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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Aluminium stocks continue falling in China major markets
Aluminium stocks continued falling significantly in China’s five major markets, SMM says. More ingots flowed to central and southwest China from northwest China. Smelters in northwest China increased shipment of aluminium liquid, also reducing the amount of ingots available for sale. It will take about six weeks for aluminium stocks in China’s five major markets to fall to 400,000-500,000 tonnes at current destocking pace, SMM expects. The table below shows details of aluminium stocks at China’s five major markets:
Mumbai gets a revamped fleet of 83 full-aluminium bodied buses
BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport Undertaking) in Mumbai got a revamped fleet of 83 buses last Sunday at a cost of INR 7 crore, with 147 more to arrive in the coming weeks. The buses have aluminium bodies, which will not corrode in Mumbai's weather, and a host of other features, including mobile charging points and a blower unit for drivers. The charging points have been introduced for the first time in non-AC buses in the country, officials said. Senior officials said the new fleet, created by remodelling some steel-body buses, will roll out from this week, promising a comfortable ride to commuters on busy office routes during peak hours. "The steel bodies would corrode during the monsoon and there would be complaints of buses rattling and roofs leaking. We have solved the...
GG Glass and Glazing’s new Supertrucks feature aluminium extrusions
GG Glass & Glazing, one of the UK’s leading contract glazing specialists, has opted for Supertrucks built from aluminium extrusions, for transporting glass sheets to retail outlets and other commercial premises where it supplies its range of products. Based on 7.5-tonne Isuzu chassis, the vehicles feature an innovative double A-frame design concept. This offers four facings and means sheets of glass measuring more than 3.2 metres in height and 4.5 metres in length can be crane-loaded from the rear. The first of the new trucks is now working from the GG Glass and Glazing’s Liverpool headquarters, with the second due to enter service shortly at a depot in Leeds, one of six which the company operates nationwide. St Helens-based Supertrucks, meanwhile, is the country’s number one manufacturer...
Aluminium die casting manufacturer readies to provide value to importers
China's Ningbo DSW Industry Co.,Ltd, specializing in aluminium die casting, has announced that it is all set to provide leading organizations and importers of quality mainstream industrial components with a variety of products that meet international standards to help in the development of more innovative products for the world’s consumers. According to a company spokesperson, the die casting manufacturer capitalizes on its technical expertise in the field of high pressure die casting as well as aluminum die casting in order to create more responsive and more innovative solutions to organizations the world over. The spokesperson of the die casting manufacturer explains that die casting provides greater versatility when it comes to the design of a broad range of shapes and components to...
India's Environment Ministry releases new rules for waste disposal and metal recycling
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, India, Prakash Javadekar on April 3, released the Hazardous Waste Rules 2016 to distinguish hazardous waste from other wastes. Speaking on the occasion, Javadekar said, "The new rules will ensure resource recovery and disposal of hazardous waste in environmentally sound manner. The rules are environment and industry- friendly." "The provisions of the new rules are in line with this Government's priority for Ease of Doing Business and Make in India, but with responsible concerns for sustainable development," added Javadekar. The Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules 2016 includes other waste as well; waste management hierarchy in the sequence of priority of prevention,...
SHFE aluminium poised for gains
SHFE 1606 aluminium will get off to a good start after three-day holiday and move at RMB 11,860-11,960/mt on Tuesday. LME aluminium will follow SHFE aluminium up to USD 1,535-1,550/mt. In China’s spot aluminium market, spot discounts of RMB 0-20/mt and spot premiums of RMB 0-20/mt are expected over SHFE 1604 aluminium contract.
Hydro to release First Quarter 2016 Results on April 27
Norsk Hydro has announced that the company's first quarter results 2016 will be released at 07:00 CET (01:00 AM EST, 06:00 UK time), on Wednesday April 27, 2016. The quarterly report and presentation slides will be available on Hydro's website at the same time. Hydro will host a combined analyst and press conference, in English, at its corporate headquarters at Drammensveien 260, Oslo at 08:30 CET the same day. The presentation will be held by President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg and CFO Eivind Kallevik. There will be a Conference Call at 15:00 UK Time (16:00 CET, 10:00 AM EST,) the same day. The Q&A will be held by President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg and CFO Eivind Kallevik. The Q&A will be available for two months on Hydo's website, notified the Norwegian aluminium...
Alcoa to host webcast of First Quarter 2016 Results
Global lightweight metals major Alcoa has announced that the company will hold a conference call on Monday, April 11 beginning at 5:00 p.m. EDT to discuss first quarter 2016 results and business developments. The conference call will be webcast live via Alcoa's website with presentation materials available online at 4:15 p.m. EDT. Conference Call Information: Time: 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. EDT Hosts: Klaus Kleinfeld, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer William Oplinger, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer A replay of the call will be available on Alcoa's website from 8:15 p.m. EDT on April 11 until April 25 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
More Chinese alumina producers to resume production
More alumina producers in China will join recent capacity restart wave on improved profitability, Shanghai Metals Market experts expect. Alumina capacity restarts in China have amounted to 2.8 million tonnes per year over the past more than one month, SMM statistics showed. Besides, China will see about 1.8 million tonnes per year new alumina capacity come on stream in the near future, according to SMM survey.
Aleris International announces closing of senior secured notes offering
Aleris International, Inc., the direct wholly owned subsidiary of Aleris Corporation, made an announcement that it has completed its previously announced offering of $550 million aggregate principal amount of 9.50 per cent senior secured notes due 2021. The Notes are guaranteed by Aleris and certain of the company's subsidiaries. The Notes are secured by a first-priority lien on substantially all of our and the guarantors' owned and material U.S. real property, equipment and intellectual property and stock of the company and the guarantors (other than Aleris) and other subsidiaries (including 100 per cent of the outstanding non-voting stock (if any) and 65 per cent of the outstanding voting stock of certain "first-tier" foreign subsidiaries and certain "first-tier" foreign subsidiary...
Pahang miners point to compliance and seek resumption of bauxite trade
The Pahang Mining Operators Association (PPMNP) said Tuesday that it has submitted standard operating procedure proposals on bauxite mining to Pahang’s Mentri Besar (chief executive) and Kuantan Port authorities, but they have yet to receive a response. PPMNP’s vice president, Yap Soon Huat, explained further that association miners have also set up pollution-prevention equipment at the port of Kemaman and have sent proposals to the government to do the same at Kuantan’s port. “We think the Kuantan Port should have such facilities too but we have not heard from them. We also wrote to the Mentri Besar to request a dialogue but have not received a reply from his office,” said Yap in a meeting with the Coalition for Action Against Bauxite Pollution. Although the Coalition argued that the...
India - Next big thing in global aluminium beverage can business
With consumption of beverages such as soft drinks in stylish, attractively contoured cans rapidly catching up with both urban youth as well as rural folk in the country, aluminium beverage can manufacturers like Rexam and Can-Pack are experiencing a consistent upward spiral in business. Interestingly, though the aluminium beverage cans market in the country is on a high growth trajectory, it is still to catch up with the Western and other developed countries. In fact, a large chunk of the Indian aluminium beverage cans market belongs to the beer segment. Shanker Gopalkrishnan, president, Madras Consultancy Group (management consulting, and market research services), Chennai, explains, “The total market share for aluminium 2-piece beverage cans was tiny compared to the global market of...
Aluminium hits its highest in three weeks while other metals falter
Aluminium has hit its highest in nearly three weeks after data showed that China's factory sector grew for the first time in nine months, but other metals faltered after US jobs data raised the prospect of further interest rates increases. US employment increased solidly in March and wages rebounded, weighing on other base metals such as copper, which briefly touched a four-week low. While some analysts said the Federal Reserve would remain cautious about raising rates due to slowing global growth, others said the upbeat data made rate increases more likely. "I think the strength of payrolls suggest the Fed will undoubtedly raise rates this year, likely in June," David Carter, chief investment officer at Lenox Wealth Advisors in New York, said. Aluminium prices gained after the official...
India's promising new start-up focuses on waste recycling including aluminium cans
Ever since start-up boom hit India, a large number of companies with novel ideas have mushroomed, some with substantial growth potential. However, there existed a vacuum in the waste recycling space, since nothing noteworthy has been coming up despite Central Government's endeavour to promote it's pet project- "Swachh Bharat Abhiyan." Recently, Pom Pom, a web-based recycling platform established in November last year, has taken a step forward in this domain. Pom Pom cleansed the mess left behind by the World Cultural Festival 2016 held in New Delhi as the recycling partner. Ensuring that it does not end up in a landfill and gets recycled, Pom Pom loaded trucks with recyclables such as plastic bottles, aluminium canisters, aluminium foils, empty packets of eatables, polythene sheets,...
Anheuser-Busch InBev breaks ground on US aluminium bottle line
Anheuser-Busch InBev has started construction on a US$175m aluminium bottle line in Florida as it looks to increase production of the format. The new line, at Anheuser-Busch's Metal Container Corp facility in Jacksonville, will produce Budweiser and Bud Light aluminium bottles, the company said yesterday. It is AB InBev's second aluminium bottle line in the US since it launched the format in 2013 from its St Louis facility. "The aluminium bottle has become overwhelmingly popular with beer drinkers, and we are proud to break ground on a new line in Jacksonville that will further expand production," said Dave Taylor, president of Metal Container Corp. The new line, which will create about 75 jobs, was first announced last year. Metal Container Corp is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch that...
Rising demand from APAC to keep aluminium rods market buoyant until 2019
The global aluminium wire rods market is slated to grow at a CAGR of around 2 per cent during 2015-2019, revealed data released in a recently published market analysis. The increased investments in infrastructure are driving the growth of this market. Developing economies such as India are heavily investing in infrastructure activities to improve industrialization. Initiatives like "Make in India" are anticipated to increase the demand for aluminium wire rods during the forecast period. The increased usage of particular conductors is also expected to drive the market growth during the forecast period. Special conductors such as Al-59, ACAR, and AACSR deliver superior performance in terms of strength to weight ratio without compromising on current carrying capacity. These conductors are...
Napco revenue surges 28% to OMR24.8 mln
National Aluminium Products Company (Napco), one of the leading extruders of aluminium profiles in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), has registered a remarkable performance for 2015, achieving robust growth volume in the local market as well as exports. The company earned revenues of OMR24.8 million, compared to OMR19.4 million in 2014, representing an increase of 28 per cent. In addition, Napco has gained a net profit of OMR0.78 million in comparison to OMR0.70 million in the previous year, registering a growth of 11 per cent. Despite a challenging business environment for the aluminium extrusion industry, Napco has managed to increase the capacity utilisation of its existing plant, widen its product offerings, improve client services, and increase its focus on market initiatives,...
Aluminium to remain only bright spot among base metals this week
Aluminium will continue to outperform other base metals this week on positive market fundamentals, SMM forecasts. Aluminium stocks kept falling in China’s major markets. China will see limited new capacity and restarted capacity for the foreseeable future. So, market supply will remain tight. SMM sees SHFE 1606 aluminium rising further to head for 12,000 yuan per tonne. US Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen’s dovish remarks will continue keeping the US dollar index in check. When combined with strong SHFE aluminium, LME aluminium is poised to advance to $ 1,490-1,530 per tonne. In China’s spot market, tight supply and stable downstream consumption will allow spot aluminium to trade at premiums over SHFE 1604 aluminium.
