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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Noranda considers over-the-counter market after NYSE suspends common stock trading
Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation announced today that it has received notification that NYSE Regulation, Inc. has determined to commence proceedings to delist the Company's common stock from the New York Stock Exchange, and that upon completion of all applicable procedures, the NYSE will file an application with the Securities and Exchange Commission to delist the stock. NYSE Regulation advised the company that it reached its decision to delist the common stock pursuant to Section 802.01B of the NYSE's Listed company Manual because the company has fallen below the NYSE's continued listing standard requiring listed companies to maintain an average global market capitalization over a consecutive 30 trading day period of at least $15.0 million. The company does not intend to appeal the...
Cytec to present on new hydrate flocculant for the alumina industry at ISCOBA
Cytec Industries Inc. will participate at ISCOBA in Dubai, UAE taking place November 29 - December 1. Cytec will present Performance Evaluations of CYFLOC® HF Series New Dextran Based Hydrate Flocculant for The Alumina Industry. Renata Vinhas, Cytec Application Engineer, will discuss how Cytec’s latest product series showed significant improvements of overflow clarity and drainage time when compared with the C. A. dextran in recent laboratory performance evaluations. Krzysztof Andruszkiewicz, Regional Sales Director Europe, Middle East and Africa says “Cytec is committed to the growth of the Alumina Industry globally with a focus on the Middle East. ISCOBA will give us the platform to share our newest innovations that help to solve the industries greatest challenges including optimizing...
Experts discuss bauxite-alumina technology improvements on 2nd day of IBAAS 2015
On 26th November, the 2nd day of the 4th IBAAS conference at Suzhou, about 35 papers in 3 parallel sessions were presented to showcase the developments in China and other countries. About 12 presentations were made in bauxite-alumina session, 10 on aluminium smelting and 13 on downstream operations. Topics covered were wide variety starting from bauxite indexing and pricing by CM Group Australia, bauxite & carbon resource availability, Energy conservation, technological and process improvements in alumina refining, aluminium smelting and downstream operations. Papers were presented by representatives from JNARDDC, IBAAS, PRIMA RESOURCES, AMBER DEVELOPMENT, CYTEC, GENESIS RESOURCE, CHALIEACO, GAMI, SAMI, CHARM, SINR, NJUST, NEW, DLUT, CNPT ETC. The papers presented revealed the wide...
Rio Tinto approves US$1.9 billion Amrun bauxite project
Rio Tinto will expand output from one of the world’s premier bauxite deposits following approval of the $1.9 billion Amrun project. Amrun involves the construction of a bauxite mine and associated processing and port facilities on the Cape York Peninsula in north Queensland. The planned initial output is 22.8 million tonnes a year1, replacing production from the depleting East Weipa mine and increasing annual bauxite exports from Cape York by around 10 million tonnes. Production and shipping are expected to commence in the first half of 2019, ramping up to full production by the end of the year. The project’s design provides options for future expansion to 50 million tonnes a year. The majority of capital expenditure for the Amrun project is scheduled for 2017 and 2018. Rio Tinto chief...
Project underway to laser weld steel to aluminium for ship building
A joint project is underway to develop a robust laser welding process for ship building. Led by Laser Zentrum Hannover, the ‘Laser Welding of Steel to Aluminium for Applications in Shipbuilding’ (LaSAAS) project aims to construct hybrid steel-aluminium structures to reduce weight in parts like ship hulls. Ship hulls are already made of steel and aluminium superstructures, which has the advantage of weighing less as well as lowering the ship’s centre of gravity for improved stability. However, at the moment, the different metals are joined using an adapter piece. This is done with explosive cladding, a complicated and cost intensive joining technology. The scientists and industrial partners of the LaSAAS project want to replace this adapter piece. Precitec, Scansonic MI, and Trumpf Laser-...
China Zhongwang building world’s single largest aluminium rolling project
China Zhongwang Holdings, China’s top industrial aluminium extruder, paints a rosy picture of automotive aluminium market, National Business Daily reported. The company is building the world’s single largest aluminium rolling project in terms of designed annual capacity, the media added. The project, located in Tianjin, specializes in production of aluminium alloy medium-thick plate used in aircrafts, ships, commercial and special vehicles and chemical containers, etc. The first phase of the project has an annual designed capacity of 1.8 million tonnes and consists of two production lines. The first line is in debugging process and scheduled to enter operations before the end of this year, National Business Daily reported.
Rusal starts supplying alloys to Ford Sollers for engine serial production
UC Rusal, a leading global aluminium producer, announces that the supply of aluminium alloys for serial production of car engines components at Ford Sollers car building plant in Elabuga has commenced. Having successfully passed the qualification tests, Rusal aluminium alloys are now being delivered in engine components to Ford Sollers engine plant by local suppliers of the Ford Motor Company. Aluminium produced at Rusal is being used at “RosALit” / “ZMZ” - Zavolzhski engine plant in the city of Zavolzhie in cylinder barrels, cylinder heads and main bearing caps for Ford’s localized engine. The engine piston is being produced by the Kostroma car component plant, in the city of Kostroma. In addition to engine components, Rusal's alloys are used in the production of wheel disks for all of...
Altech optimises kaolin beneficiation plant location
Altech Chemicals Limited has issued an update on the detailed design work that is currently underway for its proposed high purity alumina (HPA) project. Detailed design commenced in September 2015, following the appointment of General Manager Operations Dr Jingyuan Liu and is being undertaken with the assistance of Simulus Engineering, a Perth based multidiscipline engineering consultancy and M+W Group, the EPCM contractor for the project. The detailed design work also includes consideration of optimisation opportunities for process flow design, plant layout, capital equipment and operating costs. Kaolin beneficiation On 29 June 2015, the company announced the positive results of its Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) for the development of a 4,000tpa HPA processing plant at Johor, Malaysia...
World aluminium foil packaging market to chart steady growth during 2015-2025
The world aluminium foil packaging market is expected to continue showing stable growth over 2015-2025. China will account for approximately 45% of the global demand and developing countries are expected to account for a bigger market share over the next ten years as their economies develop further. Packaging sales in the emerging economies are expected to continue to show strong growth as both increased consumption and demand for consumer goods drive the need for more sophisticated packaging. The aluminium packaging industry is expected to continue showing stable development at a considerable volume level. However the industry has been negatively impacted by rising prices for raw materials. Combined with the fact that many countries are still recovering from the recent economic crisis,...
Noranda laying off 38 at Newport aluminum plant
Noranda on Monday said will lay off 38 employees at its Newport plant on or around December 3. Following the reduction, the facility will operate with 15 hourly and two salaried associates, compared to the workforce of 48 hourly and 7 salaried associates, according to John Parker, a company spokesman. Parker said the layoffs are part of a companywide cost-cutting effort in response to aluminum prices, which are at their lowest levels since the global financial crisis. Newport will continue to perform coating and slitting operations for coated finstock and container foil products. Although other production is being curtailed at Newport, the facility will retain the equipment capabilities to restart that production if demand warrants, Parker said. Monday's layoff announcement comes about a...
Aluminum Midwest premium rises
The Midwest aluminum premium has risen as fears about costs set in after Alcoa’s announcement that it is shuttering much of its North American smelting capacity. Midwest premium rises on Alcoa shutdowns announcement The US Midwest aluminum premium has risen to its highest level in six months, traders told Reuters on Tuesday, but the current forward curve and Alcoa‘s plans to save a US smelter from curtailment were seen pressuring prices in the near-term. The premium, paid on top of London Metal Exchange (LME) futures prices for physical delivery in the US, has risen to around 8.75 cents a lb., the traders said, citing the continued impact of Alcoa’s plans to shutter the bulk of its US smelting capacity, announced November 2.
CM Naidu releases white paper on bauxite mining in Visakha Agency
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s remarks after releasing a white paper on bauxite mining in the Visakha Agency areas on Tuesday leave room for the Government to go ahead with its GO No. 97 which facilitates bauxite mining in the Jerrela area. Without acknowledging the protests by tribal people and a resolution of the Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) rejecting the proposal, Mr. Naidu said the Government would take a decision on the matter after consulting the local communities. He made pointed mention that the tribal people need to know about bauxite mining. The 19-page white paper focuses on the high-quality bauxite reserves available in the Agency areas of Visakhapatnam and East Godavari. It is basically a ready reckoner of information available in the public domain. The...
Moving beyond compliance remains essential for Hydro
Alberto Fabrini, Executive Vice President Bauxite & Alumina, says Hydro’s ambition is to return the forest impacted by bauxite mining to the same or better state than before mining activity. At a climate and biodiversity seminar in Belem, Brazil, on Wednesday this week, Fabrini stressed Hydro’s ambition: gaining in-depth knowledge on reforestation in order to minimize the company’s impact on the environment. Industry responsibility to minimize footprint “Our responsibility is to tread carefully and have ambitions aspirations. Globally we face fundamental challenges both in term of climate change and loss of biodiversity - and here in the Amazon it all comes together. We as an industry have to apply our creativity and competence in reducing our footprint,” Fabrini said. Hydro cooperates...
China alumina output to fall in November after a rise in October
China’s alumina output to fall back from October’s highs in November as falling alumina prices have driven more producers to losses, expects Shanghai Metal Market. Losses aside, poor demand from aluminum smelters, year-end cash tightness and high inventories will also discourage alumina producers from production. China’s alumina output hit 4.91 million tonnes in October, beating September’s 4.72 million tonnes and also up 14.4% from a year ago, SMM data showed.
Alba announces new Manager - Customer Services & Marketing Operations
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), one of the leading employers in Bahrain, has appointed Mohammed Khalid as the Manager - Customer Services & Marketing Operations. In his new role, Mohammed will be overseeing customer service operations and marketing activities such as metal production planning, logistics, billing & documentation, pricing and market research. Commenting on Mohammed’s appointment, Alba’s Chief Executive Officer Tim Murray said: “Alba takes great pride in promoting from within the Company and empowering nationals with higher education and work skills, which prepare them for greater responsibilities. Mohammed is an example of our commitment to empower Bahraini nationals and take up leadership opportunities to drive the future success of the Company.” Mohammed joined Alba’s...
Alcoa announces post-separation Executive Management Teams
Lightweight metals leader Alcoa today announced executive management appointments for the future Upstream and Value-Add Companies, expected to become effective upon completion of Alcoa’s previously announced separation in the second half of 2016. Roy Harvey, Executive Vice President and Alcoa President of Global Primary Products, will serve as Chief Executive Officer of the new Upstream Company. William Oplinger, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Alcoa, will serve as the Upstream Company’s Chief Financial Officer. In the Value-Add Company, Ken Giacobbe will serve as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Giacobbe is currently Chief Financial Officer of Alcoa’s Engineered Products and Solutions business. As previously announced, Klaus Kleinfeld, Alcoa Chairman and Chief...
Réel announces the acquisition of Alesa
Réel announces the acquisition of Alesa, a specialist in design, supply, installation and service specialist complex materials handling equipment mainly for the aluminium industry. With a hundred employees located in Switzerland, in Canada, and in France, Alesa named now REEL ALESA will become a new entity within Group Réel and bring a high level of complementary technical strengths and sales strategies. This acquisition is an important strategic move for the Group, allowing it to become a major player in the supply of equipment for the aluminium industry. The realised transaction involves the acquisition of RTA Alesa AG holding company (Swiss company with headquarters in Zurich), which owns RTA Alesa Ltd (Canadian company based in Montreal), and Alesa Technologies SAS (French company...
Sims issues profit warning, will cut up to 800 jobs
Sims Metal Management, based in Sydney and New York, has issued a profit warning for its upcoming quarterly results, will buy back shares of its own stock and is scaling back operations globally, with a focus on the United States. In a presentation, Sims has warned of “flat earnings” in the first half of its fiscal year and that it “now expects a $230 million impairment charge during 2016.” Sims CEO Galdino Claro and Chief Financial Officer Fred Knechtel point to “ferrous prices [that fell] sharply by 30 percent from mid-September to November” as a leading cause for its financial woes. The also mention that “copper and aluminum prices weakened, down 15 percent and 10 percent, respectively” in the second half of the 2015 calendar year. In the presentation Sims also announced its intention...
