Aluminum investment across North America and Asia: Who leads reshaping the next phase of growth?
Aluminum investment has been spreading across the entire value chain, from primary smelting and alumina refining to recycling, rolling, extrusion and battery foil, building more integrated and higher-value supply chains. During the past 5 years, the US and Canada in North America and China in Asia have been grabbing headlines pertaining to the aluminum industry. These updates have involved growth stories or have shed light on volatile market situations. How have these headlines contributed to a greater picture for the benefit of the aluminum industries of the two continents? Between 2021 and 2026, major projects across North America and Asia have targeted new primary capacity, lower-carbon production, recycled aluminum and higher-value downstream products. But the investment pattern is...
AL Circle Analysis: From 13% costlier cans to 317 GW solar, aluminium trade enters new territory
As aluminium continues to draw the spotlight as a strategic variable in global trade rather than a merely traded commodity. Tariffs imposed at the border are now showing up in the cost of cans, auto components and downstream products, while high copper prices are encouraging manufacturers to redesign products around aluminium. Meanwhile, India is tightening protection around selected aluminium products even as domestic downstream manufacturers question the cost of protecting primary metal. China’s extrusion industry is adjusting to weaker construction demand by moving towards solar, batteries and other clean-energy applications. In North America, deeply integrated supply chains are confronting the consequences of suddenly changing tariff economics. To know the global production, demand...
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China’s weakening economy affects aluminium prices
As the industrial data from China, the world’s biggest aluminium consumer continues to be poor, aluminium prices are seen to dip further down on Tuesday hitting its lowest levels in two months. China is constantly sending out signs signaling its weakening economy and the recent decline in its factory sector activities in December for the first time in the past seven months, has been the latest sign. An analyst from the Commerzbank in Frankfurt, Daniel Briesemann said that the continuous weak data received from China over the past few weeks indicate that the prices will not get better any time soon and are likely to dip lower in future. Prices on LME for the metal due for three-month delivery was down by 0.5% at $1,913, dipping lower than the two-month low of $1,909.50.
Aluminium solutions by Alphastrut save BP 54 tonnes
Alphastrut, responsible for creating engineered aluminium extrusions and fabricated brackets, has recently concluded a seven-figure contract with BP, saving the giant 54 tonnes in weight. The company creates support frames using the extrusions and brackets that can be used for a variety of functions including load-bearing raised access floors, ceiling grids and bulkhead. The same technology was applied to create the BP Clair Ridge accommodation module which had both raised access flooring and ceiling cable containment support. Situated 75 km west of the Shetland Islands, the platform’s construction consists of two bridge-linked platforms with a 3500-tonne worth accommodation module. The reduction in the weight has been a key benefit for the operators and contractors as the light weight...
Base metal prices rise on global cues
Base metal prices rose by INR2 per kg at the local non-ferrous market today on increased buying by stockists, tracking a firm global trend. Traders said sentiment bolstered after aluminium rose in global markets on speculation that China will further stimulate the economy and as inventories fell to near a four-year low. Meanwhile, aluminium for delivery in three months gained USD 11 to USD 1,946 a metric ton on the London Metal Exchange. In the national capital, aluminium ingots, aluminium sheet cutting, aluminium wire scrap and aluminium utensils scrap were up by INR 2 each to INR 164, INR 165, INR 167 and INR 164 per kg respectively.
The Bald Hill project fast tracks its operations
After receiving the approval of the Bald Hill project near Campbell Town earlier this month, the project has picked up speed as it initiates site mobilization. The company aims to get the $6-million-worth project into full production by July 2015 as they believe the low capital outlay and the short development time will give the project an edge over others in the extremely competitive resource industry. According to a stock market report, at the current market rate of around $65-70 a ton for bauxite, the “operating margins will be robust”. Once the Bald Hill project achieves financial success, the other projects in the pipeline like Fingal Rail and DL-130 bauxite deposits can be fairly secured. The Bald Hill project will require nearly 30 workers when mining starts at the 205ha site,...
Nashtec to expand its aluminium hydroxide production capacity by 40%
Nashtec, which is a joint venture between Nabaltec and Sherwin Alumina, is all set for expansion of its aluminium hydroxide production capacity by nearly 40% owing to the constantly growing demand, especially in the US market. The plant located in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA, plans to increase the production of its precipitated aluminium hydroxide, which is its top selling product, by over 30,000 tons. The construction of the new facilities is due to start in 2015 and should be completed by early 2015. Due to increased demand in the US, the Nastec facility had already been running close to its full capacity and expansion measures will not be affecting the current ongoing operations. Johannes Heckmann, Member of the Board of Nabaltec AG: “Nashtec has been a success story for Nabaltec ever...
Constellium endorses Aluminium Stewardship Initiative’s new global sustainability standard
Constellium N.V. announced its support for the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative’s (ASI) new global sustainability standard for the aluminium industry. Constellium joined ASI since its inception and contributed to expand its membership. Constellium has also participated actively in the development of the comprehensive new aluminium standard together with industry experts and key stakeholders under the leadership of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). “Constellium applauds this important step toward a more sustainable future for the aluminium industry and is proud of its contribution to the development of the ASI standard,” said Catherine Athènes, Constellium’s Sustainability Council Leader. “We believe this standard is truly groundbreaking as it brings together...
UC RUSAL announces acquisition of Timan bauxite 20% stake
UC RUSAL, a leading global aluminium producer, announces that it has completed a transaction with JSC “Fund for support of investment projects in the Republic of Komi” to obtain the remaining 20% stake in OJSC Boksit Timana (‘Timan’). Following the completion of this transaction, RUSAL now owns 100% of the mine. The transaction was carried out as part of RUSAL’s asset consolidation programme, which is aimed at securing safe supplies of raw materials to the Company’s aluminium plants. ‘Currently, RUSAL is implementing a strategy to become self-sufficient in raw materials. Timan is a strategically important RUSAL asset in Russia, that makes 30% of the country’s bauxite deposits. Moreover, Timan bauxite is of high quality and can be mined at low cost in an open pit. This deal has been...
Orbite receives a $4 million installment of Québec investment tax credits
Orbite Aluminae Inc. announced today that the Government of Québec confirmed the Company will receive, on or about December 29, $4 million as the third installment of its 2012 and 2013 Québec Investment Tax Credits. The funds were due to the Company in relation to equipment purchased for manufacturing and processing in the Gaspé region during the 2012 and 2013 financial years. As announced on July 22 and October 6, 2014 upon receipt of the first two installments totalling $12.3 million, these funds will be deposited in a segregated account and serve as security for the convertible debentures issued in 2012. The Company anticipates receiving the balance of its 2012 and 2013 investment tax credits during 2015. Following payment of this third installment, the Company will have a balance of...
Enabling operational efficiency with virtualization at Sohar Aluminium
Sohar Aluminium has announced the successful completion and testing of its Automation Infrastructure Virtualization Project, an initiative that promises to deliver dramatic gains in system scalability, operational efficiency, and security cost savings over the coming years. With this achievement Sohar Aluminium became the first smelter in the GCC region to completely virtualize its automation infrastructure, thus becoming a regional benchmark in operational efficiency and disaster recovery. Virtualization is being increasingly embraced by, among others, manufacturing plants as a powerful tool for improving the overall reliability of its IT hardware and software systems, whilst reducing costs in the operation of these assets. Virtualization allows for multiple operating systems to be...
Sesa Sterlite’s Jharsuguda Aluminium smelter wins accolades for energy-efficiency
Energy saving is one of the prime concerns for an aluminium producing company and Vedanta has always laid an special emphasis on it as a result of which, Sesa Sterlite’s Aluminium Smelter Plant in Jharsuguda has been awarded the 1st prize in the prestigious “National Energy Conservation Awards 2014” in Aluminium sector of India. The Union Cabinet Minister of Power and Coal handed over the prestigious award to Mr. Abhijit Pati, the President and COO of Sesa Sterlite, during the “National Energy Conservation Day Celebrations” held in Delhi on !4th December and organized by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power. The selection of the winner is processed after the energy consumption data is reviewed by the BEE and a number of companies are shortlisted. These shortlisted...
Pell joins Aluminum Association board
Sapa’s Jack C. Pell is one of five new persons elected to the U.S. Aluminum Association’s Board of Directors. Pell leads the commercial organization for Sapa’s Extrusion Americas business area, which is responsible for the company’s general extrusion activities in North and South America. He started his career in the aluminium extrusion industry in 1998 with Wells Aluminum before moving to Hydro, following its acquisition of Wells in 2000. Pell has served on Sapa’s Americas management team since September 2013, following the merger of the extrusion businesses of Hydro and Sapa. Rutt appointed In addition, Sapa’s J.D. Rutt has been appointed as chairman of the Aluminum Association’s recently constituted Heavy Truck Working Group. The working group is being organized to promote aluminum as...
Vista Metals continues to grow
Vista Metals of Adairsville with a corporate headquarters in California was created in 2009 to meet the growing demands of an aircraft industry customer in North Georgia and is ready to take a significant expansion on line within the next week. Vista produces aluminum billets and delicate, hard aluminum alloys. Its core customer in Canton is in the aerospace industry. “They take the billets that we make, put it into a press, and extrude it out into parts,” Stewart said. Those lightweight, yet super-strong aluminum parts are used throughout airplane fuselages. Stewart came to Bartow County with half a dozen employees to start up the plant. He added some eight new employees and took them to California for training before production started at the Adairsville plant late in 2010. Over the...
Revocation of Chinese export duty on aluminium rods unlikely to raise exports
Chinese aluminium market players when contacted for information revealed that they expect the government will revoke the 15% provisional export duty imposed on aluminium non-alloy rods. This of course creates an opportunity for the exports to boom but removal of export duty alone cannot aid the surge in exports as the SHFE/LME aluminium price ratio also plays an important role. SMM analyst Liu Xiaolei says that the Chinese aluminium rod makers will not be willing to do any bulk export unless the SHFE/LME aluminium price ratio is overwhelmingly favorable. The current installed aluminium rod capacity now exceeds 1 million tonnes in China but most of that is sold domestically to cable and wire companies. Some of these companies are vertically integrated, that is, they buy ingots from primary...
Alsa extends its reach in UAE aiding the aluminium industry
Alsa engineering and construction is extending its reach in the UAE and is planning to invest over $100 million in an expansion strategy which will stretch over the next 18 months. The company, being an active oil and gas sector has contributed to the aluminium industry in the country by supplying gas to Emal’s aluminium smelter and Ruwais refinery. Gassan S Arbid, the CEO of the company says they are growing from strength to strength as it eyes new projects to target the offshore sector to create a better presence in the country. The company has already acquired two million square meters of land to start working on shallow pipe laying and fabrication.
Qatalum hosts Aluminium Symposium at Qatar Science and Technology Park
Qatalum, producer of high-quality primary aluminium products, organised and hosted a day-long symposium on December 10th at the Qatar Science and Technology Park to address materials challenges in the 21st Century, with a focus on aluminium. The Symposium attracted 80 delegates from, Oil and Gas, Automotive, Industrial, Government and Academia. Co-hosed with Hydro Aluminium, Qatalum supported the Centre for Advanced Materials (CAM), within which the Qatalum/Hydro Chair was established in 2013. Qatar University presented the session, building on a long-standing collaboration to develop competence and international best practice in aluminium production, application and research – part of Qatar's National Vision 2030 objective of diversifying away from oil and gas toward a knowledge-based...
Dominican Republic's bauxite reserves to be searched for rare earth
Starting January, institutions like the National Geologic Service (SGN), the Higher Education Ministry and other universities from the US and Spain will be coming together to look for ‘rare earth’ ores in Sierra de Bahoruco in southwestern Pedernales province, as announced on Friday. Bauxite, which is essentially the primary source for aluminium may also be rich in rare earth since they accumulate over carbonate rocks. Thus the deposits in this region has piqued the interest of many local and international mineral enthusiasts as these bauxite reserves may also hold rare minerals like uranium. The exploration of rare earth in the Sierra de Bahoruco’s bauxite may take four years of exploration researchers say. The prospect of finding rare earth in the bauxite reserves can be a great boon...
Aluminum rebounds as inventories near four-year low
Aluminum rose on speculation that China will further stimulate the economy of the world’s biggest metals consumer and as inventories fell to near a four-year low. Aluminum gained as much as 0.6 percent after closing at the lowest in eight weeks on Dec. 12. A private manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index for China is forecast to slip below the 50 threshold that signals expansion for the first time in seven months, according to a Bloomberg News survey before the data tomorrow. Aluminum inventories tracked by the London Metal Exchange dropped to 4.29 million tons on Dec. 12, the lowest since January 2011, according to bourse data. China stimulus “is still what investors are expecting,” said Daniel Hynes, a senior commodity strategist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. “On top...
Alcoa to acquire TITAL to expand global growth platform for titanium aerospace components
Transaction Enhances Product Suite in High-Growth Jet Engine Segment • Acquisition grows Alcoa’s portfolio of titanium structural cast parts for world’s bestselling jet engines and airframe structures • Expands product suite to meet growing demand; TITAL’s titanium revenues are expected to increase by 70 percent over the next five years • Adds expertise in engineering and manufacturing advanced, single-piece titanium and aluminum components that reduce jet engine weight and complexity • Establishes titanium casting capabilities in Europe, close to key customers; also expands aluminum casting capacity • Continues Alcoa’s expansion into advanced jet engine components Lightweight, high-performance metals leader Alcoa today announced plans to further expand its global aerospace business...
