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.
Coal India eyes Ghana’s 920Mt bauxite as India hunts global mineral assets
Coal India, the world’s largest coal producer, is evaluating bauxite opportunities in Ghana as the Indian state-controlled miner eyes expansion beyond coal and to secure overseas mineral assets. The Ghana interest is part of a wider plan to establish Coal India’s first overseas trading office in Singapore. This could serve as a base for mineral trading and potential acquisitions involving bauxite, lithium, iron ore, rare earths and other critical minerals. As of Thursday, Coal India was valued at around INR 2.48 trillion (USD 26 billion) on the Indian stock market. As per its official database, the company produced 768.19 million tonnes of coal in FY2025-26. Its move into overseas minerals comes as India seeks to secure resources required for manufacturing, renewable energy, electric...
AL Circle Analysis: Inside aluminium’s global recycling reckoning with scrap, solar and smelters
Aluminium’s circular economy is no longer a sustainability side story — it is becoming a contest over who controls scrap, who sets the compliance bar, and who can afford the energy to keep smelting. On one hand, recycled aluminium is being tested, as dross piles up in China, scrap ships out of the US faster than domestic recyclers can replace it, and only a third of the world’s beverage cans actually become cans again. On the other hand, governments are throwing real money at keeping primary production alive, from Canberra’s power-price rescue of an Australian smelter to Chinese capital scouting a new industrial base in Egypt. These indicate that circularity is becoming as much a matter of industrial strategy and geopolitics as of technology. To know the aluminium casting demand forecast...
Recorp enters Australia with 550m-can capacity, 85% recycled aluminium push
New Zealand-owned aluminium beverage can manufacturer Recorp has entered the Australian market, offering beverage companies access to multiple can formats from its South Auckland manufacturing facility. The company is positioning flexible production, lower minimum order quantities (MOQs) and high recycled aluminium content as key advantages as it targets Australian beverage brands. Recorp will serve Australian customers from its 16,000-square-metre plant in Manukau, South Auckland. The facility, which opened in November 2024 following an investment of NZD 115 million (USD 89.54 million), has annual manufacturing capacity of around 550 million cans. The production line can run at up to 1,850 cans per minute and includes eight bodymakers, dual decorators and equipment designed to enable...
US-Canada trade deal could cut aluminium tariffs to 25%, autos to 15%
The US and Canada are moving closer to a potential trade agreement that could reduce tariffs on certain Canadian aluminium and steel exports to 25 per cent and reduce duties on the non-US content of Canadian automobile exports to 15 per cent. The proposed tariff changes could offer some relief to Canadian exporters while easing cost pressures across highly integrated North American supply chains. However, the agreement remains under negotiation, with key details still to be finalised. The potential deal follows US President Donald Trump’s call for postponing the decided 50 per cent tariffs on about USD 20 billion worth of Canadian imports , originally scheduled be effective on 12:01 AM, Wednesday, allowing for an additional three-day window for negotiators to reach an agreement. Although...
Voltalia eyes €120m IFC funding for solar, BESS projects through 2028
Voltalia has reached an agreement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for a proposed investment of up to EUR 120 million (USD 140.3 million) in shares of its subsidiary, Voltalia Management International B.V. The collaboration has materialised as the renewable energy company seeks to accelerate its solar power and battery energy storage system (BESS) expansion through 2028. EUR 120 million investment planned in two tranches The proposed long-term investment would be provided in two stages, beginning with an initial EUR 75 million (USD 87.68 million), followed by up to EUR 45 million (USD 52.6 million). The amount and timing of the second tranche would depend on Voltalia’s funding needs and business performance. The proceeds would be dedicated to projects that meet eligibility...
Talica expands aluminium surface treatment portfolio with Hard Anodize acquisition
US-based surface science technology platform Talica has acquired Minneapolis-area company Hard Anodize. The move would help Talica expand its precision aluminium anodising and specialised surface treatment capabilities for the aerospace, defence, medical device and high-performance manufacturing sectors. Financial terms of the transaction are yet to be disclosed. Hard Anodize adds specialised aluminium finishing expertise With more than 30 years of experience, Hard Anodize provides technical metal finishing services for mission-critical components where precision, quality and performance are critical. The company operates under an AS9100-certified quality management system and ISO 9001 certification, while also holding NADCAP process approvals for commercial aerospace and defence...
Canada’s aluminium exports slide 2% as US tariffs drive the H1 2026 decline
The first half (H1) of 2026 witnessed a significant slide of nearly 2 per cent in Canada’s export chart of aluminium products. As of H1 2026, Canada’s exports of all aluminium product categories , viz., unwrought, bars, rods and profiles, foil, pipes and tubes, plates, sheets and strips, tube or pipe fittings, and wire, stood at 2.68 million tonnes. Comparing the H1 2026 trade volume with that over the past two years, the year-on-year gap appears to have widened: H1 2026 vs 2025 – 2.68 million tonnes vs 2.73 million tonnes, down 1.86 per cent Y-o-Y H1 2025 vs 2025 – 2.73 million tonnes vs 2.77 million tonnes, down 1.48 per cent Y-o-Y Comparing the annual export volumes, 2025 saw exports of 4.82 million tonnes, marking a Y-o-Y decline of 11.3 per cent from the export volume of 5.42 million...
LME aluminium price on the decline: Cash drops by 1.62%; stocks dip to 246,925t
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price reported major declines of over 1 per cent across the pricing and contract segments on the August 18 close, continuing the trend reported at the August 17 session . The LME aluminium cash bid dropped by 1.6 per cent day-on-day on August 18, down to USD 3,218.5 per tonne from USD 3,271 per tonne. The offer shifted to USD 3,219 per tonne from USD 3,272 per tonne, marking a difference of 1.62 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 August 18, the LME aluminium three-month bid and contract prices contracted by 1.16 per cent. As the bid plunged to USD 3,232 per tonne from USD 3,270 per tonne, the offer price...
Bell Bay Aluminium conundrum: Can Tasmania close the $60m power gap?
The future of Bell Bay Aluminium smelter in Tasmania remains dependent on the outcome of negotiations over its electricity supply agreement. Federal Industry Minister of Australia Tim Ayres has stopped short of committing federal funding similar to the support extended to the Tomago aluminium smelter in New South Wales. While Canberra has acknowledged the strategic importance of Bell Bay and its employment base, Ayres has stressed that the immediate priority is securing a commercially sustainable power agreement between Hydro Tasmania and Rio Tinto. To know the production, demand and consumption forecasts on bauxite and alumina, explore the report “ Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook ” Bell Bay faces a different challenge from...
How everyday aluminium foil became art: Dean Millien’s scrap-to-sculpture story
Aluminium foil is likely to appear in day-to-day usage, but have you imagined aluminium foil in curated artwork? Brooklyn-born self-taught artist Dean Millien has transformed everyday aluminium foil into a distinctive body of animal sculptures, carrying a childhood fascination with handmade toys into the contemporary art world. His work, recently featured in MoMA PS1’s Greater New York , showcases a decades-long practice built around foil, scrap materials, popular culture and an enduring fascination with animals. Millien’s journey began in childhood, dominated by toys and television. Born in Brooklyn in 1972, he began creating his own toys after his father discarded his collection. What started with sponges and paper gradually evolved into sculptures made from aluminium foil, a material...
Chuangxin Industries H1’26: Profit jumps 166%, driven by aluminium prices, green power
Chuangxin Industries Holdings Limited recorded a robust financial performance in the first half (H1) of 2026, with revenue rising 32.4 per cent year-on-year to RMB 11.53 billion (USD 1.71 billion) and net profit jumping 166.1 per cent to RMB 2.32 billion (USD 344.19 million). The Chinese aluminium producer benefited from higher electrolytic aluminium selling prices, lower production costs supported by a greater share of green electricity, and reduced finance costs, while its aluminium and alumina businesses delivered stronger profitability during the six months ended June 30, 2026. Financial snapshot: H1 2026 vs H1 2025 Comparing the financial metrics recorded in H1 2026 with those in H1 2025, the Y-o-Y improvement chart looks like this: Revenue – RMB 11.53 billion (USD 1.71 billion), up...
Norway’s low-carbon aluminium gets greener with Hydro and Alcoa’s 6000-series
Low-carbon aluminium is becoming an increasingly important product category as manufacturers look to reduce the embodied emissions of their aluminium supply chains. Norway is a low-carbon aluminium hub because its smelters are powered largely by renewable hydropower, enabling producers such as Norsk Hydro and Alcoa to manufacture certified low-carbon aluminium products including Hydro REDUXA, Hydro CIRCAL, EcoLum™ and EcoDura™. Some of the low-carbon products for the applications, used by Hydro and Alcoa, are 6000-series billets for extrusion, A356/AlSi7Mg and ADC12 for castings, 1xxx and 6xxx-series wire rods for conductors, and 3xxx/5xxx-series ingots for rolled sheet and packaging. These have accordingly been specified below: Against this backdrop, the following companies and...
Metro Mining ships 700k WMT in July as waste stripping jumps 140%
Australian bauxite exploration and mining company Metro Mining shipped 700,000 wet metric tonnes (WMT) of bauxite from its Bauxite Hills Mine in Queensland in July 2026. Year-to-date waste stripping reached 1 million bank cubic metres (BCM), up 140 per cent year-on-year. The announcement, released in Metro Mining’s operational update, was approved by CEO and Managing Director, Simon Wensley. Metro Mining's July shipment volume stood at 700,000 WMT, despite a temporary interruption at its offshore floating terminal (OFT) Ikamba. Compared with the June shipment volume of 779,000 tonnes , the July shipment volume records a 10.14 per cent month-on-month dip. As regards the annual comparison with the same period of the previous year, the July 2025 shipments amounted to 714,000 WMT, indicating...
Abx Group’s 37Mt Sunrise bauxite project nears 2027 environmental approvals
Australia-based ABx Group is advancing its Sunrise bauxite project in Queensland towards a key environmental approvals milestone targeted for 2027, as development partner Good Importing International (GII) shifts its capital and management focus towards the project. The move strengthens the development pathway for the Binjour bauxite mine and associated Bundaberg port operations, with the project holding a JORC-compliant resource of 37 million tonnes of gibbsite-type metallurgical bauxite. To know the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina, explore the report “ Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook ” ABx’s project vehicle, ABx3, has appointed Onterris Australia to manage the environmental approvals work...
LME aluminium price eases to $3,248/t: Is EGA Q1’27 restart update driving the decline?
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price graph has steadily been on the decline since the August 12 session , as Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) announced the restart of full-scale production at its AL Taweelah facility in the first quarter (Q1) of 2027. As the drop persists on the August 14 trading session, the figures indicate a cooling effect of the EGA update. The LME aluminium cash bid and offer prices contracted by 0.95 per cent day-on-day on August 14. The bid slumped from USD 3,278 per tonne to USD 3,247 per tonne while the offer moved from USD 3,279 per tonne to USD 3,248 per tonne. The cash prices had shot up on the March 30 2026 session , jumping from USD 3,292 per tonne to USD 3,482 per tonne, following the Iranian missile hits sustained by the EGA and Aluminium Bahrain...
AL Circle Analysis: China’s 64% output, Asia’s 8.47% CAGR mark aluminium extrusion’s growth race
The global aluminium downstream market is being reshaped by three simultaneous forces: rapid extrusion growth in Asia, increasingly defensive trade policies, and rising demand from automotive, renewable energy, packaging and advanced manufacturing . China remains the dominant extrusion powerhouse, but India and Southeast Asia are building their own capacity and demand centres. At the same time, Chinese downstream exports are facing greater scrutiny in Australia and the US, while new applications such as giga-casting and recyclable aluminium packaging are opening fresh demand pools. For traders and investors, the story is increasingly about where aluminium is processed, where it is consumed and how trade barriers are redirecting those flows. Unlock in-depth insights into the extrusion...
China’s H1’26 alumina market’s new trade equation: 749% import surge meets 118.92MTPA capacity
China’s aluminium export surge in the first half (H1) of 2026, crossing 250,000 tonnes, has come with a surge in its alumina imports as well, feeding the smelting and primary aluminium production. China’s January-June alumina imports marked a drastic year-on-year surge of about 749.4 per cent, indicating a massive boom in demand. Y-o-Y H1 import snapshot: 2026 vs 2025 vs 2024 Comparing China’s January-to-June alumina import figures, a significant development can be noted in the H1 2026 chart. 2026 – 2.28 million tonnes, up 749.4 per cent Y-o-Y from 268,211 tonnes in H1 2025 2025 – 268,211 tonnes, down 77.37 per cent Y-o-Y from 1.19 million tonnes in H1 2024 The figures offset the H1 2025 import decline, partially driven by the steep alumina prices around late 2024 exceeding USD 800 per...
Adani’s Odisha blueprint: Aluminium, 600MW nuclear power and ₹800b coal project
Adani Group is planning a major industrial expansion in Odisha, with aluminium, mineral processing and energy infrastructure forming the core of its proposed investment roadmap. The group has outlined plans for two 3,000 MW nuclear power plants and an INR 800 billion (USD 8.38 billion) coal gasification facility, while also evaluating bauxite mining, an alumina refinery and an aluminium smelter. Together, the proposals point towards a broader industrial ecosystem built around Odisha’s natural resources and energy potential. To learn about the market potential of aluminium dross, explore "ALuminium Dross Processing: Generation, Recovery & Strategic Roadmap" Aluminium emerges as a key growth area The proposed aluminium expansion is among the primary elements of Adani Group’s Odisha...
