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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Smart Vision Lights' new T-SLOT lights fit in aluminum extrusions
Smart Vision Lights, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-brightness LED lights for industrial applications, is pleased to introduce its new patent-pending powerful ultra-low-cost T-SLOT LED light series featuring diffusing optics. The new series provides a cost- and energy-saving replacement for fluorescent lighting. Priced at just $89 per foot, the T-SLOT LED light bar is compatible with most popular brands of .32”, 8-mm, and 10-mm aluminum extrusions, including extrusions from 80/20, Bosch, Item, and more. These new lights truly offer twice the performance at an ultra-low price. Smart Vision Lights’ redesigned low-voltage 24 V DC T-SLOT LED light bars slide into aluminum extrusions with no extra mounting of additional lighting needed. They are ideal for use in applications with...
Cube introduces 'aero endurance' Agree and entry-level Attain in aluminium and carbon for 2016
Cube has revamped its road line-up for 2016, with the popular Peloton replaced by a new frame dubbed the Attain, available in both aluminium and carbon fibre, and the mid-range Agree overhauled as an aero bike with endurance geometry. Both the Attain and Agree will come in rim brake and disc brake versions Aero endurance Agree is a completely new frame from what’s previously been known as the Agree. Cube describes the Agree as an ‘aero endurance’ bike and it brings together two trends which have emerged in recent years: aerodynamics and endurance geometry. That’s a relatively a rare combination as most bike brand’s pitch their aero machine squarely at the race market, but the Agree takes on a slightly more relaxed geometry than the top-of-the-range Litening, which is Cube’s super-light,...
ASA launches study on repairing hail damaged aluminum vehicles
The US-based Automotive Service Association (ASA) announced a new research project this week concerning the repair of hail-damage of aluminum vehicles. The study is a response to questions raised by the National Alliance of Paintless Dent Repair Technicians (NAPDRT) regarding proper processes for fixing aluminum body panels. The ASA Collision Division Operations Committee will formally document the repair process necessary to restore aluminum panels that have suffered hail damage. “Our goal is to provide an impartial review of the aluminum repair process as it relates to hail damage to dispel any misconceptions that may still exist,” says Scott Benavidez, AAM, ASA’s Collision Division Director. Once completed, the study will be released to the industry for reference when writing damage...
Tianjin Zhongwang’s heavy plate mill finishes its first heat load test
On August 15, Tianjin Zhongwang 4500mm heavy plate mill commenced its first heat load test. The thick and heavy ingot slab was passed through the machine and then rolled down to an aluminium plate. A Tianjin Zhongwang official declared that the first heat load test of the 4500mm heavy plate mill succeeded. Accompanied by Mr. Liu Zhongtian, Chairman of China Zhongwang and other senior Zhongwang executives including Mr. Lu Changqing, Mr. Gou Xihui and Mr. Li Qingjiang, Mr. Wen Xianjun, the Vice-Chairman of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association witnessed the rolling out of the first plate and offered congratulations on the success of 4500mm heavy plate mill trial run. 4500mm heavy plate mill was introduced from Germany SMS Group. It was the most advanced and modernized rolling mill in...
Sapa adds capacity to Yankton, Elkhart plants
Sapa has installed new aluminium extrusion presses at two of its plants in the United States to serve customers primarily within the building and the automotive industries. The two presses have been moved from other Sapa locations to the plants in Yankton, South Dakota, and Elkhart, Indiana. Customer deliveries from these presses should begin in the second half of 2015. Both units have been installed to accommodate continued production growth in the Midwest region. With an increased need for capacity, the Yankton and Elkhart plants anticipate full utilization of both presses from day one, providing extruded aluminium solutions to customers within the building and construction as well as automotive industries. "We've seen very strong growth in the Midwest region of the United States over...
Tianjin Zhongwang Smelting & Casting Plant holds furnace ignition ceremony
China's Tianjin Zhongwang Aluminium Co. recently held a furnace ignition ceremony at its smelting and casting plant in Wuqing district of Tianjin. After nearly one hour of continuous observation, all equipment indicators of the furnace were found to be functioning normally. The furnace is engineered to last for 15-20 days and the first batch of alumina hydrate isexpected to be produced at the end of August, said on-site personnel. Tianjin Zhongwang Aluminium imported the furnace equipment from Switzerland Gautschi. Its main advantages include low energy consumption, high efficiency and only 50-54 Nm3 of natural gas needed for each tonne of aluminium.There are other advantages too which are expected to play a key role in the smelter's production capacity. Tianjin Zhongwang Aluminium Co.,...
Noranda announces initial intercontinental alumina shipment to Chinese aluminum smelter
Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation announced today that it has completed a 31,000 metric tonne shipment of smelter grade alumina from its alumina refinery in Gramercy, Louisiana to an aluminum smelter in China. This shipment, which is part of a multi-shipment export arrangement at market prices, marks the first export shipment outside of North America in Gramercy's 58-year history. "This export shipment is an important step in improving the long-term sustainability of our Gramercy alumina refinery," said Layle K. "Kip" Smith, Noranda's President and Chief Executive Officer. "By demonstrating sustained improvement in its process control and operational reliability, Gramercy generated sufficient production to meet the needs of its existing customers and expand the geographic scope of its...
First Bauxite Corporation announces filing of quarterly financial statements
First Bauxite Corporation announced that it has filed its unaudited quarterly financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the period ended June 30, 2015. First Bauxite Corporation, a natural resources company, is engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of bauxite deposits in Guyana, South America. The company was formerly known as Academy Ventures Inc. and changed its name to First Bauxite Corporation in December 2008. First Bauxite Corporation was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
China to close millions of tons of aluminum smelter capacity
The China Non-Ferrous Association announced this week that leading Chinese aluminum smelters intend to axe 2.4 million metric tons of capacity in the next couple of months. Nearly all the world’s net gain in production capacity has come from China this year and, while estimates vary, a portion of the industry, even in China, is certainly losing money at current prices. That is the case in the rest of the world, too, with UC Rusal and Alcoa both contemplating further closures. Inside China, the growth of new smelter capacity has been in the northwest, often based on captive, low-cost coal deposits for power generation and utilizing the latest smelter technology that, combined with large economies of scale, has made these Chinese smelters some of the lowest cost of production in the world....
China Hongqiao defies aluminium slump, posts a healthy profit
The price of aluminium may be trading at its lowest in six years, but China Hongqiao, which has grown to become one of the world's largest producers of the metal, reported a healthy jump in first-half profits on Friday last week. China Hongqiao said that net profit rose 33 per cent to 2.72b RMB ($426m) for the six months ending in June, according to a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange, reports Henry Sanderson, commodities correspondent. China's aluminium market "continued to recover and saw a balance in strong demand and supply" the company's chairman Zhang Shiping said. "China's economy managed gradual yet stable and positive development and the demand for aluminium products by relevant domestic industries became increasingly robust in the first half of the year," he added. The...
MCX aluminium trading in multi-week downward sloping channel
Aluminium is trading in a multi-week downward sloping channe on Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX). For the last few sessions it has been trading in a sideways manner, which has formed a sideways channel. Recently, the base metal faced resistance near the upper channel line.br> Thus, here on it is expected to start its next move on the downside. The daily momentum indicator has completed the pullback cycle and can start a new cycle on the downside.br> Once the swing low of INR 99.45 breaks, aluminium can tumble till INR 96. On the other hand, INR 102.20-102.60 will act as a key resistance zone on closing basis.br>
Company shares of Aluminum Corporation of China Limited rally 3.85%
Shares of Aluminum Corporation of China Limited rose by 3.85% in the past week and 0.23% for the last 4 weeks. In the past week, the shares have outperformed the S&P 500 by 2.91% and the outperformance increases to 6.03% for the last 4 weeks. Aluminum Corporation Of China Limited has dropped 42.44% during the last 3-month period. Year-to-Date the stock performance stands at -25%. The company shares have dropped 22.09% in the past 52 weeks. On April 28, 2015 The shares registered one year high of $17.44 and one year low was seen on August 26, 2015 at $7.2. The 50-day moving average is $9.13 and the 200 day moving average is recorded at $12.5. S&P 500 has rallied 0.67% during the last 52-weeks. Aluminum Corporation of China Limited witnessed a decline in the market cap on Friday as its...
Blairs Windows to set up aluminium manufacturing operation
Blairs Windows is in the process of setting up an aluminium frame making sister company which is expected to create up to 10 jobs in the short term. The Greenock company expects to run the new venture from premises in the Hillington area of Glasgow and hopes to have it fully up and running early next year. Around £140,000 is being spent on a range of equipment with the business also investing in a new fleet of vans. Once operational it will make aluminium window and door frames along with curtain walling. Alex Gray, managing director, said: “The aluminium side is quite buoyant at the moment and there is a shortfall of capacity.It is another piece in the jigsaw and means we can offer a solution for every project. The venture will be predominantly targeting the commercial market for things...
SMM aluminum market morning review
European and US stock markets rebounded last Friday. This, combined with appreciation of yuan, cheered market up. As such, LME aluminum rose from USD 1,560/mt to USD 1,616/mt. The light metal, though falling back later in the day, still ended up USD 48/mt or 3.08% at USD 1,605/mt. Trading volumes were up 4,149 lots to 19,127 lots, and positions were down 9,440 to 845,000. SHFE 1511 aluminum found solid support at the 10-day moving average and approached the 20-day moving average. With the LME market closed on holiday today, the most active SHFE aluminum contract should be range-bound between RMB 11,940-12,020/mt on Monday. In China’s spot market, restocking demand before the upcoming three-day holiday should leave spot discounts at RMB 100-60/mt over SHFE 1509 aluminum contract.
Pre-holiday restocking to support aluminum prices in China
Aluminum prices in China’s spot market will draw support from restocking activity before the upcoming three-day holiday, Shanghai Metals Market foresees. Spot aluminum should trade at discounts of 50-90 yuan per tonne over SHFE 1509 aluminum contract. SHFE 1511 aluminum might continue testing resistance at the 10-day moving average, namely 11,950 yuan per tonne. LME aluminum should hover around $ 1,550 per tonne if it fails to break through the 20-day moving average. China has set September 3 as a public holiday in celebration of Victory against Japanese Aggression.
Industrial vacuum delivered to aluminium smelter
Local furnace and industrial services company Dickinson Group last month delivered its new MegaVac cyclone loader to resources company South 32, where the machine will be used for a large basement cleaning project for the company’s Mozal aluminium smelter, in Mozambique. Dickinson Group CEO Trevor Dickinson tells, the company acquired the MegaVac from industrial cleaning equipment manufac- turer KOKS Group, in the Netherlands, earlier this year. KOKS’ MegaVac cyclone loader is a self-supporting vacuum, storage and bag-metering unit and will be used in South 32’s smelter for the recovery of 90 t/d of bath material. The unit, which has a large filter surface area of 40 m2, consists of a vacuum system and a silo. The bath material is sucked into the silo within a closed system and,...
Century's closure of Hawesville aluminium smelter not to impact Riverport's business
Following the recent announcement by Century Aluminum of its plans to idle its aluminum smelter in Hawesville in October and lay off most of the plant's 565 employees, Brian Wright, president and CEO of the Owensboro Riverport Authority clarified the port's board that the acres of aluminum ingots stored on the property is not Century aluminum. More important, Wright said no correlation exists between Riverport's aluminum business and Century's situation in Hawesville, and the riverport's level of aluminum storage and handling is not expected to be affected by the production of aluminum or the lack of it by Century.
Vedanta re-approaches Odisha Govt for bauxite mines
In an attempt to avoid the posssible closure of Lanjigarh plant where operations have been badly hit due to unavailability of bauxite, KK Dave, chief operating officer (COO) of Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL) met Odisha Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick at the state secretariat on Saturday to request him for allocation of a mine, once again. “We have been running this plant here as per the agreement with Odisha Government since last ten years with a hope to use raw materials from the state. But we haven’t even got a tonne of bauxite from here yet. We are not in a position to run the plant even for a day longer. However, we had a meeting with the government today to discuss the issue. The negotiations are still on and there would be another meeting next week. We wouldn’t mind...
