AlCircle News Edited By "Nilanjana Banerjee"
Nilanjana Banerjee is a new leaf on this branch of AL Circle. is a spontaneous author and she writes on inspiration and purpose, not by design. Her penmanship is replete with sensitivity and depth.
Aluminium price hits four-year high at $3,855/t, advances to rewrite the LME price history
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price history is close to being rewritten as the aluminium price hits a four-year high at the close of the June 2 session. Surging past the closing figures of June 1 , prices continue to advance towards the USD 4,000 price tag. Meanwhile, declining stocks and warrants indicated a worldwide aluminium supply shortage. Explore- Most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook The LME aluminium cash bid jumped from USD 3,795 per tonne on June 1 to USD 3,854 per tonne on June 2, rising by 1.55 per cent. The offer climbed from USD 3,795.5 per tonne to USD 3,855 per tonne , gaining 1.57 per cent. The aluminium price surpassed a four-year high...
Nampak’s H1 turnaround: Angola drives growth despite a weak Diversified business
Johannesburg-based aluminium beverage can manufacturing company Nampak delivered a resilient first-half (H1) FY2026 performance, backed by stronger profitability in its beverage operations, lower finance costs and continued balance sheet improvement, despite a sharp contraction in its Diversified business segment. The company reported normalised headline earnings of ZAR 346 million (USD 21.34 million) in H1 , up 9 per cent from ZAR 317 million (USD 19.55 million) year-on-year, while normalised headline earnings per share (HEPS) increased 8 per cent to 4,131.6 cents , reflecting improved earnings quality and lower borrowing costs. As noted by the CEO Riaan Heyl, the H1 result depicted a “performance resilience despite headwinds in Diversified with the strategic clarity, revenue growth...
The 730,000t question: Can NALCO and GAC rescue a faltering alumina market?
As the 2026 primary aluminium production navigates through a rocky course, the global alumina production map is being redrawn by the respective geopolitical factors. The data accumulated by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) depicted drastic drops in the cumulative alumina production volume across the world in April 2026, exhibiting a turbulent market environment. Global alumina production in April 2026 stood at 11.92 million tonnes, which recorded a month-on-month decline of 5.74 per cent from 12.65 million tonnes produced in March 2025. Looking at the figure closely, a year-on-year drop of 2.59 per cent from the production volume of 12.24 million tonnes can be noticed as well. Explore- Most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina...
Fresh bids, old questions: Odisha’s Karlapat bauxite mine returns to auction list
Odisha is advancing with the mining auction process for eleven mineral blocks across essential mining districts, reopening discussions around some of the state’s most coveted resource projects. Among the assets on offer is the Karlapat bauxite block in Kalahandi district, a deposit that has long remained at the centre of environmental and legal debates. The Directorate of Mines and Geology has invited bids for mining leases (ML) covering eight mineral blocks and composite licences (CL) for three bauxite-bearing blocks located in Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Rayagada, Sundargarh and Bargarh districts. Explore the relevance of red mud in the sustainable aluminium industry in A Comprehensive Analysis of Bauxite Residue (Red Mud): Sustainability, Resource Recovery and Strategic Recommendations The...
LME aluminium prices recover as cash reaches $3,769.5/t and 3-month contract gains 1.24%
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices eased on the May 29 session after shooting up on the May 28 session . The cash price, however, remained above USD 3,700 per tonne. As both near-term and longer-dated contracts continued to rise, stocks recorded a consistent decline. The LME aluminium cash bid as well as offer prices gained 0.92 per cent day-on-day on May 29. The bid rose from USD 3,734.5 per tonne to USD 3,769 per tonne as the offer edged up from USD 3,735 per tonne to USD 3,769.5 per tonne. Explore- Most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook LME aluminium three-month bid price climbed from USD 3,638 per tonne on May 28 to USD 3,684.5 per tonne on May 29,...
Bauxite meets smart tech: Indonesia and China deepen industrial alliance
Indonesia is reportedly locking in industrial and technology partnerships with China as discussions with Hebei Province focus attention on smart manufacturing, strategic supply chains and downstream development of minerals such as bauxite and nickel. Explore the relevance of red mud in the sustainable aluminium industry in A Comprehensive Analysis of Bauxite Residue (Red Mud): Sustainability, Resource Recovery and Strategic Recommendations Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, recently received a delegation from China’s Hebei Provincial Government led by Deputy Governor Zhao Chenxin to explore broader cooperation in industrial transformation and smart-technology integration. During the meeting, Hartarto highlighted the rapidly expanding economic...
Can recycling and innovation shield aluminium from global disruptions?
The global aluminium sector is witnessing a sharp transition as recycling, low-carbon technologies, trade tensions and supply chain disruptions reshape industry priorities. On the one hand, stronger earnings and recycling investments have been unlocked, while on the other hand, the impact of the Middle East conflict and Europe’s decarbonisation push continues to gain market attention. Producers and policymakers are striving to secure raw materials, improve the circular economy and protect industrial competitiveness amid mounting geopolitical and economic uncertainties. Europe’s recycling drive faces pressure due to trade tensions Italy achieved a 92.8 per cent aluminium beverage can recycling rate in 2025 and has left its imprint as a new global recycling leader. The high recovery rate...
Aluminium supply uncertainties prompt EU to step back from Aughinish sanctions
The European Commission has decided not to move ahead with sanctions on Ireland-based Aughinish Alumina for the time being, particularly amid concerns that restrictions could disrupt Europe’s already fragile aluminium supply chain. The Shannon-based alumina refinery, owned by Russian aluminium giant Rusal, had come under mounting scrutiny after it was alleged that the alumina content was being applied to indirectly offer support to the Russian defence sector. An investigation was undertaken by The Irish Times and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project . It was informed that alumina shipped from the Co Limerick refinery is being used by Russian smelters to produce aluminium, which is thereafter being supplied to defence-linked manufacturers. Explore: The most comprehensive...
EU aluminium scrap export curbs worry recyclers, Commission receives joint letter
European recycling companies and associations, coordinated by Recycling Europe, have asked the European Commission to review export restrictions on recycled aluminium scrap. Addressing the Executive Vice President Stéphane Séjourné and Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič in a joint letter on May 28, they expressed concerns regarding measures being built upon defective bases that might nullify the industrial objectives being promoted. Arguing that the region is not facing a structural shortage of recyclable material as claimed by policymakers, signatories stated that Europe’s recycling industry already generates high-quality secondary aluminium that frequently exceeds domestic demand while contributing positively to the EU’s trade balance. Although recyclers acknowledge the wider pressures...
European aluminium sector braces for oversupply; seeks stronger EU trade shield
European aluminium sector warns that excess aluminium volumes, particularly from China, are distorting competition, weakening profitability and threatening the long-term resilience of Europe’s upstream and downstream value chains. As global overcapacity and unfair trade practices continue to mount and pressure Europe’s industrial base, its aluminium industry seeks a stronger and more effective EU trade defence framework. Delve deeper into the recycled aluminium and secondary aluminium market with our World Recycled ALuminium Market Analysis Industry forecast to 2032 In a joint industry statement backed by multiple European industrial associations, signatories stressed that the EU’s existing Trade Defence Instruments (TDIs) remain critical but are no longer sufficient to address the scale...
Here’s how European Aluminium maps out innovation pathways to reach climate neutrality
Aluminium has proved indispensable to modern industry, being lightweight and recyclable, with global demand projected to grow from 106 million tonnes in 2025 to 130 million tonnes by 2035. Although playing a critical role in the global energy transition, the sector remains carbon-intensive, emitting nearly 270 million tonnes of CO2 in 2022, or about 3 per cent of global industrial emissions. European primary aluminium production had a carbon footprint of 6.6 kg CO2 per kg of aluminium based on 2023 data gathered by European Aluminium, versus a global average of 14.8 kg CO2 per kg. Europe’s aluminium industry has unveiled a comprehensive innovation roadmap aimed at combating climate change and accelerating the sector’s transition toward climate neutrality, circularity and industrial...
60-day reboot: How Novelis and ABB restored a flooded Swiss auto aluminium plant
Restoration of the flood-affected plant of Novelis located in Sierre, Switzerland, by the Swedish-Swiss technology firm ABB, is an example of industrial resilience. Operations at the Swiss plant were restored within 60 days after sustaining severe weather damage from a flood, threatening the plant’s automotive aluminium supply chains. Novelis’ Sierra plant faces the flood Torrential rainfall and melting snow led to major flooding across the Sierre district in western Switzerland in June 2024. As a result, the Sierre plant or the integrated aluminium production facility of Novelis, processing over 200,000 tonnes of aluminium annually and supplying high-quality aluminium sheet products to automotive manufacturers, was severely affected by the floodwaters. Hence, with the primary...
Samsung’s aluminium-titanium hybrid frame to face off Apple’s Liquidmetal novelty
Samsung is reportedly aiming to blend aluminium with titanium in a new hybrid smartphone frame. The objective is to combine the former’s thermal efficiency and superior heat dissipation properties with the latter’s durability and scratch resistance in Samsung’s future foldable device lineup. The initiative marks a fresh approach to smartphone metallurgy as manufacturers are focusing attention on premium materials to differentiate high-end models. According to details forwarded by tipster Schrödinger on Telegram, Samsung’s proposed “dual-phase” frame design would feature a fusion of “an outer titanium shield with an inner Aero-grade aluminium core.” The outer titanium shell is expected to provide rigidity and a premium finish, while the aluminium interior would optimise efficiency ,...
Brazilian Rare Earths gains 8.7% as Alurion demerger unlocks bauxite-gallium value
Shares of Brazilian Rare Earths climbed 8.7 per cent after the company advanced plans to demerge its Amargosa Bauxite-Gallium Project into a standalone ASX-listed entity, Alurion Resources Limited . The restructuring is designed to sharpen Brazilian Rare Earths’ focus on rare earth development while allowing shareholders exposure to a separate bauxite and critical minerals growth platform. Under the proposed arrangement announced earlier in 2026, the Amargosa asset, currently fully owned by Brazilian Rare Earths, will be transferred to Alurion Resources. Existing BRE shareholders are expected to receive Alurion shares through an in-specie distribution, while BRE will retain a minority interest in the new company. Explore the relevance of red mud in the sustainable aluminium industry in A...
Decoding Vedanta’s FY26: Aluminium and energy seal milestone in pre-demerger wave
Vedanta Limited delivered its strongest-ever financial performance in FY26, propelled by record earnings across its core businesses, particularly the segments of Aluminium, Oil & Gas and Power. Higher commodity and LME aluminium prices , operational optimisation, production ramp-ups and robust volumes helped the diversified natural resources major report historic highs in revenue, EBITDA and profit after tax, while also strengthening its balance sheet ahead of the company’s demerger that became effective from May 1, 2026. FY26: Financials snapshot Vedanta posted strong financial figures for the year as well as the January-March quarter (Q4), representing significant gains year-on-year over the financial outcome of FY25 . Annual revenue of INR 1,740.75 billion (USD 18.27 billion) for FY26...
THACO’s $4.4b Vietnam bauxite-alumina push to cement aluminium ambition pathway
The Vietnamese industrial conglomerate Truong Hai Auto Corporation (THACO) is accelerating its ambitions in the country’s bauxite and alumina sector, unveiling a slate of proposed mining and processing projects in Lam Dong Province worth an estimated USD 4.4 billion. The proposal indicates the company’s long-term strategy to solidify its imprint across the aluminium value chain of Vietnam, from the upstream ore extraction to the downstream processing and industrial manufacturing. The proposal surrounds the planned Lam Dong 2 alumina complex, also known as the THACO alumina plant. Spanning about 804 hectares, the venture is aimed at producing up to 2 million tonnes of alumina annually and carries an approximate investment of VND 49.66 trillion (USD 1.9 billion). Explore the relevance of...
LME aluminium price cools but stays above $3,700/t; stocks stay intact after two months
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices eased on the May 22 session after shooting up on the May 21 session . The cash price, however, remained above USD 3,700 per tonne. Longer dated contracts continued to rise, and stocks did not record further decline. The LME aluminium cash bid eased 0.34 per cent day-on-day on May 22, down from USD 3,718 per tonne to USD 3,705.5 per tonne. The offer shifted from USD 3,720 per tonne to USD 3,706, representing a difference of 0.38 per cent. Explore- Most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook On May 22, the LME aluminium 3-month bid price slipped from USD 3,648 per tonne on May 21 to USD 3,641.5 per tonne, marking a 0.18 per cent...
Middle East crisis jolts aluminium downstream trade; end-use sectors grapple with supply crunch
The global aluminium downstream sector is witnessing a sharp realignment as Middle East supply disruptions, uneven corporate earnings, expansion investments and changing trade flows reshape market dynamics. While producers navigate rising aluminium prices , shipment costs and operational setbacks, demand from packaging, aerospace, EVs and recycling continues to influence long-term growth strategies across key regions. Financial performance and corporate moves Shyam Metalics and Energy Limited reported a strong Q4 FY26 performance, with profit after tax rising 42 per cent year-on-year to INR 3.12 billion, backed by higher sales volumes, stronger realisations and improved operational efficiency across its aluminium foil, steel and speciality alloy businesses. Quarterly revenue climbed 27...
