added US$20.50 per tonne or 0.95 per cent to close the week at US$2,183 per tonne and US$2,183.50 per tonne, respectively. As per the historical data shown on AL Circle LME chart , the LME aluminium benchmark price was month-on-month down by US$29 per tonne or 1.31 per cent from US$2,212.50 per tonne. 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price increased by US$14.50 per tonne and US$15 per tonne, respectively, to stand at US$2,221 per tonne and US$2,222 per tonne. On the same day, December 25 bid price and December 25 offer...
