AlCircle News Edited By "Rupankar Majumder"
A professional with a technical background, specialising in producing insightful content centred around metals, particularly aluminium, passionately engaged in the intricacies of the recycling sector.
Novelis: Towards approval of Aleris deal loses Lewisport
Aditya Birla Group as the owner of Hindalco and, therefore, Novelis secured its position as the world’s largest producer of value-added aluminium products with the completion of the $ 2.8 billion acquisition of Aleris in 2019, though the approval from the U.S. Justice Department has been pending ever since the deal was announced in March last year. Novelis and Aleris combined are said to control some 60% of the U.S. automotive aluminium sheet market, raising fears the supreme position would see too dominant a position for the merged company. Hindalco and Novelis are a global company with 49 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia with revenues of some $12.3 billion last year. Aleris is much smaller with 13 facilities across North America, Europe, and China and revenues...
Turkey’s Bauxite import remains strong during 2017-19: Projected dip by 31.86% in 2020
The economy of Turkey is an emerging market economy as defined by the International Monetary Fund. Turkey is among the world's developed countries according to the CIA World Factbook. Turkey is also defined by economists and political scientists as one of the world's newly industrialized countries. Turkey’s bauxite importation market remained with advantage during 2017-19 as it recorded a moderate volume of import at 117,168 tonnes and the revenue expended remained at $46.32 million. The estimated importation for 2020 though has been analysed to 25,862 tonnes only and the expenditure might reach to $11.60 million. When the current years analysed import volume and expenditure is added up with the preceding three years it stands at 143,030 tonnes and $57.92 million. The country’s bauxite...
Liberty Aluminium Technologies restarts production with COVID-19 safeguard
Liberty Aluminium Technologies has resumed production after a two-month halt, provided with safeguarding from COVID-19 epidemic by reducing the risk. The staffs have started re-joining to their work this week for the production of components towards the automotive sector at sites in Coventry and Witham, Essex, a part of the Liberty Engineering group owned GFG Alliance. The safety measures the factories have been taking starts from temperature checks on arrival, briefing on social distancing, usage of the marked way walking route, sanitation throughout the factory, closure of catering facilities, etc. Liberty is a grade 1 supplier, it has resumed due to major carmakers that have been its pivotal consumers has already re-started production. The operations have begun at a modest level, as...
Aluminium supplier Soon Lian Chairman and CEO Tony Tan Yee Chin resigns
On 18 th May’20, Soon Lian Holdings, the aluminium supplier made public that Tony Tan Yee Chin resigned as company Chairman and CEO following differences in an opinion he had with two executive directors regarding the execution of the group's strategic direction in the area of resource allocation and cost management. The two executive directors, Tan Yee Ho and Tan Yee Leong, have since been appointed the company's Chairman and CEO respectively. Soon Lian was responding to queries from the Securities Investors Association (Singapore), which was seeking elaboration, on the “differences in views” between the parties. The company stated that under the new leadership, the company will strengthen its partnerships with its stakeholders, scrutinise debt collection to manage cash flow, review...
COVID-19 impact: Japan's UACJ holds back domestic production of Aluminium products
UACJ, the Japanese manufacture of aluminium products has downsized its production at its domestic plants in response to the plunge in demand, especially from the auto industry, due to the Covid-19 epidemic. On 19 th May’20, UACJ stated it has ceased part of its domestic production for several days as a course of action to adjust to a fall in aluminium products demand caused by the Covid-19 outbreak since April’20. Demand from vehicle-related industries significantly weakened in May’20 in line with output suspensions at domestic assembly plants. The automakers of Japan were forced to shove domestic production post supplies of auto parts from China were suspended after the later period of January’20 by strict quarantine measures taken to combat the coronavirus outbreak. The production slash...
Finland’s expeditious growth of Aluminium scraps exportation during 2017-20
Finland is the eighth-most expensive country in Europe according to a Eurostat study of 2017. The economy of Finland is a highly industrialised, mixed economy with a per capita output similar to that of other western European economies such as France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Industry in Finland is the second largest sector of Economy of the nation after the services sector. The metal industry is categorised into multiple branches. Finland’s exports include metals and metal products worth, machinery, electronics and vehicles. The aluminium scrap exportation market of Finland during 2017-20 has reflected with a positive overview. This also gives a notification that the usage of aluminium or the demand for the aluminium in the nation’s manufacturing units has been increasing....
BALCO introduces CSOC to strengthen the security of its people and operations
Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO), a global pioneer in the aluminium & power sector recently introduced an automated and highly sophisticated Centralised Security Operations Centre (CSOC) to further strengthen the security of its people and operations. This technological augmentation of the security function is in line with BALCO’s relentless efforts towards intensifying workforce safety and asset integrity. The company is swiftly establishing state-of-the-art technology across all functions and security automation is a steady step in this direction. As one of the first manufacturing organizations in India to incorporate state-of-the-art technology in its communication methodology, BALCO believes in being a pilot of innovation. In the wake of COVID-19, smart technology innovations...
Dutch Aluminium maker Aldel to sell 180,000 tonnes to Glencore
Adel, the Netherlands-based aluminium maker stated on 18 th May’20 that it has tied up for this year and next year to sell 180,000 tonnes of the metal to commodity trader Glencore. London-listed Glencore is a major player in the aluminium market outside China. Earlier in April’20, Glencore made a deal with Rusal for $16.3 billion. “Aldel has embarked on a ten-year plan to become one of Europe’s leading low cost and energy-efficient producers of aluminium,” Aldel said in a statement. The privately-owned company currently produces around 80,000 tonnes and is focusing to boost that number up significantly over the next 12 months.
European Aluminium supports rapid actions for the recovery of the automotive sector at the European level
Aluminium is a part of many large value chains and the largest of them being the automotive and transport sector. This sector alone represents 36% of the aluminium market. As the automotive industry is facing a severe slowdown or is even stopping production, the aluminium production which includes alumina, primary, recycling, semi-fabrication and some final products in Europe is at risk. Today, European produced cars contain on average 180 kg of aluminium that constitutes around 12% of the vehicle weight. The light-weight properties of aluminium are the perfect material to make vehicles more efficient. As an essential supplier to the automotive industry, the European aluminium producers consequently rely on a rapid recovery of the entire automotive sector. With the uncertainty surrounding...
Tata Motors’ JV partner in China for JLR, Chery Automobiles to roll-out eQ5 electric SUV based on all-new aluminium platform
Tata Motors’ joint venture partner in China, Chery Automobiles, that has been manufacturing Jaguar Land Rover products for the Chinese market, is now ready to roll-out its first fully electric SUV, the eQ5, in its home country. The compact electric crossover is built on Chery’s all-new aluminium-intensive lightweight platform that will procreate a range of EVs soon. The Chery eQ5 fully electric SUV is powered by a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) that is available in two states of tune – 163 hp and 177 hp. The motor is supported by a lithium-ion battery pack which claimed to deliver a range of 510 km under NEDC. The battery is claimed to have an impressive energy density of 160.1 Wh/kg. The crossover’s monocoque or the structural skin is composed of 93% of aluminium-magnesium...
The gradual fall of Namibia’s Aluminium structures importation market during 2017-20
Namibia, a country in southwest Africa, is distinguished by the Namib Desert along its Atlantic Ocean coast. The country's sophisticated formal economy is based on capital-intensive industry and farming. Namibia's economy is heavily dependent on the extraction and processing of minerals for export. Mining accounts for about 12.5% of GDP but provides more than 50% of foreign exchange earnings. The aluminium structures importation market of Namibia has been showing a gradual fall during 2017-20. The importation volume during 2017-20 remained at 4747 tonnes and the expenditure stood at $233.71 tonnes. The import estimation for 2020 has been analysed to only 1437 tonnes and the expenditure might remain at $68.48 million when added to the last three years though it stands to 6184 tonnes as...
COVID-19 impact: Govt. of India announces major reforms in the mineral mining sector, advantage inclines to Aluminium industry
On 16 th May’20, Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister of India announced major reforms in the mining of minerals through a seamless composite exploration-cum-production regime. Mrs Sitharaman announced that 500 blocks of minerals will be auctioned through an open and transparent process. She further said: “A joint auction of bauxite and coal blocks would also be done to enhance the aluminium industry's competitiveness. This will help the aluminium industry reduce electricity costs.” The Minister added: “The distinction between captive and non-captive mines will be removed to allow the transfer of mining leases and sale of surplus unused minerals, leading to better efficiency and production.” The Finance Minister of India also stated that the Ministry of Mines is in the process to...
Tiwai Point Aluminium smelter future uncertainty drags on
New Zealand Aluminium Smelters (NZAS) said: “The Electricity Authority’s proposal to reform its transmission pricing methodology might be too little and coming too late.” Stew Hamilton, General Manager, said: “The NZAS executive team had argued for years the firm was paying too much for improvements to the electrical grid.” The cost was affecting the capability of Tiwai Point smelter to make money. In 2019 the company already posted a $46 million loss. In February’19, the Electricity Authority announced a proposed change that might open the way for Tiwai Point to apply to pay less to Transpower in transmission charges that might cost it between $60 million and $70 million a year. Mr Hamilton stated that the company was engaged in the consultation process. However, a result could come too...
Guinea Minister of Mines: Iran a competent partner for the development of mining projects
Abdoulaye Magassouba, Minister of Mines and Geology, Guinea stated that: “Iranian companies are capable partners for the development of mining projects.” On 15 th May’20, the Guinea minister while speaking in a video conference with Iranian Deputy Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Khodadad Gharibpour, he entitled “Iranians as able and competent partners with high capabilities and capacities.” The Guinean mining minister welcomed the idea of developing mines and mineral cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran. After being informed of a 70% increase in production capacity of aluminium in Iran, he emphasized the need for transfer of experience and technical know-how between the two countries in the mines and mineral sector. He pointed to the commissioning of the bauxite project in...
Coal India mandated to replace 100 Million tonnes of imports from non-regulated sector like Aluminium
The Indian state-owned coal mining company “Coal India Ltd” has been mandated by the Government of India to replace at least 100 million tonnes of imports with domestically-produced coal in the ongoing fiscal. An official spoke-person of CIL said: “Coal India has a mandate of replacing at least 100 million tonnes of imported coal with domestic non-coking coal in the financial year 2020-21. In its bid to substitute imports with domestic coal, CIL is connecting with non-regulated sectors like aluminium and few others for domestic coal. It has also removed many extra costs and reduced the reserve price to zero.” The development comes at a time when the country, on the one hand, has an abundance of domestic coal, while on the other hand there is a sink in demand for the dry fuel. India has...
European Commission introduces new monitoring system for aluminium imports
On 15 th May’20, the European Commission is introducing a new system to monitor the imports into the EU of certain aluminium products. The objective is to permit rapid analysis of import trends, ahead of official Eurostat statistics. The new monitoring system that has been commencing from 15 th May’20, replaces the previous surveillance system introduced for steel in 2016 in the context of the crisis in the EU steel sector and for aluminium in April 2018, when the US introduced import restrictions on steel and aluminium. It will respond better to the needs of the industrial sectors concerned and is completely transparent. The new system is based on import statistics available two weeks after the actual imports, thus considerably earlier than the official Eurostat data. It offers a better...
COVID-19 impact: AIMO applauds Finance Minister of India's message of special packages to MSME sector
All India Manufacturers Organisation, ( AIMO ), India’s Apex Trade body focused on the MSME sector on 14th May’20 applauded the announcements made by the Finance Minister of India and welcomed the new packages that were offered to the MSME sector. AIMO also emphasized that apart from Money, MSME’s also need Men and Material to re-open, to survive and to grow. According to Mr.K.E.Raghunathan, Former-President of AIMO: “This Government has proven that they are a Government that listens to the needs of the MSMEs. We have been at the heart of understanding and representing the requirements of the MSME’s in the lockdown period. We at AIMO agree and support with the Honourable PM’s vision of a Self-Reliant Domestic Indian Economy. For the first time in Indian History, the Government has pushed...
Mozambique’s Bauxite export remains positive during 2017-20
Mozambique is located on the southeast coast of Africa. It is bound by Swaziland to the south, South Africa to the southwest, Zimbabwe to the west, Zambia and Malawi to the northwest, Tanzania to the north and the Indian Ocean to the east. The below-par quality of the countries bauxite reserves and in-disciplined marketing has affected the export of the aluminium ore. Mozambique’s principal customer for its bauxite has been Zimbabwe and Zambia stood as a minor buyer. The nation’s bauxite export during 2017-2019 has been recorded at 22,437 tonnes and the foreign revenue earning stood at $2.71 million. The bauxite export estimated for 2020 has been analysed for 10,547 tonnes and the income might reach to $1.26 million. When the analysed export value and income get added with the previous...
