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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MP wants comprehensive DEIA on Kuantan's bauxite mining
Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh has called for a comprehensive, detailed environmental impact assessment (DEIA) to be conducted on bauxite mining activities in the Pahang capital. "Considering that not a single EIA was done before issuing the licences for the mines, we don't really know the impact of bauxite mining on the environment, people, animals, and plants. "So a macro DEIA covering all areas that are impacted must be carried out, and the results from that must be a consideration in determining the future of bauxite mining in Kuantan," she told Malaysiakini. Fuziah (photo) said this after expressing concern that Putrajaya was taking a "simplistic" route in solving the bauxite pollution in Kuantan. Bauxite mining in Kuantan is now under a three-month moratorium, until April 15, after...
Bauxite mines can be developed as industrial park
The former bauxite mine in Felda Bukit Goh, Kuantan, may be developed as an industrial area if the land is no longer suitable for oil palm. State Felda affairs committee chairperson Abu Bakar Harun said this was an alternative plan being considered to help the settlers, after the mining activities were stopped. "If it is suitable as an industrial area, we may have joint-ventures with the land owners, with the agreement of the state government and Felda. This is to ensure that the settlers benefit if the land is no longer fit for crop cultivation." Abu Bakar was speaking to reporters after the closing of a corporate social responsibility programme by Politeknik Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah (Polisas) at the D'Kucing Valley Hajah Maimudah cat centre in Felda Chini 4, Pekan, yesterday. Commenting...
Xinjiang heralds first alumina delivery warehouse
Xinjiang’s first alumina delivery warehouse will settle in Changji City, local media reported. Aladdiny Alumina Trading Center Co. and Zhongjiang Logistics Co. signed a deal on March 1 over establishment of alumina delivery warehouse. From now on, Aladdiny Electronic Trading Platform will provide a series of services for alumina suppliers and buyers in Xinjiang and nationwide, such as electronic trading, logistics & warehousing, collateral financing, etc. The move, which is a response to the Chinese government’s “the Belt and Road” initiative and “Internet Plus” program, could potentially give aluminum smelters in Xinjiang a greater say in alumina pricing and reduce their raw material purchasing costs.
US shredded scrap prices remain flat; US aluminum scrap prices stay flat
United States shredded scrap prices remained flat during the week ended February 19, while major US aluminum scrap commodities weekly average prices on Scrap Register Price Index showed an almost flat trend. According to TSI, US Midwest weekly shredded index remained flat at $182 a long ton the week (delivered mill), as the market gears up for March purchases. Expectations for this period are currently unclear, although some yard purchase prices dropped by up to $10 a long ton in early February. US export yards are keeping seaborne prices to Turkey close to $180 a ton, which are stable on latest sales. The weekly average scrap prices of Al/Cu Rad with Iron, Al/Cu Radiator , Alum Breakage, Alum Litho Sheets, Alum Old Sheet, Alum Transformer and Mix Alum Casting remained almost flat during...
Alcoa awarded up to $50 million contract from U.S. Army to advance combat vehicles
Lightweight metals leader Alcoa has been awarded a five-year contract from the U.S. Army worth up to $50 million for R&D projects focused on developing innovative, lightweighting solutions for ground combat vehicles. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) awarded Alcoa Defense a “Ground Vehicle Light-Weighting” contract to support efforts to accelerate technology research and development and provide engineering solutions for Department of Defense ground vehicles and intelligent ground systems. “This agreement with TARDEC builds on Alcoa Defense’s decades-long partnership with the U.S. Army to advance military ground vehicles,” said Eric Roegner, President of Alcoa Defense. “Alcoa’s lightweight solutions have improved troop protection while...
Aluminum extrusion becomes biggest driver behind China aluminum semis exports
Aluminum extrusion has beat aluminum plate/sheet and strip as China’s biggest driver of aluminum semis exports, takungpao.com reported. Aluminum extrusion took up as much as 54.8% of China’s total aluminum semis exports in 2015. According to the 2015 Nonferrous Metals Market Development Report, there were about 850 aluminum extrusion producers in China in 2015, with total annual capacity at roughly 23.8 million tonnes, accounting for 66.3% of global capacity. China Zhongwang Holdings, China’s leading aluminum extrusion producer, boasts an annual capacity of more than 1 million tonnes.
Ardagh Group prepares binding bid for Ball, Rexam assets
Ardagh Group, the packaging conglomerate controlled by Irish billionaire Paul Coulson, is preparing a binding offer for the assets being divested by drinks can makers Ball Corp and Rexam Plc, according to people familiar with the matter. Ardagh Group is competing against three private equity firms for the packaging plants up for sale, the people said this week. The strong interest in these assets increases chances that Ball's pending acquisition of Rexam will meet conditions set by antitrust authorities. Ardagh Group and buyout firms Blackstone Group LP, Apollo Global Management LLC and Madison Dearborn Partners LLC have reached the final round of bidding for the assets, the people said. Binding bids are due later this month, they added. Based on annual earnings before interest, tax,...
New, eco-friendly technologies could transform the European aluminium industry by 2050
Adopting innovative technological solutions - currently in early research phase - instead of following a conservative technology development path could slash the direct greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions of aluminium production by 66% in 2050 and reduce the associated energy consumption by 21%, according to a JRC report. The reductions between 2010 and 2050 for primary aluminium production are even higher, amounting to 72% and 23% respectively. The findings stem from an analysis of the current status of the aluminium industry in EU28 and Iceland, which quantifies the potential for GHG emission reduction and energy efficiency. The current EU target for 2030 of reducing GHG emissions by at least 40% below 1990 levels will help the long-term objective of emissions cut by 80-95% by 2050 in the...
Venezuela aluminum production continues to drop
Aluminum production in Venezuela continued to drop in 2015, the Ministry of Industry said in its annual report, after a year of labor conflicts, timid investment and a deep recession. Venalum, Latin America's largest aluminum factory, had output of 90,795 metric tons of the metal last year, a 15 percent drop from 2014. The ministry cited "low inventories of raw materials, supplies and spare parts, (and) intermittent availability of machinery and equipment." In March last year, Venalum said it had been forced to reduce the purity of its products owing to financial difficulties. Last year also saw an increase in production costs. Venalum has a capacity to produce 430,000 metric tons of aluminum annually and is 80 percent controlled by the Venezuelan state. The remainder is owned by a...
Dudley's Aluminium working on Gatwick Diamond Project
Aluminium fabricators Dudley’s Aluminium will begin work on a new office development at Gatwick Diamond this year, which will generate revenue for front-line emergency services. The offices are being developed on a brownfield site which has been pre-let by the South East Coast Ambulance Service. Surrey County Council believe this approach is a blueprint for other councils to follow; using land assets to provide long-term revenue streams that off-set budget cuts elsewhere. The Gatwick Diamond, which has one of the strongest local economies in the UK, is home to over 45,000 businesses and the new office developments will create more jobs for the local economy. Dudley’s Aluminium has secured a £670k contract to provide essential façade and glazing at the new office development. The company...
Aleris to announce Q4 and Full-Year 2015 financial results on March 9
Aleris, the global leader in aluminum rolled products, is scheduled to announce fourth-quarter and full-year 2015 financial results on Wednesday, March 9, 2016. President and Chief Executive Officer Sean Stack and Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Eric Rychel will host an earnings conference call to discuss the company's fourth-quarter and full-year 2015 results and take questions from analysts at 9 a.m. ET on March 9, 2016. Conference Call and Slide Presentation Live dial-in number: 1-866-364-3817 or 1-412-902-4207 for international callers Analysts who wish to ask a question following the prepared remarks should press "star and 1" on their push button phone during the call. Your name will be placed in queue. If you need assistance, press "star zero" on your touch tone phone to reach...
“THE STRENGTHS OF SAFETY- Dictionary of Transportation” Conference to meet in Dubai
“THE STRENGTHS OF SAFETY- Dictionary of Transportation” Conference, the one-off roundtable initiative focusing on the increasingly important issue of safety, will be held at the Maintenance Theatre, Middle East Rail - Dubai World Trade Centre, on 9th March, 2016 (12:30 - 14:00). Middle East Rail is in the third year of an interchange initiative in Dubai between Italian and Arab businesspeople regarding innovations in transport. The 2016 edition of the conference will present various aspects of developments of this on-going project. The conference brings together crucial evidence regarding the effectiveness of research on integrated transport, some which are the impact of materials with sand, unpredictable events, projects designed specifically for high-speed equipment, Smart Cities and...
Ford rolls out aluminium chassis-cab super duty trucks
Responding to the need for more specialized, rugged and capable work trucks such as aerial lifts, field-service vehicles and medium-duty haulers, Ford Motor Co. is debuting a new chassis-cab model of its aluminium-bodied Super Duty trucks at this month’s Work Truck Show. Employing a new, high-strength, aluminium-alloy cab and a higher-strength steel frame than the outgoing generation, the 2017 F-350, F-450 and F-550 chassis-cab lineup offers best-in-class capability, Ford claims, with a front gross-axle-weight rating of 7,500 lb. and a gross-combined weight rating of 40,000 lb. “Commercial truck customers need tough, capable trucks the can haul heavy equipment to crush challenging jobs,” says Craig Schmatz, Ford Super Duty’s chief engineer. “The innovations our team has put into the...
BoscoLighting expands aluminium extrusion range for lighting applications
LED lighting specialist BoscoLighting announces the addition of new products to their aluminium extrusion range to support diverse lighting applications. With the latest expansion, BoscoLighting now offers more than 70 types of aluminium extrusions and multiple options for each, enhancing design flexibility in any lighting project. BoscoLighting supplies aluminium extrusions for under-bench lighting, corridor lighting, and office and reception lighting. Extrusions are available for recessed, suspended and surface mounted lights to suit virtually any lighting application. The new aluminium extrusions take lighting design to the next level with options allowing for lights to be recessed into walls, ceilings and even in-floor. Suspended fittings can also be mounted at varying heights to...
SHFE approves ten warehouses for aluminium delivery
The Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) announced March 1 that it has approved ten warehouses from eight companies for aluminium delivery. This move will expand capacity of SHFE aluminium delivery warehouses by 175,000 tonnes, according to the SHFE website. These newly approved delivery warehouses will be allowed to generate aluminium warrants for futures delivery from February 16, 2017. These newly approved warehouses are located in Henan, Shandong, Chongqing and Tianjin, the SHFE said in a statement. The move is aimed at better serving transfer of aluminium industry, a SHFE official said. At present, China’s aluminium producing regions are concentrated in northwest, southwest and central parts of the country, while aluminium consumption is shifting from Guangdong, Zhejiang to Chongqing,...
Aluminium market under long liquidation, open interest drops 17.62%
Aluminium prices pared its gains to settle in negative zone due to oversupply and a massive inventory overhang. Aluminium price has risen over the past month, supported by a tightening of the ex-China balance, higher oil prices, and a weaker dollar. Chinese output and semi-fabricated export growth to accelerate at current prices, eventually driving ex-China prices down by about 15 percent to $1,350/t on a 12-month view. U.S. consumer spending rose solidly in January while fourth-quarter economic growth was revised up to 1 percent, higher than expected. G20 policymakers meeting in Shanghai sought common ground on how to reboot a struggling global economy in the face of renewed financial and political risks. Setting the tone for the Shanghai meeting of the Group of 20, China's central bank...
First Bauxite enters into second extension agreement with note holders
First Bauxite Corporation announced that it has entered into a second extension agreement with its note holders to extend from February 29, 2016 to March 8, 2016 the maturity date in all the outstanding notes issued by the company to Pacific Road Resources Funds and Resource Capital Fund V L.P. The company also agreed to revise the Tranche 2 Purchase Date to March 8, 2016 in the note purchase agreement dated October 30, 2015 between the company and Resource Capital Fund VI L.P. related to the 8 per cent interest bearing convertible note issuable to RCF VI in the principal amount of US$11,000,000. All other terms of the transaction remain in place as described in the company's news releases dated October 30, 2015 and January 19, 2016. The existing debt roll-over and tranche 2 closings...
ANTAM teams up for Mempawah alumina refinery
PT ANTAM together with PT Indonesia Asahan Alumunium has formed a cooperation with PT PELINDO II in the port development in Sungai Kunyit, Mempawah, West Kalimantan. The port development is linked to Smelter Grade Alumina Refinery project in Mempawah. ANTAM president Tedy Badrujaman said: "The cooperation reflects the progress of the Smelter Grade Alumina Refinery Project development. It will form the basis of a port development study covering financial, technical, operational, commercial and legal aspects."
