Indonesian Aluminium: The shift from mining to smelting
Indonesia is pitched as the next big Asian aluminium hub as the country has released an expansive alumina and aluminium expansion plan, based on the abundant bauxite resource in the country. China has exhausted its aluminium capacity cap and is unlikely to raise installed capacity significantly in the coming years. Additionally, geopolitical conflicts, sanctions, and tariffs have made much of global aluminium capacity inaccessible and vulnerable. This includes Russian aluminium and the Gulf output, along with restricted and costly access to Canadian aluminium for the US smelters. The already tight supply conditions have been made worse after the Iran-Israel-US war that disrupted the Gulf aluminium capacity. Under current supply conditions, India and Indonesia will play a critical role in...
Germany’s automotive industry drives 32.8% of aluminium consumption as EV production rises 23%, led by Volkswagen, BMW & Mercedes-Benz
Germany’s automobile industry is a major part of the country’s aluminium story, with the metal used in everything from vehicle body panels and chassis components to battery enclosures and electric-drive systems. As automakers develop lighter vehicles and expand their electric models, aluminium has become an important material across the manufacturing process. Germany’s automotive industry consumes around 950,000 tonnes of aluminium annually, accounting for a substantial share of the wider transport sector’s demand. In 2025, Germany’s total aluminium consumption stood at approximately 2.9 million tonnes, with the transport sector accounting for 1.35 million tonnes, representing 46 per cent of the total. This extensive use of aluminium in transport mirrors its importance to the global...
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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...
South Carolina smelter shutdown seems imminent as stalemate goes on
The Mount Holly aluminum smelter in Goose Creek may shut down at the end of this year after owner Century Aluminum and electric utility Santee Cooper failed to reach an agreement on a new power contract for the plant. Michael Bless, Century’s president and CEO, said the closure “would be a tragedy” and that he remains hopeful for a last-minute reprieve. The current contract expires Dec. 31. “We want in the worst way to find a way to keep that plant running,” Bless said of the smelter, which employs about 600 workers. The stalemate between Century and Santee Cooper intensified Monday as the utility’s board of directors voted 10-0 to reject the company’s contract proposal. Bless said Monday that Century cannot operate under Santee Cooper’s counter-offer. Century has been buying 75 percent...
The Aluminum Association and Aluminium Association of Canada release joint letter before COP 21 Climate Summit
The Aluminum Association and the Aluminium Association of Canada released an open letter sent to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Canadian Minister of Environment & Climate Change Catherine McKenna in advance of the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) meeting in Paris this week. In the letter, they expressed their concern about China’s state-planned and carbon intensive aluminum industry which has amassed considerable overproduction. They said it is leading to a distortion of international trade impacting the entire value chain and undermining global efforts to decarbonize the economy. They highlighted the consistent improvement they made in their production processes over the past two decades as measured by primary energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions per...
TasRail missing out on revenue due to bauxite mine's slow start
Tasmania's state-owned rail operator is missing out on revenue as the operator of a new bauxite mine near Campbell Town fails to find buyers. During government business scrutiny hearings, TasRail management revealed Australian Bauxite had fallen far short of supplying its contracted volumes for transport. The mining company, chaired by former premier Paul Lennon, opened the mine earlier this year with plans to produce about 400,000 tonnes of ore a year. TasRail chairman Bob Annells said TasRail has carted just 35,000 tonnes, which remained sitting at Bell Bay. Despite breaches of the contract Mr Annells said TasRail had told Australian Bauxite it was prepared to "cut you some slack up front" because it supported the project. "It has not started as we would've wanted or they would've...
Orbite receives notice of allowance for Red Mud monetization patent in Australia
Orbite Technologies Inc. announced that the company has received notification from IP Australia, the Australian Government agency that administers intellectual property (IP) rights, that its patent application No. 2013202318 titled "Processes for Treating Red Mud" has been found allowable. Consequently, the Company anticipates patent issuance within IP Australia's usual timeframe of 3-4 months. "This allowance expands our intellectual property portfolio into a key market with a large alumina industry, and hence substantial red mud liabilities," stated Glenn Kelly, CEO of Orbite. "Having our processes also protected in Australia under patent law, is a key element in our global waste monetization strategy, and puts us in a strong position to deepen our engagement with potential partners for...
Altech Chemicals Ltd signs mandate with German KfW Ipex-Bank for project financing
Altech Chemicals Limited is pleased to advise that it has executed an exclusive mandate with German KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the promotional bank KfW, to provide advisory and structuring services in relation to the provision of senior debt project financing for the Company's proposed high purity alumina (HPA) project. Execution of the mandate comes after an initial evaluation of the project by KfW IPEX-Bank following its recent submission to the Company of a Letter of Interest (LOI) for project financing. Highlights: - Exclusive project finance mandate executed with German KfW IPEX-Bank - Mandate for senior debt, including German Export Credit Agency (ECA) insured debt - Approximately US$40 million of project debt estimated to qualify for ECA cover KfW IPEX-Bank is...
