AL Circle Analysis: US scrap imports hit 580kt as China slips 3.2%, who drives aluminium recycling?
Aluminium scrap is no longer a side story in the metal’s market. Rather, aluminium’s next standoff is over scrap. As US imports surge 37 per cent while China’s purchases decline, manufacturers in Europe and India are confronting a common challenge of securing affordable, reliable raw materials. With recycling rates, trade barriers and low-carbon production reshaping market, the global industry faces a critical question: who will control the metal that powers its circular future? Join the fourth edition of the webinar "Hedging for recyclers - Become an expert in 6 hours" by Jorge Dyszel. A 1.1-billion-tonne stockpile: US stocks up, China steps back, India asks for access The US imported 580,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap worth USD 2.07 billion in H1 2026 , with Canada accounting for 63.62...
A should-cost analysis of an aluminium tower furnace in India: Comparing the economics of LPG, PNG, and electric energy sources
In precision non-ferrous casting and high-volume die-casting operations, thermal energy conversion represents one of the largest controllable operating expenses. In modern aluminium foundries, where margins are squeezed by primary metal price fluctuations and stringent customer cost breakdowns, even a modest INR 1–2/kg variance in liquid metal melting cost can translate into tens of lakhs of rupees in annual cost differences. A rigorous, transparent should-cost benchmark is therefore essential for procurement teams, foundry managers and strategic sourcing leaders. This analysis examines a baseline should-cost model for a 1,000 kg/hour aluminium shaft or tower furnace in an industrial foundry. It compares liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), piped natural gas (PNG) and electric energy across...
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Aluminium touches six-months high in China as metals rise
Aluminium increased for a third day to the highest level in six months as metals advanced in Shanghai after a report that industrial profits increased in China, ending a seven-month losing streak. The London Metal Exchange was closed for a public holiday. The metal used in everything from beverage cans to window frames added as much as 1.1 per cent to 11,830 yuan ($1,818) a metric ton, the highest since September 25, before trading at 11,810 by 11:29 a.m. local time. Futures in Shanghai have rallied about 22 per cent from their record low on November 24 as China’s biggest smelters vowed to curb capacity and output fell 7.7 per cent from a year earlier in the first two months of 2016. Other non-ferrous metals declined last week, as commodities were hurt by a stronger dollar. Industrial...
Aditya Aluminium commissions 360th Potline
Aditya Birla Group’s Odisha based Aditya Aluminium at Lapanga in Sambalpur district has announced having achieved its full capacity utilisation. Start up of the 360th Pot of Potline was done on Friday, thereby completing the commissioning phase, a company statement said on Saturday. Aditya Aluminium is a smelter-power plant complex at Lapanga with 360,000 tonnes smelter supported by a 6 x 150 MW coal based captive power. On this occasion a function was held in the plant premises where senior officials from the company’s management and a large number of employees were present. The MoU with Odisha government for Aditya Aluminium was signed in 2005 and the MoEF clearance was obtained in 2006. The first concrete was laid in February, 2011 after getting 2nd stage forest clearance from MoEF...
Nalco zeros in on Oman, Iran, Qatar for $2bn smelter unit
India's state-owned aluminium producer National Aluminium Co (Nalco) has zeroed in on three locations in the Arabian Gulf - Iran, Oman and Qatar - to set up a nearly US$2bn smelter unit. Iran is the frontrunner to host the new facility. Nalco has been on the look out for a location abroad to build the 500,000 metric tonnes-per-year aluminium smelter. The company also considered potential sites in South East Asia and the UAE, in addition to Iran and Oman. According to latest available reports, Nalco is in advanced stages of discussions to explore the possibility of setting up the smelter in Iran. The company will also visit Oman and Qatar to work out the best place to set up the project. Low power and infrastructure costs are among the key considerations of Bhubaneswar, Odisha-based Nalco,...
India’s aluminium demand to rise to 20 mt, says Vedanta Chief
The total consumption of aluminium in India is going to experience a major leap in the foreseeable future reaching 20 million tonnes (mt) from the present 2mt, claims Vedanta Resources Chairman Anil Agarwal. According to Mr. Agarwal, “It (India’s aluminium consumption) is going to be 20 mt. Large industries will move to aluminium products. Railways, construction, aerospace, automobiles will contribute to higher growth of the metal.” At a recently held CII event in New Delhi, he said aluminium as a light metal has immense potential of becoming the mainstay of industries in future and setting up a small and medium enterprise (SME) in the sector would require an investment between INR 25-500 crore. On being asked about credit related issues SMEs face in India, Mr. Agarwal said: “It is a myth...
Australia outpasses Malaysia to become China's top bauxite supplier
Bauxite shipments from Astralia to China have zoomed past Malaysia's bauxite shipments to China. According to the latest export-import data released by the General Customs Administration of China, Australia shipped 1,057,321 million tonnes (mt) of bauxite, the principal ore of aluminium, to China in February 2016, while Malaysia shipped 986,930 mt during the same period. Malaysia’s three-month ban on bauxite mining, which started on January 15, sent China’s imports from the once top supplier down 54.3 per cent month-on-month in February. Such decline in bauxite shipments caused China’s total imports to tumble 39 per cent from January to 3.22 mt in February, customs data showed. SMM attributes lower imports of bauxite partly to production cuts by major Chinese alumina refiners, especially...
China alumina import rises 23% and export 83% YoY during Jan-Feb 2016
Alumina import to China rose 13 per cent year-on-year in February 2016 and 23.12 per cent year-on-year during January - February 2016, revealed data released by the General Administration of Customs, China on March 21. Total alumina imported in February stood at 372,375 million tonnes, while it scaled up to reach 879,903 million tonnes during January - February 2016. Australia shipped 191,152 million tonnes of alumina to China in February and 550,296 million tonnes over January - February. Alumina import from Brazil to China during January - February also increased 25 per cent from the corresponding period previous year. Customs data showed, alumina imports from Vietnam and India to China during January - February period declined 26 per cent and 73 per cent respectively from the same...
LME aluminium to test support at $1,470
LME aluminium is expected to test a support at $1,470 per tonne, with a good chance of breaking below this level and falling more towards $1,449. The support is identified as the 86.4 per cent Fibonacci retracement on the rise from the January 12 low of $1,449 to the March 7 high of $1,605, blocking the way towards $1,449. Labelled B, the third wave of a three-wave cycle from the November 23, 2015 low of $1,432.50 has ended at $1,449. Wave theory suggests that this low may be approached. Resistance is at $1,486, the 76.4 per cent level, a break above which may open the way towards the 61.8 per cent level at $1,509.
Beck Aluminum makes good on expansion plans of its recycling facility
Less than a year after relocating to a 192,000-square-foot building at 7505 Durand Ave., Beck Aluminum has expanded its operations, making improvements in both capacity and efficiency. It has added 25 jobs, bringing their total number of employees in Mount Pleasant to 68, according to the Racine County Economic Development Corporation. Part of Ohio-based Beck Aluminum Alloys, Beck Aluminum is one of the only suppliers of both primary and recycled aluminium ingot to the casting industry. Beck Aluminum has recycling plants in Racine WI, and Lebanon PA. The company moved from its original location at 1349 23rd St. last year and settled on the Durand Avenue location based after considering several strategic factors. After relocation, the company made a number of improvements to the building,...
China's Sinolight Aluminium introduces aluminium coils, discs for industrial applications
Sinolight Aluminium, the largest aluminium processing enterprise in China, has introduced a wide range of aluminium coils, discs foils, color coated coils etc for industries around the world. Aluminium is a light metal and its coils, discs, foils could be used in a variety of industries. China based Sinolight Aluminium produces aluminium coils and discs of various specifications for industrial use. Recognized as the largest aluminum processing industry in China the company with high grade aluminum metal and with the modern technology produces quality coils and discs for offset printing household appliances and construction and decoration and other industries. The leading aluminium manufacturer boasts of its manufacturing facility and the equipment to help deliver international class...
Eaton unveils aluminium DC collection system for utility-scale solar
Eaton has added to its Crouse-Hinds series with the new Sunnector aluminium direct-current (DC) collection system, which is designed for use with 5 MW and larger-scale, grid-tied solar PV projects that incorporate fixed-tilt ground-mount racking. The power management company says the new system includes wire harnesses and combiner boxes meant to support DC strings made with aluminium wire, which help reduce labor and material costs by 15 per cent, on average. According to Eaton, the system allows installers to take advantage of lower-cost and lighter-weight aluminium wire while providing equivalent performance to copper wire. Cost savings correlate to string length, and the system is designed for applications where string run lengths are longer. While taking advantage of the cost savings...
More Korean car makers use aluminium to reduce vehicle weight
As the global car industry is going greener, South Korean carmakers are working on making car bodies as light as possible to guarantee higher fuel efficiency, meaning less greenhouse gas emissions. Kia Motors Corp. said Thursday that it used aluminium made by U.S.-based leading automotive aluminium maker Novelis Inc. for its new hybrid utility vehicle Niro slated for launch next week in the car’s hood and tailgate in an effort to reduce the overall weight of the car. Its sister company Hyundai Motor Co. also used aluminium for its first dedicated hybrid IONIQ. The Korean car makers hope to improve fuel efficiency and lower emissions by using aluminium, which is known to weigh one-third of steel, in their cars. Hybrid cars are usually heavier than gasoline-run cars because they are fitted...
Jaya Hind Montupet opens new INR 200 cr plant in Dewas
Jaya Hind Montupet, a joint venture of Jaya Hind Industries (a subsidiary of Force Motors) and Montupet France, inaugurated its ultra-modern gravity die casting foundry at Dewas, near Indore in Madhya Pradesh. While the Pune-based Jaya Hind Industries is engaged in aluminium die casting, Montupet is a French industrial group which specialises in the design and production of complex cast aluminium parts for the automotive industry. The new facility was inaugurated by Yashodhara Raje Scindia, Minister for Commerce, Industries and Employment, Madhya Pradesh; Dr Abhay Firodia, chairman, Abhay Firodia Group of Industries, and Prasan Firodia, director, Jaya Hind Montupet. The joint venture has been set up for the development and manufacture of automotive cylinder heads in India. A combination...
Mojave Aluminum shelves remelt and casting house project in Lenwood
Mojave Aluminum President Eric Shen has officially notified the city that his company will not proceed with building a $120 million, 500,000-square-foot aluminium remelt and casting house plant in Lenwood. In a letter addressed to Mayor Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre and City Council Members dated received on March 17, Shen blamed the project's demise on the Dupre Analytics report that was released in August. The report accused China Zhongwang Holdings Limited of fraudulent market practices. Shen was named as a "key player" for China Zhongwang's Chairman Liu Zhongtian in the report. "I have tried earnestly to convince, appease and appeal with Mojave Aluminum's lender to reconsider its decision to cease all funding activities," Shen said in the letter. "Mojave Aluminum's lender has issued its...
Wan Junaidi cites lack of rules for slow reaction to Pahang bauxite crisis
A lack of regulations and coordination among government agencies were the main reasons why Putrajaya was slow to respond to the Pahang bauxite mining crisis, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar admitted today. He also said the state lacked thorough procedures to deal with bauxite mining. “Kemaman MP also had been pushing me every week to carry out the decision made by the Cabinet but I had to discuss with all the stakeholders, I have to be careful with the way I step. The delay did happen, I don’t deny what is said. “Secondly, we don’t have the best procedures, the best practice was not there. Another thing there were no rules for transportation, no rules for the stockpile… there were no rules at all. There were some guidelines,” he said in...
China aluminium at 5-month high after Head of Govt says economy stabilizing
Aluminium in China traded at the highest level in five months after China Premier Li Keqiang said the world’s second-largest economy is showing signs of stabilizing, bolstering the outlook for demand for metals. Aluminium rose as much as 1.3 per cent to 11,670 yuan ($1,789.71) a metric ton on the Shanghai Futures Exchange, the highest intraday level since October 12, and traded at 11,645 yuan at 9:51 a.m. • The London Metal Exchange is closed for a public holiday. • China’s economy has gotten off to a “good and stable” start this year and the government’s low debt levels give policy makers the tools to ensure growth in the range of 6.5 per cent to 7 per cent, Li said at the Boao Forum on Thursday.
JPMorgan reduces aluminium stockpile at LME
JPMorgan Chase has quietly reduced its multibillion-dollar stockpile of aluminium as the London Metal Exchange moves to introduce new rules on the reporting of outsized positions. Until last week, one party - identified as JPMorgan by traders, brokers and warehouse owners - was holding more than half of the 2.8 million tonnes of aluminium in the LME system. The size of that position has now fallen to between 30 and 40 per cent as of March 23, according to exchange data. The bank’s holding, which at its height could have covered 40 years of Coca-Cola’s UK drinks can demand, has been the source of much disquiet in London’s tight-knit metal market. The position, which is not against LME rules, has been blamed by some brokers for pushing up the price of near-term contracts, even though the...
India Aluminium futures weaken on global cues
Aluminium prices were down 0.10 per cent to INR 101.95 per kg in futures trade as investors reduced exposure amid weak global cues. Besides, sluggish demand in the domestic spot markets weighed on the metal's prices. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, aluminium for delivery in April eased 0.10 per cent to INR 100.95 per kg in a business turnover of seven lots. Similarly, the metal for delivery this month traded lower by 0.05 per cent, to INR 99.20 per kg in 113 lots. Marketmen said the weakness in aluminium in futures trade was mostly in step with a weak trend at London Metal Exchange ( LME) due to a steady dollar and lackluster demand in China, the world's biggest user.
Aluminium rebounds as China premier offers reassurance on economy
Aluminium rebounded from the lowest level in two months as China’s Premier Li Keqiang said that the world’s second-largest economy saw positive signs of change this year, bolstering the outlook for demand. The lightweight metal rose as much as 0.4 per cent to $1,486 a metric ton on the London Metal Exchange and traded at $1,485.50 at 11:41 a.m. in Shanghai after closing at $1,479.50 on Wednesday, the lowest since January 25. Aluminium had dropped for the past few days as a strengthening dollar hurt demand. Speaking in a keynote speech at the Boao forum in Hainan, southern China, Li said China was confident of maintaining more than 6.5 per cent growth rate over the next five years. The job market was steady in the first two months and the quality of economic growth is improving, he said....
