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.
Primary aluminium manufacturing in North America has reduced carbon footprint by 49%
The energy and carbon impact of aluminium manufacturing in North America has decreased to its lowest point in history, says a new third-party critical-reviewed life cycle assessment (LCA) study. Primary aluminium manufacturing has reduced its carbon footprint by 49% since 1991, while recycled aluminium production has reduced its carbon impact by 60%. The energy required to create primary and recycled (or secondary) aluminium has decreased by 27% and 49%, respectively, during the same time span. The carbon footprint of aluminium production (including primary and secondary) decreased by 5 to 21% between 2010 and 2016. Aluminium produced in North America, which depends mainly on renewable hydropower, is among the cleanest in the world, according to the analysis. The Environmental Footprint...
SHFE price hikes by 1.17% to settle at US$3278/t; LME aluminium closes at $2930/t
On Friday, January 7, the benchmark aluminium price for SHFE hiked by US$38 per tonne or by 1.17% to peg at US$3,278 per tonne. The most-traded SHFE 2202 aluminium closed up 1.97% or RMB 400 per tonne to RMB 20685 per tonne, with open interest up 9391 lots to 213019 lots. Overnight, the most-traded SHFE 2202 aluminium contract opened at RMB 20,805 per tonne, with the highest and lowest prices at RMB 20,920 per tonne and RMB 20,685 per tonne before closing at RMB 20,860 per tonne, up RMB 175 per tonne or 0.85%. LME aluminium price LME aluminium opened at US$2,906 per tonne on Thursday and closed at US$2,930 per tonne, an increase of US$18 per tonne or 0.62%. On Thursday, January 6, LME aluminium cash (bid) price surged by US$46.5 per tonne or by 1.62% to close at US$2,912 per tonne. LME...
Faulty dust filters impel North Korea's Bukchang Aluminum Factory to release toxins straight into the air
The environment around North Korea's only aluminium smelting and alloying industry, the Bukchang Aluminum Factory, is fast degrading. Toxins are being discharged straight into the air since the factory's dust scrubbers are allegedly no longer operating as the facilities degrade. On Wednesday, December 5, a daily NK source stated that the dust from the Bukchang Aluminum Factory lead to the recent surge in respiratory sickness and dermatitis in the nearby regions. People are unable to open their windows because the ashy dust enters their houses, and dust collects inside no matter how often they clean. Apart from the surrounding region, the dust from the Bukchang Aluminum Facility also moved to the urbanised areas with multiple offices, shops, schools, and houses, affecting local...
South32 along with partner Alcoa plans to restart Alumar aluminium smelter using renewable energy
With its joint venture partner, Alcoa Corporation, South32 (S32) plans to reactivate the Alumar aluminium smelter (Brazil Aluminium). The first production is scheduled for the June 2022 quarter, with a maximum capacity of 447,000 tonnes per annum from its three potlines projected in the March 2023 quarter. South32 forecasts its aluminium production to expand by 16% to 1.26 million tonnes per year once it is fully operational. South32 has announced that it plans to invest roughly US$70 million (A$97 million) in FY22 and FY23 to assist the resumption of Brazil Aluminium, which has been on care and maintenance since 2015. South32 has also stated that its 40% stake in Brazil Aluminium would be entirely powered by cost-effective renewable energy. CEO Grahan Kerr is looking forward to resuming...
Aluminium billet inventories in China ascends by 32,900 to total at 113,200 tonnes
According to the Shanghai Metals Market, aluminium billet inventories in China hikes by 32,900 tonnes week-on-week across five major consumption areas. As a result, the inventories registered at 113,200 tonnes, as of Thursday, January 6. On a weekly basis, inventories in the five major markets all increased, with Foshan and Huzhou seeing the largest increases. Inventory in Foshan increased by 14,700 mt, or 38.89%, over the previous week, while inventory in Huzhou increased by 10,000 mt, or 71.43%. The arrivals of aluminium billets have recently been high, according to the warehouses. The downstream industry, on the other hand, saw fewer orders as the Chinese New Year approached. The overall volume of aluminium billet trades has been low. The chart below indicates the current status of...
New aluminium cans deposit return system launched in Slovakia
Slovakia launched a new deposit return system for aluminium cans to increase its recycling rate, this year. In Slovakia, almost 1.5 billion aluminium beverage containers are sold each year. The government believes now is a suitable moment to integrate them into the drop-off recycling system that already exists for plastic bottles. The payout for each can has been set at 15 Eurocents. Slovakia is deploying 1700 reverse vending machines at collection stations throughout around 2000 establishments to collect, sort, and manage the return of aluminium cans. Tesco, a grocery business, is a popular hangout. The take-back apparatus was developed by Tomra Sorting Systems, a technology company. According to the government, a recent poll found that nearly 86% of Slovakians approve a deposit return...
Average alumina spot price in China remains unchanged at RMB 2,818/t; A00 aluminium ingot price ascends by RMB 440/t
The average alumina spot price in China has remained unchanged since December 31st. On Thursday, January 6, the price for the same has been recorded at RMB 2,818 per tonne, found the Shanghai Metals Market. The price has remained the same in Henan and Shanxi for the same day, at RMB 2,835 a tonne, respectively. On the other hand, prices in Shandong and Guizhou has remained stable, at RMB 2,860 per tonne and RMB 2,760 per tonne, respectively. The average alumina spot price has stayed steady in other provinces like as Guangxi, Lianyungang, and Bayuquan. In Guangxi, the price is RMB 2,700, in Lianyungang, RMB 2,875 and in Bayuquan, RMB 2,925. According to the Shanghai Metals Market, A00 aluminium ingot price has escalated by RMB 440 per tonne to stand at RMB 20,740 per tonne. The average...
Jindal Aluminium acquires Indo Alusys’ extrusion plant
Jindal Aluminium Limited has completed a Rs 100-crore acquisition of Indo Alusys Industries Limited (IAIL) assets and begun production at the Bhiwadi facility. Along with the assets of IAIL, its manufacturing plant in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan's industrial sector was also purchased. The site, which is around 70 kilometres from the national capital, provides Jindal Aluminium with strategic access to the northern market and a potential capacity of 14,000 metric tonnes per annum extrusions. Jindal Aluminium's extrusion capacity is estimated to increase from 125,000 to 139,000 tonnes once fully operational. Apart from assisting Jindal Aluminium in expanding capacity, the IAIL agreement benefits the local economy, the community, and other stakeholders, according to the business. Jindal Aluminium...
India: Lightweight coaches made of aluminium to be used in Vande Bharat Express Train
The Indian Railways are planning to run the Vande Bharat Express Train with lightweight aluminium carriages. This high-tech train's speed will be increased with the inclusion of these unique carriages. The production of these lightweight coaches is underway. According to sources, the Centre will announce the inclusion of these special carriages to the Vande Bharat Train in Parliament's forthcoming Budget session. According to railway sources, the request to add these coaches to the Vande Bharat Express Trains has already been forwarded to the train ministry's top authorities. After receiving the green light, the operation of high-speed mail-express trains in the country will be officially announced. Because the coaches are lightweight, the train will burn less fuel, resulting in lower...
International Aluminium Institute celebrates its 50th anniversary
The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) is celebrating its 50th anniversary and its role in guiding the global primary aluminium sector toward a more sustainable future. The IAI will highlight the industry's people, products, and key moments during the previous 50 years as part of the celebrations, while also looking ahead to the future. The IAI was founded in 1972 to promote industrial collaboration with an emphasis on collecting and releasing statistical data, and this is still one of the organization's key goals. The IAI has been a major voice for the worldwide aluminium industry for the past 50 years, offering trustworthy statistical data that is widely recognised as legitimate and robust, as well as statistical and analytical skills refined over decades. “Celebrating 50 years is...
LME aluminium price hikes by US$9.5/t to close at US$2,815.50/t; SHFE price surges by US$8/t
LME aluminium opened at US$2,820 per tonne on Monday and closed at US$2,832.5 per tonne, an increase of US$19.5 per tonne or 0.69%. On Tuesday, January 4, LME aluminium cash (bid) price hiked by US$9.5 per tonne or by 0.33% to settle at US$2,815 per tonne. On the other hand, LME aluminium official settlement price also surged by US$9.5 per tonne or by 0.33% to close at US$2,815.50 per tonne. 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price for the same day was recorded at US$2,822 per tonne and US$2,823 per tonne, respectively. December 22 bid price and December 22 offer price clocked at US$2,590 per tonne and US$2,595 per tonne, for the same day. LME aluminium opening stock pegged at 934375 tonnes. Live warrants and Cancelled warrants for the same day registered at 649625 tonnes and 284750...
Alba announces record breaking 600 plus staff promotions
In the wake of sustained expansion and success, Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the world's biggest smelter outside of China and an employer of choice in the region, announced record-breaking 600-plus staff promotions for 2021 during a ceremony conducted on December 29, 2021, at the Company's premises. Alba's Master Training Plan (started in 2019), Skills Matrix, Training & Development Programme (TDP), and the most recent, Al Jisr Programme, all had a role in the promotions (launched in 2020). “Alba success relies on the strength of its employees and our business is as good as our human capital. We believe that by investing in our nationals, we will be preparing them to shape our culture and keep us on course as the number one Aluminium supplier for the generations to come,” said Alba’s...
Frontier Resources owns land rich in rare earth elements and high-quality alumina
Following the 100% acquisition of privateer Dalkeith Capital Limited, Frontier Resources now owns a healthy tract of land that is regarded as a potential for rare earth and high-quality alumina. Frontier's already increasing armoury of battery minerals in the northwest, which is vital to the creation of permanent magnets within batteries, will be bolstered by the Gascoyne-based rare earth project. The light rare earth oxides neodymium and praseodymium, which are both important components of permanent batteries, are anticipated to be present in the recently acquired rare earth Gascoyne project. Frontier claims that rare earth exploration has been limited across the 230 square kilometre Gascoyne tenure, which is surprising given its proximity to the world-class Hastings Technology...
Average alumina spot price in China remains same at RMB 2,818/t; A00 aluminium ingot price slips by RMB 250/t
According to the Shanghai Metals Market, the average alumina spot price in China has remained restrained to stand at RMB 2818 per tonne, as of Tuesday, January 4. For the same day in Henan and Shanxi, the price has stood the same to stand at RMB 2,835 per tonne, respectively. On the other hand in Shandong and Guizhou, the price has also remained restrained, to peg at RMB 2,860 per tonne and RMB 2,760 per tonne. In other provinces like Guangxi, Lianyungang and Bayuquan, the average alumina spot price has remained unchanged. The price has been recorded at RMB 2,700 in Guangxi, RMB 2,875 in Lianyungang and RMB 2,925 in Bayuquan. Al Fluoride price in China has gone down by RMB 500 per tonne to close at RMB 12,500 per tonne. The average price for the same is expected to orbit between RMB...
Noranda Bauxite gets approval from NRCA to mine 1,300 hectares of land near the Cockpit Country borders
On Monday, January 3, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), Peter Knight announced the decision of the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) in a press conference. The announcement revealed that Noranda Bauxite Company has finally received permission to mine 1,300 hectares of land near the Cockpit Country Borders. Following public outrage, the allowable mining area under SML 173 was lowered, according to Mr Knight. He said the NRCA reached a final decision at an unplanned meeting on December 31, 2021, after deliberating for two full meetings and taking into account all of the difficulties and concerns. Mr Knight explained that the NRCA requires the agency to use GPS coordinates to define the boundaries of the limited geographical...
Recycled aluminium, one of the main ingredients used to make Tokyo 2020 podiums
While the medals for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games were made from metals taken from abandoned cell phones and computers, few people are aware that the podiums were made from 24.5 tonnes of recycled domestic plastic garbage. "The podiums were made using 24.5 tonnes of recycled household plastic garbage, which was contributed by people across Japan to highlight how sustainability in society can be accomplished," the Tokyo2020 Twitter feed wrote on Friday, describing the "winning ceremony at the #Tokyo2020 #Paralympics." "Waste material was also used to make the symbols embedded along the sides. Designer TOKOLO Asao, who also created the Tokyo 2020 emblem, based it on the traditional Japanese chequered pattern, ichimatsu moyo, used aluminium recycled from temporary housing provided...
NALCO chairman Sridhar Patra anticipates supply-demand gap to increase in 2022
According to Sridhar Patra, the chairman and managing director of NALCO, the supply-demand mismatch in the aluminium market is expected to grow in 2022. Aluminium prices have swung wildly in the last year, rising 42% for the year despite a 12% drop from their peak. In 2021, the stock price of National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), a major aluminium producer, has increased by almost 130%. A mismatch in the global aluminium market, according to Patra, may keep prices high, with prices hovering around USD 2,600-2,700 per tonne. National Aluminium Corporation Limited (NALCO) is a well-known name in Eastern India's industrial landscape. It's one of the country's largest combined Bauxite-Alumina-Aluminium-Power Complexes. The government of India now owns 51.28% of the paid-up equity...
LME aluminium price slips by US$23.5/t to settle at US$2806/t; SHFE market is closed today
On Friday, December 31, both LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME aluminium official settlement decreased by US$23.5 per tonne or by 0.83% to settle at US$2,805.50 per tonne and US$2,806 per tonne. 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price for the same day totalled at US$2,805 per tonne and US$2,810 per tonne. December 22 bid price and December 22 offer price registered at US$2,768 per tonne and US$2,773 per tonne, for the same day. LME aluminium opening stock came in at 939200 tonnes. Live warrants and Cancelled warrants for the same day stood at 709625 tonnes and 229575 tonnes. LME aluminium 3-month Asian Reference Price settled at US$2,815.60 per tonne, for the same day. SHFE Aluminium Price Trend The most-traded SHFE 2202 aluminium closed up 0.54% or RMB 110 per tonne to RMB 20380...
