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.
EGA’s Al Taweelah alumina refinery receives ASI certification for ESG performance
Emirates Global Aluminium announced that its Al Taweelah alumina refinery received Aluminium Stewardship Initiative certification for its environmental, social and governance performance. With this, EGA's all operational assets around the world are certified to the ASI Performance Standard V2 (2017) certification. Al Taweelah alumina refinery has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions in the global alumina refining industry due to its efficient production process and operation. Al Taweelah refinery is always committed to responsibly carrying out bauxite residue management. EGA's Research & Development team innovated viable ways to re-utilise bauxite residue which has always been a challenge for the alumina refining industry for over a century. The company found a revolutionary way of...
China’s aluminium plate/sheet & strip exports reach 1.39 Mt at the end of H1 2023 after consecutive falls
China's aluminium plate/sheet and strip exports in June 2023 recorded a month-on-month drop of 3 per cent and a year-on-year plunge of 34 per cent to reach 224,500 tonnes, found the China Customs data. The total exports during the year's first half came in at 1.3932 million tonnes, registering an annual downfall of 28 per cent from a year ago. Aluminium plate/sheet and strip exports have been declining since 2022, especially the products with tariff code 76061220 falling the most. In 2023, the global economic slowdown and aluminium production resumption in respective countries put Chinese exports before a stiff challenge, especially cans stock exports falling over 50 per cent for two consecutive months. In June 2023, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai were the leading...
Alumina output in Europe portrays a sequential growth of 1.5% to 1.59 Mt in Q2 2023
In Europe (incl. Russia), alumina output during the second quarter of 2023 was recorded at 1.59 million tonnes, with an accumulated daily production for three months at 52,400 tonnes, found the International Aluminium Institute data. These figures indicate a sequential rise of 1.53 per cent in quarterly production compared to 1.566 million tonnes but a muted daily output against 52,300 tonnes. However, amid a rise in quarterly output, production in June 2023 edged a 6.25 per cent fall month-on-month from 560,000 tonnes to 525,000 tonnes. But the previous month saw a 3.96 per cent growth in alumina production from 505,000 tonnes. On a year-on-year basis, alumina production in Europe (incl. Russia) also registered a downfall of 19.19 per cent from 693,000 tonnes. Total alumina production in...
Century Aluminum makes a gain of $103.3 million on acquiring Jamalco, says report
Century Aluminum, the US-based primary aluminium producer and new owner of Jamalco, has experienced a gain of $103.3 million on acquiring the alumina refinery. At the end of April 2023, Century Aluminum signed an agreement with Noble Group Holdings Limited (Noble) to obtain 55 per cent of ownership in Jamalco. This accession is described as a bargain purchase deal since Century Aluminum acquired the loss-making company Jamalco for only US$1. Jamalco converts mined bauxite into alumina, which is then used by Century Aluminum to produce primary aluminium at its smelters in the United States and Iceland. Century obtained 55 per cent of shares in Jamalco, replacing Noble Group of Hong Kong. The Government of Jamaica owns the remaining 45 per cent of Jamalco's shares through the holding...
ASI welcomes Chinese aluminium die-casting firm IKD Co., Ltd. for its commitment to energy saving and carbon reduction
On Monday, August 14, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative announced the joining of IKD Co., Ltd. as a new Production and Transformation member. IKD’s unwavering commitment towards sustainability and contribution to developing green aluminium has brought the company to ASI’s membership. IKD Co., Ltd. is engaged in 360-degree aluminium alloy precision die-casting operations. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Ningbo, China, the company researches, develops, produces, and sells die-casting parts for automobiles. The production process includes designing and developing die-casting tooling, trimming, heat treatment, precision machining, surface treatment, and assembly. The company’s main products are automotive wiper system, transmission system, steering system, engine system, air condition...
Growing demand for aluminium battery foil prompts China to commission 17 new capacities
Aluminium battery foil projects are spearheading in China, with 17 new plants under construction or some started production, reported the Shanghai Metals Market survey. Out of the 17 new projects with a total capacity of 1.272 million tonnes, 15 are estimated to be fully operational before the end of 2024. Throughout 2020 and 2021, the aluminium battery foil industry gained immense prominence, experiencing a production increase to almost double at a consistent growth rate of approximately 100 per cent. The number of enterprises with stable output also grew from below 5 in 2020 to 16 at the present. More capacities are coming, driven by the growing demand for aluminium foil batteries. Many of the 17 new projects are likely to start commissioning from 2023, such as Projects 1, 3, 6, 9, 10,...
India’s aluminium scrap imports from US reach 48,100 tonnes in May after successive growth since early this year
India’s aluminium scrap imports from the United States have been portraying steady growth since the beginning of 2023. Of all the earlier months, May saw the highest sequential increase of 20.85 per cent to 48,100 tonnes. In April, India’s aluminium scrap imports from the US stood at 39,800 tonnes, up by 9.34 per cent from 36,400 tonnes in March. The imports in March and February saw a month-on-month rise of 17.42 per cent and 5.8 per cent, respectively, showed USGS data. From January to May 2023, India’s total aluminium scrap imports from the US accumulated at 185,000 tonnes, slightly down by 1,000 tonnes from 186,000 tonnes during the same period of the previous year. On a year-on-year basis, India’s aluminium scrap imports in May increased 25.26 per cent from 38,400 tonnes. The United...
Alba develops new alloy '6060.HE' in billet form with the support of the University of Bahrain
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) has expanded its AA6060 alloy family by adding a new alloy '6060.HE', aiming to extend product offerings to extruder customers. Produced in a billet form, Alba's new alloy has a faster extrusion rate that improves process efficiency and productivity for its users. The alloy, with a wide application in the construction sector, has been developed in collaboration with the University of Bahrain. The university as well as Bahrain Aluminium Extrusion Company (BALEXCO), Alba's longstanding customer and one of the leading aluminium extrusion producers in the region, have supported extensively in the development of new alloy by way of field trials, visits, and technical feedback. They started developing 6060.HE in January 2022 and began commercial production in...
Hind Aluminium posts a 13% hike in net profit to INR 2.95 crore for the June quarter of FY2024
Hind Aluminium Industries Limited, a manufacturer of aluminium & alloy conductors and aluminium wire rods, reported net sales of INR 0.38 crore in the June quarter versus INR 0.33 crore a quarter ago and INR 1 crore a year earlier. At the end of FY2023, Hind Aluminium’s net sales amounted to INR 2.38 crore . Net profit stood at INR 2.95 crore in the said quarter, registering a year-on-year hike of 13.03 per cent, from INR 2.61 crore, showed Hind Aluminium’s quarterly results. For the March quarter of FY2024, Hind Aluminium posted a loss of INR 10.65 crore. EBITDA stood at INR 4.52 crore in the June quarter of FY2024, showcasing an increase of 3.43 per cent from INR 4.37 crore in FY2023. In the March quarter, Hind’s EBITDA stood negative at INR 12.91 crore Hind Aluminium’s Equity per Share...
India’s Navratna firm NALCO posts a 40% fall in profit for Q1 FY2024, holding limped LME prices responsible
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), a Schedule ‘A’ Navratna CPSE, reported last week that its quarterly profit for Q1 FY2023-24 recorded a 40 per cent fall, attributed to sluggish global aluminium prices and mediocre demand. NALCO said that it earned a consolidated profit of INR 3.34 billion ($40.34 million) in the first quarter ended June 30, 2023, compared to INR 5.58 billion during the corresponding period of the last year. NALCO’s revenue from the aluminium business registered a decline of 18 per cent and that from chemicals division dropped by 2.7 per cent. As per the report, NALCO’s overall revenue posted a fall of 16 per cent year-on-year. NALCO also highlighted that its revenue from operations dwindled by 16.26 per cent year-on-year from INR 37.95 billion to INR 31.78...
IIT Kharagpur introduces 3-month AI programme, learn technology application in aluminium industry
In early August, the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur inaugurated a programme on artificial intelligence (AI) to educate students about using technology in the manufacturing industry, including aluminium. The programme will be for three months, with classes only on weekends. Teachers from the computer science, electronics, electrical, and math departments will conduct the classes, according to the AI for Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems at IIT-Khargpur. The programme: ‘Hands-on AI for the real-world Applications’ will also include practical instruction from TCS scientists, business professionals, and IIT researchers. Artificial intelligence has become a sheer need in the aluminium industry to boost production, improve quality, reduce carbon emissions and achieve...
Russian aluminium stocks on LME record an 81% growth in July 2023
According to a report on Thursday, August 10, Russian aluminium stocks have posted an 81 per cent growth on the London Metal Exchange-approved warehouses for July 2023 compared to an 80 per cent increase in June. At the end of July 2023, Norsk Hydro wrote a letter to the London Metal Exchange to warn them that a large volume of aluminium from Russia weighed on the LME benchmark price. Hydro also requested the exchange to reconsider the decision not to ban Russian aluminium from its warehouse network. Russian aluminium stocks recorded steady growth on LME since the year began. For instance, Russian stocks increased by 41 per cent in January, 68 per cent in May and 80 per cent in June. In response to the letter, LME replied that it would closely monitor the arrivals of Russian aluminium to...
Hindalco allies with Texmaco to build aluminium railway wagons and coaches for Indian Railways
Hindalco Industries Limited, one of India’s biggest aluminium manufacturing companies and the world’s largest flat-rolled products player, has announced an alliance with Texmaco Rail & Engineering Ltd., a specialised engineering company, to develop and manufacture aluminium railway wagons and coaches. Hindalco and Texmaco have come together to support Indian Railways in its new ‘Mission 3000 MT’, through which Indian Railways strives to double its freight capacity to reach 3,000 million tonnes by 2027 and holds 45 per cent market share in freight. Indian Railways is actively inviting wagon manufactures to help them design improved wagons, enhancing overall capacity and life of railway assets. Hindalco will provide profiles, and sheets and plates of unique alloys, along with fabrication...
Be ready to learn ‘Digital Transformation in the Aluminium Industry’ with AL Circle’s forthcoming report
Adopting digital solutions by manufacturing industries to enhance production and operational processes is no longer an unconventional practice. From the textile industry to metallurgy, none is indifferent to digitalisation and its benefits. The aluminium industry is no exception to this trend and has embraced new-age technologies wholeheartedly. The industry deeply feels that digitalisation is not an option but an imperative solution now, given the uninterrupted growing demand for the metal and unwavering concerns about minimising carbon footprint. It is a proven fact that efficient and intelligent use of technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, process automation and robotics, the Internet of Things, and the Industrial Internet of Things or smart manufacturing can...
Alba posts bearish financial outcome for Q2 2023 despite higher production and sales; income shrinks to US$91.5 million
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the world’s largest aluminium smelter outside China, has announced its Q2 results for 2023, disclosing 405,628 tonnes of production, up by 9,085 tonnes from Q2 2022. Sales volume grew by 3,816 tonnes to stand at 392,258 tonnes. Value-added products accounted for 70 per cent of total sales like last year, indicating a stable demand for these products. But this steady operational output could not result in a positive financial outcome due to the sluggish LME aluminium price trend. Alba posted that its profit stood at BD29.9 million (US$79.5 million) for the second quarter of 2023, down by 83.56 per cent from BD181.9 million a year ago. The company’s Basic and Diluted Earnings per Share amounted to fils 21 in Q2 2023 versus fils 128 in Q2 2022. Alba’s Total...
China’s primary aluminium imports mount to 430,500 tonnes during January-June 2023
According to the Shanghai Metals Market data, China’s primary aluminium imports reached 89,400 tonnes in June 2023, registering an increase of 20.7 per cent month-on-month and a surge of 213.6 per cent over a year. The primary aluminium exports in June totalled 32,900 tonnes - 187 per cent more than in May 2023 and 400 per cent higher than in June 2022. From the domestic market, China secured 56,400 tonnes of primary aluminium in June 2023, which reflected a 9.8 per cent decline month-on-month but a sharp rise of 158 per cent year-on-year. China’s total imports of primary aluminium from January to June amounted to 430,500 tonnes, soaring year-on-year by 1,747.6 per cent. However, there was no upward movement in domestic aluminium ingot imports during June 2023, primarily due to narrow...
Hindalco reports lower downstream aluminium sales for 1QFY2024, resulting in a 5% decline in revenue
Hindalco Industries Limited, one of India's biggest aluminium manufacturing companies, announced the first quarter results of FY2023-24 ended June 30, revealing a net profit of INR 2,454 crore, up by 1.75 per cent Q-o-Q from INR 2,411 crore, driven by a recovery in Novelis business. However, on a year-on-year basis, the profit edged a fall of 40.42 per cent from INR 4,119 crore. It is to be noted here that Hindalco's net profit grew sequentially in Q1 despite the fall in revenue from operations. Hindalco's Q1 revenue stood at INR 52,991 crore, down by 5.13 per cent from INR 55,857 crore in Q4 FY2023, contributed by the downstream aluminium business. Hindalco's Q1 revenue from the downstream aluminium was INR 2,435 crore against 81,000 tonnes of sales versus INR 2,738 crore against 90,000...
Sustainalytics awards AMAG the world's highest sustainability rating
AMAG Austria Metall AG, the biggest company in the Austrian aluminium industry sector, recently achieved the best ESG rating from Sustainalytics yet again. Of 39 aluminium companies being evaluated worldwide, AMAG won the best rating, which testified the company had the lowest environmental risks. AMAG's ESG program was rated comprehensive and effective by Sustainalytics, which brought the company to the 2nd position out of 223 companies from the global metals industry. AMAG achieved this rating after a multi-stage evaluation, whereby factors like environmental performance, resource conservation, compliance with human rights, and supply chain management were closely monitored. AMAG was also evaluated based on to which extent it is exposed to various ESG risks and how well the company...
