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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Hydro's aluminium helps power the Azores
Hydro's Rolled Products is working to establish aluminium foil as an important part of power-storing lithium-ion batteries. With Swiss battery producer Leclanché, this battery foil is now being used in the Azores. It looks and feels like typical aluminium foil used at home, but is a product of ultimate cleanliness and high-precision manufacture – and is being used in the fabrication of special lithium-ion-titanate battery cells at Hydro's customer Leclanché in its plant in Willstätt, Germany. Up to now, those batteries mainly come from Asia. “So we are quite pleased about our customer Leclanché succeeding in expansion of their own production,” says Rolled Products sales manager Willli Schenkel. Foremost, the current project on the island of Graciosa, the second-smallest of the Azores in...
Nalco to start coal mining, increase alumina and bauxite production - CMD
The public sector National Aluminium company limited (NALCO) has planned to increase the existing metal, alumina and bauxite production and start a coal mining. Disclosing this at the 34th annual general body meeting of the company today NALCO CMD T K Chand said the value-chain has shifted in favour of minerals and we have plans to avail the opportunity of Government policies to enter into merchant mining. He said at this stage, the Company is targeting to be a global player in the mining, metal and energy sectors. Since the Aluminium Sector is in the midst of numerous challenges, the Company needs to convert these challenges into opportunities. In the domain of energy, Mr.Chand said, the company has already diversified into renewable energy like wind and solar and is now in the process...
Malaysia replaced Australia as China’s top bauxite supplier in August
Malaysia replaced Australia as China’s top bauxite supplier in August due to its overwhelming price attractiveness. China imported 2.01 million tonnes of bauxite from Malaysia in August, 45% of total imports, customs data showed. Average CIF price of Malaysian bauxite was $ 45.65 per tonne in August, 14.23% lower than Australian ore and 27.87% lower than Indian ore. Robust demand from Chinese alumina refineries drove China’s bauxite imports up 83.35% from a year ago to 4.58 million tonnes in August. Six large alumina refineries in Shandong alone produced 1.53 million tonnes of alumina in August, SMM survey found, boosting reliance on imported bauxite.
Hindalco looks at new ways to cut costs
Hindalco Industries, the country’s largest aluminium maker, has cut production by up to 10 per cent at its Hirakud smelter in Odisha, on declining global prices and high energy costs. The cut by the Aditya Birla Group company has come at a time when smelter capacity use worldwide is down by a third and as Bharat Aluminium Co (Balco), part of Anil Agarwal’s Vedanta Limited, has started shutting its rolling mill at Korba in Chhattisgarh. “One line at the Hirakud smelter has been shut, which could be a production cut of 5-10 per cent,” a Hindalco executive told Business Standard. “Though we expect global aluminium prices to bounce back in a few months, we will review the situation at Hirakud,” he added. Aluminium hit a six-year low of $1,475 per tonne last month. Prices and premiums have...
Primary Aluminum market in deficit during Jan - July 2015: WBMS
The latest report published by the World Bureau of Metal Statistics (WBMS) indicates that global primary aluminum market has recorded a deficit during the initial seven months of the year. As per the report, the market reported a deficit of 487,000 tons when matched with the deficit of 754,000 reported during entire year 2014. The production of primary aluminum was up by 15% during the seven-month period from January to July this year. The global production rose by 4,741 kt during this period, when compared with a year ago. The total reported stock of metal has declined further by 106,000 tonnes during the month of July. The stocks at the end of the initial seven-month period stood at 4,444 kt, which is sufficient to meet 32 days demand. It must be noted that the stock levels at the end...
Nalco committed to setting up second smelter unit in Odisha
The State-run National Aluminium Company Limited on Saturday reaffirmed its commitment on setting up of the second smelter and power complex at Odisha’s Sundargarh at estimated cost of Rs. 22,000 crore. “A smelter unit of 0.5 MTPA with a power plant of 1050 MW capacity at a cost of Rs.22,000 crore is being planned at Sundargarh district of Odisha. NALCO has already applied for single window clearance of above project,” said NALCO chairman and managing director T.K. Chand while addressing shareholders at the 34th annual general meeting here on Saturday. NALCO has already been operating a smelter and a power plant at Angul. “Some preliminary clearances have been obtained and NALCO has applied for Single Window Clearance from Odisha government for Sundargarh smelter,” said Mr. Chand....
SMM aluminum market morning review (2015-9-25)
Aluminum at London Metal Exchange (LME) opened at USD 1,573/mt on Thursday, September 25. The light metal touched day’s high of USD 1,588/mt and day’s low of USD 1,570/mt. Finally, LME aluminum ended up USD 1/mt at USD 1,579/mt, helped by rising gold prices. Trading volumes were down 924 lots, and positions were up 3,619 to 822,000. On Thursday night, SHFE 1512 aluminum drifted higher after opening lower at RMB 11,765/mt, but failed to break through the 5-day and 10-day moving averages. The most active contract should move between RMB 11,800-11,900/mt on Friday, checked by pre-holiday risk aversion. In China’s spot market, pre-holiday stocking demand will remain strong, with spot discounts of RMB 0-40/mt expected over SHFE 1510 aluminum contract.
Lightweighting Metals Institute looks to toughen up aluminum
The Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT) consortium has announced its first two technology accleration projects to develop lighter cast iron and harder die-cast aluminum. The consortium is operated by the public/private American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ALMMII). The institute, which opened the doors of its research facility in January, aims to help move existing, innovative lightweight metals into mature processes that can then be quickly scaled up for production. At the same time, projects will also focus on reducing the design and integration time for implementing new metals in new products, as well as devising more affordable automated manufacturing processes. The institute will also verify and validate products via testing and pilot production...
LME aluminium down 0.6% - mining and metal stocks drag FTSE 100 lower
Mining and metal stocks led the London market lower on September 24, Thursday, as the commodities market saw another tumultuous trading session. The FTSE 100 fell below 6,000-level closing 1.17% or 70.75 points lower at 5,961.49, while the FTSE 250 closed down 0.87% or 145.32 points at 16,514.53. Selected base metal futures fell further on the London Metal Exchange extending Wednesday’s declines. Past the midway point of trading, LME’s three-month delivery contracts of most non-ferrous and base metals were down; primary aluminium was down 0.6%. Glencore took a hammering with its share price breaching the 100p-level to close at 98.61p, down 9.62% as the biggest blue chip faller.
CME Group announces first trades of aluminium European premium futures
CME Group, the world's leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, announced the first Aluminium European Premium Duty-Unpaid futures contracts were traded on Tuesday, 22 September 2015 by Crunch Risk, LLC. A total of 10 futures contracts traded at a price of $72.50 per metric tonne. "We're pleased to see early support for our new Aluminium European Premium futures, which are an outgrowth of our existing suite of aluminium risk management tools," said Young-Jin Chang, CME Group Senior Director of Metals Products. "Based on the success of our Midwest premium futures, we worked closely with the aluminium industry to develop these contracts that enable our customers to hedge their exposure to European premium volatility." "This new contract from CME Group comes at a time when we've...
Space technology to check illegal mining in India
India would soon use indigenous space technology to check illegal mining and guard its mineral wealth using satellite imagery, a top official said on Thursday. "We are in talks with the Indian space agency to use its earth-observation and remote sensing satellites for tracking illegal mining activity and guard the rich mineral assets in the country," Mines Secretary Balwinder Kumar said at a trade event here. The Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) will soon sign an agreement with the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) to utilise its space applications for monitoring mining activity and study its impact to protect the environment. "We are meeting Isro officials on October 1 in New Delhi to work out modalities, as arrangements are in place to use space technology to regulate mining...
CM Truck Beds announces extruded aluminum floors
CM Truck Beds announced all of their aluminum truck beds, except that of the ER model, will now come standard with extruded aluminum floors, at no price change. This new flooring system, according to CM Truck Beds, will give the users maximized hauling capacities in comparison to aluminum treadplate floors and provides a bed that is more application friendly when used on work trucks. When it comes to the company's new extruded aluminum floors, customers will already be accustomed to these floors as they have used them in over the road trailers, horse, livestock, and many other heavy duty units. When considering its tongue-and-groove connecting system, the extruded aluminum floors are clearly the strongest and most durable flooring system on any truck bed and aluminum side of the market....
Bulgarian authorities order suspension of operations at Montupet aluminium casting plant
The regional environment inspectorate of Bulgaria’s Ruse has ordered Montupet EOOD, a part of France-based Montupet SA group’ to suspend operations at its Carousel 1 aluminium casting installation in the city suspecting the plant is creating excessive air pollution. The inspectors before commencing a probe into the matter will seal off the installation with immediate effect. Operation will remain suspended until it is brought in compliance with the region’s environment protection permit. Montupet group specialises in the design and production of cast aluminium parts for the automotive industry. The company has invested more than EUR 100M in its plant in Ruse since its entry into Bulgaria in 2006, according to data from Bulgaria’s investment promotion agency. Ruse citizens have been...
Ulrich Schridde: a strategic appointment by Aludium
Ulrich Schridde is joining Aludium on the 1st of October as Director of Metal Management. With over 30 years of experience in the industry and over 20 years in metal management, planning, procurement and sales of primary aluminum and aluminum products, he will be developing Aludium’s capacity to achieve its strategic objective of becoming a fully independent company. He will be responsible for developing and executing this strategy and for optimizing Aludium`s metal system and related costs, thereby minimizing working capital. At Rusal Marketing GmbH he was the Director of European Sales and was responsible for leading and developing Rusal’s export sales in Europe with a total portfolio of over 2 million tons. He started his carrier in the aluminum industry in 1981 holding marketing and...
India aluminum scrap prices drop in line with MCX aluminum
India major aluminium scrap commodities prices dropped on Tuesday, September 22, in line with aluminium futures prices at India's Multi Commodity Exchange, amid renewed concern over slowing economic growth in China. The major aluminium scrap commodities dropped on Scrap Register Price Index as on Tuesday. India's major scrap commodities like aluminium rod company, aluminium rod local, aluminium sheet cutting, aluminium utensil scrap, aluminium wire scrap traded down on Tuesday. The most active September aluminium contract on Multi Commodity Exchange settled down by 1.6% to INR 104.35 per kilogram on Tuesday from previous close of INR 106.05 per kilogram. The MXC aluminium prices touched an intra-day high of INR 106 per kilogram and an intra-day low of INR 104.30 per kilogram during...
Norsk Hydro sets up China alumina trading shop
Norwegian aluminum producer Norsk Hydro has established a bauxite and alumina trading business in China to supply aluminum smelters there, a sign producers have found ways to profit from China's surging output which many say threatens smelters in the rest of the world. The company created Hydro Aluminum Beijing Ltd in January this year and maintains a small office with five employees, said Simon Storesund, Norsk Hydro senior vice president bauxite and alumina. "It's important for us to get closer to the Chinese aluminum industry," Storesund said, adding that Chinese overcapacity and exports of cheap metal into Western markets will likely continue. The operation has been profitable so far, he added. Norsk Hydro is one of the world's largest aluminum makers and also produces bauxite and...
Alcoa completes automotive expansion in Tennessee
Lightweight metals leader Alcoa today announced it has completed an expansion at its Tennessee facility dedicated to supplying aluminum sheet to the automotive industry. The plant will provide aluminum sheet to automakers that include Ford Motor Company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and General Motors. “Automakers are demanding lighter, stronger materials that improve the performance of their vehicles and Alcoa is at the forefront of capturing that demand,” said Klaus Kleinfeld, Alcoa Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Through our capacity expansions in Tennessee and Davenport, and breakthrough technologies like the MicromillTM, we have cemented Alcoa’s position as the premier partner to the automotive industry as it turns to aluminum.” The $300 million project in Tennessee – which began...
Aluminium systems market to be valued at $147.13 billion by 2020
In a recently published market research report, it is projected the global market for aluminium will grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 5.65% from 2015 to 2020, to reach USD 147.13 billion by 2020. As per the report, rising demand for aluminium in emerging economies will be the main growth driver for aluminium systems market. Consumer preferences across emerging nations including China, India, Brazil, and other Southeast Asian countries are witnessing a vast change. This will eventually get transformed into money backed want for goods that are utilitarian, high on functionality and environment friendly. The market for aluminium systems in developing economies such as Europe and North America is observed to be matured due to the high disposable income of the people in these...
