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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VALCO will rise again – Ghana President
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday gave the assurance that government would do everything under its purview to revive the Volta Aluminum Company (VALCO) to take its rightful position in the smelting of alumina in the country. He said he had directed the Ministry of Power to make available all excess power to VALCO as soon as the current challenges were stabilized. President Mahama gave the assurance when he paid a working visit to the company to ascertain its current operational levels. He was accompanied by Dr Kwabena Donkor, Minister of Power and Dr EKwow Spio-Garbrah, Minister of Trade and Industry, among other dignitaries. President Mahama, who earlier inaugurated the Enclave Power Company substation in Tema, said VALCO which was the flagship project of the late President Kwame...
Alcoa & Metalsa’s new aluminium frame for CVs 40% lighter than steel frames
All-aluminium frame will reduce truck weight by over 40 percent compared to steel frames, saving nearly 408kg per vehicle, increasing fuel efficiency and payload. Lightweight, high-performance metals company Alcoa, in collaboration with Metalsa, a global supplier of light and commercial vehicle and chassis structures, recently displayed a lightweight, all-aluminium commercial truck frame at the Mid-America Trucking show in Louisville, Kentucky. Still under development, the lighter weight frame will reduce truck weight by over 40 percent compared to steel frames, saving nearly 900 pounds (408kg) per vehicle, increasing fuel efficiency and payload. Additionally, the frame’s increased stiffness will double rigidity, enabling a smoother ride. The aluminium frame also offers superior corrosion...
EGA to showcase industry leadership at ALUMINIUM Middle East 2015
Emirates Global Aluminium, EGA, will join industry professionals from around the world at ALUMINIUM Middle East 2015, which takes place from 14th to 16th April at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. As a participant in the exhibition since it was launched in 2009, formerly through its core operating subsidiaries Dubai Aluminium , DUBAL , and Emirates Aluminium , EMAL , the EGA will leverage ALUMINIUM Middle East 2015 to showcase the company?s regional and global leadership. The event will gather 3,000 industry professionals from 70 countries around the world and will highlight the Middle East?s future role as the world?s powerhouse in aluminium production. ALUMINIUM Middle East 2015 will also facilitate discussions on uplifting the downstream sectors to support the...
PanAsialum to build 350,000-tpy aluminum processing project in Xinjiang
PanAsialum Holdings is planning to spend 200 million yuan ($33 million) in building an aluminum processing project in Xinjiang, finance.sina.com reported yesterday. The company will build 300,000-tpy high-end aluminum extrusion bar project and 50,000-tpy high-end flat-rolled aluminum project, it added. Construction is scheduled to be completed within one year and a half.
Auto components crucial for aluminium industry
South Africa’s automotive sector is currently one of the key drivers of aluminium demand in the country, which stakeholders attribute to the global trend of manufacturers using an increasing amount of aluminium for vehicle components, particularly for passenger vehicles. As a result, aluminium foundries are starting to pursue advanced technologies and techniques in their processes, says aluminium industry representative organisation the Aluminium Federation of South Africa (Afsa). “Aluminium weighs a third of the weight of steel; it is extremely corrosion-resistant and can be made as strong as steel with advanced foundry techniques,” explains Afsa executive director Mark Krieg, noting that Germany-based car manufacturer Mercedes Benz’s C-Class was the first car built in South Africa using...
Automotive piston market to grow six percent as aluminum dominates
Automotive pistons are in demand as vehicle production climbs, but the trend is not without its challenges as a there is a growing shift in popularity to electric cars and smaller engines with fewer cylinders per vehicle. Newer technology can leave engines like this inline 6-cylinder design in the history books. For key companies in the industry like Mahle GmbH (Germany), Aisin-Seiki Co. Ltd. (Japan), Rheinmetall AG (Germany), Hitachi Ltd. (Japan) and Federal-Mogul Corporation (U.S.) the consumer trend toward electric cars could force piston engine manufacturers to improve efficiency or fade into the past. China, South Korea and India are the main contributors to the growth of the automotive piston system market in the Asia-Oceania region where many OEM’s are expanding to meet huge...
Datang International produces 110,000 tonnes of alumina annually using coal ash
Inner Mongolia Datang International Renewable Resource Development Co. produces 110,000 tonnes of alumina each year using coal ash, a waste generated during thermal power generation, local media reported yesterday. The company’s subsidiary, Datang Tuoke Power Plant, generates over 4 million tonnes of coal ash annually, providing sufficient raw materials for alumina production.
Alumina in a better space than iron ore
Credit Suisse upgrades Alumina AWC to "outperform" from "neutral" and says "it is our preferred ASX100 mining exposure". "Alumina fundamentals are much better than iron ore and AWC is moving into a strong dividend paying position with a yield of 8 per cent in CY15 rising to 13 per cent in CY17. "We downgrade BHP Billiton from "neutral" to "underperform". Embedded oil prices are far more bullish relative to other commodity prices and although capex can and likely will be cut further, this will increasingly come at the expense of future growth. "We downgrade Fortescue Metals Group FMG from "outperform" to "neutral". On our iron ore forecasts it will need to cut capex to the bone, cut costs further and drop the dividend."
Power tariff cuts to slow retirement of China high-cost aluminum capacity
China’s State Council decided last week to cut power rates for industrial and commercial users by an average 0.018 yuan ($0.00294)/Kwh. Some 70% of China’s operational aluminum capacity relies on captive power plants and are thus unaffected by these tariff adjustments, SMM understands. Smelters that source power directly from power plants will similarly be unable to benefit from these tariff cuts. It remains to be seen whether those that have already been receiving preferential power rates will qualify for the tariff cuts. Aluminum smelters that do qualify for the tariff cuts are already suffering from high production costs, with 20% of China’s operational aluminum capacity suffering losses in cash costs at current prices, SMM data showed. Therefore, this cut in power tariffs will slow...
Bank of America Merrill Lynch cuts 2015 price forecast for Aluminium to $1,800 a ton
Bank of America Merrill Lynch has cut its this year price forecast for aluminium to $1,800 a ton and remained unchanged for 2016. Bank of America Merrill Lynch previously mentioned that gold prices to average $1,818 a ton this year and $1,850 a ton for next year. Aluminium has been among the best performing metals since the beginning of 2014. Of course, this was heavily influenced by substantial output curtailments from operators in World ex-China. Yet, exports of semis from China increased in recent months, halting the rally on LME. While the aluminium market in World ex- China remains in deficit, we remain cautious until Chinese product shipments subside. Meanwhile, trading on LME is normalising, which has pushed premia lower. Premia remain above fair value, so Bank of America Merrill...
AlCircle to make its presence felt at Aluminium Middle East 2015 in Dubai
AlCircle has the pleasure of being a part of Aluminium Middle East 2015 exhibition as a media partner and exhibitor. AlCircle has been actively associated with the Aluminium Exhibition for last 5 years as media partner. Aluminium Middle East 2015 is the biggest gathering for aluminium professionals and the leading exhibition for aluminium products, technologies and investments in the Middle East. Launched in 2009, the event brings together international industry front-runners including producers, manufacturers and processors of raw materials and end products made with aluminium components, as well as suppliers of technologies and accessories for aluminium production, processing and refinement. In its 4th edition, Aluminium Middle East 2015 gathers 180 exhibitors from 25 countries and over...
China’s aluminium exports peak
Aluminium shipments from China, which climbed 43 percent in the first quarter, have probably peaked in the near term as the country’s sustained production dragged down prices, according to CLSA Ltd. Exports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products rose from a year earlier to 1.21 million metric tons in the January-March quarter, according to a statement released by the General Administration of Customs on Monday in Beijing. Shipments shrank 15 percent in March to 360 000 tons from the previous month, according to customs, as prices fell for a second month. China, producer of about half the world’s primary aluminium, continues to add capacity, while smelters elsewhere struggle to cut enough supply to buoy prices. The surcharges that consumers pay to obtain the metal are falling from...
Alba is set to grow with line 6 expansion project
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) held recently a Management meeting review to give an update on the status of Line 6 expansion project. Alba has been actively focused on the expansion project lately. The construction phase is due to take place upon obtaining Board, Shareholders as well as other Regulatory approvals and it will be expected to wrap-up after 3 full years. Alba’s sixth production line is expected to add around 400,000 metric tonnes to its existing capacity bringing Alba’s total production capacity to 1.3 million tonnes per annum. Commenting on Line 6 expansion project, Shaikh Daij Bin Salman Bin Daij Al Khalifa said: “We are optimistic about the future growth prospects from Alba’s sixth production Line. This new landmark will make Alba one of the largest single site smelters...
ALUMINIUM Middle East 2015 kicks off in Dubai
ALUMINIUM Middle East is the biggest gathering for aluminium professionals and the leading exhibition for aluminium products, technologies and investments in the Middle East. Launched in 2009, the event brings together international industry front-runners including producers, manufacturers and processors of raw materials and end products made with aluminium components, as well as suppliers of technologies and accessories for aluminium production, processing and refinement. In its 4th edition, ALUMINIUM Middle East is taking place IN Dubai and the gathering is going to host 180 exhibitors from 25 countries and over 4,000 industry professionals from 70 countries. The exhibition, which will be held under the theme of ‘Forging Connections Building Possibilities’, will help the aluminium...
Ohio scrap recycler receives loans to expand
American Recycling Services, (ARS), an Alliance, Ohio-based scrap recycling company, has been approved by the Alliance City Council for a $103,000 loan through the Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG) program. The UDAG loan is part of a $257,000 loan package that includes a loan from Huntington Bank and a loan from the company’s owner. The money will be used to expand the scrap recycler’s operations and includes the purchase of equipment and the hiring of additional employees. Joe Mazzola, the City of Alliance’s director of Planning & Development, says the total loan package to expand and update American Recycling was around $257,000, with Greg Carpenter, the owner of ARS, contributing 10 percent, the city putting up 40 percent and Huntington Bank contributing the remaining 50 percent of...
Borbet to build eighth aluminium wheel plant
In order to remedy a capacity shortfall, alloy wheel manufacturer Borbet GmbH has decided to erect a new factory. After evaluating the suitability of several sites in Germany as well as locations in Poland, Hungary and Brazil, the company has decided upon Kodersdorf in the German state of Saxony as the host region for its new greenfield facility. At present Borbet can produce around 20 million cast aluminium wheels at its seven factories – Altena, Medeback, Solingen, and Bad Langensalza (Germany), Ranshofen (Austria), Port Elizabeth (South Africa) and Auburn (Alabama, USA) – and it says this isn’t enough to meet rising demand. The planned factory in Kodersdorf is expected to have an annual capacity of two million light alloy wheels, and it will add a further 300 to 400 jobs to the...
Ess Dee Aluminium zooms over 100% in six days
Shares of Ess Dee Aluminium have moved higher by 7% to INR 252, extending its past five day’s rally on the bourses, despite clarification by the company that the rise of its share price is unexpected and unwarranted. In past six trading sessions, the stock zoomed 105% from INR 123 on March 31, on the National Stock Exchange (NSE). The CNX Nifty gained 3% during the same period. With reference to the increase in price, Ess Dee Aluminium has clarified to BSE that "As of now the company does not have any information/announcement that have a bearing on the operation/performance of the company which include all price sensitive information in regard to the company that could have led to the sudden spurt on the price behavior and volume of transactions of the company's scrip." The stock opened...
Composites to dominate automotive R&D for lightweighting: GALM
The automotive industry agrees almost unanimously that multi-material designs are the optimal route to low-weight vehicle architectures, yet the critical challenge still remains on how to reduce the cost and time of joining steel, aluminium and composites. The Global Automotive Lightweight Materials (GALM) team conducted an exclusive poll to find out more. 46% of industry professionals admitted the cost and time of multi-material joining is the biggest hindrance to further reducing vehicle weight. This compares to 29% who felt the design challenges of new materials was the largest barrier, 17% were concerned about the cost of material supply and just 8% decided the forming of components was the biggest wall to shaving more grams from the car. OEMs and suppliers were also quizzed over...
