Caustic soda plant setup in India: How aluminium growth is reshaping demand, costs and opportunities
Caustic soda may not be the most visible ingredient in aluminium production, but without it, the journey from bauxite to alumina would look very different. The chemical, also known as sodium hydroxide, is a crucial reagent in the Bayer process, where it helps dissolve alumina-bearing material in bauxite and separate it from impurities. The dissolved material is then processed to recover alumina, which ultimately feeds aluminium production. That makes caustic soda more than just another industrial chemical. Its availability, price and efficient use can influence the economics of alumina refining and, by extension, the wider aluminium value chain. As India expands its alumina and aluminium capacity, the requirement for this chemical is also becoming increasingly important. For companies...
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...
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Mingtai Al. to Raise $122 Mln via private placement for aluminum extrusion project
Henan Mingtai Al. Industrial Co. plans to raise no more than 750 million yuan ($122 million) via private placement to build 20,000-tpy transport aluminum extrusion project, the company said in a statement filed to the Shanghai Stock Exchange on November 7. The project will be located in Xingyang City, Henan province, where several railway lines converge. Construction is scheduled to last two years, it added. China’s output of aluminum extrusions in transportation applications grew at a CAGR of 30.5% between 2005-2011. But aluminum extrusions in transportation applications accounted for a mere 11.9% of total aluminum extrusion consumption in China in 2011, much lower than in developed countries. This implies great market potential in the segment.
ICD sets up new subsidiary Dubal Holding
Dubai's sovereign wealth fund Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) has set up a new subsidiary - Dubal Holding - to manage its 50 per cent shareholding in Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), said a press statement on Saturday. ICD and Mubadala Development Company set up DGA by merging their subsidiaries Dubal and Emirates Aluminium (Emal). EGA's combined annual production currently accounts for 50 per cent of the total primary aluminium produced within the Gulf Cooperation Council region. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE's Minister of Finance, will be the chairman of the Dubal Holding. Other members are Saeed Mohammed Ahmed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman; Khalifa Hassan Abdulla Al Daboos, Member; Abdul Wahid Mohammad Al Fahim, Member and Hilal Khalfan Bin Dhaher Member. Abdulnasser Bin...
China’s once top aluminum producing province short of aluminum as local processing industry booms
Henan, used to be China’s top aluminum producing province, now finds itself short of the light metal due to its booming processing industry, Shanghai Metals Market has learned. With the rapid development of local processing industry, the province will see its aluminum production (forecasted at 3.28 million tonnes) fall short of consumption (forecasted at 4.5 million tonnes) in 2014. Henan’s Gongyi City – China’s top flat-rolled aluminum products production base – is home to over 30 aluminum processors, whose combined annual capacity has surpassed 3 million tonnes. 2.5 million tonnes of aluminum ingot is needed annually to feed such large capacity in the city. But most smelters in Henan are producing aluminum liquid for their own use or selling aluminum liquid to nearby processors. This...
Investors put pressure on Rio Tinto to distribute excess capital
Rio Tinto is under pressure to deliver on the CEO’s promise to become a "cash machine" for investors as it justifies snubbing a merger approach from Glencore. With Glencore effectively barred from making a renewed bid until April, Rio has a window to woo shareholders through stock buybacks and selling non-core assets. In August, CEO Sam Walsh said his $3.2bn cost-cutting drive increased the options for distributing excess capital. Now, with Glencore CEO Ivan Glasenberg hovering, investors said it was time for Rio to act on Walsh’s words. He will update shareholders on the company’s strategy at seminars in Sydney on November 28 and London on December 4. Rio will then post full-year results in February when analysts said it was likely to announce the first buyback since 2012. The...
Tosta Aluminium announces availability of specialized aluminium discs & lithographic coils
Tosta Aluminium Enterprise is the SINO-Aluminium Corporation of China that announces to offer aluminium discs and lithographic coils for the worldwide clients in the home appliances, printing and construction sectors. Aluminium is often recognized as one of the best recyclable metals. This is the reason why it is used in many industries. China based Tosta Aluminium is one of the leading aluminium suppliers that specialize in a wide variety of aluminium parts to be used in a variety of industries. The company announces the availability of lithographic coils and discs made of aluminium that are in high demand for home appliances, printing and construction industries. The spokesperson of the company reveals that they maintain a ready stock of aluminium discs and lithographic coils to be...
New study supports the use of a POSS molecule to strengthen aluminum alloys in automobiles
A new study supports the use of a POSS® molecule to strengthen aluminum alloys in automobiles. “Influence of Nano-structured Silanols on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of A4047 and A359 Aluminum Casting Alloys,” a study conducted in partnership between Michigan State University and Vinci Technology Corporation, is slated for release next year by the American Foundry Society. The study results show that TriSilanol POSS, created by silanol bonds at the corners of the POSS molecule, increased both the strength and toughness of A4047 and A359 aluminum alloys. In the A359 sample where POSS was added, elongation to failure increased from 23% to 250% over the control sample. According to the authors, these results hold great promise for the automotive industry. “In recent decades,...
Sapa shows automotive in Shanghai
Most of the visitors who stepped into Sapa’s stand at the 2014 SAE-China Congress & Exhibition later stepped out with a better understanding of the latest in automotive aluminium solutions. Sapa shows automotive in ShanghaiThe three-day exhibition at the Shanghai Automobile Exhibition Centre provided a first-class platform for the trends in China's automotive industry, ranging from the newest research results and technologies to in-depth cooperation. More than 108 exhibitors from 20 countries, and over 6,200 trade visitors and delegates, attended the exhibition. Sapa staffed its booth with sales and technical resources from its aluminium extrusion and fabrication operations in Jiangyin, Shanghai and Suzhou. More than 60 percent of its visitors, both local and international, came from the...
Alumina prices need to surge for the supply to increase: Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs Groups Inc. predicts that in order to spur supply of alumina, which is currently in deficit, the price of alumina needs to be increased. After the Indonesian ban, the bauxite reserves across the world are rapidly falling, which in turn has caused the Chinese alumina output growth to fall. According to the Goldman analysts, the price of alumina has to increase to $370/mt by next year’s second quarter and in the second half of 2015, it should be touching $380/mt to encourage supply growth and urge the Chinese refineries to use the more expensive imported bauxite. They also said, the alumina supply deficit is likely to be around 639,000 tons in 2015 increasing from the recorded 138,000 tons in 2014. The hike in the alumina prices will also spur new bauxite development and...
Land lease approved for new bauxite minning site in Bua
Another 20 year land lease has been approved to XINFA Aurum Explorations Fiji Limited for a new bauxite mining site at Votua, Lekutu in Bua. Mine Manager Basilio Vanuaca said 400,000 tonnes of bauxite is expected to be extracted from that piece of land which is 500 metres away from the current site at Nawailevu. Vanuaca said the government has also extended their bauxite mining license. Director Land Use Unit, Samuela Naicegucegu said $232,000 as premium money has been paid to the Mataqali Naita of Votua village in Lekutu, Bua. Naicegucegu said $7,000 is the land rent for a year and will be paid in the first five years subject to the review of the lease. He added the landowners will also receive royalty money after the completion of the mining project. Lands and Mineral Resources Minister...
France’s Imerys to absorb Greek’s S&B Minerals, excluding bauxite operations
Imerys, a world leading industrial minerals company has signed an absorption deal on Thursday, for the Greek company called S&B Industrial Minerals. The deal is supposedly one of the biggest international mergers in the history of Greek industry. The deal is said to be worth 558 million euros according to Imerys’ statement in bourse filling from Paris. After the deal comes through, S&B will be controlling 4.5% of the Imerys and the Chairman of the Greek company, Ulysses Kyriakopoulos will become a part of Imerys governing board. Imerys said the deal represented a “strategic combination for the integration of the main activities of S&B,” while Kyriakopoulos told Kathimerini on Wednesday that the absorption of S&B will not affect the Greek firm’s bauxite activity. Kyriakopoulos says that...
Aluminum processing industry shifts to China Xinjiang for easy access to raw materials
China’s 2nd largest aluminum smelter – Xinjiang East Hope Nonferrous Metals Co. – has signed aluminum liquid supply agreements with 6 aluminum processors in inland China, a local website reported on Thursday. Under these agreements, these six aluminum processors will build plants in Xinjiang for easy access to aluminum liquid produced by Xinjiang East Hope Nonferrous Metals Co. Once implemented, this move will help cut Xinjiang East Hope Nonferrous Metals Co.’s production cuts by 800 yuan ($ 130) per tonne, it added.
Yokohama prevails in counterfeit aluminum wheels action in China
Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. said it has successfully completed its efforts to eliminate counterfeit aluminum wheels in China. The company filed a complaint and submitted information to the Guangzhou Bureau of Public Security in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, regarding a distributor of counterfeit sports car aluminum wheels imitating Yokohama’s “Advan Racing” wheels, it said. The distributor was selling the counterfeit goods via Internet shopping sites and retail shops outside of the tire maker’s official distribution channels, Yokohama claimed. “Acting upon the complaint and information provided by the company, the Guangzhou Bureau of Public Security seized over 1,000 counterfeit aluminum wheels on April 1, 2013,” Yokohama said in a press release. According to the company, it confirmed on...
SDK Group opens aluminum casting plant in Pasir Gudang
Showa Denko K.K (SDK) today opened its new aluminum casting plant, SHOTIC Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (STM) at Kompleks Perindustrian Tanjung Langsat, Pasir Gudang, Johor Baharu, Malaysia to further strengthen its production system of automotive aluminum parts. STM, setup with RM48 million (JPY 1.6 billion) capital, will be the SDK Group's first production base outside Japan to cast aluminum and is to start mass production within the month and will meet the demand for fine aluminum products through quick response to car manufacturers' and parts suppliers' needs. "By cultivating Asian market and focusing on development of new-product which automotive industry expects, SDK aims to further solidify the foundation of its aluminium casting business," said Hideo Ichikawa, CEO of Showa Denko. SDK has an...
Sapa signs distribution agreement in China
Sapa has signed a distribution agreement in China for its Sapa Building System brand with Jiayu, one of the country's leading manufacturers of windows and doors. Beijing Jiayu Door, Window and Curtain Wall Joint-Stock Co., Ltd, is a leading provider of energy-saving doors, windows and curtain walling solutions. The company was founded in 1987 and listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in September 2010. It has 20 production units throughout China. Sapa signs distribution agreement in ChinaThe agreement includes the sales and distribution of the Sapa Building System brand’s high-performing Avantis and Confort windows and doors, and sliding systems. The market introduction of these products is scheduled for early 2015. “We have been looking for a large and well-established Chinese...
Western Marine Shipyard shipped a newly constructed aluminum body catamaran
Western Marine Shipyard has shipped a newly constructed aluminum body catamaran type passenger ship for Tanzania on the 2nd of November 2014. The ship named “MV Dar Es Salaam” was boarded on another heavy carrier mother vessel at Chittagong port for transporting it to Tanzania, the company said in its press release. The ship has a capacity of carrying 300 passengers. It will be used by Tanzania Ministry of Transportation to carry passengers through the inland waterways. Western Marine received the work order for this new building project through a Danish company JGH Marine. The ship is 38m long & it will be able to travel at a speed of 20knots. Catamaran ships are very safe for voyages & even more stable than other type of ships as they are specially designed with twin hull. The shipyard...
HMAS Bundaberg fire forces Aluminium Boats Australia into voluntary administration
A Fire which gutted a $54 million Australian Navy patrol boat has been blamed for the demise of a Brisbane-based boat manufacturing and servicing company. Aluminium Boats Australia today announced it had been placed into voluntary administration after the HMAS Bundaberg was destroyed while undergoing maintenance at its Hemmant shipyard in August. The company lost its contract for servicing and maintenance of Australian Navy vessels soon after, forcing it to cut 90 jobs. Another 70 staff were sacked today after the appointment of administrators from FTI Consulting, who are expected to take less than five weeks to assess the company’s future. In a statement, Aluminium Boats Australia director Roy Whitewood said he hoped the business could still recover through the help of the...
Aluminium futures fall 0.55% on global cues
Aluminium futures fell 0.55 per cent to INR 126.40 per kg today as speculators reduced positions amid a weak trend in base metals at the London Metal Exchange. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, aluminium for delivery in December lost 70 paise, or 0.55 per cent, to INR 126.40 per kg, with a business turnover of just one lot. The metal for delivery in November also shed 65 paise, or 0.47 per cent, to trade at INR 126.30 per kg in a turnover of 224 lots. Marketmen said a weak trend in the base metals pack at the London Metal Exchange after the European Commission cut growth forecasts for the euro area, dampening the demand outlook for industrial metals, mainly put pressure on aluminium prices at futures trade here.
EEF and WAE plan extrusion expansions due to increased construction activities
As the construction business booms in the UAE regions, the demand rises for aluminium extrusion products. Two subsidiaries of the Masharie LLC, which is Dubai Investments’ private equity segment, have announced that they will be pursuing expansion plans aggressively. Emirates Extrusion Factory (EEF), one of UAE’s leading aluminium extrusion companies and White Aluminium Extrusion (WAE), an aluminium and glazing company have both reported heightened demand for their products. The aluminium profile demands have increased by 13% YOY form 24,100 in 2013 to 27,250 mt in 2014. Due to this increasing demand, EEF is planning to expand their capacities by launching a new production line at their aluminium extrusion plant is Techno Park, Dubai. The production line should commence at end of the...
