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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LME aluminium to extend upward momentum this week
LME aluminium will extend upward momentum into next week, SMM expects. SHFE aluminium will rise further to 10,400-10,800 yuan per tonne on more short-covering triggered by output out news. And this will push LME aluminium up to 1,500-1,550 per tonne. A firm US dollar amid high expectations for US rate hike this year will pressure LME aluminium at highs, though. A firm US dollar amid high expectations for US rate hike this year and concerns over China economic slowdown all bode ill for LME aluminium. In China’s spot market, despite rising SHFE aluminium, the fact that forward-month SHFE aluminium contract underperform near-month contracts and growing wait-and-see sentiment among processors will check spot discounts in check around 100 yuan per tonne over SHFE front-month contract.
Beijing mulls bailout for aluminium industry
China's state stockpiler is considering buying more than 1.0 million tonnes of aluminium from local smelters, sources said, an initial sign that Beijing could agree to the first major bailout in its embattled metals industry since 2009. News that the central government might scoop up a sizeable portion of domestic inventory in a bid to shore up struggling smelters stunned some traders, who said the strategy to increase state reserves would offer only short-term support to prices as the demand would be artificial. Shifting metal into storage would do little to get rid of the structural overcapacity that has pushed international prices to decade lows and helped create global oversupply, the traders said. Estimates on the world glut range between 8 million and 12 million tonnes. The...
EGA co-hosts ICSOBA 2015 in Dubai
The International Committee for Study of Bauxite, Alumina and Aluminium ("ICSOBA") and Emirates Global Aluminium (" EGA ") will collaboratively host the 33rd ICSOBA Conference and Exhibition in Dubai from 29 November to 1 December. Formed in 1963, ICSOBA's main objective is to promote the exchange of ideas and findings from the various fields of research and practice related to bauxite exploration and mining as well as alumina and aluminium production. ICSOBA 2015 marks the first time that the event is taking place in the UAE; and the conference will feature a number of international industry speakers who will cover topics including bauxite and bauxite resources; alumina production and residue solutions; primary aluminium production; carbon and carbon materials and; aluminium products and...
Cairns businesses stand to benefit from $2.6bn bauxite project at Weipa
Cairns businesses have been urged to ensure they are competitive to seize the opportunities offered by a $2.6 billion bauxite mine expansion on Cape York. Rio Tinto on Friday, November 27, gave board approval of the long-awaited Amrun bauxite project, formerly known as South of Embley, at Weipa. The single biggest investment in Far North Queensland, the mine’s expansion will create 1100 jobs and inject $400 million and more than $800 million into the local and Far North economies during the three-year construction phase alone. Rio has confirmed Cairns will serve as a major hub for the mine despite its distance from Weipa. It will be used as a base for flights to and from the site, as well as providing other goods and services. Advance Cairns chief executive Mark Matthews sees the project...
Metro Mining in trading halt over pending acquisition
Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) has granted a trading halt to Metro Mining, pending details in connection with a potential material acquisition by the company. Metro Mining recently delivered an extensive Definitive Feasibility Study for its wholly-owned Bauxite Hills project located in Cape York, Queensland. The trading halt on ASX will remain effective until the opening of trade on Wednesday 2nd December 2015. It can also be lifted earlier provided Metro makes an announcement to the market before the stipulated date and time.
Noranda ekes out profit despite higher bauxite levy
Noranda Bauxite Limited was able to eke out US$500,000 (J$60 million) of operating profit during the three months to September. The mining company generated US$33.5 million in sales during the quarter, or US$2.7 million higher revenue than year-earlier levels. This was primarily as a result of an 18 per cent increase in external sales prices and a five per cent rise in external shipment volume. Also, savings from the expansion of its port in Discovery Bay, St Ann, helped reduced cost, albeit not by as much as the reduction it saw in fuel expenses. "Bauxite results reflect US$3.5 million lower fuel costs, a US$1-million currency benefit and lower demurrage fees," said the latest financial statements filed by Noranda to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. This was offset by an...
Ball offers EU to sell 11 plants for Rexam deal approval
U.S. drinks can maker Ball Corp is ready to sell 11 European plants to get EU antitrust regulators to approve its 4.43 billion pound ($6.69 billion) acquisition of Britain's Rexam Plc, people familiar with the matter said. The world's two largest beverage can makers by volume want to merge to better manage capital spending and cut costs. The European Commission, however, fears the deal would push up prices for companies and consumers. The combined company would have 60 percent of the beverage can market in North America, 69 percent in Europe and 74 percent in Brazil, according to Morningstar analysts. Ball is prepared to divest four factories in Germany, three in the UK, one each in Spain, France, the Netherlands and Austria, the sources said on Wednesday. Nine of the plants make cans and...
Demand outpaces supply of high-end aluminum rolling material products
With the recovery of global economy, aluminium alloy plate capacity gap in some countries continues to enlarge, gradually forming a very large scale of import demand. From the current market, China’s demand for high-end aluminum rolling material products has a very big market gap. The consumption of global high-end aluminum rolling material products accounts for 35% of the total, but only 12% of the proportion of high-end products. China is far lower than the global average. At present, the country rely mainly on imports for more than 600000 tons of high-end aluminum rolling material products, each year. Meanwhile, China’s companies are able to grasp these high-end production technology, as long as the enterprises keep the leading level in facilities, have technical support in advanced...
Addison’s 5-axis Mecal helps Neville Precision with aluminium extrusion sawing
Neville Precision Engineering has bought a 5-axis Mecal MC304 Ariel-5 MDT machining centre from Addison Saws, the first 5-axis machining centre of its type to be sold in the UK by Addison. The Mecal unit allows the cutting tool to approach the component from all possible angles to complete cutting and machining operations on the top, bottom, sides and ends. This has brought immense flexibility to a new manufacturing process at Neville Precision Engineering. The new contract is for manufacturing 10,000 train carriage light fittings per year. Finished components measure 2 m long by 200 mm wide, and are produced from 4.5-metre-long extrusion bars. For the contract, “I initially considered purchasing an additional Mecal 4-axis machine,” comments Neville Precision Engineering’s managing...
MCX aluminium futures rise 1.97% on global cues
Aluminium prices on Mumbai's Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) gained 1.97 per cent to INR 98.30 per kg in futures trade as speculators enlarged positions amid positive cues from global markets. Besides, increased demand at domestic spot markets influenced prices. At MCX, aluminium for delivery in November rose by INR 1.90, or 1.97 per cent, to INR 98.30 per kg in a business turnover of 353 lots. Also, the metal for delivery in December traded higher by INR 1.80, or 1.84 per cent, to INR 99.60 per kg in 125 lots. Market analysts said the rise in aluminium prices at futures trade was due to a firming trend in base metals at the London Metal Exchange amid rising demand at spot markets here.
Bahrani-Russian work team discusses aluminium industry cooperation
A special work team comprising Bahrani and Russian industry experts, who are in charge of exploring areas of cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and Russia in the Aluminium industry, held its first meeting on Thursday, November 26. The meeting waschaired by the Undersecretary for Industry Affairs at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Osama Mohammed Alarrayedh. The diplomats and experts reviewed several aspects of joint cooperation in the field of aluminium industry, including ways to exchange information regarding the current situation in both countries and how to boost it as well as ways to face challenges and potentials of establishing joint ventures for producing bauxite and alumina. Ministers of industry and commerce in both countries held several meetings, which...
Rusal leads Russian business entities' conslidated efforts to mitigate environmental impacts
UC Rusal, Sberbank, RusNano, RusHydro and Ingosstrakh have introduced an initiative to consolidate the efforts of Russian business to mitigate environmental impacts and help prevent climate change by creating the ‘Climate partnership of Russia’. The initiative signals another step forward to introducing new climate agreements at the upcoming UN Paris Climate Change Conference (“COP21”). COP21 presents an unprecedented opportunity to chart a new and sustainable direction in the continuing development of the global economy. The agreements that will be reached at COP21, succeeding the Kyoto Protocol, will have to set a new global strategy to minimize the anthropogenic impact on the environment for the carbon footprint. Scientific studies have left little space for doubt that global warming...
Gulf Industry Fair to uphold aluminium sector’s potential for wealth creation
The Gulf Industry Fair 2016, taking place from 9 to 11 February at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre will showcase the importance of the aluminium sector and ‘value added’ products in wealth creation of the economy. Led by Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), one of the world’s leading aluminium smelters, and supported by the Gulf Aluminium Council (GAC), the Aluminium Zone at Gulf Industry Fair 2016 promises to reflect the trends of the global aluminum industry, which continues to drive opportunity for downstream suppliers such as Bahraini companies Balexco, Midal Cables, Ameeri Industries and Turk Mechanical. Alba’s Line 6 Expansion Project, will add approximately 514,000 tonnes to Alba’s current annual capacity of 931,000 tonnes (year-end 2014) – which will make Alba the...
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-...
