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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Novelis to host fourth quarter and fiscal year 2015 earnings conference call on Tuesday, May 12
Novelis Inc. will report its earnings for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2015 on Tuesday, May 12, 2015. Following the release, Steve Fisher, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, will discuss the results via a live conference call for investors at 8:00 a.m. ET the same day. The conference call will also be webcast live via the Novelis website. The audio portion of the meeting will be available via telephone at: U.S. and Canada Toll-Free Number: 800 757 8521 India Toll-Free Number: 0008008521504 International Toll Number: +1 212 231 2920 Participants should access the conference 15 minutes in advance of the start time to complete the registration process. To test the compatibility of your browser and network connections in advance, please visit the site in advance.
Alro Slatina quartered its energy consumption by lowering production
A drop in production has resulted in reduced energy consumption by 25% during the crucial years for the Romanian aluminium producer Alro Slatina. Aluminium being an energy-intensive industry, a large chunk of capital is spent on energy requirements. Alro spent nearly a third of the company’s cost on energy. The recent amount of saved energy by the firm compared to 2008 is equivalent to the energy consumed by around 350 apartments as per the local news channels. The company had suffered a loss of EUR 24.6 million loss last year with a turnover if EUR 452 million with an estimated profit of USD 63.6 million (EUR 57.8 million) for 2015. There are planned investments worth USD 58.9 million (EUR 53.5 million) lined up with a forecasted revenues of USD 663.6 million. Alro, the largest power...
Diaki Aluminium Industry will expand production in Thailand
Industry Minister Chakkamon Phasukwanit has said after meeting with the president of Diaki Aluminium Industry (Thailand) Co., Ltd. that the company promised to maintain and expand its production site in Thailand to accommodate future growth of the Thai automotive industry. Diaki Aluminium Industry (Thailand) Co., Ltd. is one of the world’s top five biggest aluminium manufacturers. Its factory at the Amata Nakhon Industrial Estate has received permission from the Department of Industrial Works to recycle aluminium dross as raw material for the green steel industry. The Office of Industrial Economics has forecast that the Thai industrial GDP in 2015 would expand by 2-3% and the manufacturing production index 3-4%. The automotive industry’s production was expected to grow by 10% or 2.15...
$410 Million aluminium fluoride plant goes on stream in UAE
The Gulf's first aluminium fluoride plant in Abu Dhabi is aiming to tap growing demand from smelters in the region, its chief executive said on Tuesday. Commercial production has begun at the Dh1.5 billion ($410 million) newly-built facility run by Gulf Fluor, a family-owned private firm. Gulf Fluor will produce 60,000 tonnes per annum of aluminium fluoride and some other chemicals used in the aluminium, construction, agriculture and refrigeration sectors. Aluminium fluoride is used in aluminium production, which has been rising rapidly in the Gulf, partly because of the region's low energy costs and extensive port facilities, as well as its booming construction industry. "Our target markets are aluminium smelters in the UAE, Bahrain, Oman and other places where demand is growing for the...
U.S. aluminium premiums falling back into line with Europe
More available aluminium means the surcharges that U.S. consumers pay are narrowing into line with costs paid in Asia and Europe, and the regional gap could be closed by the end of the year. Strong U.S. demand for aluminium used in transport and packaging, long queues to get material out of London Metal Exchange approved warehouses and lucrative financing deals that kept metal out of the market have pushed up premiums, or the surcharge for obtaining physical material. But supply barriers are crumbling rapidly, more metal is finding its way to the U.S. market and prices are already falling. "The gap is starting to narrow ... It's still there, though it won't be by the end of this year," said Michael Widmer, metals strategist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. "The U.S. is a deficit market...
Orbite granted red mud monetization patents in Canada and US
Orbite Aluminae Inc. is pleased to announce that further to its press releases of January 8 and March 13, 2015, the Company has now been granted patents in Canada and the Unites States pertaining to its Red Mud Monetization technology. The two patents are Canadian patent 2,857,574 and U.S. patent 14/371,364, both titled Processes for Treating Red Mud. These patents entitle Orbite to the exclusive use of these inventions for a period of twenty (20) years following their respective filing date. Red mud is the waste product generated by the Bayer process, the industrial process used for refining bauxite to obtain alumina, the raw material for the electrolytic production of aluminum. Red mud represents a long-term environmental liability for the entire alumina industry. The Orbite process is...
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. 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 extrusion...
LME aluminium to fall to $1,892
LME aluminium may fall to a support at $1,892 per tonne, as it has peaked around a resistance at $1,930. The resistance and the support are identified respectively as the 161.8 percent and the 123.6 percent Fibonacci projection levels of an upward wave C, the third wave of a three-wave cycle that developed from the March 12 low of $1,745. This wave could be well divided into five small waves, a signal that it has completed. The bearish divergence on the hourly MACD confirms the completion. A bounce from the current level may be limited to $1,918, the 150 percent level.
1.6 Million-tpy alumina project comes online in Guizhou
Guizhou Huajin Aluminum Co. put half of its 1.6 million-tpy alumina project online on April 29, CNMN website reported. The remaining 800,000-tpy is still under construction and slated for production in August this year, it added. Guizhou Huajin Aluminum Co. is a JV between Chaclo and Jinjiang Group.
Constellium to report first quarter 2015 results on May 14, 2015
Constellium N.V. will announce its first quarter 2015 financial results on Thursday 14 May, 2015. A conference call and webcast to present the results will take place at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) on the same day. The conference call will be hosted by Pierre Vareille, Chief Executive Officer, and Didier Fontaine, Chief Financial Officer. Details of the conference call, webcast and accompanying presentation will be available on the Constellium Investor Relations page at the company's website. To participate by telephone, please dial the following number and ask to be connected to the Constellium Q1 earnings call: USA: 1 866 376 8056 France: 0 805 102 319 Germany: 0 800 589 5393 Switzerland: 0 800 246 787 United Kingdom: 0 800 279 9489 An archive recording of the conference call and...
2016 Lexus RX Facelift: Aluminium is for the better
At the end of this year, Lexus will be launching the RX Facelift and the mid-cycle refresh will involve both the RX350 and RX450. Lexus has already revealed that the RX Facelift is going to come with big improvements to the performance and this is due to aluminium. In case you are unaware, Lexus will be utilizing aluminium to structure the RX Facelift. The aluminium parts will involve the hood, tailgate and closures. This will mark the first time Lexus ever used aluminium for its vehicles and it is aimed at dragging the weight of the upcoming SUV down. With a lighter body weight, the RX Facelift will have a bigger power output and better fuel economy. The aluminium structure is also engineered in the highest order to ensure that it is stronger than conventional metals. Of course, Lexus...
Rexam awards suppliers for excellence
Rexam, a leading beverage can manufacturer, recently celebrated the award-winning achievements of six of its top U.S. suppliers. The Rexam Supplier Excellence Award program, now in its 12th year, acknowledges the suppliers that consistently ensure reliability, quality, innovation and cost effectiveness throughout the company's supply chain. It includes an annual awards dinner to celebrate the success of its supplier partnerships, review key business priorities and discuss ways to continue to enhance performance in the future. The 2014 awards were presented to: • Redwood Logistics – Supplier of the Year – for being a true partner that is dedicated to achieving the best in Quality, Cost, Support and Innovation to help Rexam meet its business needs. • Motor Carrier Services, Inc. – Best...
BHP's South32 risks tough market debut
BHP Billiton's shareholders are expected to approve the biggest ever spin-off in the mining industry on Wednesday, seeking to wring more value out of a string of long-neglected aluminium, manganese, silver and nickel assets. But the new company, South32, risks a tough May 18 debut on the Australian bourse, with investors nervous about weak commodity prices, short mine life spans and declining ore grades. Reflecting this uncertainty, analyst valuations vary widely, with Morgan Stanley predicting it may start with a market worth of A$8.5 billion (£4.43 billion) and Investec around $12 billion. "I think a focused management team will be able to extract the best value for those assets over time. But if commodity prices are weak, it's going to be a bit more problematic," said Paul Xiradis,...
China’s aluminum giant is a lightweight stock
Investors could be forgiven for thinking Aluminum Corp of China’s return to profitability, fatter margins and surging share price makes the lightweight metal producer a stock to own but that may not be the case. The company, better known as Chalco, may be a giant of China’s aluminum industry but it’s a pygmy where it counts: profits, revenue growth and return on capital. The first quarter results delivered a miserly profit of CNY63 million struck off a 22% year-on-year fall in revenue, the lowest top line performance since the global financial crisis. While at first brush these numbers may appear uninspiring, the depressing reality is they represent a significant improvement on the CNY10.8 billion loss delivered in the prior quarter. Although investors don’t seem bothered with whimsical...
L&T presses for ML over two bauxite deposits
Engineering and construction giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has made a renewed bid to secure mining rights over Sijimali and Kutrumali bauxite deposits across Kalahandi and Rayagada districts after the enforcement of the Mines & Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, MMDR Act, 2015. Since L&T already has a prospecting license (PL) over these twin deposits, it is hopeful to bag them. Both Kutrumali and Sijimali have combined reserve of 300 million tonne of bauxite. "Under the new MMDR Act, L&T is eligible to get mining rights over the two bauxite deposits since we have the PL. We have requested the state government to recommend mining lease in our favour and also expedite permissions for our alumina refinery project," said L&T's group executive chairman A M Naik after meeting Chief Minister...
Weiqiao Group bauxite shipping berth in Guinea to open in July
The first berth of the wharf project co-invested by Shandong Weiqiao Pioneering Group and three other companies is scheduled to open in July this year, cnmn website reported. The project aims to build two bauxite berths, one heavy cargo berth, as well as loading belts. The wharf is designed to handle 10 million tonnes per year, and annual handling capacity is expected to rise to 30 million tonnes within three years, the media added. The purpose of the project is to ship bauxite mined by Boke Mining Company to China for use by Shandong Weiqiao Pioneering Group.
Granco Clark announces the retirement of their valued CEO
Granco Clark, Inc., a global leader in the manufacturing of equipment for the aluminum extrusion industry, today announced the retirement of Larry Difatta as Chief Executive Officer. He will remain with the Company on the board of directors as Chairman. On May 1, 2015, Larry Difatta the CEO of the aluminium extrusion company calls his retirement. Granco Clark has experienced success and prosperity under his regime, says company representatives and they are all sad to see him go. Difatta joined the company in 1988 and has been serving as CEO since 1992. In the course of these 27 years, the company has grown twice its size with dramatic increases in revenue and market share. His expertise in the machine building couple with his visionary approach helped introduce new technologies in the...
Nabaltec AG confirms preliminary figures for Financial Year 2014 and provides outlook for results in Q1/2015
Nabaltec AG published its 2014 consolidated financial statements today and confirmed the preliminary figures for last year. Revenues remained stable at a high level, climbing by 7.8% to EUR 143.3 million (2013: EUR 132.9 million). EBIT grew by a strong 21.0%, to EUR 12.7 million (2013: EUR 10.5 million), and EBITDA climbed to EUR 22.4 million, up from EUR 19.8 million the year before (up 13.1 %). Nabaltec's consolidated earnings (after non-controlling interests) more than doubled in the reporting year, to EUR 5.5 million (2013: EUR 2.6 million). Accordingly, earnings per share increased from EUR 0.33 the year before to EUR 0.69 in 2014 (up 109.1%). Results in all four quarters of 2014 exceeded the comparison values from the year before and contributed equally to the overall revenue...
