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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New technology for anodized alumina membrane development
In a paper posted online in the American Chemical Society's journal Nano, researchers from Osaka, Japan, have described their work developing an anodized alumina membrane with a grafted surface layer of azobenzene substituents. According to the paper, the membrane was able to achieve 99.9 percent removal of sodium chloride from a 3.5 percent solution, only when simultaneously under visible light and UV irradiation. The researchers found that irradiation caused by the light combination produced an isomerization within azobenzene molecules that accelerated the rapid movement of membrane molecules, inducing vaporization of the liquid and its permeation through the 60µm thick hydrophobic membrane. Mashairo Fujiwara, from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology and...
China’s aluminium prices tipped to rise as prices attractive
Chinese imports of primary aluminium ingot are likely to rise in coming months after the price of the metal fell on the global market, prompting end-users to buy, industry and trading sources said on Thursday. The weak London Metal Exchange (LME) price is opening a rare arbitrage opportunity for Chinese investors to sell aluminium futures in Shanghai and buy on the LME, which may result in some imports, the sources said. "We started selling more to Chinese end-users last week," said an Asian-based executive whose firm trades aluminium and also manufactures aluminium products in China. "China’s imports will probably rise in the coming two or three months, although the rise may not be very big." Imports of primary aluminium fell 79 per cent in the first four months of 2015 compared with a...
Collect-a-Can organises school competition to raise awareness about recycling
Collect-a-Can urges all schools to take their eco-conscious spirit to the next level and enter the popular National Schools Competition that runs annually from 1 February to 31 October. Schools that have already entered are hard at work in collecting as many used cans as possible to stand a chance to win their share of R788 800. The competition teaches learners that recycling and taking care of the environment can be fun, while providing schools with an exciting opportunity to raise additional funds for their school. Larger schools are awarded for collecting the most cans per school, while the second category (a category for schools with less than 500 learners) recognises smaller schools that collect the most cans per learner. This competition encourages schools to collect all sorts of...
Alba approves Line 6 Expansion Project which will make it the world's largest single site smelter
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) announces approval for the Line 6 Expansion Project which would make the Company the largest single site smelter upon project completion. The Line 6 Expansion Project, expected to begin production in early 2019, will boost the per-annum production by 514,000 metric tonnes upon full ramp-up. This would bring Alba's total production capacity to approximately 1,450,000 metric tonnes per year. One of the biggest industrial projects in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Line 6 Expansion Project is expected to have a big impact on the economy and new job creation. In addition, at least 50% of the new metal production is expected to be sold to existing and new Bahrain downstream customers. The Line 6 Expansion Project will allow Alba to continue its marketing strategy of...
Supply glut puts pressure on aluminium
Aluminium prices show few signs of recovering as the world remains in a glut of the lightweight metal used in cars and cans. The price of the metal has fallen 11 per cent in the past 24 days to $1,758 a tonne on the London Metal Exchange. That is below the metal's average price of more than $2,000 since 2010. Premiums, the extra cost paid for delivery and transport, have also fallen, hurting global producers of the metal. Countries are failing to cut aluminium capacity even as Chinese exports of the metal continue to rise. As a result, the price of the metal could continue to fall until it forces capacity reductions from outside China, according to analysts. "We have 3m tonnes of capacity outside China losing money at the moment," said Eoin Dinsmore, an analyst at consultancy CRU. "Some...
Etihad plays its part to reduce waste and promote recycling
As the population of UAE grows, so does the waste generated by the Emirates, said experts from Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) on Tuesday. EAD has released a booklet named 'Sustainable Waste Management for Organisations' that highlights the benefits of reusing materials, reducing waste and recycling end products to help UAE become more proactive in developing environmental practices. Although much of this waste is generated from demolition and construction sites, packaging too is a major contributor, adding 70 tons of waste each month according to Linden Coppell, Head of Sustainability at Etihad. "This is bundled and sent for recycling, together with nearly 30 tonnes per month of in-flight newspapers and magazines. In addition, about 25 tonnes of glass items, primarily bottles, are...
Emerging markets fund Lambasa backs Ashapura Minechem's acquisition of Orient Abrasives
Mumbai-based mineral producer and exporter Ashapura Minechem Ltd has joined hands with emerging markets-focused private investment firm Lambasa Global to jointly acquire Orient Abrasives Ltd from the promoters for about INR 90 crore (approximately $14 million), according to a stock market disclosure. The deal has been routed through Ashapura Minechem's wholly-owned subsidiary Bombay Minerals Ltd. Bombay Minerals already owns 18 per cent stake that was acquired from Orient Abrasives' promoters for INR 54.9 crore ($8.6 million) in November 2013. Two arms of Lambasa own 4.83 per cent of Orient Abrasives. The promoter Rajgarhia family holds 25.52 per cent in Orient Abrasives and has inked a pact to sell their entire holding in the firm. Post the stake-purchase deal, Ashapura will own around...
Ball and Henkel launch an even more sustainable aluminum aerosol package
Ball Corporation and Henkel Beauty Care continue their aluminum aerosol lightweighting journey with the introduction of an even lighter iteration of ReAl, Ball's revolutionary technology utilizing recycled aluminum to create a metal alloy that exhibits increased strength and allows weight reduction of the container without affecting package integrity. The original ReAl launch in 2014, which replaced the standard aluminum aerosol can, included 25 percent recycled material to yield an 11 percent lighter package. The newest iteration, which launched earlier this year, contains comparable recycled material and the package is now 15 percent lighter than the standard aluminum aerosol can. Ball is working to achieve even further lightweighting in the future. For a 150- and 200-milliliter sized...
New female lead targets £2m future for ALPRO
Gina Steventon, who has been with the business since leaving school, has taken the helm at Aluminium Products (ALPRO) and is already setting her sights on increasing sales to £2 million over the next 18 months. She is looking to take advantage of the firm's unique capability in sand and gravity die casting, which has seen it produce decorative lighting for Canary Wharf, retro seating for Selfridges, large tooling for automotive and aerospace clients and parts for the rail, MoD and oil and gas sectors. It also boasts a track record of producing ‘one off' batches of complex components, with the most high profile example being the traditional wheels fitted to the train used in the smash-hit James Bond film ‘Skyfall'. "This is a very exciting time for the business and I'm extremely proud to...
Romanian aluminum producer wants USD 207 mln loans
Romanian aluminum producer Alro Slatina is currently looking for over USD 207 million in financing. The biggest of these is a USD 120 million revolving credit facility to refinance a loan that it received from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in 2010. Alro has parent-group Vimetco’s guarantee for the revolving loan which will come from a syndicate of banks. The aluminum producer also wants to get USD 60 million from the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank and other creditors, planning to use the money for new investments. Alro will also get USD 27.2 million from Raiffeisen Bank Romania to pay some of its debt. The company’s shareholders will analyze and vote on these loans on July 10. Alro Slatina posted a turnover of some USD 594 million and a USD 33 million...
Vedanta signals potential merger of Indian units in restructuring effort
Oil and metals producer Vedanta Resources Plc (VED.L) signalled on Tuesday it is considering a merger of two or more of its Indian subsidiaries, which could provide the debt-burdened units access to cash from other operations. In a statement which disclosed the possibility of a merger of its Bombay-listed subsidiaries Vedanta Ltd) and Cairn India Ltd (CIL), the holding company, Vedanta Resources PLC, said it would maintain its London-listing in case such transaction took place. "Should a transaction with CIL proceed, it could potentially be considered a reverse takeover," Vedanta said in the statement. "In addition, in line with the group's stated strategy to continue to simplify the group structure, the group continues to evaluate a transaction with the government ofIndia in relation to...
South32 'targets first acquisition'
Speculation is mounting that South32, the diversified metals company spun out of global resources group BHP Billiton, could be planning its first acquisition - Rio Tinto's Pacific Aluminium assets. South32 CEO Graham Kerr said ahead of its stand-alone listing in the UK, Australia and SA last month that it would be open to making value-adding acquisitions. South32 has only $674m of net debt and access to $1.5bn of credit lines. Rio Tinto is expected to seek $1bn to $1.2bn for Pacific Aluminium. In a morning note, Investec's global mining team, citing media reports, said South32 was seen as the most credible suitor for Pacific Aluminium, for which Credit Suisse was seeking buyers. "Rio Tinto is reviving the sale of Pacific Aluminium two years after it was shelved amid signs that an upturn...
Constellium showcases aluminium innovative solutions at Automotive Engineering Expo 2015
Constellium N.V. announced today that it will present its latest innovative advanced aluminium alloys for automotive applications at the Automotive Engineering Expo 2015 in Nürnberg on June 9 and 10, 2015. Constellium will feature its new generation of high strength Crash Management Systems as well as Surfalex® HF, a new aluminium highly formable skin material for complex parts, which provides superior formability during the stamping process without compromising on design. Surfalex® HF has been nominated by the International OEM Advisory Board "AEE Innovation Star 2015". "We are thrilled that the innovative capabilities of Surfalex® HF are being recognized and are honored to be awarded the ‘Innovation Star 2015'," said Dieter Höll, Director Sales and Marketing, Automotive and Specialties...
Make in India, auto industry to push aluminium production in India
Aluminium production in India is expected to see a significant rise due to growing demand for the metal triggered by "Make in India" as well as revival of the country's automobile industry. Experts say that the demand for the metal will increase significantly, especially in infrastructure and automobile sectors. In the recent past, several aluminium manufacturers have rolled out their plans to expand the production capacity to meet the future demand. NALCO, a public sector unit (PSU) and one of the largest aluminium producers, has announced an investment of Rs 5,540 crore to set up a 1 million tonnes alumina refinery at Damanjodi town of Koraput district in Odisha. "With a view to boost the ancillary and downstream industries, NALCO has also committed to supply 50,000 MT of aluminium...
Mecfor Inc. acquires Brochot's intellectual property
Mecfor Inc. is pleased to announce the acquisition of the intellectual property of the Brochot SA, France. Until recently, Brochot specialized in the design and manufacturing of equipment for various metal industries, in particular primary aluminium smelters worldwide. Following the acquisition process that began in February, the order for the transfer of intangible assets to Mecfor Inc. was handed down on June 2nd by the Bobigny commercial court in France. Mecfor Inc. is taking control effective immediately and will be in a position to supply equipment, technical support, replacement parts, and service for Brochot products worldwide in accordance with Mecfor's high quality standards. Highlights • The intellectual property acquired includes all models, technologies, designs, technical...
US$10 Million bridge facility with Pala investments to advance the Bel Air Bauxite Project
Alufer Mining Limited, the bauxite exploration and development company with a portfolio of assets in the Republic of Guinea, West Africa, is pleased to announce that it has closed a US$10 million senior secured Bridge Facility (the "Facility") with Pala Investments Limited ("Pala"), which will fund the Bel Air Bauxite Project ("Bel Air" or the "Project") to the pre-construction stage. Highlights • US$10 million Facility secured to advance Bel Air through the pre-construction phase and to progress negotiations with interested parties to secure full construction financing ("Construction Financing"); • Pala has the option to participate in up to US$30 million of the Construction Financing; • Bel Air is fully permitted and discussions are underway to secure a Mining Convention providing long...
Metro Mining on fast track to bauxite production, increase in reserves
Metro Mining is on a roll after announcing a 398% increase in its ore reserve at the Bauxite Hills Project from 12.1 million tonnes to 48.2 million tonnes, enough for a 27 year mine life. However, even better news, the project at Cape York in Queensland could be in construction mode in second quarter 2016 and producing by fourth quarter 2016. This would be at a rate of up to 2 million tonnes of Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) per year. The Bauxite Hills Project is situated 95 kilometres north of Weipa on Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula and five kilometres south-east of the port at Skardon River. The project has a high grade total alumina of 50.2% and reactive silica of 6.3%, which is typical of Western Cape York bauxite deposits destined for export. An update of the geological model resulted...
Smart extension will create more jobs
Smart Systems Ltd has planning permission for a third sector to its plant but now seeks a fourth phase to increase its capacity. A company spokesman said: "It (the proposed extension) will improve our output. "The business is doing very well." Smart employs 370 people but hopes to increase its workforce to about 550-600 people, if allowed to make its Arnolds Way base larger. Smart, which makes aluminium glazing systems, has planning permission for two wind turbines - which were vehemently opposed by some villagers - and it expects them to be installed in the next six to 12 months. However the second turbine will be moved closer to Wemberham Lane to accommodate the fourth phase extension, if the scheme is approved by North Somerset Council. No houses would be within 200 metres of it....
