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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RINL director TK CHand to head NALCO
Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited director (Commercial) TK Chand is all set to take charge as the new chairman-cum-managing director of National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) on July 27. The Department of Personnel in the Union government issued the appointment order to this effect Tuesday evening. Chand who began his career as a management trainee at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant in 1983, went on to become the director (commercial) in September 2010. He played a key role in marketing various products of the Steel Plant and spread its operations abroad by opening the company’s international marketing office in Colombo. He was also instrumental in increasing the RINL sales in the domestic market. He also worked as the Vizag zonal chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry and also headed...
South32 targets dividend next year
BHP Billiton owned South32 anticipates declaring a dividend at the end of next year.This was revealed in the company’s third quarterly report, which it issued to shareholders yesterday. In the statement, South32 notes it has hit four annual production records including saleable alumina at Brazil Aluminium, coal at Illawarra, alloy at Australia Manganese and ore at SA Manganese. It also experienced a “substantial” increase in annual exports from SA Energy Coal, although aluminium production at Hillside and Mozal were “broadly unchanged” as efficiency gains offset a “significant” increase in load-shedding. CEO Graham Kerr says: “We have the right balance sheet for the times and intend to distribute a minimum 40% of underlying earnings to our shareholders from next year.” Kerr adds the...
Odisha to provide raw material to Vedanta Aluminium through OMC
Odisha Government will provide raw material to Vedanta Aluminium through Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) to feed its refinery plant at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district. This was informed by the Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick on Wednesday. The Minister said the government is taking steps to excavate bauxite from Kalarapat mines soon and the refinery can be run by sourcing bauxite from the mines through OMC. He urged the company to continue operation by sourcing raw material from outside the state and abroad till the arrangement is made from the state. Vedanta is running its refinery and smelter plants in the state at less capacity in absence of raw material.
Production at Audi’s Münchsmünster components plant picks up pace
The new Audi production site in Münchsmünster, 30km east of the main production facility in Ingolstadt, Germany, is where hot and cold formed pressed parts, high tech chassis components and lightweight aluminum structural components, among others, are produced for the new Q7 SUV. By 2017, a total of 900 employees will be working at the site and shipping out 26 million parts worldwide annually. The production site in Münchsmünster, the high-tech Audi Neuburg complex and the future innovation campus (‘INCampus’) are making the Audi Ingolstadt site a key force behind growth in Bavaria. “The components that we are manufacturing in Münchsmünster are helping us to perfect our systematic lightweight construction,” says Audi Production Board Member Prof. Dr. Hubert Waltl. The hot-stamped sheet...
Cosco Xiamen orders aluminum fast ferry
CoCo Yachts and AFAI Southern Shipyard Guangzhou Panyu ltd have been awarded a new building contract with Cosco Xiamen for a Coastal Cruiser 322 aluminum fast ferry. The newly built Coastal Cruiser 322 will replace Cosco Xiamen’s current fast ferry with on the passenger service between Xiamen P.R. China and Kinmen Taiwan. The Coastal Cruiser 322 will have feature passenger saloon on main deck with economy seats and a spacious business class and VIP arrangement on the upper deck. Special attention is giving to the noise levels, which are expected to be much lower than Cosco Xiamen’s existing vessel. On the main deck, aft provision will be arranged for cargo, luggage and bicycles. The Coastal Cruiser 322 will be powered by two MTU main engines, each driving one Rolls Rocye S71 water jet...
Beer boost: Crown eyes up beverage can growth markets
Crown Holdings says good ties with craft brewers bodes well for the future, as more companies look to cans for their products. Beer is also playing a big part in the beverage can manufacturer’s plans for Mexico: a country seeing growth in beer and brewers, a shift towards cans over bottles, and boost in exports into the US. Global beverage can unit volumes for Crown grew 9% in the quarter ending June 30, mainly attributed to the acquisition of Mexican can manufacturer Empaque last year, said Crown as it released its Q1 results this week. Craft beer – in a glass or can? Crown is the third largest producer of beverage cans worldwide. Net sales for Americas Beverage were $741m (for the three months ending June 30) compared to $594m during the same period in 2014. John Conway, chairman and...
SPEEDMASTER launched aluminium racing radiators for high-speed racing cars
SPEEDMASTER, a tech company that finds its niche in automobile engine radiator manufacturing, recently came up with Aluminium Racing Radiators that can withstand the asperities of long-haul car racing, something that do not usually come from the house of leading automobile manufacturers. The Speedmaster experts, who had put years of research in designing a compatible aluminium radiator for today's automobiles, claimed that the radiators can enhance the performance and strength of the automobiles, regardless of their model or make. Most mass-produced OEM radiators are built with the minimum possible cost and this makes the radiators less competent for the job than expected. Many stock radiators come with maximum possible number of fins and minimum tubing. However, tubes are the primary...
Alupro funds project to reveal “Real” aluminium packaging recycling figure
Following concern expressed by Alupro about the suitability of the Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) system for recording aluminium packaging recycling it has commissioned a research project to reveal the real recycling rate. Alupro has repeatedly voiced concerns to Defra and the Environment Agency (EA) about the inherent weaknesses in the PRN system. The EA and Defra are now working with the Advisory Committee on Packaging (ACP) to consider options to streamline the accreditation process. However, it is unknown whether this will be adequate to encourage more reprocessors and exporters to register. Alupro advocates streamlining the reprocessor/exporter accreditation system and reducing the administrative burden with the aim of capturing the true amount of aluminium packaging recycled in the...
South32 Worsley Alumina selects MAXAM as their solutions provider for Boddington Mine
As part of a global tender for services and products, MAXAM Civil Explosives’ has been selected for 3 years as Worsley’s explosives and solutions provider at the Boddington Bauxite Mine situated in the south-west region of Australia. The South32 Worsley Alumina asset consists of the bauxite mine located near Boddington in Western Australia. South32 owns 86 per cent of the Worsley Alumina asset in a joint venture with Japan Alumina and Sojitz. MAXAM Australia will supply all blasting solutions for the next 3 years to the Boddington Bauxite Mine’s Saddleback and Marradong sites. MAXAM is providing down the hole services by first supplying its flagship RIOFLEX 10,000 bulk watergel explosives together with RIONEL non-electric detonators and other blasting accessories and will be delivering...
Noranda delays smelter upgrades due to aluminum price rout
Noranda Aluminum Holding Co has delayed efforts to ramp up production at its New Madrid, Missouri, smelter due to a sharp decline in aluminum prices, said President and CEO Kip Smith, as the company's quarterly losses widened. The company had previously expected the 253,000 tonne-per-year smelter to reach full capacity by the third quarter. It is currently operating at about 85 percent of capacity, down from 90 percent in May, Smith said on a conference call to discuss the company's second-quarter earnings. "The economics of ramping up production changed," Smith said, noting that the company would focus on achieving "operating stability" and "prudently" increasing production at the smelter through the fourth quarter of 2015. The company announced a loss of 25 cents a share for the second...
Industrial metals decline due to Chinese export concerns
Industrial metals from copper to zinc fell again on Wednesday, buffeted by a strengthening US dollar and nagging concerns about China. Aluminium, a lightweight metal used in everything from aeroplane bodies to drinks cans, was among the fallers. It dropped to a fresh six-year low after the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said China would deal with excess capacity in its aluminium industry by exporting it to the rest of the world. On Wednesday, aluminium for delivery in three months on the London Metal Exchange hit $1,651 a tonne before recovering to end $4 lower at $1,658. Although Chinese aluminium consumption is forecast to grow by more than 9 per cent, this output is growing at a faster pace, according to Alcoa, one of the world’s biggest producers. Data from China’s...
Primary aluminum market in deficit during Jan - May 2015, reveals 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 five months of the year. As per the report, the market turned into a deficit of 261,000 tons when matched with the deficit of 723,000 reported during entire year 2014. The production of primary aluminum was up by 3,288 kt during the four-month period from January to May this year. The total reported stock of metal has declined further by 32000 tonnes during the month of May. The stocks at the end of the initial five-month period stood at 4,697 kt. It must be noted that the stock levels at the end of 2014 had stood at 5,020 kt. The combined stocks held in London, Shanghai, USA and Tokyo exchanges totaled 4,033 kt at the end of...
Alcoa realigns downstream portfolio to drive greater profitability as transformation continues
Lightweight and high performance metals leader Alcoa today announced a realignment of its downstream segment as the Company’s value-add portfolio expands. Alcoa’s downstream portfolio will become two segments, one with a core focus on aerospace, and the other centered on the construction and commercial wheels markets. The realignment supports Alcoa’s transformation strategy to build its value-add portfolio for greater profitability. With Alcoa’s successful acquisition of RTI International Metals, Inc. today, the recent acquisitions of Firth Rixson and TITAL, and other innovation-led organic growth investments, the Company continues to deepen its reach into the high-growth aerospace market. The Engineered Products and Solutions (EPS) segment, led by Group President Olivier Jarrault, has...
Crysteel Manufacturing introduces aluminium Landscape Dump Body
Minnesota based Crysteel Manufacturing launched the new Aluminum Landscape body combining the strength and durability of the Crysteel Landscape body with the lightweight efficiency of aluminum construction. The dump body also includes increased payload capacity, corrosion resistance and lower maintenance costs. It is ideal for contractors in the landscape industry, refuse/waste industry and recycling industry. The 12-foot Aluminum Landscape body features a ¼-inch floor, 50-inch side door, pull action latch mechanism, two-piece barn door, unibody design, and a Crysteel Lo-Boy® hoist quick installed at the factory. The standard LB510 hoist includes a full-length subframe for added strength and a factory-installed body prop for added safety. Available options include full cabshield, bolt-on...
Anglesey Aluminium plant considers workforce reduction
Aluminium Powder Company (Alpoco), Holyhead has been reported to be making around 10 redundancies. This led to fears of more than a quarter of workforce reduction in its Anglesey aluminium plant. The GMB union said it was dealing with a redundancy issue at the company. Holyhead mayor JV Owen said any loss of jobs was a massive blow to the town of Holyhead. He added: "I would be happy to meet the company to discuss if the council can assist in any way to help secure jobs." Alpoco is among the world’s largest manufacturers of aluminium powders and granules. They are exported around the globe and used in pastes, pigments, chemicals, metallurgy, refractory, propulsion, pyrotechnics, spray deposition and powder metallurgy. Last month an explosion at the plant caused the A55 to be closed for a...
NYU School of Engineering creates first-of-its-kind aluminium based metal matrix
The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering of NYU School of Engineering, in collaboration with the Toledo, Ohio company Deep Springs Technology, and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory has successfully completed a series of revolutionary tests on a layered material with a lightweight metal matrix syntactic foam core. The porosity of this lightweight layered material is integrated into metal matrix syntactic foams in their foam-like structure through use of hollow particle.The reserach team used an aluminum alloy packed with hollow alumina particles, which was placed between carbon fabric face-sheets. The layered material they created is lighter in weight, as well as stiffer, with high energy absorption. This material will likely find application in trains, ships, automobiles and...
Rexam produces celebratory can range to mark Grolsch’s 400th anniversary
Rexam has partnered with Dutch brewer Grolsch to produce a range of celebratory cans to mark its 400th anniversary of brewing. The range is made up of three separate cans featuring Gerard Brummer, iconic Art Director and creator of Grolsch advertisements. Rexam HD printing and a matt over-varnish finish are used to showcase and reflect the brand’s creative flair since 1615. The designs take inspiration from previous cans throughout Grolsch’s long history, resulting in a retro style that aims to engage established consumers with this impressive milestone. Johannes Roeleveld, Materials Manager at Grolsch says, “Having worked with Rexam for decades, we were confident that they would be able to provide us with a packaging format fitting for such an anniversary. The dedication of their design...
KSPG Automotive India’s new plant near Pune to be ready by end-2015
The Plain Bearings business unit of KSPG Automotive India is setting up a new plant at Supa, 75km to the east of Pune, for production of raw materials used in the manufacture of plain bearings. The need for a new plant has been necessitated by the fact that the company’s lease for the existing production site in Ahmednagar expires in 2016. The new plant premises, spread across 40,000 square metres, are scheduled for completion by the end of 2015. The ground-breaking ceremony was held earlier this year by Sascha Putz, president, BU Bearings, and Ratan Mohapatra, managing director of KSPG India, in the presence of senior executives and Works Council members. "The new building is an important step in our efforts to strengthen our activities in the Indian market and a commitment to the future...
