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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Cadillac rolls out repair network for aluminium-intensive CT6 sedan
The Cadillac CT6, the first aluminium-skinned vehicle from General Motors, will have its own dedicated factory-certified repair facilities. Cadillac said Wednesday, December 2nd, that it is launching the Cadillac Aluminium Repair Network to ensure the lightweight rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan is repaired properly after a crash. Aluminium vehicles require repair facilities that are sealed off from those used to fix steel-bodied vehicles, dealers need different tools to repair aluminium body panels and technicians need to learn different repair techniques. With the CT6, Cadillac joins an elite but growing group of automakers producing aluminium-intensive cars and light trucks, including Jaguar Land Rover, Tesla, Ford and Audi. John Eck, Cadillac’s collision manager for wholesale dealer...
Acnodes Corp introduces aluminium die-casting chassis built industrial panel PC
Acnodes Corporations, a leading manufacturer of industrial and embedded computer platforms and technologies, introduced today the launch of the PC9215. The 21.5 inch industrial Panel PC is built of aluminium die-casting chassis with an IP65 flat front bezel, providing a thin yet durable design. The aluminuim die-casting chassis is constructed with one piece in the back and of silver color. The front panel is a flat surface with IP65, providing protection from liquid and contaminants insertion. Combined with the mentioned features, the materials built present a sleek and enduring structure. To compliment, the 21.5 inch LCD panel is of 1920 x 1080 resolution, 250nit brightness, 3000:1 contrast ratio, and displays 16.7 million colors. With backlight lifetime of 50,000 hours, it presents...
Aluminium extrusion market growing at 7% CAGR to 2019
A recently published report on global aluminium extrusion market says increased usage in green initiatives is driving great growth as aluminium extrusions are 100% recyclable and emit no significant hazardous gasses during processing. The growth of the automobile industry is anticipated to drive the growth of this market during the forecast period. Aluminium extrusion is replacing steel in automobiles and transport. It is preferred over other metals due to its light weight leading to reduced fuel consumption and reduced greenhouse gas emission. Moreover, aluminium is easily recyclable and resistant to corrosion, thus ensuring sustainability and durability of the vehicle. Aluminium extrusion market is segmented based on Mill finished, Anodized and Powder coated varities. The mill finished...
Circular Economy - EU staggers packaging targets
Revised packaging recycling targets put forward by the EU Commission on 2 December, show a move to capture more aluminium cans and to streamline compliance reporting. The Commission has put forward staggered packaging recycling targets of 65% by 2025 and 75% by 2030. Under the objectives, producers will be required to reuse or recycle a minimum of 75% by weight of all packaging waste used. Targets for individual waste streams include 75% for wood and 85% for ferrous metal, glass, aluminium and paper and cardboard. In comparison, Janez Potocnik’s 2014 package floated proposals for an 80% packaging recycling target by 2030 – including a 90% target for paper and cardboard. The Commission notes that targets for ferrous metals and aluminium packaging should be split. It reasons that the...
Hydro gets approval for auto aluminium sheet expansion
Leading auto aluminium sheet supplier Hydro announced the regional government of Düsseldorf had approved its new rolled products facility in Grevenbroich. The official opening of the facility is scheduled in 2017. "This is a major project that's advancing all the time and remains on time and on budget. It will deliver its first products before the end of 2016, helping us to meet growing demand from our customers in the automotive industry," said plant manager Christoph Budde. The new production line for lightweight automotive aluminium sheet is designed to use less electricity and gas than comparable systems during operations. Post extension, production capacity will go up from 50,000 to 200,000 tonnes a year. The new buildings comprising a 30m high, 100m long high bay warehouse and a...
Ardagh’s aluminium design takes off in style
Lufthansa, Germany’s largest airline, and Warsteiner, one of Germany’s largest and privately owned breweries, have had a close relationship for many years. 2015 marked Lufthansa’s 60th anniversary and so Warsteiner congratulated them with a limited edition aluminium beer bottle. A key decision for Warsteiner was how to present its limited edition product for such an important milestone in the history of one of Germany’s most iconic brands, so they turned to one of its most trusted packaging suppliers, Ardagh Group. In 2014 Ardagh developed an exciting range of aluminium bottles - the Warsteiner Art Collection. These bottles were created at the state-of-the-art printing facility in Beaurepaire, France. The resulting launch attracted many new younger customers from around the world to the...
Nalco to step up local procurement in Odisha
National Aluminium Company (Nalco), the country's largest state run aluminium producer is drawing up a focussed policy to step up its share of procurement from local businesses in its home state of Odisha. "We are already procuring goods and services worth INR 400 crore from MSMEs every year. Now, we are coming up with a focused policy to procure more from Odisha-based MSMEs, T K Chand, CMD, Nalco has said. "As an industry leader, if we want to chart a course of success, we have to take the ancillary industries along with us," Chand said while speaking on the sidelines of CII's Enterprise Odisha at IDCO Exhibition Ground on Tuesday. Citing the example of US-economy, Chand pointed out that in the US, the main yardstick of evaluating economy is employment generation. "We can generate more...
Qatalum to participate in Aluminium Symposium
As the energy sector begins to face new challenges, the importance of aluminium is growing. In order to fully harness its potential, it is important that the industry not only take daring new approaches but also bolster winning formulas already in place. Annually, Qatalum, Hydro and Qatar University join hands in developing and supporting competence in aluminium production, application and research in Qatar. This year is no different. On December 14th, between 7:30 am and 2:00 pm, Qatalum will participate at the Annual Aluminium Symposium at the InterContinental Hotel in West Bay. The Symposium is themed around 'The Engine for Growth in the Region' wherein various papers and presentation will be made by distinguished professionals within the field on topics related to production, usage...
MEDTEC Japan 2016 to be held in April 2016
MEDTEC Japan 2016, Asia's largest exhibition and conference dedicated to the Medical Device Design and Manufacturing industry, is to be held in Tokyo from 20 th - 22 nd April 2016 Over 500 exhibitors from approximately 25 countries around the world will be exhibiting their latest technologies and services to address the second largest Medical Device market in the world, only after the United States . With the aging population and the government back up, the Medical Device is one of the few markets continuing to grow steadily. Over 30,000 visitors are expected to attend the event from nearly 30 countries, including the United States , Europe , ASEAN countries, China, Korea and many more. MEDTEC Japan is known for its targeted visitors, with over 60% of visitors originating from Medical...
Alba chairman receives lifetime achievement award from MEBLSA 2015
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C (Alba) is proud to announce that its Chairman of Board of Directors, Shaikh Daij Bin Salman Bin Daij Al Khalifa has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Middle East Business Leaders Awards (MEBSLA) 2015. He was honoured with this prestigious award for his exemplary leadership and immense contribution towards business transformation creativity. Shaikh Daij was awarded by H.E. Abdul Rahim Hassan Naqi, Secretary General, Federation of GCC Chambers (FGCCC) during the awarding ceremony, which was held on Monday, November 30, 2015 at Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The MEBSLA Awards is organised by the American Leadership Development Association (ALDA), co-organised by the Leaders International Magazine and endorsed by the...
MP requests for stop-work order for bauxite mining during monsoon in Kuntan, Malaysia
Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh wants the Pahang state government to issue a stop-work order for bauxite mining before the monsoon floods hit the state. She claimed four hours of rain in the early hours of Sunday had caused the retention wall of a bauxite cleaning pond in Bukit Goh to burst, and the water to spill into a nearby house. "This was just four hours of rain; try to imagine what will happen if the rain goes on for four days during the monsoon." As such, she wants the Pahang government to issue a stop-work order to the affected mine so that the retention wall can be repaired. The Star earlier reported that "uncontrolled mining" is rampant in the Bukit Goh area, with many Felda settlers chopping down oil palm trees to make way for mining to chase the promise of stellar earnings. Felda...
Metro to make takeover offer to Gulf Alumina transaction to create leading independent Cape York Bauxite Company
Brisbane based Metro Mining Limited will make a takeover offer for unlisted Cape York mining company Gulf Alumina Limited. Gulf Alumina holds tenements adjacent to Metro Mining’s Bauxite Hills Project, 95kms north of Weipa. Metro Mining CEO Simon Finnis says his company has already secured 20% of Gulf Alumina by gaining the support of its largest and key founding shareholder. Gulf shareholders who are being offered 3.3 new Metro shares for every Gulf share held. Mr Finnis said the logic behind the takeover was “clear and compelling.” “If the takeover is successful Gulf shareholders will own approximately 44% of a combined group with a Pro-forma market capitalisation of approximately $42 million,” he said. “This would create a leading independent Australian bauxite company, well positioned...
Aluminium plant threatened with strike
Workers at the Rio Tinto Alcan aluminium smelter in Straumsvík, South-West Iceland, could come out on strike from tomorrow if no solution is found to a row over working conditions. A short and inconclusive round of talks yesterday failed to resolve the dispute between the operators of the plant and its workers, and if there is no breakthrough today, strike action will begin at midnight tonight. Should it come to industrial action, workers will continue to turn up for work for the next two weeks, but only in order to gradually shut down the plant’s 480 electrolysis pots, which are used to smelt the aluminium. The main issue at stake is the demand of Rio Tinto employees for no new contracting powers for operations at the plant to be authorised.
Aluminium up by 0.4% as spot demand hardens
Aluminium prices edged up by 0.36% to INR 97.35 per kg in futures trade today as participants enlarged positions amid a firming trend overseas. Besides, strong demand in spot markets influenced metal prices. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, aluminium for delivery in December inched up 35 paise, or 0.36%, to INR 97.35 per kg in a business turnover of 188 lots. Metal for delivery in January 2016 also rose by a similar margin to trade at INR 98.25 per kg in just one lot. Traders said that apart from increased domestic demand, a firming global trend helped aluminium futures trade higher.
Ford adding 2,000 jobs to make 2017 aluminum-body super duty trucks
Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday that it will add 2,000 jobs and invest $1.3 billion at the Kentucky Truck Plant to support production of new aluminum-body Super Duty trucks, deepening the automaker's ties to a city where it has two large production facilities. The investment, cheered by plant workers and Kentucky politicians, includes putting more workers on the final assembly line for the all-new 2017 F-Series Super Duty trucks, said Joe Hinrichs, Ford's president of the Americas. The company anticipates strong demand when the new trucks reach dealers' lots late next year, he said. "We definitely want to and expect to make more product in the future here at KTP," he told reporters. The automaker said the investment includes adding a new body shop, upgrading facilities and retooling at the...
Vitex Extrusion expands capabilities with $1.5 million investment in state-of-the-art quench and profile stacking systems
Vitex Extrusion officially unveiled a $1.5 million investment in an Presezzi HECS high efficiency air and water cooling system and automated profile stacking system for its Franklin, NH, aluminum extrusion and fabrication facility. The state-of-the-art upgrades strengthen Vitex’s capabilities to produce greater, more consistent throughput and improved mechanical properties. The installation of the new Presezzi HECS System provides Vitex with the most advanced aluminum extrusion quenching capability in the Northeastern U.S region. The system allows immediate quench of an aluminum extrusion profile using a high velocity, multi-sided air and water quench system that puts out over 600 gallons per minute of water at nearly 130 lbs. per square inch. Faster cooling preserves the extrusion...
Lightweight, Durable, Recyclable Aluminium Part of a Sustainable Future
As the world comes together in Paris to develop a plan of action to tackle the most significant sustainability challenge of the age, the International Aluminium Institute looks forward to a new international agreement on climate change. Delivering improved quality of life for all, equitable access to resources and services, food security, mobility and urban development, in a carbon and labour constrained world requires innovative use of materials, with the potential to deliver more for less. On a full life cycle basis, across its wide range of commonplace applications, aluminium products provide a net benefit to society and to emissions reduction. From transportation, building and construction to food and medical/pharmaceutical packaging, aluminium plays a critical role in both short- and...
Aluminum Association Featured in UN Sustainability Report
As the United Nations adopted an ambitious slate of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for 2030, the Aluminum Association played its own small role in this historic effort. Concurrent with the adoption of the SDG was the release of a report showcasing the contributions of business trade associations to advancing the cause of environmental stewardship and sustainability globally. The report - titled “Scaling Up Sustainability Collaboration” - was a joint effort of the United Nations Global Compact and the International Chamber of Commerce and features case studies from about 30 international and domestic industry trade associations in the materials, energy, transportation, financial and other sectors. The case studies emphasize how companies can best collaborate through industry groups to...
