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...
Grow with
AL Circle
GCC power cable industry charts growth driving demand for aluminium conductors
The Dh6.3 billion worth utility cable industry in Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) is in the midst of a historic transformation. A paradigm shift in conventional business drivers is stirring up new trends as vertically integrated utility cable manufacturers size-up a fitting approach to swim with the tide. Industry players looking to create their mark in the future cable marketplace are invariably shaping up more diverse corporate structures and product offerings. While some will continue to operate in narrow niches, the future of the region’s utility cable industry will require total devotion on quality and competence at a grand scale. “The market landscape is evolving at a pace never witnessed before,” says Andrew Shaw, Managing Director at DUCAB, a leading manufacturer for utility cables...
79% of Chinese aluminium smelters bullish toward aluminium prices this week
Almost 79% of the 34 Chinese aluminium smelters surveyed by SMM are bullish toward this week’s aluminium prices. The rest 21% expect prices to stabilize. The optimists expect LME aluminium to rise above USD 1,520/mt and SHFE 1603 aluminium to climb above RMB 10,800/mt. Aluminium capacity cuts in China have exceeded 4 million mt/yr since the beginning of this year, which is more than the amount of new capacity. Such huge cuts have allowed aluminium stocks in China’s five major trading markets to fall below 800,000 mt. Spot discounts in China thus narrowed to less than RMB 100/mt over SHFE 1601 aluminium. SHFE aluminium kepti rising, forcing shorts to exit. This in turn pushed SHFE aluminium above the 60-day moving average. Technical side is positive for SHFE aluminium. Negative impact from...
Aluminum Association updates on North America’s downstream market
According to an Aluminum Association report estimated net shipments of Aluminum Sheet and Plate by U.S. and Canadian producers totaled 649.4 million pounds during November 2015, up seven-tenths of one percent over the November 2014 total of 645.0 million pounds. Compared to the previous month, shipments decreased 6.9 percent from the October 2015 total of 697.8 million pounds. Year to-date shipments through November 2015 totaled 7,639.8 million pounds, up 1.9 percent over the 2014 year-to-date total of 7,496.1 million pounds. Shipments of Can Stock totaled 334.4 million pounds during November 2015. Shipments of All Other Sheet and Plate increased 37.8 percent to 112.7 million pounds. Estimated shipments of Aluminum Forgings and Impacts by U.S. and Canadian producers totaled 25.5 million...
Recovery of European aluminium foil demand
Due to the continued recovery of demand for aluminium foil products in Europe the market is recovering slowly. The gap between 2014 and 2015 aluminium foil production narrowed to just a 0.3% drop by the end of the third quarter, compared with 2.5% in the first quarter of the year, reports the European Aluminium Foil Association EAFA. The EAFA region covers EU 28, Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Norway, Russia, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey. This continues the trend seen in the second quarter.
Bee Chems introduces activated alumina purifier for contaminated water
The rise in pollution levels has contaminated the environment with harmful elements. Important elements like air and water, which are essential for sustenance of life on Earth, have become harmful for consumption, leading to measures being taken to purify them. To help individuals in this task, Bee Chems, operating from Kanpur, India, is providing activated alumina Actas at the most competitive prices. The Actas provided by Bee Chems can also be used as a point-of-entry or point-of-use water treatment device. Moreover, it can also be used in various industrial applications like pressure swing adsorption and other packaged dryers, instrument and low pressure air-drying, scavenging of HF, BF3 from alkylation feed stock, reconditioning of mineral oils like transformer or insulating oils and...
Noranda Bauxite workers await massive job cuts in January
Noranda Bauxite Company, Jamaica, is considering massive job cuts at their in St Ann bauxite mining site come early next year. More than 30 per cent of employees could be out of a job due to this move. It is reported from reliable sources that the company is planning this redundancy exercise when it reopens in 2016 in order to pare down costs. Norada will temporarily close down operations today until January 3, laying off in excess of 100 employees. General secretary of the Union of Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Personnel (UTASP), St Patrice Ennis, said the company raised the proposal late last week. He said Noranda had indicated initially that there would be a three to five per cent cut in labour at the same time of closure, which the union says could be accommodated by...
Sapa’s Profile Academy completes another successful year of technical training
Sapa’s Profile Academy is one of the most popular technical knowledge training exercises that the company organizes for external stakeholders. Another full year of workshops concluded with successful events in Argentina and the UK. Sapa established its Profile Academy concept in 1996 and has continually improved the scheme, keeping the style modern and the information fresh and forward-looking. Over the years, more than 7,500 people from Europe, Asia and the Americas have participated in Sapa’s Profile Academy. The two-day Profile Academy must include a number of mandatory sessions for the event to be designated as such. As an example, the agenda must have a group workshop which results in the development of a design for a product using extruded aluminium. Participants have access to...
Alba participates in GAC meeting
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C (Alba), a pioneering smelter in the Middle East and one of the world’s leading aluminium smelters, participated in the high-level meeting ‘Aluminium Industry Challenges and Strategy for Executives’ organised by the Gulf Aluminium Council (GAC) from November 25 to 27, 2015 in Dubai, UAE. Alba’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Murray, Chief Finance Officer, Ali Al Baqali and Chief Marketing Officer, Khalid Abdul Latif were amongst the key attendees of this event. Mr. Murray was a key note speaker at the ‘Aluminium Industry Challenges and Strategy for Executives’ meeting, where he presented the ‘Financial Aspects of the Industry’ and covered various aspects to include the aluminium smelter economic outlook, comparison of operating and capital cost in the Gulf region...
UC RUSAL announces new sales appointment
UC RUSAL, a leading global aluminium producer, announces the appointment of Chris Evans as Project Director for Price Benchmarking. Chris Evans will be responsible for maintaining the effectiveness of current price discovery mechanisms as well as working with customers to implement alternative pricing options. ‘Chris’s appointment represents our commitment to play a leading role in evaluating alternative price discovery mechanisms for our customers as well as to effectively contribute to the many changes that are taking place with existing exchange traded benchmarks’ Steve Hodgson, RUSAL’s Sales & Marketing Director, commented. Chris Evans has more than 15 years’ experience of metals markets including 5 years at the London Metal Exchange, where he was Head of Business Development in...
Qatalum launches the latest edition of Altogether magazine
During a time of enormous growth for the aluminium industry, Qatalum, Qatar’s premium smelter, recently released Issue 6 of its acclaimed “Altogether” publication. Included within the quarterly magazine are articles which not only detail Qatalum’s vast contributions to the State of Qatar but also reports related to the inner workings of the aluminium industry. A key provision for aluminium’s growing prevalence as of late has related directly to the global automotive industry taking a wider interest in the material as opposed to its traditional use of steel. With the energy sector across the Gulf meanwhile suffering losses, Qatalum’s importance has grown immensely for the global aluminium trade; a reality touched on throughout this latest edition of “Altogether”. “This installment of...
Alba welcomes delegation from aluminium downstream major Midal Cables
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C (Alba), one of the world’s leading aluminium smelters, received a delegation from Midal Cables comprising Chairman, Khalid Alzayani and Assistant Managing Director, Rashid Alzayani and some of their guests from Asia on December 10, 2015. The visit aimed to strengthen business ties between Alba and Midal Cables, a leading aluminium downstream company in Bahrain and Alba’s major customer. Commenting about this visit, Alba’s Chief Operations Officer, Isa Al-Ansari said: “As two of the leading industrial companies in Bahrain, Alba shares a longstanding relation with Midal Cables and we are pleased to meet their guests. This visit affirms our continuing commitment to support and strengthen our customer base. It was an ideal opportunity for us to introduce the delegates...
Aluminium counts on duty hike by Indian Finance Ministry
Ministry of Finance (India) is likely to relent to the demand of aluminium manufacturers to raise import duty to thwart cheap imports. The North Block is likely to increase the import duty on aluminium to 7.5-10 per cent from 5 per cent in the next budget. Officials said they had been concentrating on steel because of the strategic importance of the industry. However, they will look into the demands of aluminium manufacturers such as Nalco and Vedanta to double the duty from 5 per cent. The commerce ministry officials are inclined to consider a 2.5 per cent increase in the import duty on aluminium. The North Block is also mulling over proposals to reduce the import price of alumina by cutting its duty to 2.5 per cent from 5-7.5 per cent. Manufacturers have argued that this duty anomaly...
LME aluminium to find support from China production cuts this week
LME aluminum will find support from aluminium production cuts in China next week, SMM expects. Aluminium stocks in China have been falling for four weeks in a row on growing production cuts. This will support SHFE aluminum , in turn putting a floor under LME aluminium as well. A firm dollar will pressure LME aluminium at highs, though. LME aluminium should move around $1,500 per tonne. SHFE 1603 aluminium will move between RMB 10,600-10,800/mt, supported by tightening supply in China’s spot market and rumors on aluminium stockpiling by China’s State Reserve Bureau (SRB). Aluminium stocks continued falling in China’s major trading markets, tightening supply. Downstream demand has shown signs of weakening. Spot discounts are expected to hold steady around RMB 100/mt over SHFE front-month...
Century reaches power agreement for Mt. Holly smelter
Century Aluminum of South Carolina, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Century Aluminum Company, announced on Saturday, last week, that it has reached an agreement in principle with Santee Cooper that will allow the Goose Creek, SC plant to operate at half capacity while the state legislature pursues a long-term solution. The agreement is subject to approval by each organization's board of directors. "Our relief at reaching this point is tempered because 300 of our people are being laid off," said Michael Bless, President and CEO. "Mt. Holly is a family and we are saddened that we were left with no choice but to make this decision. Our employees are responsible for making Mt. Holly the best, most-efficient aluminium smelter in the country and we will expend all efforts to return them to...
Ball's aluminium aerosol innovations receive multiple 2015 Can of the Year honours
Ball Corporation recently received multiple 2015 Can of the Year honors for its aluminum aerosol packaging innovations. The ReAl® impact extruded can for Henkel's Fa deodorant brand won AEROBAL's World Aluminium Aerosol Can Award and a gold award from The Canmaker magazine. The impact extruded deodorant can for Laboratoires Venus Expert also won a silver award from The Canmaker. The Fa deodorant can, a collaboration between Ball and Henkel, features Ball's revolutionary ReAl technology, which utilizes recycled aluminum to create a metal alloy that exhibits increased strength and allows weight reduction of the container without affecting package integrity. Henkel's Fa can, which launched earlier this year, contains 25 percent recycled material, is 15 percent lighter than the standard...
China Guizhou's precision aluminium foil project to go on stream in January
Guizhou Xintianli Aluminum Foil Co. is scheduled to put online its precision aluminium foil project in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, in January 2016. The project, with total investment at 1.2 billion yuan ($ 185 million), is now in debugging process and has an annual capacity of 50,000 tonnes. Precision aluminium foil has a wide range of application. Accordng to the sources close to Xintianli Aluminum, the Guizhou facility will churn out aluminium foil in a wide variety of aluminium alloys, including clad composites. The aluminium strip will be produced in standard dimensions as well as custom made as per clients' specifications.
P&A International to participate at Australian Aluminium Council Conference
P&A International, a China based company that manufactures high quality parts and components, has been invited as a guest speaker at the Australian Aluminium Council conference in January, 2016. As a spokesperson for the company noted, the hot topic during the conference will focus on COP21, and how it will influence the Aluminium industry. "We will also cover topics such as innovative uses of aluminium alloys in die-casting and extrusions, use of aluminium in packaging industry and the latest developments in the Australian aluminium industry," noted the spokesperson for the aluminium extrusion manufacturer, adding that P&A International is a member of the council. "We are excited to stand in front industry professionals, many of whom are long standing partners and customers of P&A...
EU imposes anti-dumping duties on Russian aluminium foil
The European Union imposed anti-dumping duties on imports of Russian aluminium foil on Friday after its investigation showed the product was sold across the bloc at below market prices, the EU's Official Journal said. A definitive anti-dumping duty of 12.2 percent will be levied on aluminium foil from Russia, which is all made by the Rusal group, the world's largest aluminium producer. "The (European) Union industry suffered material injury, which was reflected most notably in the negative profitability almost during the entire period considered," the Official Journal said. The European Commission had already imposed provisional anti-dumping duties on Russian aluminium foil imports in July. Definitive anti-dumping duties normally last five years. Rusal said in an emailed statement that it...
