AlCircle News Edited By "Sarnali Chakraborty"
Sarnali Chakraborty is a content writer with 2 years of experience. She has written articles on various genres like technical, creative, medical, to name some. Here in Alcircle she will be curating articles on the metal industry, writing newsletters and other online and offline content.
A00 aluminium ingot price in China ascends to RMB18,710/t; Average alumina spot price slips by RMB10/t
On Friday, September 23, the A00 aluminium ingot price went up by RMB 50 per tonne to settle at RMB 18,710 per tonne. The average price for the same is expected to range between RMB 18,690 per tonne and RMB 18,730 per tonne, with spot contracts to be traded at a discount price of RMB 70 to RMB 30 per tonne. As per the SMM data, the prices in Foshan, Wuxi, Hangzhou, Shenyang and Linyi have grown by RMB 50 per tonne to reside at RMB 18,730 per tonne, RMB 18,700 per tonne, RMB 18,720 per tonne, RMB 18,660 per tonne and RMB 18,710 per tonne. In Gongyi and Chongqing, the prices ascended by RMB 40 per tonne and RMB 20 per tonne to come in at RMB 18,620 per tonne and RMB 18,690 per tonne. The A00 aluminium ingot price has grown in all the central provinces, except Tianjin, where it witnessed a...
Hydro adds a third aluminium extrusion press at its Rackwitz manufacturing facility
Hydro adds a third aluminium extrusion press at its manufacturing facility in Rackwitz. The EUR 11 million investments will double the plant's extrusion capacity by 12,000 tonnes annually and generate 40 new jobs. The development of Hydro's aluminium recycling facility in Rackwitz, which will add 25,000 tonnes of forging stock through increased amounts of post-consumer, end-of-life scrap, was officially started two months ago. The recycling facility is the nearest neighbour to the extrusion business. “This investment allows us to expand our fabrication area and improve the service level for our customers even more with better delivery times and availability of supply. It’s a great opportunity for us, confirming our outstanding performance, the location itself and our unique culture here...
Aludium resumes its Alicante plant operation a year after the massive fire incident
Just one year after the massive fire at the factory that erupted early on April 3, 2021, Aludium resumed operation of its Alicante plant with the L2, its primary rolling mill. Given the difficulty of organising the work and the global circumstances impacting the supply of components, the repair and commissioning of the mill were completed in less than 12 months, which is a record period. The presentation of the new L2 rolling facility took place on September 15 at the Aludium plant in Alicante, with the presence of both José Ignacio Juan, director of the Alicante Aludium facility, and Manuel Campayo, business director of Siemens LDA Spain Solutions, at the press conference. The tragedy had strengthened the firm, and its new laminator is considerably safer, more effective, automated, and...
LME aluminium price hits 18-month low as market braces for hefty interest rate rise; SHFE price inches down by US$1/t
LME aluminium opened at US$2,250.5 per tonne on Wednesday and closed at US$2,203 per tonne, down US$52 per tonne or 2.31 per cent. On Wednesday, September 21, aluminium prices dropped to their lowest in 18 months since March 2021 as markets prepared for another significant increase in US interest rates that may stifle economic development. Both LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price nosedived by US$56 per tonne or 2.49 per cent and US$54.5 per tonne or 2.42 per cent to halt at US$2,189 per tonne and US$2,191 per tonne. 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price plunged by US$49 per tonne or 2.16 per cent and US$48 per tonne or 2.11 per cent to record at US$2,216 per tonne and US$2,218 per tonne. December 23 bid price and December 23 offer price declined by...
AlCircle launches 12th edition of e-Magazine "Digital Transformation in the Aluminium Industry: Drivers & Change Makers of 2022"
Around the world, the effects of digital transformation are notable and pervasive. Digitalization has substantially advanced through time and given rise to cutting-edge technologies like AI, robotics, IoT, and many more. Aluminium is one of the top worldwide sectors adopting these advanced digital technologies and transforming its companies into Smart Enterprises. Some of the most prominent developments in the sector brought about by digital transformation include lowering manufacturing costs, increasing production efficiency, reducing operating time, and promoting sustainability. As part of its effort to shed more light on how digital transformation has changed the industry, AlCircle has launched its e-magazine titled "Digital Transformation in the Aluminium Industry: Drivers & Change...
Hydro-owned Vianode to invest NOK 2 billion in its first industrial-scale plant for sustainable battery material at Herøya
Elkem, Hydro, and Altor-owned firm Vianode, the producer of sustainable engineered battery materials, has decided to invest NOK 2 billion in its first industrial-scale facility for sustainable battery materials in Herøya, Norway. By 2024, the industrial facility in Herøya will generate enough anode graphite for 20,000 electric cars (EVs) annually. The choice is a crucial one in the process of creating a whole battery value chain in Norway for the European market. This initiative will also create new employment opportunities. Construction of the facility will proceed concurrently with plans for a second phase plant that will be scaled to provide battery materials to 2 million EVs annually by 2030, accounting for a sizeable portion of the worldwide EV market. “The global demand for...
A00 aluminium ingot price in China slumps by RMB140/t; Average alumina spot price dips by RMB4/t
On Wednesday, September 21, A00 aluminium ingot price in China slumped by RMB 140 per tonne to halt at RMB 18,550 per tonne, with the average prices ranging between RMB 18,530 per tonne and RMB 18,570 per tonne. The spot contract price is expected to be traded at a discount price of RMB 70 to RMB 30 per tonne. The prices in Chongqing, Hangzhou and Wuxi dropped by RMB 140 per tonne to record at RMB 18,600 per tonne, RMB 18,560 per tonne and RMB 18,540 per tonne. On the same day, the price in Foshan descended by RMB 130 per tonne to settle at RMB 18,550 per tonne. The A00 aluminium ingot price in Tianjin and Gongyi dipped by RMB 110 per tonne to peg at RMB 18,600 per tonne and RMB 18,470 per tonne. Shenyang and Linyi witnessed a price cut of RMB 100 per tonne and RMB 90 per tonne to close...
Collaboration between Silicon Ranch Corp. and SOLARCYCLE to provide recycled aluminium
Collaboration between Silicon Ranch Corp., a sizable independent power producer based in Nashville, Tennessee, and SOLARCYCLE, a tech-driven solar recycling platform, will recycle obsolete solar modules from Silicon Ranch projects using SOLARCYCLE's high-recovery recycling technology. The collaboration will provide a domestic supply of recycled materials, including aluminium, glass, silicon, and precious metals like silver and copper, which are necessary for the manufacture of new solar panels and will support the development of the U.S. solar manufacturing sector. Additionally, from the perspective of environmental protection, recycling solar panels lower greenhouse gas emissions associated with manufacturing PV modules and minimises the discharge of dangerous materials from waste...
Turkey's VIG Metal Aluminium division marks 10 years of production
Vig Metal, which completed 10 years in 2022, increased its production capacity to 40,000 tonnes thanks to new investments, including annealing furnaces, a casting line with a production width of 1500 mm, and a new, high-tech cut-to-length line with a production width of 2000 mm. Since 2012, Vig Metal, a significant manufacturer of aluminium sheets and coils in Turkey, has steadily increased its capacity. While using sophisticated cold rolling equipment and continuous casting technology, Vig Metal employs sustainable practices throughout the manufacturing cycle. The business emphasises decreasing waste at its source and managing energy and natural resources efficiently by using reuse and recycling technologies. In addition to the cost-cutting strategies employed in the plant, it invests in...
ISRI Commodity Roundtables: Both recycled and primary aluminium demand witnesses a ‘marked turnaround’
Greg Wittbecker, an advisor to London-based CRU International, reported that aluminium experienced a "marked turnaround in primary demand" since scrap processors and traders gathered in Las Vegas for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) Convention & Exposition (ISRI2022) in late March. He further stated that primary aluminium witnessed massive a 2.2 million tonnes shortage, arguably the most significant deficit in its history. However, on September 16, at the ISRI Commodity Roundtables, Wittbecker stated that the market was now "more or less balanced", noting that consumption growth had been lowered downward in reaction to inflation. In July, CRU predicted that in 2022, consumption will expand by 1.5 per cent annually, which as of September got reduced to 0.9 per cent. The...
LME aluminium price slips by US$27/t to US$2,232/t; SHFE price descends to US$2,677/t
LME aluminium opened at US$2,284 per tonne on Monday and closed at US$2,249 per tonne, down US$34 per tonne or 1.49 per cent. On Monday, September 19, both LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price dipped by US$26 per tonne or 1.15 per cent and US$27 per tonne or 1.19 per cent to settle at US$2,231 per tonne and US$2,232 per tonne. 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price slipped by US$20 per tonne or 0.88 per cent to stop at US$2,246 per tonne and US$2,247 per tonne. December 23 bid price and December 23 offer price climbed down the graph by US$23 per tonne or 0.97 per cent to record at US$2,335 per tonne and US$2,340 per tonne. LME aluminium opening stock settled at 346325 tonnes. Live warrants and Cancelled warrants came in at 278600 tonnes and 67725...
Recycled aluminium recap: Romco Metals to expand output leaning towards green hydrogen production; Alutrade recovers 99% pure aluminium using X-TRACT™
Alutrade produced 99.9 per cent pure aluminium for secondary aluminium production using TOMRA's most advanced x-ray metals sorting apparatus, the X-TRACTTM. The UK-based aluminium recycling business used the powerful new sensor-based sorting system from TOMRA, X-TRACT, for the first time. The Hayleys Group subsidiary Alumex PLC, a pioneer in fully integrated aluminium manufacturing in Sri Lanka, announced the groundbreaking introduction of "Ozon," a low-carbon aluminium alloy. The news follows the manufacturer's successful Phase 1 opening of its brand-new, cutting-edge melting facility in Sapugaskanda to support export markets. According to the firm's CEO, Romco Metals planned to raise US$50 million in debt and equity to increase its output by more than five times to 100,000 tonnes...
Primary weekly recap: Yunnan orders aluminium producers to reduce power usage in the coming weeks; Russia-Ukraine's geopolitical crisis may enhance Egyptalum's financial performance
According to sources, the Yunnan province in southwest China gave this week's directive to aluminium companies to use less energy. In addition to its captive power plant (CPP) at its Mahan facility, Hindalco Industries, the largest manufacturer of aluminium in India, started producing energy from a 25 MW solar project in Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh. Boeing announced that owing to the current conflict in Russia and Ukraine, it ceased purchasing aluminium from Vladimir's Russia. Boeing stopped obtaining essential supplies from Russia for the second time. Energy price hikes are still having an impact in China. . Egyptalum, the biggest producer of aluminium in Egypt and one of the biggest in Africa, anticipates solid commercial outcomes in the next year by leveraging many local and global...
Gerhardi AluTechnik GmbH achieves ASI Performance Standard V2 (2017) Certification, with emphasis on Material Stewardship
On Friday, September 16, Gerhardi AluTechnik GmbH received ASI Performance Standard V2 (2017) Certification at their facility in Luedenscheid, Germany, emphasising Material Stewardship for the manufacturing and sale of semi-finished aluminium profiles. According to the ASI statement, Gerhardi AluTechnik GmbH met with the 2017 Performance Standard (V2). The family-run business employs 70 people and creates extrusion profiles for clients in the furniture, lighting, electronics, automotive, construction, and mechanical engineering industries. “ASI congratulates Gerhardi AluTechnik GmbH on achieving Performance Standard Certification at its Luedenscheid facility. One of the key sustainability contributions of downstream users of aluminium is the assessment of their products over the life...
Aluminium billet inventories in China slump by 2,700 tonnes W-o-W to 114,900 tonnes
On Thursday, September 15, the domestic social inventory of aluminium billets dropped by 2,700 tonnes or 2.29 per cent across three major consumption areas to close at 114,900 tonnes. This month, the orders received by downstream businesses had hardly improved. Since downstream producers are concerned that projected output reductions in Yunnan would increase aluminium prices, they will be more inclined to hoard. As a result, the social inventory of aluminium billet may drop slightly soon. The figure below provides further information on the current state of aluminium billet inventories in China: The inventories in Huzhou and Nanchang had ascended by 2,000 tonnes or 1,200 tonnes to close at 16,000 tonnes or 4,700 tonnes. The increment was due to the steady arrivals and weak downstream...
Discarded PV cells a new medium for extracting aluminium and silver, say Leicester University researchers
By dissolving iron chloride and aluminium chloride in brines, researchers at the University of Leicester have created a brand-new technique for recovering aluminium and silver from discarded photovoltaic cells (PV cells) nearing the end of their useful lives. They claim that the inexpensive solvents may recover up to 95 per cent of the metals in just 10 minutes, producing silver chloride that is 98 per cent pure. The scientists tested the technology on crystalline solar cells that measured 12 x 15 cm, weighed 2 g, and were made of a 100 m thick silicon wafer that was coated with a 100 nm thick silicon nitride anti-reflective layer on the front side and a 20 m thick aluminium layer on the back side, both of which were stripped with silver electrodes that were about 30 m high. According to...
Hydro, Elkem and Altor finalise transaction to establish Vianode as a leader in sustainable battery materials
According to a partnership announced on April 6, Elkem would retain 40 per cent of Vianode while Hydro and Altor Equity Partners would each purchase 30 per cent. As per the latest reports, the acquisition has received approval from the competition authorities, in which Vianode will have considerable support to quicken the manufacture of new battery materials with a low environmental impact in Europe. The transaction's completion marks a significant turning point in Vianode's business development. The partners will contribute to the expected NOK 2 billion total costs of funding a first phase plant and making it ready for a prospective full-size facility through the deal. Vianode is anticipating making a decision soon on an investment in a first-phase facility. This facility will employ...
A00 aluminium ingot price in China grows by RMB80/t; Low carbon aluminium price hikes by RMB95/t
On Friday, September 16, A00 aluminium ingot price in China went up by RMB 80 per tonne to settle at RMB 18,870 per tonne. The average price for the same is expected to range between RMB 18,850 per tonne and RMB 18,890 per tonne, with spot contracts to be traded at a discount price of RMB 70 to RMB 30 per tonne. On the same day in Foshan, the price increased by RMB 100 per tonne to settle at RMB 18,870 per tonne. In Huzhou and Shenyang, the price went up by RMB 80 per tonne to settle at RMB 18,890 per tonne and RMB 18,800 per tonne. Linyi also experienced the same price hike to halt at RMB 18,870 per tonne. As per the SMM data, prices in Wuxi and Chongqing climbed up by RMB 70 per tonne to peg at RMB 18,860 per tonne and RMB 18,900 per tonne. The A00 aluminium ingot price in Gongyi went...
