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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Inner Mongolia’s Huolingol to build over 150,000-tpy aluminum alloy projects
The government of Huolingol, Inner Mongolia, has signed deals with six companies, allowing them to build aluminum alloy and other projects, CNMN reported. These six projects, with total investment at 815 million yuan ($ 131 million), cover 100,000-tpy aluminum alloy die-casting project, 50,000-tpy aluminum alloy die-casting project, 5,000-tpy aluminum alloy die-casting project, 80,000-tpy aluminum extrusion project, as well as other non-aluminum projects.
Alufoil industry supports World Barbecue Championships 2015
The Official WBQA World Barbecue Championships 2015 will take place 13-14 June in the city centre of Gothenburg, Sweden, and is supported by the Global Aluminium Foil Roller Initiative (GLAFRI) and the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA). About 50,000 visitors are expected to watch more than 60 BBQ teams from 18 countries from Europe, Africa, North and South America displaying their skills at the grill across the full range of BBQ disciplines. For all teams aluminium foil and semi-rigid alufoil containers will be a major component in the preparation and creative barbecuing of the seven competition categories (fish, chicken, ribs, pork butt/shoulder, beef brisket, homeland cooking and dessert). The aluminium household foil especially produced for the event by foil roller Hydro and...
Asdion Bhd secures its first logistic contract for the supply of bauxite
IT firm Asdion Bhd is venturing into logistics business securing its first contract worth US$112mil (RM414mil) with Hong Kong International Mining Exchange Ltd (HKIM) for the supply of bauxite, the company told a local newspaper on Wednesday. Under the agreement, Asdion’s subsidiary will provide logistics-related services to HKIM for the delivery of a total of four million dry tonnes of bauxite at a base price of US$28 per dry tonne. The first delivery shall commence in July, according to Asdion’s announcement. StarBiz first reported in January that Asdion, a loss-making software maker, was expected to acquire private firm TAZ Logistics Sdn Bhd, marking its entry into the logistics and transportation sector. The company subsequently confirmed this and in February, paid RM6mil cash to...
Alba receives Kazakhstan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Alba, one of the world's leading aluminium smelters, yesterday received Kazakhstan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Bakyt Batyrshayev. Mr Batyrshayev was welcomed by chief operations officer Isa Al Ansari, chief financial officer Ali Al Baqali and other Alba officials. The main purpose of the visit was to meet with Alba representatives and know more about the smelter's production processes as well as its role in supporting Bahrain's economy. During the visit, bilateral and business relations between Bahrain and Kazakhstan were discussed. 'We are pleased to receive Mr Batyrshayev and appreciate the visit as such meetings contribute towards enhancing economic relations between our countries, 'Mr Al Ansari said. The ambassador was also given a tour of Alba where he was briefed about the smelter's...
USGS reports 143000 tonnes domestic primary aluminium production in March 2015
United States Geological Survey (USGS) has reported that US domestic primary aluminum production in March 2015 was 143000 metric tons. The average daily production was 4,600 t, slightly less than the daily production during the previous month and 7% less than that in March 2014. Total aluminum recovered from scrap in March 2015 was 300,000 t, slightly more than that recovered in February and in March 2014. Of this, 164000 tonnes of aluminum was recovered from new scrap, 3% more than the amount during the previous month and slightly more than the amount recovered in March 2014. The amount of aluminum recovered from old scrap was 136000 tonnes, slightly more than the amount recovered in the previous month and in March 2014. Total imports of aluminum in the first quarter of 2015 were 5% more...
Maruti Suzuki launches Celerio 125 DDiS with an all-aluminium engine
Maruti Suzuki launches Celerio 125 DDiS in India with prices starting at INR 4.65 lakh, featuring a revolutionary all-aluminium diesel engine. Celerio claims to be the most fuel efficient car in the country with an ARAI certified mileage of 27.62 kmpl. Specially designed by Suzuki, the all-aluminium engine weighs a mere 89 kg, thus making it the smallest and lightest oil-burner in India. To put it in the right perspective and to appreciate the dramatic change the engine has undergone, one only needs to look at the second lightest engine in the country, that of Maruti Suzuki Swift, weighing 128 kg. The light weight of the engine does not compromise on the performance. This 793 cc engine offers 47.65 PS of max power at 3500 rpm and 125 Nm of torque at 2000 rpm. Transmission is operated by a...
Bahrain's Midal Cables opens $65 mln aluminium factory in Mozambique
Bahrain's Midal Cables said on Wednesday it had spent $65 million to construct an aluminium factory in the Mozambican capital that will export to other African countries. The plant, situated near Mozambique's Mozal aluminum smelter, has an annual output capacity of 50,000 metric tonnes and will produce rods, wires and conductors for countries such as South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria. "It's a strategic decision because Africa is a priority market for our group," managing director Hamid Al Zayani said. "Mozambique is an excellent platform for us to serve key markets in Africa." Mozambique, which is recovering from years of civil unrest, has some of the fastest economic growth rates on the continent and hopes to harness its vast natural gas reserves to become a...
Hind Aluminium declares financial results
Hind Aluminium reported its results showing a rise in net profit by 778.26% to INR 4.04 crore in the quarter ended in March 2015 rising from INR 0.46 crore reported for the same period in 2014. Total standalone income from operations was reported to be INR 154.22 crore for the March quarter of 2015 rising from INR 82.68 crore seen in March quarter 2014. Sales rose 87.02% from INR 82.11 crore in March quarter 2014 to INR 153.56 crore in March quarter 2015. In terms of the full year, the profit rose 24.23% to INR 7.28 crore in March 2015 as against INR 5.86 crore during the previous year ended March 2014. Sales declined 0.67% to INR 435.47 crore in the year ended March 2015 as against INR 438.39 crore during the previous year ended March 2014. Hind Aluminium shares closed at 54.00 on June...
Iran plans to invest $15 billion to develop the country’s mining sector
Iran focuses on the country’s mining sector during the sixth five-year economic development plan (2015-2020) with plans of investing $15 billion to develop projects and increase production capacity of aluminium, steel and copper. The development plan aims to increase the output of aluminium to 800,000 tons, copper to 400,000 tons and similar increase in steel production capacity by 2020, stated Deputy Minister of Industries, Mines and Trade Mehdi Karbasian in an Iranian newspaper. "Iran ranks among the top 10 countries in the world in terms of mineral reserves which stands at an estimated 60 billion tonnes,” Karbasian said, also adding that more than 68 types of minerals were first discovered in the country. Nearly 25 percent of the minerals market in Middle East is claimed by Iran where...
Arslan Automotive offers cross-Canada clinics on new aluminum repair techniques
One of the big shifts in the auto industry of late has been an increased use of aluminum. To help clients keep up with the shift, Arslan Automotive Canada is offering free clinics on aluminum repair techniques. Arslan recently sent several employees to Italy for a week to learn advanced welding techniques. Now the knowledge is being passed on to clients who are taking advantage of the equipment packages the company is offering for sale. The president of Arslan, Arman Gurarslan, expects the sale of aluminum repair equipment to be big business. “Eighty to eighty five percent of body shops don’t have the tools. So we think this is going to be big for us over the next two years,” he says. To help clients get up to speed on the new equipment the company has dispatched two of its key reps on a...
Ameren will not extend Noranda aluminum plant's power contract
Noranda Aluminum Holding Corp will have to seek a new power supplier or negotiate a new contract with Ameren Corp in five years to keep its Missouri smelter running, the latest obstacle for its only primary aluminum plant. Energy provider Ameren's Missouri division told Noranda last Thursday it will not extend a power contract for its smelter in New Madrid after the current contract expires in 2020, Noranda said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday. That was the five years' notice needed to avoid an automatic one-year renewal. The notice comes just one month after Missouri's state regulator approved a reduced power rate for the 253,000 tonne-per-year smelter, which Ameren Missouri had fought. The news comes just as Noranda prepares to fight an attempt by the government of Jamaica to prevent...
Aluminum gains second time in three days on China demand outlook
Aluminum gained for the second time in three sessions on speculation that demand will climb in China, the world’s top metals consumer. A Chinese factory gauge rose last month, signaling that the government’s monetary easing has helped to cushion the economy. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said Monday that more aluminum will probably be used in the nation’s electrical grid after updates from China’s National Energy Administration on metal standards. Inventories monitored by the London Metal Exchange are at the lowest since April 2009. “A decline in stockpiles in always supportive as it helps the fundamental story,” Mike Dragosits, a senior commodity strategist at TD Securities in Toronto, said in a telephone interview. “There are expectations of further monetary easing in China,” which will keep...
Alumina refinery to employ 3,000 workers in West Kalimantan
An alumina refinery in Sungai Tengar village, Kendawangan district, Ketapang regency, West Kalimantan, is set to provide 3,000 jobs for local residents. Ketapang Development Planning Board economic affairs head Alexander Wilyo told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that the opportunity was expected to have many positive impacts on the region. “The refinery complex covers various industrial facilities, including a port. As many as 3,000 local residents will be able to find jobs in the industry,” said Alexander. The plant processes bauxite ore into ready to process aluminum. Alexander said that since 2013, the Chinese-Indonesian joint-venture had planned to build the plant on a 1,000-hectare plot of land. The joint venture has put up a total investment of US$2.2 billion to build the biggest...
Canyon Resources has drill rig turning at Cameroon bauxite project
Canyon Resources has moved a drill rig on to its bauxite project in Cameroon to follow up promise from earlier drilling that saw grades of bauxite encountered as high as 50% Al2O3 and low silica. Drilling will test 15 newly defined targets over the Mandoum and Birsok permits before the onset of the wet season with up to 3,000 metres of aircore drilling. The Birsok Bauxite Project is located in an emerging bauxite region of Cameroon, contiguous with the world class Minim Martap bauxite deposit and approximately 10 kilometres from an operating rail line and then a journey from Ngaoundal to Douala Port. Canyon will look to define a sufficient resource to support development of bauxite mining operation.
Hydro well underway with EUR 230 million investments
Hydro, the leading European aluminium company, is well ahead with its investment projects in Neuss and Grevenbroich totaling EUR 230 million. Minister lays foundation stone for alu-light cars Today, the Economy Minister of Germany's largest state Nordrhein-Westfalen, Garrelt Duin, and Hydro Executive Vice President Kjetil Ebbesberg laid the foundation stone for the project to build a third production line for automotive aluminium body sheet. This EUR 130 million investment shall be commissioned in the second half of 2016, boosting local capacity for aluminium car body sheet from currently 50,000 to 200,000 tonnes per year. The demand for aluminium in the automotive sector is growing tremendously, since the lightweight material helps reduce fuel consumption and save CO2 emissions. “Our new...
The future of the green cars in the spotlight at Aluminium China 2015
Asia’s leading event for the complete aluminum supply chain will highlight aluminium’s role in the technological and environmental revolution across major global industries. 2 June 2015: With more leading car makers launching electric and hybrid vehicles and China’s stated national strategy to reduce average passenger vehicle fuel consumption by a third before 2020, Aluminium China 2015 in July will showcase the increasing role played by aluminium in the growing green automotive industry. By reducing vehicle weight without compromising safety, aluminium is increasingly being used in a range of automotive products from engine casings and chasses to wheels, doors and connectors. Visitors to Asia’s leading event for the complete aluminum supply chain will see aluminum forging, stamping and...
Student winners of the 2015 Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition announced
The ET Foundation, the educational and technology research organization founded by the Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC), has recognized 10 students for their outstanding entries in the 2015 Aluminum Extrusion Student Design Competition. Nearly 60 entries were received from schools and universities across North America. The ET Foundation awarded $8,500 in scholarships to recognize the winning designs—featuring extruded aluminum components—developed by students studying industrial design, engineering and other related fields. The competition was sponsored exclusively by Bonnell Aluminum, headquartered in Newnan, Georgia. The designs were judged by aluminum extrusion industry professionals, including David Asher, Process Optimization Manager at Bonnell Aluminum in Newnan, Georgia; Todd...
Alcoa invests in aerospace technology in Michigan to capture demand for bestselling jet engine parts
Lightweight, high-performance metals leader Alcoa is investing $22 million in Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) technology at its facility in Whitehall, Michigan. The investment will enable Alcoa to capture growing demand for advanced titanium, nickel and 3D-printed parts for the world’s bestselling jet engines. Steep ramp-up rates for narrow- and wide-body aircraft engines—the top-selling jet engines in the world—are increasing Alcoa’s need for such capabilities. “As aerospace growth soars, Alcoa continues to invest in the latest technologies, creating added capacity to capture fast-growing demand,” said Olivier Jarrault, Executive Vice President and Alcoa Group President, Engineered Products and Solutions. “Combined with our expansions in LaPorte, Indiana and Hampton, Virginia and our...
