AL Circle Analysis: Guinea’s 150Mt bauxite cap, China’s import swings, US tariffs draw aluminium Q4’26
The global aluminium supply chain is facing a series of changes that extend from bauxite mines and alumina refineries to smelters, regional premiums and finished-metal trade. In 2026, the market’s direction is being shaped not only by production volumes but also by freight costs, export restrictions, shifting Chinese demand and tariffs. Developments across Guinea, Australia, China, Europe and North America point to a market where access to supply is increasingly as important as the availability of raw materials. Bauxite supply: Guinea’s cap meets a well-stocked China, but is it stable? Guinea remains central to the seaborne bauxite market, with its shipment connections to China demonstrating the importance of reliable logistics. A new sea-rail route has enabled a Guinea bauxite shipment...
EU approves Germany’s power relief instrument: Could aluminium producers save €459m annually?
Germany’s aluminium industry could receive some relief from persistently high electricity costs after the European Commission, under the European Union (EU) approved the country’s industrial electricity price scheme for 2026–2028. The measure is intended to ease the burden on energy-intensive businesses, strengthen industrial competitiveness and support Germany’s position as a manufacturing hub. The stakes are particularly high for aluminium producers. Electricity can account for 30–40 per cent of primary aluminium production costs, making power prices a critical factor in operating margins and investment decisions. Explore- Most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook...
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Union County offering free scrap metal recycling
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announce the 2015 schedule of its free scrap metal recycling events. A wide variety of metal goods, from household appliances to gutters and sheds, are included in the program. "This countywide program helps to fill a service gap in some Union County municipalities that currently have no pickup for scrap metal recycling," said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed Jalloh. "As a community, we benefit across the board by recycling more and throwing away less waste - and we also stand to gain some revenue from the program." The scrap metal recycling program is available for use by households, commercial establishments, nonprofit agencies and other organizations. Starting on Thursday, March 5, and running through November, the program will be available on...
Clean Energy Council keen to clear air on RET
Protracted negotiations on the future of the Renewable Energy Target could be on the verge of a breakthrough with the Clean Energy Council in talks with Labor and the government on a deal. After Labor rejected the government’s latest offer on Monday, the CEC has made it known it is keen for a deal that would end the impasse, which has frozen investment in the renewables sector for a year and threatens to impose the existing scheme on energy intensive industries like aluminium for another year. After the government started negotiations around a “true’’ 20 per cent or about 27,000GWh by 2020, and Labor backed the existing 41,000GWh scheme, the government’s offer of 31,000GWh was rejected by the opposition on Monday. Labor, which backs an exemption for the aluminium industry, is pushing for...
Germany's Trimet orders ingot caster
TRIMET Aluminium from Essen (Germany) has placed an order with Hertwich Engineering for a horizontal continuous caster (HDC) for foundry ingots. This will enable the company to produce high-quality alloyed ingots. The annual capacity of the plant is 60,000 t. The HDC operates with an ingot format of approx. 2.0 x 3.5 inches. It is thus roughly 15 percent more productive than plants which produce the standard ingot format (2.0 x 3.0 inch). The casting capacity of the 32-strand caster is between 9 and 13 t/h and depends on to cast alloy. The Hertwich Engineering scope of supply includes the casting system consisting of casting tundish and moulds, a casting machine and the cooling water control system. It also encompasses a flying saw with swarf exhausting system and an automatic stacking...
300,000-tpy alumina project required to close on environmental protection drive
Sanmenxia Yixiang Aluminum Co. has been ordered to close its 300,000-tpy alumina project for failure to pass environmental protection inspections, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) said in its website. The company has been fined 100,000 yuan ($16,209), and is not allowed to resume production until environmental protection equipment is installed. The MEP will enhance crackdown on projects that violate relevant environmental protection regulations, an official at the MEP said.
Queensland Bauxite agrees to investment by China Bauxite Trading
Queensland Bauxite has landed $910,000 in equity funding from a Chinese investment group in a placement at $0.014 per share to finance further development of the potentially 2015 producing South Johnstone Bauxite project. In cash strapped commodity markets, China Bauxite Trading & Investments Company (CBTIC) will make the investment, founded by a former China Non Ferrous Metal Corporation executive. QBL will issue 65,000,000 ordinary shares at $0.014 per share with attaching 5 million options exerciseable at $0.03 per share exerciseable on 28 February 2018 to CBTIC. This is at the same share price as the current non-renounceable issue on offer to QBL shareholders of one share for every four shares held at an issue price of $0.014 per share. The placement is being made under ASX Listing...
Odisha govt allows OMC to scrap 3 JVs on mining projects
The Odisha government has given permission to state-run Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) to scrap the joint venture projects inked with three private sector heavyweights to go for iron ore and bauxite mining in the state. The companies are: Anglo-Australian mining major Rio Tinto, Hindalco and the Vedanta group which has now been renamed as Sesa Sterlite. “We have given permission to OMC to cancel the joint ventures with the three companies if they wish to after the chief minister put his signature on the file in this regard,” state Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick said on Tuesday. Sources in the steel and mines department said the OMC decided to do away with the joint venture projects for different reasons. To begin with, Rio Tinto, though the one billion dollar project to mine...
Many Chinese listed aluminum smelters see huge losses for 2014
2014 was a tough year for aluminum smelters in China as chronic overcapacity pushed many into loss-making territory, finance eastmoney websitereported yesterday. 29 Chinese listed companies in industrial metals industry had released their forecasts for earnings in 2014, of which many aluminum smelters predict losses for last year. For example, Chalco expects to suffer a loss of 16.3 billion yuan ($ 2.64 billion), Yunnan Aluminum Co. sees losses of 400-450 million yuan, and Xinjiang Joinworld Co. expects it to lose 530-570 million yuan.
BIR Non-Ferrous World Mirror February 2015
The following article is based on the latest Non-Ferrous Metals World Mirror produced by the BIR world recycling organisation for the benefit of its members. US secondary aluminium prices have slid a further US$ 20-40 per ton as secondaries appear to be holding sufficient scrap and ‘are waiting to sell the finished ingot inventory for the next quarter’. Prices of UBCs and other alloys have mirrored a slight drop in the Midwest premium. Despite prices having fallen ‘dramatically’ in January, the aluminium scrap volumes generated and collected in Japan ‘have not been large enough’. Aluminium alloy prices are dropping more sharply than Zorba - the main raw material for ADC12 production. Conversely, there has been an improved supply and reasonable volumes of aluminium scrap traded in the...
New aluminium tank system for dust collection plants
A new tank system made of drawn aluminium tube for use in dust collection plants allows high pulse volumes and is corrosion resistant. The tank system incorporates tank and valve in one unit and thus reduces construction effort and installation time. The tank's innovative aluminium profile combined with the patented clamp construction at the outlet and the aerodynamic flow geometry allow high flow rates and high volumes per pulse. It is made of anodized aluminium, so compared to welded steel tanks, corrosion is no problem. The tanks are designed to comply with the requirements of the European pressure equipment directive 97/23/EG, module B1+D and AMSE. Regarding valve spacing and fastening angle, they can be fully adapted to up to lengths of 3 m and a maximum of 18 valves to meet the...
Aluminum Association reports North American Aluminum net shipments in Jan 2015
Aluminum Association reports Aluminum net shipments in North American (US & Canada) for the month of January 2015. Aluminum net shipments (including exports) by domestic U.S. and Canadian facilities totaled an estimated 1,928 million pounds during January 2015, down 1.9 percent from the January 2014 total of 1,965 million pounds. Shipments of aluminum mill products totaled 1,253 million pounds, 4.9 percent above a year ago while shipments of aluminum ingot for castings, exports and destructive were down 12.5 percent, totaling 675 million pounds. Compared to December 2014, January 2015 shipments increased 9.8 percent. Preliminary estimates indicate that during 2014, producer shipments totaled an estimated 23,107 million pounds, 3.9 percent above the 2013 total of 22,235 million....
GCC aluminium production increased by 31% in 2014
Collectively the five aluminium companies (EGA, Alba, Ma’aden, Qatalum and Sohar Aluminium) produced 4,928,143 tons of primary aluminium in 2014 compared to 3,748,616 tons in 2013, an increase of 31%. GCC Aluminium production constitutes 10% of the total world production. The main increase has come from Ma’aden Aluminum, A Saudi Arabia start-up which was successfully ramped up during the year, and EMAL Phase 2 project completion before the target date. The production for 2015 is expected to be more than 5 million tons. GCC remains to be one of the leading hubs for the aluminum business where 40% of its production utilized by the downstream aluminium industry in the Gulf for Regional and International market, while the balance of the primary aluminium production are exported to different...
The first Gulf Aluminium Casthouse Conference ends successfully in Doha
The first Gulf Aluminium Casthouse Conference or GulfCast, held on the 2nd and 3rd of March 2015, at the Sharq Village & Spa in Doha came to a successful end on Tuesday. The conference was organized by Qatalum under the patronage of His Excellency Dr Mohammed Bin Saleh Bin Abdullah Al-Sada, the Minister of Energy and Industry. Eminent people from the aluminium industry like CEO of Alba Tim Murray, Secretary General of GOIC Mr. Abdul Aziz Al Ageel, CEO of Muntajat Mr. Abdulrahman Ali Al Abdulla and top officials from Qatalum attended the conference. The two days were divided into three sessions – morning, afternoon and evening with each session focusing on key areas of interest in the aluminium industry. The Day One saw ten presentations spread across the three sessions, which included...
Kobe Steel considers $800 million U.S. aluminium plant for car supplies
Kobe Steel Ltd., supplier of aluminum sheet to half of the nation’s auto industry, is considering building a ¥100 billion plant in the U.S. to expand sales to Japanese carmakers operating in North America. The prize is an expected tenfold increase in demand for aluminum sheet in the U.S., where stricter fuel economy standards have ignited a race among carmakers to save weight and boost the efficiency of new models, driving up demand for the lightweight metal. The size of Kobe Steel’s potential investment is larger than anticipated because the company may need to add capacity at the plant to process aluminum alloy, Senior Officer Hiroshi Kato said last week in an interview at the company’s Tokyo offices. Such an integrated plant would be three or four times bigger than originally planned...
Qatar Aluminium predicts 6% rise in aluminium demand as autos dominate
Qatar Aluminium Chairman, Abdulrahman Ahmed Al-Shaibi said in a Doha conference on Tuesday Automobile customers accounts for around 60% of the company’s products. The rising demand for automotive aluminium is pulling the overall demand for aluminium which is rising nearly 6% a year. The company says the falling oil prices are not affecting the demand for aluminium automotive parts and the company did not have to cut back on production. The initial drive towards aluminium use in automobiles was the fuel efficiency due to lighter weight. But as analysts predict that the lower oil prices could hamper the fuel efficiency benefit in aluminium cars in future as a result manufacturers are trying to push the recyclability factor. David Wilson, an analyst at Citigroup says, “At a 75 percent...
Alcoa Completes Acquisition of TITAL
Lightweight, high-performance metals leader Alcoa today announced that it has completed the acquisition of privately held TITAL. Alcoa closed the transaction, which was announced on December 15, 2014, after receiving all of the required global regulatory approvals. TITAL is a leading manufacturer of titanium and aluminum structural castings for aircraft engines and airframes. This acquisition strengthens Alcoa’s ability to capture growing demand for advanced aircraft engine components, in particular, those made of titanium. TITAL establishes titanium casting capabilities in Europe for Alcoa, and expands the Company’s aluminum casting capacity. Additionally, TITAL’s strong connections to European engine and aircraft manufacturers such as Airbus, SNECMA, and Rolls-Royce, will enhance...
ICSOBA announces details of its 33rd Conference and Exhibition
The International Committee for Study of Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium (ICSOBA) is an independent non-profit association that unites industry professionals representing major bauxite, alumina and aluminium producing companies, technology suppliers, researchers and consultants from around the world. ICSOBA has great honor to announce the 33rd International Conference and Exhibition of ICSOBA. For the event ICSOBA cooperates with Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the jointly held, equal-ownership company integrating the businesses of Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL) and Emirates Aluminium (EMAL). The conference will be held at the Rotana Al Murooj hotel in Dubai from 29 November to 1 December 2015. Objectives of the Conference are: • To review the status of bauxite, alumina and aluminium industries in...
Barstow city to get an aluminium remelt and casting plant soon
The city of Barstow will soon receive the promised aluminium remelt and casting house although in a much smaller scale, a city official revealed last week. Last March a megaproject was approved by the City Council, with a manufacturing complex of 3 million square-feet, costing $1.5 billion and the potential to employ more than 2,000 people. The project had to be dismissed because the high electricity costs in California would not allow the plant to run economically. The new project with a 500,000 square-feet manufacturing unit and employing roughly 450 people would cost a little over $120 million and will not be affected by the high electricity costs due to its comparatively smaller size. A new company named Mojave Aluminium Company will be responsible for developing the project, in the...
The Govt. of India holds back four coal mines to investigate price discrepancies
The Government will be reassessing four out of the 19 coal blocks that were bid for and sold in the first phase of the coal auctions to examine why the bids were so low in case of these mines. The four blocks are Gare Palma IV/1, IV/2, IV/3 and the Marki Mangli III. The Gare Palma IV/2 and IV/3 that were originally allotted to Jindal Power, remained with the company for a bid of INR 108 per ton, the lowest winning bid, as other bidders showed little interest in the blocks. Gare Palma IV/1 was won by Balco for a winning bid of INR 1,585 per ton while Marki Mangli III was won by BS Ispat for INR 918 per ton. The winning bids were very low in case of these four coal blocks when compared to other similar blocks, with bids reaching as high as INR 1,110 for coal blocks reserved for the power...
