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.
NALCO CMD emphasises alumina refinery expansion on track in his addresses on the 44th Foundation Day
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), a Schedule 'A' Navratna CPSE under the Ministry of Mines, Govt of India, has reportedly communicated that its ongoing expansion of alumina refinery and plans for expanding smelter have proceeded backed on the operations of allotted coal blocks and Pottangi bauxite mine. Energy and bauxite propel NALCO’s expansion Backward integration and securitisation of energy and bauxite have positioned the company secured for the next 30 years, said NALCO Chairman and Managing Director Sridhar Patra at the company's 44th Foundation Day on Monday, January 7. NALCO celebrated the day at its corporate headquarters at Bhubaneswar and at its operating units and regional offices, remembering its unparalleled success over more than four decades. In CMD’s words In a...
A new aluminium bottling facility by The Sustainable Bottling Company starts operating in Leicester
The Sustainable Bottling Company Limited, the company behind packing Gunna's soft drinks, has reportedly started a new aluminium bottling facility near Leicester, England's East Midlands region. The factory is located on an 8,000 square feet site and is claimed to be the first in the UK and Europe where soft drinks are being packaged in aluminium bottles. The investment involved in this project is £1m, raised by Gunna's current investors. The Sustainable Bottling Company said that the new aluminium bottling factory drew inspiration from the booming aluminium bottle market in the US and brands like PepsiCo that launched spring water in aluminium bottles, branded as Proud Source. The factory is capable of packing Gunna's drinks into 470ml aluminium bottles and other sizes like 330ml and...
Alumicor to set up a cutting-edge aluminium recycling facility with Tamkeen’s support
Bahrain’s Labour Fund Tamkeen has announced to lend support to Alumicor in setting up a new operational base for aluminium recycling and manufacturing in Askar. Tamkeen has agreed to support Alumicor as its new project aligns with the former’s mission to strengthen Bahrain’s industrial sector, particularly aluminium manufacturing, which is a significant contributor to the Kingdom’s economy. Alumicor’s project aim Alumicor strives to provide local manufacturers with more filtered recycled aluminium through its advanced dross processing technologies to help local manufacturers enhance operational efficiency and bolster proficiency by reducing waste generation. By recycling a substantial portion of Bahrain’s aluminium waste, Alumicor aspires to position itself as an innovator in the...
Alba meets all its development programme targets for 2023, enhancing skills of more than 660 employees
On January 7, 2024, Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) held a ceremony to recognise the employees’ efforts behind the successful completion of the planned development programmes in 2023, which could be possible because of the constant skill development and training programmes given to the employees to enhance their workmanship. Alba’s CEO Ali Al Baqali said that more than 660 employees were trained through various skill development initiatives in 2023 to propel their careers forward. He also informed that Alba achieved a company-wide 6.8% of total work hours allocated to capacity-building activities in 2023, much above the industry average of 5%. CEO Ali Al Baqali stated, “Our greatest asset isn’t the machinery nor equipment, but our people. Our people are the beating pulse of this Company,...
End-user Recap: Egoras Technology introduces a tricycle made of aluminium, Lamborghini to unveil Huracan’s successor made with aluminium structure
The end-use aluminium industry, particularly the transportation sector, has made the beginning of 2024 special with new product launches or announcements of new products. On the very first day of the year, Egoras Technology, a firm specialising in sustainable transportation solutions, introduced its range of customers to the Egoras Dual-Fuel Tricycle, a gas-powered vehicle. This marks an innovative start to the New Year. The tricycle is made of high-quality components such as aluminium, steel, and carbon fibre, ensuring endurance and dependability in various terrains. The Chief Executive Officer, Ugoji Harry, emphasised that this innovative tricycle was explicitly crafted to address the challenges arising from the recent removal of fuel subsidies. Highlighting its versatility, Ugoji...
Aluminium ingot inventories build up 28,000 tonnes on Jan. 4 on reduced consumption for early Chinese New Year break
According to the Shanghai Metals Market survey, aluminium ingot inventories in China have marked the beginning of the year 2024 with a notable hike. As per the data, social inventories of ingot across Chinese eight major consumption areas built up 28,000 tonnes week-on-week, reaching 462,000 tonnes as of January 4. The chart below shows the status of primary aluminium inventories in more details: Aluminium ingot inventories across Chinese provinces The above chart indicates the increase this week is primarily contributed by Gongyi, where in aluminium ingot inventories grew 18,000 tonnes W-o-W to stand at 70,000 tonnes as aluminium consumption was hurt due to production restrictions on local downstream plants. Inventories in Foshan marked an increase of 5,000 tonnes week-on-week, standing...
North America encounters an evident shift in aluminium trade dynamics through Q3 2023, marked by a demand-production gap
The North American aluminum market experienced a significant shift in dynamics throughout Q3 2023, marked by a notable contraction in demand and a subsequent impact on trade dynamics. According to the preliminary estimates drawn by the Aluminum Association in its monthly Aluminum Situation report, aluminium demand in North America shrank by 4.4 per cent to about 20,908 million pounds from Q1 to Q3 2023 versus 19,993 million pounds during the corresponding period of the previous year. Probing into cause The chart above shows aluminium demand trend in North America since 2014, indicating that after 2020 the demand grew subsequently in the past two years but again in 2023 it witnessed a fall. Semi-fabricated or mill product demand was 9.5 per cent down year-on-year through Q3 2023. But the...
Henan Mingtai Aluminum sells 106,200 tonnes of aluminium sheet with foil
According to a report on January 4, 2024, Henan Mintai Aluminum Industrial successfully sold 106,200 tonnes of aluminium sheet with foil in December 2023. The news came after the company said in a Thursday disclosure. In the same month, Henan Mintai Aluminum produced 109,500 tonnes of the material. For the entire year of 2023, the company’s sales of aluminium sheets with foil stood at about 1.2 million tonnes and production nearly at 1.3 million tonnes. Henan Mingtai Aluminum Co. Ltd. is located in China’s central commercial hub—Zhengzhou. Mintai is an integrated company with business from design, production, technology transfer and marketing services. Its main machinery include: Hot Tandem Mill, Continuous Casting Mill, The Four-roller Irreversible Cold Rolling Mill, Four Roll...
Alba's 2023 aluminium production sets a new high at 1.62 million tonnes
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), one of the largest smelters in the world, has set a new record by producing 1,620,665 tonnes of aluminium in 2023. The output has registered an annual increase of 20,554 tonnes or 1.3 per cent from 1,600,111 tonnes. Alba's record production in 2022 It was in 2022 when the Middle Eastern aluminium company reached the production level of 1.6 million tonnes, reflecting a 2.5 per cent Y-o-Y increase from 1,561,222 tonnes. With each passing year, Alba is successfully breaking the record of the earlier year and setting a new one. Among several achievements this year, it is a special one that Alba has celebrated with a ceremony on January 4, 2024, at Oasis, attended by the company’s executive management, directors, managers, and employees from various departments...
China’s aluminium billet inventories begin 2024 on a higher note above 80,000 tonnes
The beginning of 2024 is witnessing growth in China’s aluminium billet inventories, reaching 82,000 tonnes. Until January 4, 2024, China’s social inventories of aluminium billets have encountered two back-to back hikes. The first increase this year was on January 2 by about 13,300 tonnes to 77,400 tonnes, followed by a rise of 4,600 tonnes on January 4 to 82,000 tonnes. The chart below indicates the status of aluminium billet inventories across major provinces on December 29, January 2 and January 4. As the above chart shows China’s aluminium billet inventories on January 4 recorded a week-on-week rise of 17,900 tonnes, primarily driven by the hike in Huzhou and Foshan. As per the data shown, aluminium billet inventories in Huzhou have surged by 9,000 tonnes W-o-W to stand at 23,000...
Park-Ohio Holdings sells off its aluminium products business unit
Park-Ohio Holdings Corp., an international company providing strategic services and products that allow the world’s leading manufacturers to streamline their manufacturing processes, announced on January 3 that it completed the sale of its aluminium products business, effective December 29, 2023. As per the report, Park-Ohio sold the business unit for approximately $50 million in cash and promissory notes. In addition, it expects nearly $3 million of finance lease obligations by the buyer. Park-Ohio will get a cash down payment of $20 million, cash of $15.5 million, and promissory notes totalling $15 million, of which $10 million is dependent on attaining certain revenue milestones during 2024. All this money will be utilised in repaying a portion of the company’s outstanding...
SMM’s preliminary estimation suggests a 3.6% growth in China’s 2023 aluminium output
The Shanghai Metals Market data has estimated that China's domestic aluminium production in December 2023 would be around 3.56 million tonnes, reflecting a year-on-year rise of 3.5 per cent and a month-on-month increase of 2.06 per cent. For the entire year, the estimation is 41.5 million tonnes of production, seeing a Y-o-Y rise of 3.6 per cent. In December 2022, China's aluminium production was 3.44 million tonnes, bringing the year's total output to 40.08 million tonnes. China's aggregated aluminium output in 2022 demonstrated an annual rise of 4.1 per cent, meaning the estimated production growth rate would be slightly slower than in 2022. It is to be noted here that China's domestic operating aluminium capacity at the end of 2023 was about 42 million tonnes, up by 3.88 per cent from...
Fuel depot explosion in Guinea - probing its impacts on Chinese alumina production and prices
The fuel depot explosion in Conakry, Guinea, just before the year 2023 ended caused fuel sale restrictions, leading to transportation disruption. That led to a fret about bauxite availability in China, given that Guinea is the largest exporter of bauxite ore to China. The incident even led to anticipation that China's alumina output might drop due to the scarcity of bauxite, inducing enthusiastic ore purchases for future stock. Thus, the alumina contract surged to a ceiling high of RMB 3,210 per tonne as of January 3, 2024. Guinea's share of bauxite imports to China Guinea's bauxite exports to China have inflated recently in terms of volume. From January to November 2023, Guinea exported 91.1035 million tonnes of bauxite to China, accounting for the latter's total imports. Compared to...
Energy crisis & geo-political conflict take a toll on European aluminium production; 2023 Y-T-D output reflects a 1.79% fall
Primary aluminium production in Russia & Eastern Europe during January-November 2023 amounted to 3.671 million tonnes, down by 1.79 per cent from 3.738 million tonnes a year earlier. The geo-political conflict between Ukraine and Russia and energy crisis took a toll on production in 2023, resulting in annual decline. Production in Russian & Eastern Europe In November 2023, primary aluminium output in Russia & Eastern Europe saw a plunge of 12,000 tonnes or 3.49 per cent to 332,000 tonnes. In October, the production was 344,000 tonnes, up by 5.2 per cent from 327,000 tonnes. Primary aluminium production in Russia & Eastern Europe fluctuated throughout the year. It started the year at 344,000 tonnes but slipped by 3.49 per cent until November. The daily average production in November was...
India & US to implement joint monitoring mechanism to ensure tariff-free aluminium exports
The Ministries of Mines, Steel, and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) have planned to set up an internal monitoring mechanism to ensure additional tariff-free aluminium and steel product exports to the United States. Earlier, Indian export of aluminium and steel products to the US would attract extra duties after Washington imposed a 10 per cent additional tariff on aluminium and a 25 per cent additional duty on steel. India also levied extra customs duties on 28 American products as a retaliatory move. However, the United States currently allows aluminium and steel imports from India free of additional duties. In return, India has removed import duties on 8 American products, including apples and walnuts. According to the report, both India and the...
AL Taiseer Aluminium Company receives approval for IPO launch
The Capital Market Authority (CMA) has reportedly approved the initial public offering (IPO) of Altaiseer Group Talco Industrial Company, popularly known as AL Taiseer Aluminium Company or TALCO. As per the report, TALCO will list 12 million shares, which account for 30 per cent of its share capital. The news came after approval was granted on Sunday, December 31. Saudi aluminium firm TALCO is a leading producer and supplier of the finest extruded and finished aluminium products to both the local and international markets, catering to various industries. TALCO launched its business in 1976 as a fabricator to manufacture doors, windows, and kitchen cabinets. In 1994, it took an ambitious leap by introducing a production line for aluminium. It started with one extrusion press and then...
China’s aluminium processing industry PMI contracted in December 2023
Based on the Shanghai Metals Market survey of 123 Chinese aluminium processing enterprises, composite PMI (Purchasing Manager’s Index) for aluminium processing industry was 43.6 per cent in December 2023, down from 47.3 per cent in November. The PMIs for aluminium plate/sheet and strip processing, construction aluminium extrusion processing, and industrial aluminium extrusion processing were also down month-on-month standing at 42.8 per cent versus 47.1 per cent, 40.1 per cent versus 49.2 per cent, and 50.2 per cent versus 55.5 per cent, respectively. PMIs for aluminium foil processing and aluminium wire & cable, on the other hand, saw a rise in December from 30.5 per cent to 47.7 per cent and from 52.1 per cent to 53.2 per cent. According to SMM, PMIs for primary aluminium alloy and...
Chinese alumina price begins 2024 with a new high since a year standing above RMB3150/t; A00 aluminium ingot price resists growth
China’s average alumina spot price has continued to grow over the New Year weekend to kickstart 2024 at RMB 3,154 per tonne on Tuesday, January 2. According to the Shanghai Metals Market, the price has surged by RMB 35 per tonne since Friday, marking a week-on-week hike of RMB 128 per tonne from RMB 3,026 per tonne. On a year-on-year basis, China’s alumina price has soared by RMB 227 per tonne compared to RMB 2,927 per tonne on January 3, 2023. The current price is the highest in more than a year, driven by the enthusiastic purchase of the ore in light of possible production cuts and supply shortages due to disrupted transportation of bauxite from Guinea caused by a deadly explosion at a fuel depot, destroying 13 out of 18 warehouses in the oil storage area. Alumina prices across Chinese...
