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.
Vedanta Aluminium scores hat-trick at 11th Fly Ash Utilization Conference Expo Awards
Vedanta Aluminium has scored a hat-trick at Mission Energy Foundation’s 11th Fly Ash Utilization Conference Expo Awards for effective fly-ash management. Vedanta’s Jharsuguda Power Plant in Odisha has won in the category of >=500 MW and =500 MW, while its Chhattisgarh-based affiliate BALCO received an award under the Captive Power Plant classification. Vedanta Aluminium got the first position for its substantial efforts in assuring lucrative usage of fly-ash in circular economy channels out of the 160 organisations that had participated. Fly-ash is a by-product of coal-fired thermal power plants that supply electricity to Vedanta's aluminium smelters and also finds widespread use in the cement, building and infrastructure sectors, where they provide three-fold cost, quality, and...
Local brewery in US holds stack of aluminium cans waiting to be packed
CraftHaus, a small brewery in Nevada, United States, has piled up stocks of aluminium beverage cans on the line waiting to be packed, in addition to the can aluminium sheet problem. Wyndee Forrest, co-owner of CraftHaus Brewery, will not take a penny until the cans are completely filled with the beverage and sold to merchants. Forrest, on the other hand, emphasised that commerce was required to stack the cans. The firm used to keep only one months’ worth of cans in stock, but given the current state of the aluminium stock, she is concerned that suppliers will not be able to deliver on time. The cost of the containers has grown by 18 per cent, causing Forrest and her employee's problems due to rising shipping costs. "We are now sitting on a good three months of stock as an insurance...
ALRO’s consolidated turnover augments by 48% Y-o-Y in 1Q2022 driven by higher LME prices
On May 16, Romanian integrated aluminium company ALRO S.A. released its Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the first quarter of 2022 (1Q2022). ALRO, one of the largest aluminium producers in Europe, registered a turnover of RON 1.1 billion in the first quarter of 2022, up 48 per cent from the first quarter of 2021 when it was RON 744 million. The group's turnover has risen due to a surge in aluminium prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME), coupled with an increase in demand for high value-added products, especially in the aerospace sector, combined with an increase in the exchange rate. Having said this, ALRO suffered a net loss of RON 18 million in the 1Q2022, down from RON 62 million in the previous quarter, due to rising utility and raw material prices on the...
LME aluminium price moves upward by US$68/t to US$2791/t; SHFE price falls by US$25/t
LME aluminium opened at US$2,824.5 per tonne on Monday and closed at US$2,835 per tonne, an increase of US$7 per tonne or 0.25 per cent. On Monday, May 16, LME aluminium cash bid price surged by US$69 per tonne or 2.53 per cent to score at US$2,790 per tonne. On the same day, LME aluminium official settlement price also witnessed a hike of US$68 per tonne or 2.49 per cent to halt at US$2,791 per tonne. 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price also ascended by US$72 per tonne to stop at US$2,820 per tonne and US$2,822 per tonne. December 23 bid price and December 23 offer price escalated by US$52 per tonne or 1.90 per cent to settle at US$2,775 per tonne and US$2,780 per tonne. LME aluminium opening stock dropped from 539800 tonnes to 532500 tonnes. Live warrants and Cancelled warrants...
Hydrovolt, Europe’s largest EV battery recycling plant aims to recycle 12,000 tonnes battery packs per year
Together with Northvolt, Hydro has come up with Hydrovolt, a battery recycling joint venture, which has begun commercial recycling operations at its facilities in Fredrikstad, Norway. Considered Europe’s largest electric car battery recycling operation, Hydrovolt has the capacity of processing 12,000 tonnes of battery packs per year or around 25,000 EV batteries. With the factory up and running, Norway now has a long-term option for handling the full volume of electric car batteries approaching end-of-life. Up to 95 per cent of battery metals, including aluminium, plastics, copper, and black mass, a powder comprising nickel, manganese, cobalt, and lithium, may be recovered from batteries using Hydrovolt's fully automated recycling process, which will be given to Northvolt for further...
China’s April aluminium output ramps up by 3.36 million tonnes as the country ends power curbs
China, one of the world's leading primary aluminium producers, has achieved a new record in April after restrictions on power production were relaxed, allowing smelters to boost operations. As per the National Bureau of Statistics, the primary aluminium output in China closed at 3.36 million tonnes, up by 0.3 per cent Y-o-Y for the same month. In March 2022, the average aluminium production closed at 112,000 tonnes per day, up from 106,453 tonnes per day in March and a new high. China produced 13.01 million tonnes of aluminium in the first four months of 2022, down 0.2 per cent from the same period last year. In the first quarter, output was slowed by power usage restrictions aimed at ensuring enough supply to critical users. By April, however, curbs had loosened dramatically, allowing...
China’s A00 aluminium ingot price opens the week with a hike of RMB400/t; Alumina spot price inches down by RMB2/t
China’s A00 aluminium ingot price has hiked by RMB 400 per tonne to close at RMB 20,510 per tonne, says SMM. The average price for the same is expected to range between RMB 20,490 per tonne and RMB 20,530 per tonne, with spot contract expected to be traded at a premium price of RMB 0-40 per tonne. The price in Tianjin has witnessed the highest surge at RMB 470 per tonne, with the amount closing at RMB 20,530 per tonne. On the same day in Shenyang, the price has soared up by RMB 420 per tonne to come in at RMB 20,510 per tonne. In Foshan and Chongqing, the price has augmented by RMB 400 per tonne to score at RMB 20,520 per tonne. In Hangzhou and Gongyi, the price has closed at RMB 20,560 per tonne and RMB 20,440 per tonne after witnessing an increase of RMB 400 per tonne and RMB 350 per...
Downstream weekly recap: Novelis announces record net sales of $17.1 billion for FY2022; TANSIDCO planning to set up aluminium die-casting facility at Chinnavedampatti
The global aluminium industry's most crucial, downstream segment remained highlighted due to some of the potential news. A lot of companies like Hydro extrusion Suzhou, Alumex PLC, and the Hindalco Hirakud-FRP plant received their ASI certifications. Apart from this, Novelis reported record net sales of US$17.1 billion in FY2022, boosted by 3.858 Mt of aluminium FRP exports. Novelis Inc., the world’s leader in aluminium rolling and recycling, has announced its fourth-quarter and full-year results for the financial year 2022. It has mentioned in the report a Y-o-Y hike of 21 per cent in net income from continuing operations for the quarter ended March 31 to $217 million, supported by record shipments of 987,000 tonnes compared with 983,000 tonnes during the same period last year. To know...
Primary aluminium weekly recap: Tiwai Aluminium seeks a power supplier for the smelter to secure its future beyond 2024; Dubal Holding collaborates with Nature Alu to establish UAE’s first high purity aluminium facility
This week, the global primary aluminium sector recorded a lot of positive events. To begin with, New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Limited (NZAS), which owns the Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter, is now focused on guaranteeing the future beyond its 2024 closure date. On the market forefront, this week, LME aluminium benchmark price SHFE dropped by US$96 per tonne on Monday, May 9, to US$2,957 per tonne, before falling further by US$17 per tonne the next day to US$2,940 per tonne. The Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter, owned by New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Limited (NZAS), is now focused on securing the future beyond its closing date in 2024. On Tuesday, May 10, NZAS chief executive Chris Blenkiron said in a community forum that he is seeking a pathway for the smelter to enable it to continue its...
EGA’s latest milestone of 500kA DX+ Ultra reduction cell technology to boost aluminium output by 5%
On May 13, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) announced that they have successfully started their DX+ Ultra reduction cell technology with a modified liner at 500kA, the first time this amperage has reached the Middle East. When compared to the existing maximum working amperage in EGA, increasing the amperage to 500kA is predicted to increase aluminium output by 5 per cent. This milestone was achieved in the Eagle research and development section of EGA in Jebel Ali. It is a part of the feasibility study for EGA's potline 3 in Al Taweelah, which contains 444 DX+ and 14 DX+ Ultra pots, to update 458 reduction cells. “Reaching 500kA for the first time is a great achievement and I congratulate our Research & Development team who are continuously improving the performance of our proprietary...
Alba’s gross profit excels by 121% in 1Q 2022 due to higher LME prices
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) announced its financial results for the first quarter (Q1) 2022. As per the results, Alba, the world’s largest single-site aluminium smelter outside of China, earned a profit of BD146.8 million (US$390.4 million) in Q1’22, which on a Y-o-Y value went up by 181% from BD52.2 million (US$138.8 million) in the same period of 2021. Based on the same period in 2021, the company reported basic and diluted earnings per share of fils 104 versus fils 37. For Q1'22 the total comprehensive income settled at BD156 million (US$415 million), up 167% from BD58.4 million (US$155.4 million) in the same quarter of 2021. Gross profit in 2022 surged by 121% from BD80.5 million (US$214.1 million) in the same quarter of 2021. The gross profit for 2022 closed at BD178 million...
China’s M-o-M exports of aluminium plates, sheets and bars to US in February’22 slump by 6.81%
US aluminium plates, sheets and bars imported from China in February 2022 settled at 16,400 tonnes. On a month-on-month calculation the quantity dropped by 1,200 tonnes or 6.81 percent from 17,600 tonnes in January 2022. On the other hand, for January 2022 a surge of 600 tonnes or 3.52 percent was recorded from 17,000 tonnes in December 2021. The total amount of aluminium plates, sheets and bars imported by the United States for February totalled at 107,000 tonnes, which on a m-o-m calculation nosedived by 5,000 tonnes or 4.46 percent from 112,000 tonnes in January 2022. A surge of 3,000 tonnes or 2.75 percent was recorded on a m-o-m forefront in January 2022 from 109,000 tonnes in December 2021. From January to December 2021, a total of 1,290,000 tonnes of US aluminium plates, sheets and...
Aluminium billet inventory in China escalates by 10,000 tonnes W-o-W to 138,700 tonnes
On May 12, China’s domestic aluminium billet inventory surged by 10,100 tonnes or 7.84 per cent W-o-W to halt at 138,700 tonnes, said SMM. Lower conversion margins may in the future, entice purchasers. After the epidemic was brought under control, the market mood improved. As a result, inventories of aluminium billets may fall next week. The figure below provides further information on the current state of aluminium billet inventories in China: As of May 12, the inventory in Foshan hiked by 9,500 tonnes to peg at 80,000 tonnes. Demand was hindered by high conversion margins. Large volumes of aluminium billets were supplied to Foshan due to active production restart of aluminium smelters in Yunnan, driving up local inventories. On the other hand, the inventory in Wuxi declined by 3,600...
LME aluminium price slips by US$49/t to US$2,688/t; SHFE price decreases by US$42/t
LME aluminium opened at US$2,778 per tonne on Thursday and closed at US$2,786 per tonne, an increase of US$4.5 per tonne or 0.16 per cent. On May 12, LME aluminium cash bid price closed at US$2,686 per tonne, and LME aluminium official settlement price halted at US$2,688 per tonne. The former had witnessed a drop of US$50 per tonne or 1.82 per cent, while the latter had gone down by US$49 per tonne or 1.79 per cent. 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price had descended by US$48 per tonne or 1.73 per cent and US$49 per tonne or 1.76 per cent. The price for the same had closed at US$2,722 per tonne and US$2,723 per tonne. On the same day, December 23 bid price and December 23 offer price had dipped by US$47 per tonne to close at US$2,698 per tonne and US$2,703 per tonne. LME aluminium...
Bulgari teams up with Ducati to launch a limited edition watch based on its sporty aluminium chronograph
Bulgari's Aluminium edition chronographs were innovative both in terms of material and design. The Italian watchmaker has collaborated with Ducati to develop the Bulgari Aluminium chronograph Ducati special edition watch, which is sure to pique the interest of many riders. This special edition aluminium series watch is subjectively lightweight and comfortable, which is likely what Bulgari will bring over to the limited-edition Ducati clocks. The Bulgari Aluminium Chronograph Ducati, as the name implies, is a limited-edition model with a production run of 1,000 pieces. This classic timepiece priced at US$5,000 not only houses a rubber and aluminium hybrid strap but also comes in different colours. The Ducati special edition watch is powered by a 42-hour power reserve, in-house BVL 130...
Growth of aluminium scraps trading in Linyi slows down due to penurious demand
From May 2 to May 8, the throughput of aluminium scrap in Linyi, east China’s nonferrous metal city, settled at 12,386.03 tonnes, a surge of 2,255.47 tonnes from the previous week and up22.26 per cent on the month. Recyclers traded vigorously as a result of a minor increase in aluminium prices. This week, the scrap aluminium throughput reached 16,543.11 tonnes. The Ministry of Transport issued a document in mid-April saying trucks with all the proper documents should be permitted to pass, and drivers in Linyi had received orders from the ministry. However, when aluminium prices dropped, downstream consumption of aluminium alloy did not increase considerably, having a big influence on recycler’s trade and a large decline in trading volume. Aluminium prices had increased by RMB 480per tonne...
Hydro extrusion Suzhou, the first extrusion plant in China to receive ASI certification
Hydro’s aluminium extrusion plant in Suzhou is the company’s first Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) performance standard-certified aluminium extrusion firm in China. The firm located in Shanghai's Suzhou Industrial Park roughly employs 350 workers and has undergone multiple expansion projects, the most recent of which is a NOK 390 million investment, since its inception in 2004. When it opens in mid-2023, the new extrusion press will service China's automotive and electric vehicle markets and create roughly 75 new jobs. The ASI certification encourages responsible production, sourcing, and handling of aluminium. It also covers the plant's extrusion operations, die shop, anodizing process, and value-added processes. “This is really something special for the team. It reflects...
Manaksia Aluminium’s Q4FY22 results records a drop of 28.67% to INR1.7920 crores
Manaksia Aluminium announced its financial results for the period ending March 31, 2022. As per the data, the firm earned a total income of INR 128.9419 crores on March 31, 2022. On a Q-o-Q comparison, the price went down by 1.16 per cent from INR 130.4571 crores for the quarter ended December 31, 2021. The company’s net profit / (loss) for March 31, 2022, suffered a loss of 28.67 per cent, from INR 2.5125 crores for the quarter ended December 31, 2021. The amount for March 31, 2022, had settled at INR 1.7920 crores. The company's earnings per share (EPS) for March 31, 2022, was INR 0.27, compared to INR 0.38 for the quarter ended December 31, 2021. On a Y-o-Y comparison, the amount recorded for the year ending March 31, 2022, settled at INR 128.9419 crores compared to INR 90.1499 crores...
