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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Natcore swaps silver for aluminum in solar cells
Natcore has successfully eliminated silver from an all-back-contact silicon heterojunction cell, and replaced it with aluminum. No loss of performance was said to have been recorded at the company’s R&D center in Rochester, the U.S. A provisional patent application is expected to be filed in the next two weeks. Although it boasts high conductivity, silver is very expensive. And, while twice as much aluminum is needed as silver, "raw material costs would still be just 0.6% of the direct material cost of using silver in the cell," says Natcore. Currently, silver costs around US$15.28 per troy ounce – contributing to roughly 30% of a silicon cell’s production cost – whereas the same quantity of aluminum is said to cost $0.05. The average solar panel is calculated to use around one-half of an...
Uzbekistan, Korea to produce aluminum parts
Uzbekistan and South Korea will jointly produce aluminum parts by high-precision injection molding. A relevant agreement on the organization of production was signed between Uzbekistan's Uzavtosanoat Joint Stock Company and the Korean INZI AMT Co., Ltd, Uzavtosanoat reported. The sides also agreed to establish the UZAUTO-INZI joint venture as a limited liability company with a registered capital worth $10 million and shares equally distributed. Production is scheduled to begin January 1, 2017. Uzbekistan will allocate 6.9 hectares to JV UZAUTO-INZI LLC for the construction of the production facilities. The joint venture will produce some 43 vehicle component parts, engines, and generators with an annual production volume of more than 2,400 tons of aluminum castings per year. The Republic...
Nagpur NGO planning tetrapack recycling unit
Following the best from waste concept, city-based NGO Centre Sustainable Development (CSD) has carried out a survey to quantify tetrapack waste generated in the city. At a later stage, it is planning to recycle it because tetrapack waste can be of great value as it contains paper and aluminium. A Delhi-based NGO Chintan, working in association with tetrapack manufacturers, had earlier approached CSD to carry out this survey. As part of the survey, the NGO is getting sales figures from major tetrapack distributors in the city. The figures reveal a popular mango juice company sells 5,500 packs daily and 1,65,000 monthly, whereas another popular fruit juice brand generates a sale of 2000 packs daily or 60,000 packs monthly. Tetrapacks being stiff containers are usually used for liquid food...
Alumina Ltd mulls bauxite export; terms Malaysia’s supply strategy “unsustainable”
Australian mining and metal major Alumina termed Malaysia’s sudden emergence as bauxite exporter in the global market as unsustainable. Alumina and Alcoa have long been jointly engaged in bauxite mining operations. Their prime objective was to convert the ore into aluminium products. However, with the recent turbulence in the bauxite market which has been persisting longer than it was expected, the JV partners have decided to export Australian bauxite in its raw form. Prices for the bulk commodity peaked at $US73.80 per tonne in May 2014, before coming down to $US50 per tonne range in recent weeks. The recent slump had been blamed largely on opportunistic, and in some cases amateur mining in Malaysia, where bauxite exports rose from zero to 20 million tonnes in one year. Alumina chief...
Australian companies keen to invest in Iran’s mining projects
Australian companies are eager to make investment in Iran’s mining projects, according to Gerard Seeber, the senior trade commissioner for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade). The commissioner of Austrade, which is the Australian Government’s trade, investment, tourism, and education promotion agency, made the statement in a meeting with Mehdi Karbasian, the board of directors’ chairman of Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO), in Tehran on August 17, the IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday. Seeber said Australia is aware of potentialities and advantages that exist in Iran’s mining sector; adding that his country is seeking to bolster ties with Iran in this field. For his part,...
Noranda Aluminum drops by -4.97%
Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation has lost 4.97% during the past week and dropped 17.98% in the last 4 weeks. The shares are however, negative as compared to the S&P 500 for the past week with a loss of 5.61%. Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation has underperformed the index by 16.61% in the last 4 weeks. Investors should watch out for further signals and trade with caution. The company shares have dropped 90.02% in the past 52 Weeks. On September 12, 2014 The shares registered one year high of $5.64 and one year low was seen on July 22, 2015 at $0.41. The 50-day moving average is $0.62 and the 200 day moving average is recorded at $2.2. S&P 500 has rallied 6.56% during the last 52-weeks. The company has received recommendation from many analysts. 1 analysts have rated the company as a...
Fresh selling seen in aluminium, open interest up 4.38%
Aluminium settled down -0.25% at 101.25 as prices of major traded-metals tumbled to multi-year lows since last month as weak Chinese manufacturing data added to the brew of excess supply and a strong dollar that has put pressure on several commodities. China’s consumption of industrial metals fueled a more-than decade-long rally in prices after the turn of the century. But concern over the nation’s slowing economic growth has caused metals prices to start sliding over the last twelve months. Data out already shows Japan’s preliminary GDP dropped 0.4 percent q/q, which was slightly better than the 0.5 percent fall expected, but it was the first quarter-on-quarter fall after two quarters of positive GDP. The GDP price index also rose less than expected. Data out later included the EU trade...
Aluminium futures gain 0.49% on MCX on global cues
Aluminium gained 0.49 per cent to INR 103.40 per kg in futures trade after speculators widened positions amid positive cues from global markets. Besides, increased demand at domestic spot markets influenced prices. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, aluminium for delivery in August rose 50 paise, or 0.49 per cent, to INR 101.75 per kg in a business turnover of 188 lots. Also, the metal for delivery in September traded higher by 40 paise, or 0.39 per cent, to INR 103.40 per kg in seven lots. Market analysts said the rise in aluminium prices at futures trade was mostly supported by a recovery in metal at the London Metal Exchange and rising demand at spot markets here.
China aluminum cans : Alum Cans 1H net down 10% to HK$35.45m
China Aluminum Cans said its profit attributable to owners of the parent for the six months ended 30 June 2015 dropped 10.1% year-on-year to HK$35.45 million. The basic and diluted earnings per share were HK8.4 cents and HK8.3 cents. The revenue was HK$358 million, a decrease of 1.3% from a year earlier. The gross profit margin increased from about 27.3% to 28.1%. No interim dividend will be distributed.
Aluminium-intensive Jaguar XF starts at 32,300 GBP in the UK
Jaguar has disclosed the full UK pricing information for the new XF. The aluminium-intensive luxury premium vehicle is available to order now, wearing a starting price of 32,300 GBP (OTR). The base Prestige model has a 2.0-liter diesel unit with 163 PS (120 kW) and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft). The more powerful version of the same engine with 180 PS (132 kW) and 430 Nm (317 lb-ft) starts at 32,800 GBP. The range-topping diesel variant has a twin-turbo V6 3.0, generating 300 PS (220 kW) & 700 Nm (517 lb-ft). This one has a starting price of 49,945 GBP. Go for the 3.0-liter V6 supercharged engine with 380 PS (279 kW) and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) and you’ll have to pay at least 49,945 GBP. As a reminder, the new XF was revealed online back in March with a public premiere during the New York Motor Show...
Konstantin Balakiryan develops new aluminum alloy oxidation method
Production of hydrogen by oxidation of active metals, and particularly aluminum and its alloys, is and has been studied by many universities and research centers. The main problem that scientists have been trying to solve is the formation of an oxide film on the surface of the active metals which interrupts oxidation reaction and therefore stops production of hydrogen. “We know that the investigators who used aluminum powder in their research achieved positive results,” says Balakiryan. But the greatest success achieved in this direction has been the Purdue University scientist under the leadership of Prof. Jerry Woodall. They developed a method that uses an aluminum alloy to extract hydrogen from water for running fuel cells or internal combustion engines. They believe that this...
Alumina Ltd returns to profit in first half 2015
Alumina Limited (AWC), the leading Australian mineral and metals company, has swung to profit in the half-year to the end of June, and expects to see solid margins in the second half as favourable exchange rates lead to lower production costs. Alumina (AWC) today posted a net profit after tax of $US122 million for the six months to the end of June, an increase of 357 per cent on the same period last year when the firm posted a $US47.4m loss. Alumina, in the prior corresponding period, had taken a writedown charge of nearly $US80m on restructuring its Point Henry smjelter in Victoria. Its half yearly accounts this year were weighed down by restructuring costs with its Suriname operations and its Anglesea power station. The firm operates in bauxite mining and alumina refining through the...
Recycling Campaign urges Ayrshire to make its metal matter
East, North and South Ayrshire Councils have joined forces to call on residents to make their metals matter and boost household recycling of metal packaging across Ayrshire in south-west Scotland. The campaign aims to make everyone think more about the waste metal in their everyday drinks cans, food tins and aluminium food trays – the sort of household waste that easily gets taken for granted and put in the bin. Every year, more than 173m items of metal packaging are thrown away by Ayrshire households – that’s almost 20,000 drinks cans, food tins and aerosols getting binned every single hour of the day. That’s equivalent to the same weight as 14 double-decker buses every year. East, North and South Ayrshire Councils are now taking part in the campaign, supported by the metal packaging...
Hind Aluminium standalone Jun '15 sales at INR 188.35 crore
Hind Aluminium Industries has reported a standalone total income from operations of INR 188.35 crore and a net profit of INR 2.58 crore for the quarter ended Jun '15. Other income for the quarter was INR 0.33 crore. For the quarter ended Jun 2014 the standalone total income from operations was INR 81.17 crore and net profit was INR 0.87 crore, and other income INR 1.31 crore. Hind Aluminium shares closed at 76.40 on August 14, 2015 (BSE) and has given 57.20% returns over the last 6 months and 64.83% over the last 12 months.
Aluminum sag to six-year lows on China demand concern
Aluminum dropped to the lowest since 2009 as demand concerns mounted on the outlook for slower growth in China, the world’s biggest user. Stocks in Shanghai tumbled the most in three weeks as Chinese investors lowered expectations for further monetary stimulus after data showed home-price gains are spreading. The Asian nation, which consumes about half of aluminum, is growing more slowly than official data suggest. “China’s sharply lower stock prices makes everyone nervous, and the overall situation for copper is concern that global demand is going to continue to deteriorate,” said Bill O’Neill, a partner at Logic Advisors in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. “The Chinese situation is crucial for metals in general, and there’s little incentive to buy the market.” Aluminum fell as much as...
Aluminium producers to meet PMO to press for import duty hike
Indian aluminium producers such as Vedanta and Hindalco will meet officials at the Prime Minister's Office and policy think tank NITI Aayog this week to press for higher import duty on aluminium in the face of falling global prices. The domestic industry leaders will meet the mines secretary on Wednesday and the PMO and NITI Aayog on the following two days, industry insiders said. International aluminium prices had fallen to $1,523 per tonne on the London Metal Exchange on Tuesday, down from $2,200 in over a year. The Aluminium Association of India said increasing imports have led to the share of domestic producers dropping to 45% in 2014-15 from 60% in 2010-11. The association has been lobbying for a doubling of duty from 5% to 10%, and for 10% duty on aluminium scrap. In a statement in...
China Jilin to invest $340 mln to produce alumina using coal ash
The government of Baishan City, Jilin Province, is planning to spend 2.2 billion yuan ($340 million) in building a project that extracts alumina from coal ash. Coal fly ash, an industrial by-product, is derived from coal combustion in thermal power plants. Coal fly ash is rich in alumina (upto 45%), which makes it a potential substitute for bauxite as prime source of aluminium. With the diminishing reserves of bauxite resources in China as well as the increasing demand for alumina, recovering alumina from fly ash has attracted extensive attentions. Several Chinese players are working on new technology that could produce alumina not from traditional bauxite but from fly ash. This has resulted in alumina import decline in the country in the last one year falling by almost 40 percent from...
PARC receives award for its scrap aluminum sorting technology
PARC, a Xerox company, announced its "plus up" award from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). PARC received this new award, after completing its original $1 million contract, as part of ARPA-E's Modern Electro/Thermochemical Advancements for Light-metal Systems (METALS) Program, which, in part, aims to develop cost-effective and energy-efficient manufacturing techniques to process and recycle light metals. "Our technology could change the way we recycle, and we're excited ARPA-E is encouraging us to continue development," said Dr. Craig Eldershaw, senior research engineer of PARC's Hardware Systems Lab. "Of course, recycling is becoming more and more important, and with the growth of the lightweight automotive vehicle industry alone, we'll...
