AL Circle Analysis: Aluminium’s recycling economics, trade walls and carbon rules converge
The story of the aluminium industry is starting a chapter wherein scrap availability, recycling technology, trade policy, carbon costs and demand growth are becoming increasingly interconnected. From the US and Canada to Europe, India, New Zealand and China, recent developments show that the global aluminium supply chain is being reshaped on several fronts at once. These developments point to a changing aluminium business model: access to metal alone may no longer be enough. Quality of recycled feedstock, domestic processing capacity, carbon intensity, trade exposure and the ability to meet increasingly specific customer requirements could become equally important competitive factors. Join the fourth edition of the webinar “Hedging for recyclers - Become an expert in 6 hours” by Jorge...
Europe holds 10% of global aluminium extrusion demand, supported by Germany’s Constellium, France’s Hydro Extrusions & Italy’s Metra
Across Europe, aluminium extrusion has become closely woven into some of the region’s biggest industrial and construction markets. From automotive and transport to buildings and industrial applications, extruded profiles are finding demand across a wide range of sectors. This is reflected in Europe’s position in the global market: the region accounted for 12 per cent of global aluminium extrusion capacity, making it the second-largest regional contributor after China. At the same time, Europe represented 10 per cent of global aluminium extrusion usage, out of total global usage of 35.35 million tonnes . With production capacity and usage shares relatively close, Europe’s extrusion capacity and consumption are broadly at par. If we break down Europe’s 10 per cent share of global aluminium...
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Rising demand for lightweight vehicles to drive automotive aluminium pistons market growth
The global market for lightweight aluminium pistons is growing owing to the rising sales of automobiles. A recently published market research observes, the stakeholders of the global automobile industry are focusing on the lightweight vehicles for better fuel efficiency in turn increasing the market demand for the lightweight aluminium pistons market. Abundant availability of raw material and mass production facilities for lightweight aluminium pistons are also driving the market demand for the global lightweight aluminium piston market, the report suggests. Automotive pistons are metal piece, tubular in shape which provides mechanical energy by moving up and down in engine cylinder which is necessary to drive shaft and in turn the vehicle wheels. A piston should have low weight,...
Rexam supports Hobsons with move to aluminium beverage cans
Rexam, a leading global can maker, has partnered with British craft beer brand, Hobsons, to launch ‘The Hat Collection’, the brand’s first ever range of canned beers. Traditionally a cask and bottled brewer, Hobsons is moving to aluminium beverage cans with a range that includes The Skimmer (Straw Boater), an easy, light and fruity Pale Ale, The Explorer (Pith Helmet), a bold, amber and tropical IPA and The Stove Pipe (Top Hat), a smooth, dark and malty Stout. The new range, inspired by the symbolic coke hat, showcases the Hobsons logo with each beer named and designed around a different hat’s personality. Translated onto can by Rexam’s experts, the bold, bright designs reflect the different flavour profiles of the beers and are finished with a matt over varnish, giving a premium look and...
Aluminium die casting machinery market to grow at CAGR 7% during 2016-2020
The global aluminium die casting machinery market is slated to grow at a CAGR of 7 per cent during the period 2016-2020, indicates data released in a recently published market research report. The aluminium die casting machinery is used to produce cast aluminium parts for applications in various end-user sectors, namely automotive, aerospace and defense, marine, telecommunications, and others, such as electronic appliances and renewable energy sectors. Aluminium cast parts offer several benefits over other types of nonferrous metals: • The use of aluminium for die cast makes it possible to attain complex designs and forms • Production rate is higher and faster than other nonferrous alloys and metals • Aluminium castings possess the strength of steel cast parts but are lighter in weight...
Sapa invests in new site in southern France
Sapa is consolidating its position in the aluminium extrusion sector in France by investing in new value-adding services in Le Garric, extending the company's ability to meet the growing needs of customers. Sapa opened its new 2,400 square-meter machining workshop at the Le Garric site, north of Albi, on May 20. The workshop provides additional production capacity to expand its machining capabilities and enhance its product line. The capacity will allow Sapa to offer more complex parts to current and future customers, says Gilles Le Bouquin, managing director of Sapa Extrusion France. “This new workshop will enable us to meet the growing needs of our customers. Our key skills lie in providing aluminium solutions and state-of-the-art machining,” says Le Bouquin. Sapa's new fabrication...
Producers seek Q3 aluminium premiums of $100-110/T from Japan buyers
Top aluminium producers have offered Japanese buyers premiums of $100-110 per tonne for July-September primary metal shipments, down 4-15 percent from the previous quarter, three sources directly involved in pricing talks said on Tuesday. Japan is Asia's biggest importer of aluminium and the premiums it agrees to pay each quarter over the London Metal Exchange (LME) cash price set the benchmark for regional primary metal shipments. For the April-June quarter, Japanese buyers agreed to pay producers a premium of $115-$117 per tonne PREM-ALUM-JP, up about 5-6 percent from the prior quarter, due to lower local inventories. In late May, a major aluminium producer offered Japanese buyers a premium of $110 per tonne for July-September shipments, down 4-6 percent from the previous quarter,...
LME aluminium to fluctuate wildly
The US dollar index hovered at lows while crude oil prices stayed at highs. This will leave LME aluminium moving widely at USD 1,540-1,570/mt today, SMM observed in an early morning forecast. Downstream stocking ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival will support SHFE 1608 aluminium at RMB 11,600-11,840/mt In China’s spot aluminium market, spot premiums of RMB 0-40/mt are expected over SHFE 1606 aluminium contract. Key macroeconomic indicators for base metal prices With some investors exiting from market for China’s Dragon Boat Festival from June 9-11, base metals are expected to see diverging trade on Wednesday. China’s financial market will be closed this evening. Eyes will be on US crude oil inventories and China’s trade data for May. US JOLTs job openings for April jumped to 5.76 million...
Alba adds value to its customer by conducting SHE Training
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), one of the leading international aluminium smelters with a strong reputation for workplace safety, is conducting a series of safety, health & environment (SHE) workshops for one of its established clients - Aluminium Products Company (ALUPCO), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The SHE workshops are an initiative by the Company’s Marketing Department to enhance the existing business relation with ALUPCO by doing more than necessary and providing extra value, in addition to the technical support given by Alba. Held in conjunction with Alba’s SHE Department, the workshops aim to assist ALUPCO to augment its health, safety and environment culture. Teams from both companies have mutually agreed on a SHE training plan to meet ALUPCO’s health and safety expectations at...
Minister says mined-out bauxite lands in Jamaica will be returned to production
Transport and Mining Minister of Jamaica, Hon. Mike Henry, says that mined-out bauxite lands across the island will be returned to productive use, especially in the area of agriculture. During a tour of two water harvesting and greenhouse cluster projects in St. Ann on June 2, Mr. Henry said he is determined to ensure that the lands are returned to the people of Jamaica with a view to adding value to their lives. The projects, which are under the auspices of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund’s (JSIF) Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) and the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI), are located in Watt Town and Tobolski in South West St. Ann and involve some 160 farmers and over 40 greenhouses. Other greenhouses are located in Schwollingburg and Nine Miles in St. Ann; Content, Blue...
CRU declares 2016 “The Year of Guinea” as it breaks down the global bauxite market
CRU issued a report late last week detailing the future of bauxite ore, and, according to CRU’s analysts, the future looks pretty good. Following is an overview of the top bauxite-producing regions and an outlook for the coming months. Indonesia – the archipelagic country had been the source for up to 70 per cent of bauxite imports into the People’s Republic of China. However, a ban enacted in January 2014 sent China searching for a new outlet. Indonesia is attempting to mold its natural resource market into one more oriented towards value-added investment. According to CRU, the ban, which has already passed constitutional muster, is likely to remain in place. Ministerial regulations may change, however, and bauxite exports, while not likely, are still distinctly possible. Malaysia –...
Print & Deliver designs a small aluminium tin with customizable exterior branding
Print & Deliver has designed a small aluminium tin, shaped like a suitcase. The exterior branding can be customised with an agency logo, name and their own image if they wish, and the tin filled with a variety of items to make a long flight or road journey that bit more comfortable. Business development manager Brian Kane not only acknowledges the practicality of the tin for travellers, but also its usefulness as a soft advertising tool for independent travel agencies. “That’s the whole idea, to give the independent stores a chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with the bigger players in terms of getting their names out there,” he says. Items offered in the tin’s standard package include ear plugs, a travel toothbrush, wet wipes, tissues, boiled sweets, an airline headphone adapter and...
Nyngan Scandium project to produce scandium for making superior quality aluminium alloy
Scandium International Mining Corp. one of the noted junior mining companies with a management team loaded with former executives from BHP Billiton reaches DFS milestone at Nyngan project which will produce high-grade scandium to be used in making superior quality aluminium alloy. Its large, high-grade scandium project in the Australian state of New South Wales, about 500 km northwest of Sydney, is a shallow and flat surface-mineable resource that can be put into production as early as the first quarter of 2018 at a cost of US$87 million. The company has already submitted its Environmental Impact Statement and has signed the first of what it hopes will be many off-take agreements. The primary use of scandium, is to enhance aluminum alloys and make them superior performers. The specialty...
MoS2 nanocavity could boost solar cells, optoelectronics and more
Engineers at the University at Buffalo, New York (US), have placed a single layer of the two-dimensional semiconductor molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) on top of an optical nanocavity made of aluminum oxide and aluminum. The nanocavity can increase the amount of light that this ultrathin semiconducting material absorbs, which could foster a new generation of more powerful and efficient thin-film solar panels, flexible optoelectronics, faster photodetectors for video cameras and more. A nanocavity is an arrangement of mirrors that allows beams of light to circulate in closed paths. “These cavities help us build things like lasers and optical fibers used for communications,” says co-lead researcher Haomin Song, a PhD candidate in the lab lead by Qiaoqiang Gan, PhD, assistant professor of...
West Texas Ballpark debuts throwback all-aluminium façade
El Paso, Texas’ Southwest University Park recently debuted a new all-aluminium façade reminiscent of wooden slats of the days of yore. Ball-Nogues Studio’s “Not Whole Fence” surrounds the play of the San Diego Padres’ Triple-A affiliate El Paso Chihuahuas, which is an installation of public art that went from drawing board to reality in under a year. The piece is comprised of 200 CNC-milled custom extrusions with conveniently placed “knotholes” whereby passing pedestrians may spy upon the goings-on of the ball diamond. “The structural quality of the fence creates a sense of mystery,” explained Ball-Nogues Studio’s principal Benjamin Ball. “By allowing mostly partial views of the action inside the ballpark, it calls for the imagination to conjure up the rest of the picture, creating a...
Multiple OEMs to join Shanghai Automotive Lightweight Symposium
The 4th Automotive Lightweight Supply-Chain Symposium will be kicked off on the 11th of July 2016 in the days leading up to the DIECATING CHINA EXHIBITIONS in Shanghai, China. The symposium offers the perfect setup to interchange with OEM speakers and delegates from BMW, Changan, Honda, SAIC/GM, Dongfeng Nissan, Chery and JLR among others. Keynote speaker Mr. Stefan HEIL, Executive Director Vehicle Manufacturing Engineering at SAIC/GM, will focus on how the all new Cadillac CT6 is manufactured and how challenges were mastered designing the car. BMW procurement executive Mr. ZANGERLE is another key speaker this year. His speech will focus on strategic localization of casting suppliers. Focus of Mr. Yao`s presentation, Engineering Manager at Shiloh Industries Asia, is multi-material &...
Goa Carbon reports 19,976.600 MT of Calcined Petroleum Coke production for May
Goa Carbon has reported production of 19,976.600 MT (million tonnes) of Calcined Petroleum Coke for the month of May 2016. Of the total production achieved for the month, Bilaspur plant produced 2,164.100 MT of Calcined Petroleum Coke, Goa plant produced 6,221.500 MT of Calcined Petroleum Coke while Pradeep plant has produced 11,591.000 MT of Calcined Petroleum Coke. On the sales front, the company has sold a total of 13,860.162 MT of Calcined Petroleum Coke products for the month of May 2016. Of the total sales achieved for the month, Bilaspur plant, Goa plant and Paradeep plant of the company sold 1,536.000 MT, 4,080.762 MT and 8,243.400 MT respectively. Goa Carbon is into the business of manufacturing and marketing Calcined Petroleum Coke. Goa Carbon is firmly established as a leading...
China's aluminium output data fail to carry conviction
A line in a smelter with 300 pots once decommissioned will take around six months to be brought back into production stream. It is in this context that the recent set of aluminium production figures submitted by China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNMIA) to the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) has led industry constituents in the rest of the world to believe the country, which alone accounted for 32 million tonnes (mt) of the 2015 world output of 58 mt is once again at the game of data obfuscation. But, then, much of the Chinese economic data remains suspect. Assuming that the Chinese submission to IAI that its aluminium production between December and February was down by an annualised 6.6 mt was correct, it would then be inconceivable that production could pick up by...
44% Chinese aluminum smelters see aluminum prices fall this week, SMM survey
SMM surveyed 44 Chinese aluminum smelters about their opinions over aluminum price outlook. About 44% of them expect SHFE 1608 aluminum to fall below RMB 11,800/mt and LME aluminum below USD 1,540/mt. First, total positions of all SHFE aluminum contracts surged 34,000 lots on Monday, many of which were believed to be short positions. SHFE 1608 aluminum has met strong resistance at moving averages. Second, suppliers are eager to sell out of pessimism, but downstream producers showed no signs of restocking, with spot premiums in Shanghai down from RMB 100/mt to near zero over SHFE front-month aluminum. Third, demand will weaken in June due to onset of the off-season. Another 36% expect SHFE 1608 aluminum to stabilize at RMB 11,800-12,000/mt and LME aluminum hold stable at USD...
Yunnan Aluminum obtains preferential power tariffs from provincial government
In order to speed up development of coal-electricity-aluminum industry, the government of Yunnan decided to cut power tariffs for Yunnan Aluminum Co. The preferential power tariffs are set at 0.2785 yuan/kwh, effective from June 1, 2016 till May 31, 2017. The move will save the company’s aluminum costs by 940 yuan/tonne, SMM estimates. Yunnan Aluminum Co., whose full cost is estimated at less than 11,000 yuan/tonne, has restarted 50,000-tpy aluminum capacity idled at the end of last year, and plans to bring the rest 150,000-tpy capacity back online, due to rally of aluminum prices compared with late last year and recent power tariff cuts.
