AL Circle Analysis: Bauxite developments, alumina trade & primary aluminium market dynamics across Australia, Guinea, US & India
The aluminium industry is entering another phase of supply-chain repositioning. Across bauxite, alumina and primary aluminium, companies are investing in new resources, consolidating strategic assets and expanding processing capacity, while governments are increasingly treating domestic supply as a strategic priority. The latest developments from Australia, Guyana, Guinea, Indonesia, the US and India point to a market where resource security, processing location and control over supply chains are becoming as important as production growth. At the same time, new trading mechanisms and changing investment patterns are beginning to influence how aluminium and its raw materials reach the market. Bauxite supply expands, but securing the right tonnes is becoming harder In Western Australia, VBX...
China's 22.87 Mt extrusion market faces a structural shift as 317 GW solar growth counters weak construction demand
The global aluminium extrusion landscape is undergoing a structural transition driven by industrial decarbonisation, global electrification, and the rapid deployment of clean energy infrastructure. Historically anchored by civil engineering and residential real estate, demand for extruded aluminium profiles in China, the world’s dominant manufacturing hub, is decoupling from traditional property sectors. Persistent structural weakness in China’s domestic construction market has slowed the consumption of conventional architectural profiles such as window frames, door sections, and curtain walls. Conversely, advanced industrial applications, specifically solar photovoltaic (PV) racking, battery energy storage systems (BESS), power grid modernisation, and electric vehicles (EVs), have...
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Heidi Brock begins term as Chair of the NAM's Council of Manufacturing Associations
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) announced today that Heidi Brock, president and CEO of the Aluminum Association, has been elected chair of the NAM’s Council of Manufacturing Associations (CMA) to serve a one-year term. The CMA, made up of nearly 260 industry-specific manufacturing associations, is a vital component of the NAM, providing resources and networks to members to broaden the reach of the NAM’s advocacy efforts. “No executive is better equipped than Heidi to lead manufacturing association executives in this critical time in history,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “Her ability to transcend Washington rhetoric and advocate on behalf of her members is inspirational. She is a true leader in the business advocacy community. Heidi continues to forge new life...
EGA sponsors World Future Energy Summit 2016
As Associate Sponsor for the seventh consecutive year, UAE aluminium giant Emirates Global Aluminium ("EGA") will again play a pivotal role at the World Future Energy Summit ("WFES") 2016, hosted by Masdar at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from 18 to 21 January. Jointly owned by Mubadala Development Company and Investment Corporation of Dubai , EGA has supported the event since 2009. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces), WFES is a key part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2016. The annual event is widely considered the world's foremost summit dedicated to advancing future energy, energy efficiency and clean technology. As in prior years, the 2016 summit will...
The CBIX index remains flat during January third week
The CBIX index remained flat leading into the Malaysian mining ban, which takes effect this week. CBIX was down 1.8% (US$0.9/dmt) to US$47.6/dmt as non-Malaysian cargos continued to display variable (and mostly lower) ViU pricing. Both panamax and capesize freight rates fell further, on the back of lower oil prices and lower vessel charter rates. Malaysian bauxite prices were unchanged, with unwashed bauxite fetching US$26.0/dmt FOB and the corresponding CFR price (ViU adjusted) down 1.1% (US$0.4/dmt) to US$35.4/dmt, due to adjustments in freight rates. The current bauxite price lows are starting to be felt across the industry, with ASX bauxite junior Australian Bauxite Ltd suspending operations to conserve cash after failing to find a buyer for its maiden shipment. Other non-Malaysian...
Australian bauxite aspirants struggle for traction amid bauxite boom
Mining development companies which are aspiring to make it big in the Australian bauxite market are struggling for traction despite Chinese imports of the aluminium ingredient rising 45 per cent in 2015. While industry giants like Alcoa and Rio Tinto are increasing their exposure to bauxite, the fleet of Australian juniors that sought to ride the same wave are struggling to hang on. Bauxite prices did not rise as high as expected in 2015 as an unexpected, and in some cases unregulated, surge in production from Malaysia added to global supply. The Malaysian surge derailed plans by Australian Bauxite Limited (ABX) to be the first Australian junior into the seaborne trade in 2015, with the company's chief Ian Levy saying in December there was not enough space left at Chinese ports for his...
Shippers at Kuantan Port say one month not enough to clear bauxite stockpiles
The bauxite stockpile at Kuantan port will take more than a month to clear, according to shipping industry sources in Pahang, Malaysia. They hope the moratorium brings positive results so there will not be further disruption to their business. A manager in a shipping company that exports the ore to China said the stockpile at Kuantan was over two million tonnes, and shipping it out in time was proving to be a headache. “The one-week timetable allocated to us is unrealistic. At its peak, Kuantan port is capable of loading and shipping out over three million tonnes per month but that is with an all-out effort,” he said. In addition to the tight deadline, no new Approved Permits (APs) had been issued to export ore and this was causing the stockpile to build up rather than cleared. “We have...
Kaiser Aluminum Corp. shares upgraded to “Buy” by major brokerages
Shares of Kaiser Aluminum Corp. have been assigned a consensus rating of “Buy” from the six analysts that are covering the stock, Analyst Ratings Network.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $85.00. Kaiser Aluminum has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Zacks Investment Research lowered Kaiser Aluminum Corp. from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 29th. Deutsche Bank began coverage on Kaiser Aluminum Corp. in a research note on Monday, October 12th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $85.00 target price for the company. Finally, JPMorgan...
2016 Detroit Auto Show: Ford unveils EcoBoost engine for aluminium-bodied F-150 Raptor
Ford Motor Co. announced at the 2016 Detroit auto show that it's adding the off-roading edition of the F-150 pickup truck - the F-150 Raptor - to its stable of aluminum-bodied pickups. That means all of Ford's North American pickups will be built with steel frames and aluminum bodies, something that, until two years ago, was reserved for sports cars. Peter Frise, a mechanical engineer and the scientific director at AUTO21, an automotive research think-tank at the University of Windsor, said the great advantage of aluminum is its relatively light weight, but it's difficult to use in a mass produced setting. "Cars have been made with aluminum parts for many years, decades," Frise explained. "What Ford managed to do is find a way to make a large portion of a mass-marketed vehicle out of...
Letv Superphones lead metal unibody trend with aircraft grade aluminium
The recent entrant in the industry, Letv's Superphones , sport full-metal body designs, becoming one of the few brands in the market worldwide to do so. Since last April when Letv announced to enter the smart phone industry, this multinational company has released four models of phones, including Le 1, Le 1 Pro, Le Max and Le 1s, among which two phones, Le Max and Le 1s, are full metal body phones. Le Max has a bezel-less all metal design, first unibody metal phone in China. Since its launch in July, it has beated Apple and Sumsung consecutively for two months and become the best seller in China for a phone over 3,000 Yuan (Rs 30,562 approx). Le 1s, the top seller in China since its release at the end of last October. It sold more than 2 million units in two months. Its metal uni-body is...
Xolution secures €45m investment for next-gen resalable aluminium beverage can-ends
Xolution GmbH has successfully closed a €45m equity investment round with the Singapore-based equity fund Inventure Management Pte Ltd to fund the production capacity increase for Xolution’s next generation XO2.0 resealable beverage can technology. Xolution plans to use the investment proceeds to increase its annual worldwide production capacity to over 1bn can-ends. Inventure brings to Xolution an extensive manufacturing experience from the aluminium can and plastics industry. Its focus is in packaging solutions and more specifically with multinational beverage companies and brands in its portfolio. In order to meet the market demand from global and regional beverage brands for its next generation XO2.0 resealable beverage can-end technology, Xolution has partnered with suppliers such as...
LME aluminium may bounce to $1,479
LME aluminium may bounce to resistance at $1,479 per tonne, as it has found a support at $1,453. The resistance and the support are identified respectively as the 38.2 percent and the 50 percent Fibonacci projection levels of a downward wave C, the third wave of a three-wave cycle from the September 9, 2015 high of $1,655.50. A break below $1,453 could confirm the continuation of the wave C towards $1,426, the 61.8 percent level, while a break above $1,479 could lead to a gain to the 23.6 percent level at $1,511.
Sherwin Alumina receives preliminary loan access
Sherwin Alumina Co., the bankrupt unit of commodities giant Glencore PLC, made its bankruptcy-court debut in Corpus Christi, Texas, Wednesday and got preliminary access to $40 million in financing from another Glencore affiliate. Judge David R. Jones approved access to $500,000 of the loan and set a hearing for final approval of the loan on Feb. 10 in Houston, Texas, where he also hears cases. Joshua Sussberg of Kirkland & Ellis LLP said the loan, from Glencore affiliate Commodity Funding LLC, was the only financing available to Sherwin and that any shutdown of the company’s alumina smelting activities would be very costly to restart. Mr. Sussberg also noted that while the company has “serious labor issues”--having had its 455 unionized employees off the job since October 2014-that was an...
Orbite receives Canadian fly ash patent and allowance for Russian red mud patent
Orbite Technologies Inc. today announced that it has been advised by the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (ROSPATENT) that its Russian patent application No. 2014131946 pertaining to its red mud monetization technology and titled "Processes for Treating Red Mud", has been deemed allowable. Further to its September 28, 2015 press release, patent No. 2,862,307 titled "Processes for Treating Fly Ash" has been granted by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office ("CIPO") and received by the company. Additionally, the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") recently advised the Company that its patent application No. 14/413,940 titled "Processes for Preparing Titanium Oxide and Various Other Products" has been found allowable. Furthermore, Australian patent No. 2012231686...
MD Simon Finnis updates on Metro's bauxite mining plans
Metro Mining MD Simon Finnis in a recent interview gave a detailed update on his company's upcoming bauxite mining development projects. According to the interview excerpts, Metro Mining increased its Cape York Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) bauxite resource base to 65.3 million tonnes. An 11.7 million tonne (DSO) Indicated resource has been estimated. Metro has made a takeover offer for fellow Sunshine State bauxite developer Gulf Alumina which has seen acceptances to date of 19.1% of Gulf’s shares on issue. Metro is in the process of transferring an additional 2.5 million Gulf shares to MMI. A resulting combined company would boast a pro-forma market capitalisation of about A$42 million (prior to any re-rate), or more than double Metro’s current market cap of about $19 million.
Tasmanian bauxite mine suspends production after first shipment stalls
A new bauxite mine at Campbell Town in northern Tasmania has gone into care and maintenance after it failed to secure a buyer for its first shipment. Australian Bauxite began mining at Bald Hill early last year, in what is understood to be the country's first new bauxite quarry in 35 years. The company started mining about 12 months ago, employing about 30 people. In November, the company announced a deal with Mumbai-based marketing company Rawmin Alliance to purchase 4.7 million tonnes over the next five years. But Australian Bauxite CEO Ian Levy said it was still unclear when the first shipment would be locked in. "The customers in China are just unable to purchase the bauxite at this time," he said. "Expressions of interest we've got are from China, India, the Middle East and even from...
Coal output for domestic use urged to support aluminium big plans
Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has asked the country's coal sector to prioritise coal production for domestic use, thereby ensuring the stability of the national energy reserve. In order to extract 55 million tonnes (mt) of coal by 2020, the sector, according to the industry sources, is expected to expand 10 mines and open 40 additional pits. During a conference convened by the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) in Ha Noi yesterday to review its 2015 activities and launch 2016 tasks, PM requested Vinacomin to increase exploration and mining using advanced and eco-friendly technologies. It was required to devise cost-effective business plans, and solutions to climate change, while further promoting personnel training and improving the livelihoods...
GCC record aluminium production of 5,274,729 tonnes in 2015 7% more than 2014
Five major GCC primary aluminium producers EGA (UAE), Alba (Bahrain), Ma’aden Aluminium (KSA), Qatalum (Qatar) and Sohar Aluminium (Oman) have collectively produced 5,274,729 tons of primary aluminium in 2015. 7% more than 2014. “This is the highest production record reflecting improved efficiency and optimising resource utilization”, said Mr. Daylami, Secretary General of Gulf Aluminium Council. GCC aluminium production constitutes 10% of the total world production and is considered one of the key economic drivers for the Gulf region. About 40% of the total production is utilized by the downstream aluminium industries in the Gulf and 60% exported to different parts of the world. GCC remains one of the leading regions for aluminium production with higher environmental standards compared...
India starts probe into dumping of Chinese aluminium radiators
India has initiated a probe into alleged dumping of aluminium radiators by China in the domestic market. The move is aimed at protecting domestic players in the sector against cheap imports. The Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD), an arm of the Commerce Ministry, has begun investigations into the imports of 'Aluminium Radiators, Aluminium Radiator Sub- Assemblies and Aluminium Radiator Core' from China. In a notification, the DGAD has said it has found a sufficient prima facie evidence of dumping of the product from China. "The authority hereby initiates an investigation into the alleged dumping, and consequent injury to the domestic industry...To determine the existence, degree and effect of any alleged dumping and to recommend the amount of antidumping duty,...
International Aluminium Die-casting Competition winners awarded at EUROGUSS 2016
German Aluminium Association, Düsseldorf, has awarded the winners of the International Aluminium Die Casting Competition 2016 as part of the EUROGUSS 2016 in Nuremberg. Prizes were awarded by a jury of experts from research and practice to three castings from renowned manufacturers with a further three castings receiving special commendations. GDA has organised a competition for aluminium die-castings for the second time. It was partnered by the Association of the German Foundry Industry. The Austrian Economic Chambers and the Swiss Aluminium Association alu.ch also supported the competition. For many years, the Aluminium Die-casting Award has proven to be a successful platform for demonstrating the high quality standards of aluminium die-castings. The aim of the competition is to boost...
