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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Polish aluminium can manufacturer plans further expansion in the Middle East
Can-Pack, a Polish beverage can manufacturer plans to expand its operations in Dubai, producing an additional 1.75 million cans a day through its Dh200 million factory unveiled in Dubai Investment Park on Monday. The company will now be able to produce 5 million aluminium cans per day catering to big names in the beverage industry including Coca-Cola and Pepsi Co and other beverage makers, and planning to invest another Dh70 million for further expansion. The Managing Director of Can-Pack Middle East, Michal Sloniec says that the European market is saturated but the Middle East holds a lot of promise thanks to the growing population and the large influx of people coming into the land. There are plans of further expansions by the company reaching out to countries as far as the Philippines...
A paradigm of premium aluminium production
Qatalum, led by a precision culture, has a casthouse which produces more than 60% of its alloys for the automotive industry. This is a direct result of the manufacturing proficiency within one of the world’s most efficient aluminium smelters. Over three years into full production and Qatalum’s products have gained a global customer base. What makes Qatalum’s Casthouse unique is that over 60% of its products are destined for the automotive industry. On its own, such an achievement stands as a testament to stringent manufacturing standards and robust marketing strategies. The only other industries that place higher demands on a casthouse product are electronics and aerospace, which however, require smaller volumes and specialised processes, respectively. The reason for Qatalum achievement...
Alba wins three major awards at MEET ICT Bahrain 2014
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba)’s commitment to international standards of excellence and workplace efficiency resulted in major achievements at MEET ICT Bahrain 2014 Awards by winning the ‘Business & Commerce Application Category’ Award for Implementation of BI Solution using Microsoft BI; ‘On the Cloud Project Category’ Award for its Private Cloud Solution based on Windows Server 2012 and the MEET ICT Personality of the Year of 2014. The awards were accepted by Alba’s Chief Operations Officer, Isa Al Ansari and Senior Manager IT, Esam Hadi. Isa Al Ansari expressed pride at being honoured by the GCC region’s IT industry experts and said: “I would like to congratulate Alba’s IT Department for their hard work in developing processes and promoting efficient operations throughout the...
Hidden energy exports through primary aluminium remain a concern
Consecutive years of below five per cent economic growth and 0.7 per cent contraction of the manufacturing sector last year ensured a 6.2 per cent fall in the country's primary aluminium use to 1.58 million tonnes (mt) during 2013-14. Even while India is to grow at 5.5 per cent in FY15, aluminium will likely again experience a fall in growth. This is happening when Vedanta and Hindalco are raising production by a significant amount. Government-owned National Aluminium Company (Nalco), exercising production discipline for the sake of profit improvement, is now engaged in reviewing whether more capacity use at this juncture will prove beneficial. A demand fall for two years in a row has led the Indian aluminium sector to sell the rising surplus abroad. Primary producers' exports climbed...
Chalco’s plan to hold inventories to boost prices may fail says analysts
Shanghai Metal Exchange had found that Chalco was planning to withhold aluminium inventories of up to 1.2 million tonnes along with 10 other leading aluminium producers of China in the hope of boosting aluminium prices. However such a stance seems difficult at the moment given the current market scenario. Considering the losses incurred by the high-cost smelters holding onto large volumes is unreasonable even the low-cost smelters, although more profitable cannot commit to stocking large inventories of unsold materials. Stockpiling works when the demand is high and supply is plenty to boost the price. Although there is no dearth of supply of aluminium in China demand is uncharacteristically low given the looming Chinese New Year ahead on February 19. Analysts believe that the impulsive...
Bauxite resources limited positive export DSO bauxite scoping study results received for 100% BRL Fortuna Project
Highlights • Existing Mineral Resource and rail logistic chain can support a Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) production target rate of 3Mtpa for a 12 year mine life • FOB operating cash costs estimated at A$30 (US$26) per tonne excluding royalties and landowner compensation* • A$26M capital expenditure (excluding port capital expenditure) • Level 2 environmental baseline studies underway • Contractor selection underway for desk top hydrogeology, hydrology and aquatic ecology studies • Conventional, shallow open cut mining method with no requirement for beneficiation • BRL retains 100% of project • Company well funded to advance project Scoping Study Outcomes Bauxite Resources Limited is pleased to advise that the pit-to-port scoping study on the Company’s 100% owned Fortuna bauxite resource has...
China alumina production to slow down on cash shortage Q1 2015
Cash shortages caused many new alumina projects to be shelved or delayed in 2014, and should continue to affect production in Q1 2015, Shanghai Metals Market foresees. China’s alumina output rose 8.2% from a year ago to 4.54 million tonnes in December 2014, SMM data showed. High margins inspired refineries to restart mothballed lines or commission new capacities. However, tight cash led to slower output growth in 2014.
Rio Tinto releases robust fourth quarter production performance
Rio Tinto chief executive Sam Walsh said “We have had a successful year of production, capped off with a robust fourth quarter. Output is in line with our targets across all of our major products. In a challenging market Rio Tinto remains focused on operating and commercial excellence to leverage our low-cost position and maximise value for shareholders.” Below are the highlights for its Bauxite, Aluminium and Coal business: Q4’14 vs Q4’13 vs Q3’14 2014 vs 2013 Bauxite kt 10,794 -6% -1% 41,871 -3% Aluminium kt 842 -1% -1% 3,361 -1% Hard coking coal kt 1,656 -31% -14% 7,471 -9% Semi-soft and thermal coal kt 5,502 -16% -10% 25,099 -6% Global bauxite production was temporarily reduced by three per cent in 2014 as Gove transitions to bauxite exports following the curtailment of the refinery...
Rare 1966 aluminium bodied Ferrari 275 GTB fetches $9.4 million at auction
A rare 1966 edition Ferrari 275 GTB has been sold for a whopping $9.405 million at an auction after getting an aluminium makeover, courtesy Bonhams. This Ferrari 275 Competizione Scaglieti was part of the 60th Anniversary celebration of the Italian firm conducted in Beverly Hills. The car was one of the 12 examples of the same ever built and was owned by the Georges Filipinetti who was a race team owner and a racer himself taking part in the 1967 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as the Spa- Francorchamps endurance race in 1969 in this car winning the first position in both the races. After retiring from racing the car became a part of the American collection before getting damaged by fire in 1985. It was restored soon after in Italy using blue leather upholstery and a brand new...
Coca-Cola and Pepsi Co. opting for smaller aluminium cans and bottles for packaging
Coca-Cola and Pepsi Co. the two leading brands of aerated drinks in the world are slowly switching over to smaller-sized cans as the world grows more health conscious. The beverage giants who had ruled the market for years are now coming up with smaller 7.5 ounces mini cans and 8.5-ounce aluminium bottles so that they can appeal to calorie-conscious majority and restrict the portion intake. The soda industry has endured a lot of criticism, being blamed for the increased obesity in the world and as a result the people have started cutting back on the their soda consumption consistently in recent years. Some people even demanding special taxes and warning labels on can. As a counter reaction, the beverage companies are pushing smaller cans. The companies will not be facing much losses as a...
EAA investigates aluminium recycling at Vienna event
The European Aluminium Association (EAA) is organising the 13th edition of its International Aluminium Recycling Congress for February 23-24 this year. The venue will be the Vienna Marriott Hotel in Austria's capital city. 'More than half of all the aluminium currently produced in the EU originates from recycled raw material and this trend is increasing,' notes the EAA. 'The well-being of aluminium recycling depends on the supply of scrap, and in the global economy there is fierce competition for this precious commodity.' Speakers at the annual event will seek to identify the impact of recent market developments on the European and global aluminium recycling industry. Key topics will include: recovering non-ferrous metals from bottom ash; new recycling methodologies in Volkswagen cars; a...
Logan Aluminium to start production ahead of schedule
The repairing work at Logan Aluminium Inc is running six days ahead of schedule with the repaired reversing motor ready to be installed at the company’s hot mill at Russellville, Kentucky. Novelis, who is a part-owner of the plant, along with Tri-Arrows Aluminium Inc. is happy that the repaired motor has already been delivered to the plant and they have let their customers know about the accelerated timeline, said Novelis spokesperson. Logan Aluminium is a leading manufacturer of primarily beverage-can sheets with two kinds of flat-rolled aluminium alloys, the 5182 alloy sheet for the top and tab of the aluminium can and 3104 alloy for the bodies. The approximate can sheet production capacity of the company is estimated at around 2 billion lb annually making it one of the largest...
EGA laboratory excels against industry peers
As part of a corporate quest for excellence across the business, Emirates Global Aluminium ("EGA") continually benchmarks its operations against industry peers. For example, to ensure proficiency and accuracy in laboratory testing, the DUBAL Technical Laboratory at EGA Jebel Ali has regularly participated in Round Robin testing schemes for independent verification of the laboratory's competence since the laboratory was established in 1980. Over the years, the DUBAL Technical Laboratory has ranked among the five best laboratories worldwide for Accuracy in both the Raw Material and Quantometer sections. For instance, the laboratory has maintained excellent standards in Round Robin testing of Anode Cores, Petroleum Coke, Coal Tar Pitch, Aluminium Metal, Alumina and Aluminium Fluoride. In the...
Invitation - Hydro's fourth quarter results 2014
Hydro's fourth quarter results 2014 will be released at 07:00 CET (01:00 AM EST, 06:00 UK time), on Wednesday February 11, 2015. The quarterly report and presentation slides will be available on Hydro website at the same time. Presentation in Oslo Hydro will host a combined analyst and press conference, in English, at its corporate headquarters at Drammensveien 260, Oslo at 08:30 CET the same day. The presentation will be held by President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg and CFO Eivind Kallevik and can also be seen on web TV. To attend the presentation in Oslo, please register on ir@hydro.com Q&A / Conference Call There will be a Conference Call at 15:00 UK Time (16:00 CET, 10:00 AM EST,) the same day. The Q&A will be held by President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg and CFO Eivind...
UAE companies to have strong presence at Aluminium Middle East 2015
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will have a strong presence at the Aluminium Middle East 2015 exhibition with top industry players from the Arab world's second largest economy confirming their participation. Aluminium Middle East 2015, to be held from April 14 to 16 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), will see more than 200 exhibitors from 25 countries participating. This year, more than 10 per cent of the confirmed exhibitors are from the UAE. Daniyal Qureshi, Group Exhibition Director at Reed Exhibitions Middle East, organisers of the event, said: "The exhibition comes at a right time where the global aluminium industry can explore new opportunities as a result of the boom in projects in the region. By bringing participants from across the world, we will also...
Altech optimises beneficiation process for its meckering deposit
Altech Chemicals Limited is pleased to announce that as part of the current Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) for its high purity alumina (HPA) project, it has optimised the proposed beneficiation process for the Meckering aluminous clay(kaolin) deposit. The results of the optimisation program confirm the significant benefits of wet processing (refer Figure 2), previously dry processing which involved the initial dry crushing, drying and screening of the material had been contemplated. The selection of wet processing is based on recent test-work conducted by Simulus Engineers and Simulus Laboratory’s in Perth, Australia. The test-work successfully demonstrated that Altech’s Meckering aluminous clay readily slurries in a water attritioner without the need for dry crushing and drying, prior...
Alcoa elects L. Rafael Reif to board of directors
Alcoa today announced that its Board of Directors has elected L. Rafael Reif a director of the Company effective March 2, 2015. Dr. Reif, 63, is president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the world renowned educational institution of science and technology. He has been a faculty member of MIT for more than 30 years. "In addition to leading one of the world’s most acclaimed academic institutions, Dr. Reif is a respected international authority on innovative material science and advanced manufacturing technologies,” said Alcoa Chairman and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld. “His expertise and counsel will be invaluable as Alcoa invests in digitization, automation and robotics to enhance the competitiveness of our expanding multi-material, value-add business portfolio.” Dr. Reif, at the...
2014 Aluminium Production in the GCC reached to 4,928,143 tons, an increase of 1,179,527 tons compared to 2013
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. Mr. Mahmood Daylami, Secretary General, Gulf Aluminium Council(GAC) added, “The main increase has come from Ma’aden Aluminum, Saudi Arabia start-up which was successfully ramped up during the year, and EMAL Phase 2 project completion before the target date”. He also added that 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...
