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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North American aluminium production up in January 2015
The Aluminum Association, in cooperation with the Aluminum Association of Canada, reported primary aluminum production in North America (U.S. and Canada) was at an annual rate of 4,536,937 tonnes during February 2015, up 20,474 tpy (+0.5%) over the previous month's rate of 4,516,463 tonnes. This marks the fourth consecutive month in which production has increased. Compared to a year ago, the annual rate of production was 3.6 percent below the February 2014 rate of 4,708,552 tonnes. U.S. and Canadian Producer inventories totaled 2,877 million pounds in January, up 1.7 percent from the December 2014 level of 2,830 million pounds. Compared to a year ago, producer inventories were up 12.1 percent. For more information visit the Aluminum Association website.
North American aluminium consumption up 7.9% Y/Y in January 2015
Demand for aluminum semi-fabricated (mill) products in the United States and Canada (measured in shipments by domestic producers plus imports) totaled an esti-mated 1,487 million pounds in January, increasing 10.1 percent over the January 2014 total of 1,351 million pounds. Aluminum sheet and plate totaled 858 million pounds in January, up 13.6 percent. Extruded products were up 8.1 percent year-over-year to 415 million pounds. Estimated shipments of aluminum ingot for castings, exports and other uses totaled 636 million pounds, down 17.4 percent from a year ago. Apparent consumption in domestic U.S. and Canada markets totaled 1,912 million pounds in January, up 7.9 percent year-over-year. Estimated apparent consumption in 2014 totaled 21,953 million pounds. The Association’s “Index of...
Portuguese brewer Sagres chose Rexam to create 10 uniquely designed aluminium cans
Portuguese beer brand named Sagres had chosen the leading global can maker Rexam, to create special limited edition packaging cans to showcase designs that would portray the cultural diversity of Portugal’s ten regions. Famous Portuguese artist, Joana Vasconcelos created the design and Rexam used their innovative HD printing technique to transfer the design onto the cans and coated them with a matt-over-varnish finish. The limited edition cans were launched to celebrate the Portuguese passion for arts and home grown talent. Raul Simão, Sagres marketing manager talks about the partnership saying, “We are thrilled with how Rexam was able to provide a packaging format to display our ten fantastic eye-catching designs that illustrate our patriotism and pride in our culture. The cans have...
Japan Q2 aluminum premiums mostly set at $380 per metric ton, down 11 percent from Q1
Japan's aluminum premiums for April-June shipments were mostly set at $380 per metric ton, down for the first time in six quarters on higher inventories and slumping spot premiums, six sources directly involved in the talks said. Japan is Asia's biggest importer of the metal and the premiums for primary metal shipments it agrees to pay each quarter over the London Metal Exchange (LME) cash price set the benchmark for the region. Five buyer sources and another source at one of the producers said most shipments were booked at $380 per metric ton, down 11 percent from a record $425 in the January-March quarter. "We urged producers to drastically cut premiums as stocks have piled up and spot premiums have come down to as low as around $350 here and overseas premiums have also lost ground," a...
IAI reports drop in global aluminum output in February
The most recent statistics released by the International Aluminum Institute (IAI) indicates that the global aluminum output during the month of February this year, excluding China, dropped when compared with the prior month. However, upon comparison with the same month a year ago, the Feb ’15 output has improved considerably. As per IAI data, the total aluminum production during February this year totaled 1.911 million mt, down by almost 9% when compared with the revised output figure of 2.104 million mt in January. The output during Feb ’15 was higher by nearly 2% when compared with the output of 1.868 million mt in February last year. The cumulative aluminum output during the initial two months of the year totaled 4.015 million mt, slightly higher when compared with the output of 3.919...
Indonesia may ease bauxite export ban to generate revenue for building smelters
An Indonesian mining ministry official on Monday said that export ban on bauxite may be eased to promote smelter building in the country. The country had banned the export of minerals last year in a bid to develop the upstream industry within the country and only export processed, end products. Mineral export contributed significant earnings to the country’s economy and the complete ban on exports has put an additional pressure on the economy. Producers have had to halt construction of upstream processing plants due to lack of funds. The government is considering easing the export ban and allowing mineral producers to acquire some revenue to continue the construction of smelter facilities, said Didu, head of the national smelter development team at the Energy and Mineral Resources...
Aziana Limited to sell Manantenina Bauxite Project to Indian buyer
Aziana Limited has signed a conditional agreement to sell its Manantenina Bauxite Project in Madagascar for a total consideration of US$2 million (A$2.56 million) to India’s Thankys Exports Pvt. Ltd. The non-binding agreement includes a royalty of US$0.50 per tonne of bauxite mined. Manantenina currently has a resource of 10.09 million tonnes. Further high quality bauxite has been identified over more than 80 square kilometres of the project but is as yet unquantified. Thankys exports gibbsiferous bauxite from their existing mines in India and has been involved in the exploration for and development of bauxite deposits since 1980. Sale agreement Under the proposed agreement, the buyer has agreed to make a minimum royalty payment of US$200,000 per annum for the first five years regardless...
Premiums not likely to rise for the aluminium-bodied F-150, say experts
Premiums for the aluminium Ford 2015 F-150 to remain similar to the steel versions, although they are likely to change once insurance companies gain enough experience in accident repair for the redesigned pickup truck. Since the insurance companies rely on the latest data available to them to calculate the rates, they are at present basing their premiums on the 2014 model claims. It could take a year for the insurance companies to get usable repair data and other useful information to evaluate the ideal rates for insurance of the aluminium-bodied model. "The cost to insure the F-150 may go up, or it may go down," said Progressive Corp. spokesman Jeff Sibel. "We won't have [enough] data until we have claims experiences." Ford is confident that the premiums will remain similar to the steel...
Enval to begin trial run for recycling laminate packaging into aluminium
Enval set to start trial runs for the pioneering technology for recycling flexible aluminium laminate packaging to assess the feasibility of the process. Defra (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be funding the trial that will cover 260 households for nine months starting 16 February across various locations in the country. Collection will be conducted by SUEZ environment along with the initial sorting while Enval will carry out the recycling task in their commercial demonstration facility at the Alconbury Enterprise Zone, near Huntingdon. Dr Carlos Ludlow-Palafox, Managing Director, Enval, said: "These trials are providing an important opportunity to prove that we can successfully capture and recycle the valuable aluminium, as well as recover the plastics as a fuel...
Aluminium marginally up on global cues
Aluminium futures traded a shade higher at INR 111.70 per kg today as speculators enlarged exposures on pick-up in spot demand. However, the metal's weakness overseas capped the gains. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, aluminium for delivery in March traded higher by 15 paise, or 0.13%, at INR 111.70 per kg in a business turnover of 191 lots. Similarly, the metal for delivery in April traded higher by 10 paise, or 0.09%, to Rs 112.60 per kg in eight lots. Analysts said rising demand from consuming industries at domestic spot markets mainly influenced aluminium prices at futures trade but the metal's weakness at the London Metal Exchange (LME), limited the gains.
Macfarlane gathers stakeholders for RET meet
A spokeswoman for Ian Macfarlane says the Industry Minister was looking to make it "abundantly clear" what the government's position on the Renewable Energy Target was at talks today with key stakeholders, The Australian Financial Review reports. According to the newspaper, Mr Macfarlane will meet this morning with representatives from the conventional power and renewable power sectors, aluminium industry and the unions. The meeting comes just a week before a deadline expires that would force emissions-intensive aluminium producers to pay liabilities under the scheme for another year, an outcome Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has said he wants to avoid as both Labor and the government have agreed to a full exemption for that industry. The government has offered the Labor Party a deal to...
Parliament passes the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation (MMDR) Bill, 2015
On Friday, the Parliament passed the much debated Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation (MMDR) Bill, 2015, a move that is expected to boost investments in the country. For the Indian economy to receive the much needed thrust forward, foreign investments are necessary and mining is a good industry to draw in interest. However, the irregular licensing systems are a great deterrent and Kameshwara Rao, the Energy, Utilities and Mining leader at PwC says, "Clarity on licensing terms, auctions, transfer of concessions will enable the sector to attract investment on its own terms, without having to depend on end-use plants." Despite the improvements the new Bill will bring, steel and aluminium companies can expect a rise in costs as there are fears of higher royalty payments for minerals...
Orbite files final short form base shelf prospectus
Orbite Aluminae Inc. today announced the filing of a final short form base shelf prospectus (the "Prospectus") which was receipted by the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces of Canada. The Prospectus is not a commitment to undertake any financing but is designed to provide increased financial flexibility to take advantage of financing opportunities over the normal course of business to fund the Company's Cap Chat facility for the production of High Purity Alumina and the demonstration of the Company's proprietary waste monetization technology. The Prospectus together with each prospectus supplement will allow the Company to make offerings of common shares, warrants, debt securities, convertible securities, rights or units comprising any combination of the foregoing...
Locally, Sapa steps up with 37,000 hours
Increased knowledge is driving the use of aluminium solutions, and Sapa is one of the educators. Last year, the company provided more than 37,000 hours of technical training to external stakeholders worldwide – more than twice the amount provided in 2013. Most of the training is offered free of charge to customers, product designers and developers, technicians, engineers, and architects across markets and industries. Only in a handful of countries are participants required to pay a small fee according to government regulations. The growth in the amount of technical knowledge training, from 15,000 hours in 2013 to 37,000 hours in 2014, took place in all of the company’s business areas and in all regions. Local support is the goal. Tutoring takes place in a variety of ways and settings. In...
Novelis announces senior management appointments
Novelis, the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, today announced a number of management appointments designed to strengthen its customer focus on the beverage can and specialty products end markets. Gary Yogan has been appointed Vice President, Global Can Sales, effective April 1. Yogan will be responsible for maintaining Novelis' position as a leading provider of beverage can sheet worldwide with a focus on innovation and sustainability. Key to this role will be the continued market growth of the company's high-recycled content evercan™ product. Yogan was previously Vice President and General Manager, Light Gauge and Specialties, North America. He has held a succession of senior sales and operational roles since joining Novelis in 1984 as a metallurgist and process engineer....
UK firm sees business potential in GCC infrastructure projects
UK-based Aluminium Structures has planned to open its first overseas office in Dubai and also keen to expand in other Gulf countries. The company has more than 20 years of experience in designing, managing and implementing aluminium work platforms for a multitude of sectors, including transport, utilities, aviation and oil and gas. “We design, manufacture and install top-quality bespoke access systems and see great potential of business in the UAE,” Aluminium Structures director Matthew Butt told Khaleej Times in an interview. The Gulf region’s governments have announced billions of dollars in infrastructure projects and there are a lot of opportunities for everyone, Butt said, adding: “That’s the reason we selected Dubai as our first office outside the UK and hoped to expand in other GCC...
Aluminium and steel recycling targets flawed shows WRAP report
The recycling targets for steel and aluminium packaging have been based on flawed data according to a report commissioned by Wrap. The report, in conjunction with Valpak, aimed to reassess the accuracy of the 2012 and 2013 aluminium and steel packaging quantity figures placed on the market (POM). It found that the original Defra figures were incorrect, with the quantity of aluminium POM being underestimated while steel was overestimated and concluded that new ranges for recycling rates should be calculated based on these figures with higher than existing ones for steel and lower for aluminium packaging. The project opted to use the net pack fill methodology as an alternative to Defra’s packflow method. The packflow figures were originally estimated through a data gathering exercise and...
Bigger Aluminium Middle East show in April
The region’s future role as the world’s powerhouse in aluminium and issues related to boosting the downstream sector will come to the fore at the fourth edition of Aluminium Middle East 2015 taking place in Dubai, UAE, next month. Reed Exhibitions Middle East, the organiser of the event, expects a greater turnout than the one witnessed in 2013 with 180 exhibitors from 25 countries projected to participate in the region’s largest gathering of its kind. Aluminium Middle East will be held from April 14 to 16 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Launched in 2009, Aluminium Middle East has become a must-attend platform for the industry’s international and regional front-runners including producers, manufacturers, processors of raw materials and end products made with...
