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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Orbite Technologies updates on redemption of 2012 debentures
Orbite Technologies Inc. announced that further to its September 9th press release, and in accordance with the terms of the Trust Indenture dated December 13, 2012 governing the 2012 8% convertible secured debentures, it has deposited in trust with Computershare Trust Company of Canada, acting as trustee for the debenture holders, the sum of 25M$ plus accrued interests in order to secure and set in motion the redemption of all outstanding debentures on the October 16th redemption date. Orbite Technologies Inc. is a Canadian cleantech company whose innovative and proprietary processes are expected to produce alumina and other high-value products, such as rare earth and rare metal oxides, at one of the lowest costs in the industry.
Alpart alumina refinery- technical and equipment auditor at work
A technical and equipment infrastructure review of the alumina refinery, Rusal Alpart Jamaica, is being conducted as part of pre-preparatory work for the plant’s scheduled reopening in December 2016. Audit representatives from UC Rusal's Moscow office, and elsewhere in Europe and Australia are conducting the audit, which started on October 8 and is expected to end later this week. The areas being probed include the powerhouse and refinery operating areas. Alpart, Jamaica’s largest alumina refinery, which is located at Nain in South East St Elizabeth close to the border with Southern Manchester, was shut down in May 2009 at the height of a global economic crisis which caused metal prices to plummet. More than 900 people lost their jobs while hundreds more had been shed in the months...
Bauxite Resources Limited circulates Annual Report 2015 among shareholders
Bauxite Resources Limited published its Annual Report 2015. During the year the company focused on trying to resolve the current impasse on the development of the Felicitas deposit with its joint venture partner Yankuang Resources Pty Ltd. At the same time the company took a staged approach to the evaluation of the 100% Bauxite Resources Ltd Fortuna project. This approach included the undertaking of scoping and environmental baseline studies on the Fortuna project and evaluation of the development constraints on the logistics of exporting bauxite from the project. Achievements during the year include: • Moderate resource growth of 4%; • Completion of Scoping and Environmental Baseline studies on the Fortuna Deposit; • Reduction of non-prospective tenement holdings reducing total tenure...
Alcoa gets government approval for bauxite export
Alcoa could begin shipping bauxite to potential customers in Asia early next year after the State Government approved the trial export of up to 500,000 tonnes of raw ore. Alcoa has for some time been exploring the possibility of joining Rio Tinto in exporting raw bauxite ore from Australia, sending small trial samples of the product to Asian refiners for metallurgical testing earlier this year. That program is set to escalate after Premier Colin Barnett, as Minister for State Development, approved the export of up to 500,000t of bauxite from Alcoa’s Huntley and Willowdale mines. A spokeswoman for the Department of State Development said the approval had been granted in July under Alcoa’s 1961 State Agreement. Further approval would be needed if the global aluminium giant wanted to expand...
Kaigo prepares for iMT Taiwan to be held from Dec 2-4, 2015
Kaigo Co., Ltd. organizes the only international exhibition in Taiwan dedicated to metal technology with the support of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, taking place at Kaohsiung Exhibition Center at the heart of Taiwan’s heavy industry clusters. Within Taiwan’s manufacturing industry, metal and machinery manufacturing account for roughly 30% of the total industry. Kaohsiung is with 2.946 km² and 2.779 million inhabitants Taiwan’s No.1 trading port and home to many major key players in the metal industry, such as China Steel Cooperation. With an exhibit profile covering foundry technology, heat technology, metallurgy, and castings, amongst others, iMT Taiwan represents a great opportunity for one-stop sourcing, networking, connecting with reliable business partners and ultimately expanding...
Taybah Group chooses Danieli’s MiDa for its new Greenfield project in Pakistan
Danieli has signed a contract with Taybah Steel to supply MI.DA® micromill for its new Greenfield project in Pakistan. The contract signing ceremony took place at the headquarters of Danieli & C. in Buttrio/Italy on the 21st of September, 2015 with the participation of executives of both parties. The new Mi.Da mill is the next step of cooperation between Danieli & Taybah Group after having Danieli being chosen as a supplier for the actual phase 1 of a further 1,0 Mio t/y meltshop investment Taybah Steel is currently undertaking in Abu Dhabi / UAE. The start-up of this first phase mill is scheduled for the 4th quarter of 2015. The plant, which is the 1st phase of a two-stage investment program in Pakistan, will have a rated capacity of 500,000t/y rebars with a start-up of the plant early...
Constellium presents three essentials to make infinite recycling a reality
Constellium announced the launch of “Going full circle – The life-cycle of aluminium”- a publication, where it has presented three essentials to make infinite recycling a reality. Constellium believes that players, within and outside the aluminium industry, through better collaboration can foster good practices to ensure the highest possible value is delivered at every step of the value chain. “This publication summarizes our approach to aluminium recycling and the way we want to contribute to increase it and how its performance should be measured,” said Catherine Athènes, Constellium Sustainability Council Leader. “The publication also illustrates why the appealing concept of the amount of recycled content in a given product can be misleading and even counterproductive to real progress...
EEG's unique drive leads to collection of over 5,000kg aluminium in UAE
The Emirates Environment Group organized a can collection drive on Saturday, October 10. The event saw collection of innumerable empty aluminium cans of aerated drinks and processed food products, which amounted to nearly 5,008kg of aluminium. A spokesperson from Emirates Environment Group reminded, about 75 cans make a kilo! So, the collection figures say it all about the success of the event. This brings the total of EEG's collection for 2015 to 19,521kg till date, 72 per cent of the target, with the announcement that the organisation should reach the targeted 27,000kg of aluminium cans by the end of 2015. Habiba Al Marashi, Chairperson of Emirates Environmental Group, said the collection drive aims to bring people from all sectors of society together, united by the need to fulfil their...
Aluminium futures rise, fuelled by global cues
Aluminium prices went up 0.73 per cent to INR 103.50 per kg in futures trade today as participants strengthened their positions, supported by an upward trend overseas. In addition, strong demand in the spot market also influenced metal prices. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, aluminium for delivery in the current month inched up 75 paise, or 0.73 per cent, to INR 103.20 per kg in a business turnover of 324 lots. Likewise, the metal for delivery in November traded marginally higher by 70 paise, or 0.67 per cent, to INR 105 per kg in a turnover of 12 lots. Marketmen said apart from increased domestic demand, a firming global trend in the base metals, mainly influenced metal prices in futures trade.
Alcoa slashes China auto, truck, construction views
Alcoa shares dropped in extended trading on Thursday last week after it missed third-quarter earnings and revenue forecasts and slashed its outlook on key Chinese end markets. Earnings sank 77% to 7 cents per share, as revenue dropped 11% to $5.57 billion. Consensus was for EPS of 13 cents on revenue of $5.65 billion in revenue. The metals giant said the drop in revenue reflected "a 21% decline from divestitures, closures and market headwinds, partially offset by a 10% revenue increase from aerospace and automotive organic growth, acquisitions and Alumina sales." Alcoa backed its earlier forecast for 2015 global aerospace sales growth of 8%-9%. In North America, Alcoa tightened 2015 estimate for auto production growth to 2%-4% from 1%-4% earlier. But for China, Alcoa cut its estimate for...
Danieli acquires FATA, a diversified group in industrial plant engineering and construction
Danieli, one of the three largest suppliers of equipment and plants to the metal industry in the world, announced that it has acquired FATA, a referenced player in the field of industrial plant engineering and construction. FATA, established in 1936 with headquarters in Pianezza (TO), employs a workforce of approximately 200 employees and has a yearly turnover of about Euro 150 mio. It operates worldwide as a referenced player in the field of industrial plant engineering and construction with its subsidiaries in the USA (Fata Hunter), India (FATA Engineering), China (Fata Shanghai) and the UAE (Fata Gulf). FATA is divided into two main businesses: • FATA EPC - based on 50 years of experienced activity in the field of turnkey plant engineering, procurement and construction, with a...
European rolled aluminium product demand seen up in 2016-Novelis
U.S.-based Novelis expects a 3 percent rise in rolled aluminium product demand in Europe in 2016, despite the knock-on impact of sluggish growth in China, its European head said. This would be down slightly from the 4 percent increase in aluminium product growth expected in 2015, Erwin Mayr, Europe president for the rolled aluminium products group, told in an interview for LME Week at the London Metal Exchange. "I expect the positive trend to continue in 2016, although the slowdown in China could reduce Chinese demand for imported European products containing aluminium," he said. Aluminium drink cans and the automobile sector are expected to remain the main growth drivers in Europe in 2016 after strong performances in 2015, he said. "We are seeing especially strong demand for drink cans...
Nalco’s team to visit Middle East to study world-class aluminium industry practices
Challenging times present businesses with opportunities to introspect and revisit their strategies that help them overcome corporate myopia and think about future in a more sustainable manner. National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco), in a bid to stay profitable in the long run, is accordingly planning to boost the ancillary industries in Odisha. The company said it is planning to send a team of experts to the Middle East to conduct a study on world-class practices in the upstream and downstream aluminium industry domains. "While Nalco is taking a lead in many issues pertaining to the industrial development of Odisha, the company is ready to take a call for the enhancement of quality up-gradation of the ancillary industries,” said Nalco Chief Managing Director T K Chand while addressing...
Chalco announces full closure at Liancheng branch
Aluminum Corporation of China (Chalco) decided on October 8 to shut down all the remaining electrolytic cells at its Liancheng branch. The move is aimed at reducing losses and is also in response to severe overcapacity in the industry, said Jiang Yinggang, Deputy President at Chalco. Chalco (Liancheng) suffered an accumulative loss of 1.99 billion yuan ($314 million) over the past five years, due mainly to persistent declines in aluminum prices . The company will not resume production until market conditions turn favorable, added Jiang Yinggang.
Vedanta shares rise on strong production figures in Q3 2015
Shares of mining major Vedanta zoomed over 11 per cent after it reported strong zinc, silver and aluminium production in the September quarter. The company also reported lower production costs in zinc and aluminium. The company's alumina output increased at its Lanjigarh plant, up 20 per cent year-on-year. Aluminium metal production increased 5 per cent in total, helped by the Jharsuguda-II plant. The cost of producing the metal was $1,599 and $1,674 per tonne at Jharsuguda-I and Korba–I respectively; this is lower than the $1,740 and $2,089 per tonne respectively for the same period in 2015. Costs were lower mainly on account of depreciation of the Indian rupee, lower alumina and other costs. Vedanta reported rise in production in other business verticals as well, except that in copper....
Alba sales and production figures increase in Q3 2015
Aluminium Bahrain said its third-quarter output rose 2.9 percent despite significant drops in London Metal Exchange prices. Sales figures reached 238,862 metric tonnes (mt), an increase of 5,940 (mt), versus 232,922 mt in Q3 2014 while production figures jumped by 2.9% year-on-year (YoY) to top 240,351 mt for the same period in 2014. For the nine months of 2015, Alba’s sales figures stretched to 699,362 (mt), up from 689,203 (mt) in the same period of 2014; while production figures increased by 19,521 mt to reach 717,029 mt year-to-date. In addition, Alba closed the third quarter of 2015 with its Value-Added Sales averaging 64% of total shipments versus 67% for the same period in 2014. Value-Added Sales for the nine months of 2015 averaged 65% of total shipments versus 66% for the same...
Another bauxite mine allocated to Nalco post Panchpatmali
Four days after recommending first renewal of Panchpatmali bauxite reserve in favour of Nalco, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik has approved a proposal to allocate another bauxite mines in favour of the aluminium major, official sources said. With the state government recommending Nalco's name for Potangi bauxite reserve, the company's raw material problem is considered to be over for a long time. Nalco was seeking the state government's permission for allocation of Potangi mines having bauxite deposit of about 75.22 million tonnes since 1992, the sources added. State PSU Odisha Mining Corporation and two other parties were interested to get prospecting licence over this particular mine in Koraput district, they said. However, keeping in view the requirement of Nalco, Ministry of...
In Brazil, HyPlus aluminium line sets make a splash
HyPlus aluminium line sets are lighter and cost less than their copper equivalents. Sapa presented the aluminium tubes to HVAC&R companies at the Febrava trade exhibition in São Paulo, Brazil. The selling points of the HyPlus line sets are plenty, including lighter weight, corrosion resistance, and lower cost than the copper equivalent. When Febrava visitors lifted the HyPlus coils at Sapa’s booth, the light weight of aluminium tubing became readily apparent, potentially easing the workload for installers and providing more attractive margins for distributors. Febrava is the largest HVAC&R exhibition in South America. Sapa promoted the HyPlus line sets in cooperation with LG Brazil. LG Brazil also promoted the HyPlus tubes at its stand as well as during the technical seminars the company...
