AL Circle analysis: How do Germany’s 32.8% automotive aluminium share, 40% Diet Coke can price rise & 3.54Mt North American extrusion demand matter?
Aluminium’s downstream and end-user world is having one of those fortnights where a beer can, a luxury sports car, a German construction site and an Indian furnace all end up in the same conversation. The metal may begin its life far upstream, but its real fuss is playing out in cans, cars, extrusions, buildings and factories, where tariffs, trade policy, energy costs and demand cycles decide who wins. This fortnight highlights that aluminium demand is moving towards electric vehicles, lightweight transport and long-life infrastructure, even as packaging and construction feel the pinch of cost and weak activity. Meanwhile, producers from Vietnam to New Zealand are arguing over the oldest question in the business of how much protection, taxation or openness does a downstream industry need...
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...
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Venezuela plans to produce 436,000 tonnes of aluminum
The governor made this remark, at the time of his visit to the aluminum plant, in order to inspect the asphalt paving associated with the aluminum plants. He added that the aluminum smelter collaborated with the State in 2008, when there was a hard drought in the Guri River, which is located to the eastern part of the Venezuela, and electric power had to be conserved. The workers never hesitated to turn off almost all of the plant’s power in order to provide electricity to the Country. Recovering from such a setback, takes hard work, and the company is still putting in the effort to recover. Rangel stated that it is very possible for the company to recover. He also added that the company had broken a production record during the oil strike in 2002-2003. Hence there is no doubt in the...
Global aluminium demand to grow at 7.6pc
Global primary aluminium demand is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6 per cent from 2014 to 2017 with Asia and the Americas generating the greatest share of demand, said a top official. UAE-based Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) exported 56 per cent of its production in 2014 to Asia and the Americas, explained Adel Abubakar, managing director of Dubal America, highlighting that the company was well placed to achieve further market share. He was speaking at the recent Platts Aluminium Symposium 2015, which was staged in US city of Scottsdale, Arizona. Abubakar added that substantial future growth will be in value added products - a niche focus for EGA, where about 85 per cent of the 2.4 million tonnes manufactured each year comprises re-melt products, billets...
China’s bauxite purchases from Australia climb 75% to record
China’s bauxite imports from Australia rose 75 percent to a record in December, underlining the country’s role as top supplier after Indonesia banned exports in January. Purchases jumped to 1.87 million metric tons from 1.07 million tons in November and 1 million tons a year earlier, customs data showed on Jan. 23. Imports from Australia rose 9.5 percent to 15.7 million tons in 2014 from a year earlier. Indonesia was the top supplier in 2013, with 48.7 million tons. China, the biggest user of industrial metals, has sought supplies from other countries after Indonesia halted shipments of raw ore including, bauxite, nickel and copper to spur investment in domestic processing. Bauxite is the raw material used for aluminum and an additional 20 million tons will be needed annually in the next...
Aluminum Association releases 2015 edition of Aluminum Design Manual
Today, the Aluminum Association released the 2015 Aluminum Design Manual, the 10th edition of an essential reference for all professionals working with aluminum in structural applications. This latest version of the manual, which was last updated in 2010, is available to purchase through the Aluminum Association online bookstore at its website. “The Aluminum Design Manual is absolutely indispensable for engineers designing buildings and other load bearing structures using aluminum,” said John Weritz, Vice President for Standards and Technology at the Aluminum Association. “Referenced in the 2015 International Building Code, compliance to that important standard makes the Aluminum Design Manual an essential document that allows engineers to create safe and innovative structures using...
Electrical safety seminar to focus on hazards of aluminum wiring
Aluminum wiring was widely used in home construction and renovations in Mississauga during the 1960s and 1970s, but without proper care it can become a potential fire hazard. “There have been numerous warnings about potential hazards of aluminum wiring, yet many homeowners are unaware of what they should be doing to mitigate the dangers,” said Tim Birnie, president of Birnie CurrentSAFE, a Mississauga-based electrical contract company. On Feb. 10, Birnie CurrentSAFE will partner with Mississauga Fire Services to host a free home safety seminar on how to deal with potential hazards of residential aluminum wiring. Titled Aluminum Wiring: Debunking the Myths, the seminar also features a presentation on fire prevention and escape plans by Michele Aplin, public education officer for...
ASI recently introduced global standards for sustainable aluminium production
The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), in collaboration with Ball Corporation and other aluminum industry leaders, recently introduced new, comprehensive criteria for a global standard for sustainable aluminum production that will further improve environmental, social and governance performance throughout the entire aluminum value chain. In Ball's 2014 sustainability report, the company announced its goal to work with ASI and support the development of a global standard that promotes sustainable practices by the end of 2015. To accomplish this goal, Ball and other industry leaders worked with upstream partners, including Constellium, Hydro, Novelis and Rio Tinto Alcan, and alongside 15 nongovernmental organizations throughout 2014 to define sustainability issues relevant to the...
Public Procurement Service buys 2,000 tonnes of aluminium
South Korea’s stockpiling agency, Public Procurement Service (PPS), will buy 2,000 tonnes of aluminium through two separate tenders that closed on Wednesday January 21. The tenders were awarded to LG International Corp for a premium of $375 per tonne, PPS said. "One tender is for good western [material] and the other for non-good western material," a trader said. The delivery is due in the port of Busan, South Korea, in April, he added. On the London Metal Exchange, the spread on the cash-to-three-month aluminium contract narrowed to $2.25 on January 19, from $19 a week earlier.
Alba sponsors Aluminium Symposium 2015 (Platts)
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), a leading aluminium producer in the world, provided sponsorship support for the well-known event Aluminium Symposium 2015, thus demonstrating the Company’s continuing commitment to engage with industry peers on global platforms in expanding aluminium’s reach across diverse territories. Aluminium Symposium 2015, which took place from January 18 – 20, 2015 at Arizona, USA, was organised by Platts - a leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals and metals information. It was attended by Chief Marketing Officer, Jean-Baptiste Lucas, Manager Sales & Marketing Europe & Americas, Boris Santosi, and Manager Strategy & Business Development, Zachary Jungers. The event covered a wide range of subjects including: The Automotive Game Changer; Extrusions – New...
State-governor believes Venalum can achieve 436,000 tons of aluminium production
Francisco Rangel Gómez, the state governor of Venezuelan south east state Bolivar, is hopeful that the state owned smelter Venalum will be able to produce 436,000 tons of aluminium, while the official was on a plant visit inspecting the asphalt paving of several areas of the factory. The official informed that when Venezuela was suffering a severe drought, causing the river to dry making electrical power scarce, Venalum had stepped up with workers switching off almost half of their cells to provide electricity for the country. Recovery from that point is difficult and workers are still working hard towards achieving that goal, he said. He points out the resilience of the workers by stating that when there was an oil strike in 2002-2003, Venalum still managed to break a production record,...
Aluminum Extruders Council to discuss emerging markets and market defense at 2015 Annual Meeting
Members of the Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC), will hear insights from prominent industry leaders and motivational speakers at the 2015 Annual Meeting and Leadership Conference, Thursday, March 5 through Saturday, March 7. The Leadership Conference in Palm Desert, California, will feature a variety of business, industry and motivational speakers, including Kevin Moore, former GM executive, Michael Walsh (invited), Director of ADCVD Policy and Programs Division at the Office of U.S. Customs, and Herm Edwards, former NFL football player and current ESPN announcer. Program highlights include the Market Insights Panel featuring speakers from three extrusion customer markets who will address the utilization and advancement of aluminum extrusions in existing and emerging markets. These...
China demand for Malaysian bauxite to grow further
China’s demand for Malaysian bauxite is poised to grow further in the near term on increasing alumina production, Shanghai Metals Market predicts. Lubei Enterprise Group is scheduled to reopen its 500,000-tpy alumina project next month, and Weiqiao Pioneering Group may ramp up alumina production, which will boost bauxite demand. Many traders contracted by SMM are painting a rosy picture of Chinese alumina refineries’ demand for Malaysian bauxite. One trader told SMM that bauxite (Al2O3 43%, SiO2 4%) was offered at $34 per tonne (FOB) for shipments from Malaysia to China.
Two Henan-Based Companies to build 600,000-tpy hot-rolled aluminum project
Henan Energy Yimei Co. and Wanji Holdings Group recently signed a cooperation framework agreement over construction of 600,000-tpy hot-rolled aluminum project and 2*600 MW power generating units, local media reported today. The hot-rolled aluminum facility will cost 3.5 billion yuan ($570 million). Both power generating units, with planned investment totaling 5.3 billion yuan, will generate 7.2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually once fully operational in the first half of 2017, it added.
NAPCO acquires a new powder-coating system for aluminium extrusions
National Aluminium Products Company SAOG (NAPCO) has announced that in order to meet the growing demand of aluminium-based powder coating systems in the region, they have acquired a new vertical powder coating line. NAPCO is one of the leading manufacturers of aluminium extrusions in GCC and the only one in Oman capable of addressing the need for powder-coated extrusions with up to 8 meters of length. Only three other companies in the entire GCC are capable of doing the same. The new acquisition is in line with the company’s expansion plans having already acquired a horizontal powder coating line, the new vertical one purchased from a leading European supplier, is capable of high production capacity at the same time managing to powder-coat the extrusions economically. The General Manager...
Aluminium Extrusion’s huge input cost slows profit
Aluminium Extrusion Industries plc’s huge input cost has slowed third quarter (Q3) profit, as the company continues to grapple with the unpredictability of the Nigeria economy, analysis of the company’s financial statement shows. For the first nine months through September 2014, the company’s profit after tax (PAT) fell by 59.14 percent to N37.56 million from N91.94 million the same period of the corresponding year (Q3) 2013. The decline in profit, analysts say, is attributable to huge cost of production incurred by the company. Based on BusinessDay analysis, cost of sales margin was as high as 89.47 percent, higher than the 85.40 percent recorded last year. It means that for every N1 of sales generated by Aluminium Extrusion, it spent N0.89 on input cost. Net margin, a measure of...
BHP’s aluminium production dips in the second half of 2014
BHP’s aluminium production has seen a 16% dip in the second half of 2014 dropping to 517,000 tonnes while its alumina and manganese ore productions have risen. In the December quarter, a drop of 15% year-on-year and a 1.9% quarter-on-quarter was noticed with the company producing 256,000 tonnes of aluminium. The low production numbers are directly related to the number of suspensions and cut-backs of aluminium capacities in the second half of 2014 in many BHP smelters including Alumar in Brazil and Bayside in South Africa while Mozal in Mozambique had a record production in the same period. The Bayside smelter, which has ceased production, had made a contribution of 48,000 tonnes of aluminium in the second half of 2013 and zero contribution in the same period of 2014. Alumar’s production...
VHE introduces new technology for aluminium smelter potroom
VHE‘s enhanced ohmmeter is able to measure the electrical resistance between points of different voltage potential. Conventional ohmmeters do not have this capability. Much of the equipment installed in aluminium smelter potroom has significant electrical potential to earth (or ground). The series connection of the pot busbar systems means that pots frequently have a potential to earth of 1500 volts dc, and in the the most recent systems this can exceed 2.000 volts dc. Alumina dust and metallic objects can compromise the installed electrical insulation and it is necessary to monitor insulation performance on a regular basis. Traditional instruments for this purpose have been large and cumbersome. VHE‘s enhanced ohmmeter is portable, lightweight and fitted with comfortable shoulder straps,...
U.S. District Judge approves settlement for the Alcoa bribery case
Donetta Ambrose, the U.S. District Judge has approved settlement for the shareholder lawsuit filed against Alcoa by Alba accusing of a bribery scandal. In 2008, Aluminium Bahrain or Alba had sued Alcoa on the charge that the affiliates of the latter had bribed Alba executives and Bahraini officials so that they could make Alba overpay more than $400 million since 1997. In 2013, another lawsuit was charged at Alcoa by a group of shareholders for the company’s failure at limiting the company’s liability after Alba filed its lawsuit. Alcoa has agreed to implement several reforms which include paying $3.75 million in terms if attorneys’ fees as well as creating a new position of chief ethics and compliance officer. The allegations caused Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange...
Worsley refinery output rises by 3% in Q4 2014
The Worsley refinery located in Western Australia saw a 3% increase in alumina production in the fourth quarter of 2014 compared to the previous year while BHP Billiton, who owns 86% stakes in Worsley has had an overall 13% quarter-on-quarter rise in alumina output in the fourth quarter of 2014 to 1.4 million tonnes. Worsley had been suffering from some calciner outage issue in the previous period which got resolved by December 2014 owing to the good production numbers said the company. In the December quarter it had contributed 1.06 million tonnes of alumina compared to 1.02 million tonnes for the same quarter in 2013. The production of the September quarter of 2014 was noticeably low at 893,000 tonnes.
