AL Circle Analysis: Aluminium’s recycling economics, trade walls and carbon rules converge
The story of the aluminium industry is starting a chapter wherein scrap availability, recycling technology, trade policy, carbon costs and demand growth are becoming increasingly interconnected. From the US and Canada to Europe, India, New Zealand and China, recent developments show that the global aluminium supply chain is being reshaped on several fronts at once. These developments point to a changing aluminium business model: access to metal alone may no longer be enough. Quality of recycled feedstock, domestic processing capacity, carbon intensity, trade exposure and the ability to meet increasingly specific customer requirements could become equally important competitive factors. Join the fourth edition of the webinar “Hedging for recyclers - Become an expert in 6 hours” by Jorge...
Europe holds 10% of global aluminium extrusion demand, supported by Germany’s Constellium, France’s Hydro Extrusions & Italy’s Metra
Across Europe, aluminium extrusion has become closely woven into some of the region’s biggest industrial and construction markets. From automotive and transport to buildings and industrial applications, extruded profiles are finding demand across a wide range of sectors. This is reflected in Europe’s position in the global market: the region accounted for 12 per cent of global aluminium extrusion capacity, making it the second-largest regional contributor after China. At the same time, Europe represented 10 per cent of global aluminium extrusion usage, out of total global usage of 35.35 million tonnes . With production capacity and usage shares relatively close, Europe’s extrusion capacity and consumption are broadly at par. If we break down Europe’s 10 per cent share of global aluminium...
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Brady provides Aleris with leading Cloud solution for its metal hedging and risk management
Brady plc, the leading supplier of trading and risk management solutions for commodities, energy and recycling, announced today that Aleris has selected Brady’s Cloud-based solution to manage its global metal hedging and risk management, supporting the enterprise’s drive for growth. The Brady solution enables Aleris to consolidate its global metal hedging across its operations in the US, Europe and China. In addition, Aleris is able to centrally manage and analyse its risk exposure and report on the gains/losses of its operations regionally as well as globally. The solution enables month end reporting to be completed in close to real time, which is particularly critical in times of high price volatility. Aleris is a global leader in the manufacture and sale of aluminium rolled products,...
Rolls Royce to make a smooth transition to a futuristic aluminium platform
Iconic limousine maker Rolls Royce is all set to enter the next generation of car manufacturing with modern techniques and lightweight aluminium platform. The upcoming Rolls Royce Phantom and all future super-luxury cars will be made from the same materials as used in Tesla Model S, with a lighter yet durable aluminium chassis and body. The eighth-generation Rolls Royce Phantom will be the first car that the company makes using the new aluminium architecture, and it is known from industry sources that that design has taken “another significant step forward”. The current Phantom will end its production life on 31 December 2016, and the new model won’t be introduced until 2018, so there will be a gap of at least a year where dealers will sell through the existing stock they have on hand....
China Zhongwang puts aluminium flat rolling project on trial
China Zhongwang Holdings has put the first production line of its aluminium flat rolling project in Tianjin on trial production. The project, with designed annual capacity at 1.8 million tonnes, has two production lines and mainly produces aluminium alloy medium-thick plate used in aircrafts, rail cars, ships and commercial vehicles.
SHFE aluminium to move around moving averages
SHFE 1609 aluminium almost lost support at the 5-day moving average as shorts took the upper hand. The contract should move at RMB 12,300-12,500/mt today, hovering around the 5-day and 10-day moving averages. LME aluminium has found strong support and will move at USD 1,640-1,660/mt. In China’s spot aluminium market, spot premiums of RMB 20-60/mt are expected over SHFE 1607 aluminium contract.
Indian mines ministry may push for duty hike on primary aluminium products
The Ministry of Mines, India, is expected to consider pushing for a hike in the customs duty on primary aluminium products to provide relief to an industry suffering from low prices and underutilised manufacturing capacity. "We have asked the industry to make a representation to push their case before we take up the matter with the concerned departments of the government. The aluminium manufacturers are expected to meet me within a week," said Balvinder Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Mines on the sidelines of the National Conclave on Mines & Minerals in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. In Budget 2016-17, the government had raised customs duty on primary aluminium products to 7.5 per cent from 5 per cent earlier. However, the industry-wide capacity utilisation remains low at around 50 per cent. Prices...
Reynaers supplies bespoke aluminium systems for Prague’s Crystal building
Prague’s desirable Vinohrady district has got a striking new addition to its skyline – The Crystal offices, a project that demonstrate how far boundaries can be pushed with aluminium curtain walling to create original spaces and bespoke shapes. Crystal is made up of two main parts, which together create a compact unit. They are sliced by a striking sharp chasm, leading to the inspiration behind the name. Supported by bespoke aluminium systems from Reynaers, the significant height and distinctive shape means that this building has a unique and unexpected look, from every angle. The innovative build is found beside the busy Vinohradská Boulevard opposite one of Prague’s largest cemeteries, Olšany, and the post-modern 1990s Don Giovanni hotel. It was commissioned by the GES REAL development...
Aluworks nears closing in on US$25m turnaround deal with Vedanta Resources
Aluworks announced that they are close to sealing a US$25million strategic investment deal with Vendata Resources, one of the world’s largest natural resources companies with an interest in aluminium and other resources. “We are talking in a matter of weeks,” Ralph Rossouw, a Director of Vendata Resources told the B&FT on the sidelines of Aluworks’ AGM in Accra, in respect of how close they are to the deal. “We will resolve the debt issue with SSNIT and VALCO, and then more importantly do value added products. So we are looking at a foil line which is considered a higher value added product…we will then compete far more than the Chinese. We will replace the Chinese market in Ghana as well as in Nigeria. But that can only be done if we do bauxite mining and alumina refining,” Ralph Rossouw...
Siemens' world-record electric motor makes first flight
Siemens researchers have developed a new type of electric motor that, with a weight of just 50 kilograms, delivers a continuous output of about 260 kilowatts – five times more than comparable drive systems. This record-setting propulsion system successfully completed its first public flight today at Schwarze Heide Airport near Dinslaken, Germany, where it – almost silently – powered an Extra 330LE aerobatic airplane. The new drive system had already made its maiden flight on June 24th 2016. This advance means that hybrid-electric aircraft with four or more seats will now be possible. "This day will change aviation," said Frank Anton, head of eAircraft at Siemens' central research unit Corporate Technology. "This is the first time that an electric aircraft in the quarter-megawatt...
LME aluminium to face downward pressure
Market will eye US May durable goods orders today. Crude oil prices will meet pressure from recovering supply. LME aluminium will test support at the 5-day moving average and move at USD 1,635-1,655/mt. SHFE 1609 aluminium will move at RMB 12,300-12,500/mt on Monday. In China’s spot aluminium market, spot premiums of RMB 60-100/mt are expected over SHFE 1607 aluminium contract. Key Macroeconomic Indicators for Base Metal Prices Eurozone retail sales and US factory and durable goods orders in May will be released today. Base metals should diverge today. Should Caixin’s service PMI in May weaken, market expectations that Chinese economy will slide further will grow, and will in turn weigh down base metals. Eurozone retail sales in May will likely improve, as Germany’s monthly and annualized...
CBIX nudges higher (+2.4%), mixed messages from Malaysia
CBIX rose over the week, up 2.4 per cent (US$1.1) to US$46.9/dmt on the back of higher ViU-priced Guinean material, partially offset by lower ViU-adjusted prices from other regions. Malaysian FOB prices continue to hold their ground, quoted at US$25/dmt to US$26/dmt for unwashed material, with washed material fetching around US$37/dmt FOB. Reports out of Malaysia over the week quoted stockpiles as high as 5.4 Mt at or near the port of Kuantan. Our own intel suggests stockpiles of around 1.5 to 2 Mt at or near the port, with exporters ready to resume operations as soon as the ban is lifted. Larger miners have mostly taken the measures necessary to conform with new environmental requirements and are now waiting for the ban to be lifted. When it is, exports are likely to resume quickly....
Coca-Cola denies its limited edition UEFA Euro 2016 aluminium bottles contain alcohol
Coca-Cola Malaysia refuted allegations that its imported Coca-Cola UEFA Euro 2016 limited edition aluminium bottles sold in selected outlets in the country contain alcohol. It said although the limited edition aluminium bottles were not produced in Malaysia but imported from Europe, “the ingredients and manufacturing process used in the production of Coca-Cola beverage are rigorously regulated by the government and health authorities in more than 200 countries which have consistently recognised the drink as a non-alcoholic product”. “These include countries where Islam is the major religion,” it said in a statement, here, today. “The company understands the local market and recognises and respects the importance of reassuring the Muslim consumers that its products meet the strict halal...
Goa Carbon reports 15,059.100 MT of calcined petroleum coke production for June
Goa Carbon has reported production of 15,059.100 MT (million tonnes) of Calcined Petroleum Coke for the month of June 2016. Of the total production achieved for the month, Bilaspur plant produced 1,834.000 MT of Calcined Petroleum Coke, Goa plant produced 2,519.100 MT of Calcined Petroleum Coke while Pradeep plant has produced 10,706.000 MT of Calcined Petroleum Coke. On the sales front, the company has sold a total of 13,988.570 MT of Calcined Petroleum Coke products for the month of June 2016. Of the total sales achieved for the month, Bilaspur plant, Goa plant and Paradeep plant of the company sold 1,614.700 MT; 4,409.820 MT and 7,964.050 MT respectively. Goa Carbon is into the business of manufacturing and marketing Calcined Petroleum Coke. Goa Carbon is firmly established as a...
Alcoa to announce second quarter 2016 results and host webcast
Alcoa plans to announce its second quarter 2016 financial results on Monday, July 11 after the market closes. The press release will be available on the Investor section of Alcoa's website, and a link to the press release will also be available on Alcoa's twitter handle. A conference call to discuss the quarterly results and business developments will be held on Monday, July 11 beginning at 5:00 p.m. EDT. The conference call will be webcast live via Alcoa's website, with presentation materials available concurrently with the press release. Analysts are expecting a decent quarter of results starting with Alcoa on July 11th. Unless the clash with Alumina has an impact on the results, Alcoa is expected to report a positive result for the second quarter.
Texas Tech researchers develop ways to make fireworks’ aluminium fuel safer
Researchers at Texas Tech University in Lubbock have developed a method for stabilizing aluminium fuel powder used in fireworks that increases their shelf life and, as a result, makes them safer to use. Aluminium powder is used as a fuel for both commercial-grade and professional-grade fireworks. Although it works well in that role, it also degrades quickly, sometimes becoming unstable and no longer fully combustible in as short as a few months. These duds don’t always become completely inert however, and still can (and sometimes do) detonate and injure individuals who return to investigate why the firework has not yet gone off. “The duds are usually the most dangerous fireworks,” said Michelle Pantoya, a professor and J.W. Wright Regents Chair in the department of mechanical engineering...
Ford edges out General Motors in pickup truck sales
Ford Motor Co. narrowly beat General Motors Co. in sales of full-size pickup trucks during the half of this year. Ford’ F-Series pickup sales rose 10.7 percent to 395,244 through the end of June, according to industry data issued Friday. GM, by comparison, sold a combined 382,134 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups – just a 0.9 percent gain – during the same period. Silverado sales have fallen slightly this year, despite aggressive marketing that included a commercial showing a dropped tool chest punching a hole in the bed of the rival F-150 pickup. The spot was a knock on the aluminum architecture of the Ford’s body and bed. “With Chevrolet sales flat, one wonders if the splashy incentive program that kicked off June and the provocative Silverado steel bed versus Ford’s F-150...
AluK aluminium curtain walling, window and door systems specified for Lifetime Homes at London
The former Mardyke Estate in Rainham, east London, has undergone a substantial transformation to make way for a new residential development, Orchard Village. Circle Housing has invested £80million to redevelop the old housing estate, creating 555 new homes to meet local affordable housing needs. Designed by PRP Architects and developed in its entirety by Willmott Dixon, the project specified AluK aluminium curtain walling, window and door systems throughout all four phases, three of which have been completed. To meet security requirements, all windows and doors complied to the Secured By Design (SBD) initiative, with the GT55 TB commercial door systems integrating electric strike access with key fob entry. The AluK GT55 TB is believed to be the first aluminium commercial door system to be...
TOPEEDOBOT launches folding portable 3D printer with aluminium construction
A new portable 3D printer that is capable of being folded up or down to help with transportation, has been launched this week via the Kickstarter crowdfunding website by 3DSTUFFSNL, a development company based in the Netherlands. The TOPEEDOBOT wireless connectable, portable 3D printer has been constructed using a strong yet lightweight aluminium framework and is capable of near silent print operation, as well as being able to print in multiple colours, says its creators. The frame of the printer is designed and made of extruded aluminium profile, giving the TOPEEDOBOT a rigid solid structural frame. Assembled with custom, aluminium parts designed by Emmanuel A. TOPEEDOBOT is designed and developed for professionals, hobbyists, students, makers and thinkers. Thanks to feedback, comments...
Siegenia supplies new TITAN tilt and turn aluminium systems to Carl F Groupco
Carl F Groupco has extended its range of Siegenia hardware with the addition of the TITAN AF, a tilt and turn system newly introduced to the UK market. Key features include the AF concealed axxent 24+ variant, a completely new design, providing a completely jigless solution for the majority of profiles, with sash load bearing capabilities up to 150kg. The system can also be easily and economically upgraded to comply with PAS 24 for security. The expansion of Carl F Groupco’s Siegenia range reinforces the strong decade long partnership between the distributor and manufacturer. The ALU 4200 and axxent ranges have been extremely successful tilt and turn aluminium systems for Carl F Groupco and the company is confident that the new AF system will be equally as popular. Commenting, John...
