Century Aluminum’s proposed USD 4 billion primary aluminum smelter in Inola, Oklahoma, is “moving forward on all fronts” as the company prepares for construction, despite local opposition and legal challenges, CEO Jesse Gary said during the company’s third-quarter earnings call. Developed jointly by Century Aluminum and Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the project is designed to produce 750,000 tonnes of primary aluminum annually, potentially doubling U.S. primary aluminum production. The facility is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs and add USD 1.5 billion to Oklahoma’s gross domestic product, according to company estimates. The partners had targeted construction to begin by the end of 2026. However, local restrictions and permitting challenges have affected the...
LME aluminium stocks declined by more than half during the first nine months of 2026, falling by 267,875 tonnes from 509,250 tonnes on January 2 to 241,375 tonnes on September 30 (52.6 per cent). The decline continued throughout the period, with average warehouse inventories falling each month. Compared with the same period in 2025, monthly average stocks were lower across all nine months, with the gap widening in the third quarter. Q1 LME aluminium stocks fall 18.2 per cent LME aluminium inventories continued to decline during Q1 2026. Month-end stocks fell from 495,725 tonnes in January to 465,550 tonnes in February, before dropping further to 416,775 tonnes in March. Monthly average inventories stood at 498,670 tonnes in January, 481,801 tonnes in February and 440,710 tonnes in March....
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Aluminium futures fell marginally by 0.27% to Rs 111.05 per kg as speculators reduced their positions amid a weak trend at the London Metal Exchange. Subdued demand in the domestic spot market also put pressure on aluminium prices.At the Multi Commodity Exchange, aluminium for delivery in September declined by 30 paise, or 0.27%, to Rs 111.05 per kg, with a business turnover of 162 lots. In likewise manner, the metal for October contract delivery shed 20 paise, or 0.18%, to Rs 111.95 per kg in 162 lots. Market analysts attributed the fall in aluminium prices to a weak trend in the entire base metals pack on the London Metal Exchange (LME) as Europe's sovereign debt crisis persisted, reducing prospects of a growing demand for industrial metals. Meanwhile, aluminium fell by 1.1% to $2,355 a...
US aluminium giant Alcoa has warned that Victoria's two aluminium smelters face a "significant threat" because of the soaring Australian dollar, high input costs and the carbon tax, raising fears of further job losses in the crisis-hit manufacturing industry. Victorian Treasurer Kim Wells met Alcoa officials yesterday amid serious concerns about potential job losses and the impact of the federal government's planned carbon tax. Alcoa employs about 1200 people at the smelters and is also Victoria's biggest exporter, The Australian reports. While Alcoa will receive assistance under a $9.2 billion carbon tax package for manufacturers, the company estimates it faces extra costs of more than $40 million yearly because the smelters use extraordinarily large amounts of emissions-intensive...
Most active SHFE 1111 aluminum contract gapped lower at RMB 17,100/mt today due to aggressive short selling, and climbed to an intraday high of RMB 17,290/mt during initial trading hours on profit taking by the shorts. After the longs were forced to exit by worries towards a downgrade on Italy debt by the credit rating agency Moody’s, the contract lost previous firm support at RMB 17,200/mt, and continued its downward move to finally close at RMB 17,105/mt, down RMB 25/mt or 1.44%. Positions of the contract decreased 4,284 lots to 111,514 lots. Position transfer to SHFE 1112 the next most active contract also continued. As aluminum consumption failed to improve as expected, SHFE aluminum plunged with other base metals, among which copper and zinc created yearly record lows. Though the...
Following China’s Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, SHFE 1111 aluminum contract prices rebounded after falling initially to RMB 17,250/mt, but still faced strong pressure at RMB 17,400/mt due to a lack of long momentum. Market sentiment was sluggish following the holiday due to European debt woes, and Chinese stock markets unlikely returned above 2,500 points. In addition, spot aluminum consumption was weak, and daily trading volumes of SHFE 1111 aluminum contracts were below 30,000 points, which provided no support for higher SHFE aluminum prices. Spot aluminum inventories were low, and aluminum producers in Guangxi and Guizhou provinces cut production due to power restrictions, which helped prevent aluminum prices from falling. As a result, SHFE aluminum prices will continue fluctuating in a...
After most active SHFE aluminum contract gapped lower today, spot aluminum prices quickly slipped to near RMB 17,600/mt. Some traders took the wait-and-see attitude after the price jump, and the majority kept their quotation firm above RMB 17,600/mt. The weak consumption, however, still dragged mainstream traded prices lower to RMB 17,590-17,620/mt. Market transactions were rarely seen.
Traded prices of spot aluminum in Shanghai were between RMB 17,510-17,550/mt on September 19th, with premiums of RMB 120-160/mt over SHFE current-month aluminum price. Low-iron aluminum was traded between RMB 17,610-17,650/mt. Traded prices of spot aluminum in Wuxi were between RMB 17,480-17,530/mt. As spot aluminum consumption did not improve as expected in September, and with increasing capital pressure approaching the month end, goods holders actively moved their goods at premiums above RMB 100/mt, with only a few exited the market due to low inventories. Purchases in the market were rarely seen as downstream buyers were consuming inventories. Market transactions, therefore, were extremely limited.
MCX Aluminum may trade with negative bias tracking weakness in copper prices. However recent fall in stocks at LME warehouses may cap the downside. Stocks at LME fell by 22950 tonnes last week while those at SHFE fell by 1334 tonnes. Support for Aluminum September contract is seen at Rs.109.5 while resistance of Rs.112.5.
South Korea's Public Procurement Service, a state commodities stockpiling agency, said Friday that it bought a total of 5,000 metric tons of aluminum from three suppliers in two tenders. In the first, PPS bought 2,000 tons of non-western origin aluminum, of which STX Corp. (011810.SE) will supply 1,000 tons at a premium of $117/ton over the London Metal Exchange price on a cost, insurance and freight basis. LG International Corp. (01120.SE) will supply 1,000 tons at a premium of $109/ton. In the second tender for 3,000 tons of western origin metal, PPS bought 1,000 tons from STX Corp. at a 113/ton premium, 1,000 tons from LG International Corp. at a $114/ton premium and 1,000 tons from BHP Billiton Marketing AG at $118 over the LME price. The suppliers must ship the metal by Nov. 30.
Most active SHFE 1111 aluminum contract opened slightly higher at RMB 17,385/mt on September 16th. After hitting an intraday high of RMB 17,405/mt at the beginning of trading, the contract quickly slipped on profit taking by the longs with positions dropping by 3,758 lots, and finally closed at RMB 17,350/mt, up RMB 10/mt or 0.06% from previous trading day. We also noticed a position increase of 3,284 lots for SHFE 1112 aluminum contract which is to become the most active one. Market transactions contracted to only 16,000 lots as investors were cautious after SHFE aluminum showed signs of stagnation. Given strong resistance at the RMB 17,400/mt mark, SMM expects most active SHFE aluminum contract to stay below the level until it gains enough upward momentum. Latest SHFE aluminum stock...
The employees of National Aluminium Company (Nalco), a Navratna PSU under Union Ministry of Mines have urged the Prime Minister to come up with a comprehensive plan to stop the recurrence of crisis in supply of coal to the company. NK Samal, working president of Nalco Employees’ Sangha, affiliated to INTUC, also made an appeal to the Ministry of Coal, Ministry of Mines and Railways authorities, seeking immediate action to optimize coal supply to the PSU. He said, the company is already losing around Rs 1 crore everyday due to the short supply of coal which may lead to further loss to the national exchequer in days to come if the problem persists and the government doesn’t come up with timely interventions. The operation of Nalco’s smelter has been severely affected due to short supply of...
The VHE Hall Effect Ammeter continues to be in demand by those smelters paying increased attention to pot performance. Recent orders shipped include three ammeters configured for cathode riser bar measurements to Aluar in Argentina, and one configured for anode rod measurements to a European smelter The VHE Hall Effect Meter is a specialised portable ammeter. Lightweight and easy to operate, it is intended to provide good accuracy and repeatability in monitoring pot performance. The conductor current is instantaneously displayed on a backlit screen fixed to the probe handle. The U-shaped sensor head does not need to go fully around the conductor, making it both easier and quicker to take multiple measurements. A screen icon indicates low power remaining in the standard 9V alkaline dry...
Despite a better-than-expected September Consumer Confidence Index released by the University of Michigan on September 16th, huge discrepancies on economic woes in the euro zone as exposed among European finance ministers during the meeting on the same day still boosted investors’ risk aversion demand, pushing up the US dollar index by 0.36% to 76.567. LME aluminum broke through the 30-day moving average to an intraday high of RMB 2,403.8/mt during initial trading hours on September 16th, but slipped later with renewed investor worries towards the European debt crisis. The metal finally closed with a slight USD 4.8/mt or 0.2% loss at USD 2,375/mt. Total positions increased 14,011 lots to 775,874 lots. SMM expects LME aluminum to struggle at the 5-day moving average and fluctuate between...
A bearish target has been established at $2,326 per tonne for LME aluminium as indicated by its wave pattern and a Fibonacci projection analysis. The metal is riding on a fierce downward wave "C", unfolding towards $2,326, the 50 percent Fibonacci projection level, based on the length of the preceding wave "A" which fell from $2,476 to $2,333. A chance is very remote for the contract to revisit $2,403.75, the presumed wave "B" peak.
AFTER protracted delays, mining giant Rio Tinto and its Malaysian partner are inching towards an agreement on the price they will pay for electricity to power their $US2 billion ($1.9bn) aluminium smelter in East Malaysia. According to sources, negotiations have been held up because the Malaysian government was selling its interest in the huge Bakun hydroelectric plant to the regional Sarawak government. With the Bakun sale process complete, Rio and its partner can start working towards their own agreement with the Sarawak government on the price of electricity to be supplied from Bakun. Sarawak Aluminium Company, a 60-40 joint venture between Rio and Cahya Mata Sarawak, was given a manufacturing licence by the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority in March 2008. "They naturally want...
As many as six US aluminum smelters could restart in 2012 as the US market sees demand improve and aluminum supply move into a deficit, according to Jorge Vazquez, founder and managing director of market analyst Harbor Intelligence's Aluminum Intelligence Unit. But while two other analysts agreed that the US economy is unlikely to slip into a recession, they are less optimistic in their outlooks for the aluminum market. All three spoke at Aluminum Week in Chicago this week, a meeting sponsored by the Aluminum Association and Aluminum Extruders Council. Vazquez said the US could see a restart of six smelters because the country is returning to a deficit in aluminum and can no longer rely on Latin American exports to fill the gap. Latin America's aluminum surplus fell from 1.2 million mt in...
Huadong Aluminum kept pace with Nation Quality Month with the theme of “ to build quality-oriented country, to make better life”, implement the spirit of Nation Quality Month activity. The company aims to reduce waste and improve quality, to save energy and promote efficiency, to carry forward technological innovation and management innovation, and to build and implement outstanding performance model.
Experts from Qinghai Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision made overall evaluation on the energy work of Chinalco Qinghai Branch. The evaluation was made in accordance with the 5 elements and 21 items of the evaluation standards. Various aspects were evaluated including energy management responsibility, management system, energy-saving target, energy consumption analysis, etc. The experts agreed that as a key energy consumption unit in Qinghai, the company was able to fully implement the relevant standards of the area as well as the country and it had made certain achievements in the energy-saving work. Chinalco Qinghai Branch passed the evaluation successfully.
Ozone protection is embodied within Emirates Aluminium (EMAL)'s core value of "Protection of the Environment". On the occasion of International Day for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (16th September 2011), EMAL re-inforced its commitment for excellence in environmental action and continues to introduce new programmes to educate employees about their environmental responsibilities. Speaking in support of International Ozone Day, EMAL CEO and President, Saeed Fadhel Al Mazrooei, said: "EMAL is committed to the highest environmental standards. We demand them in our operations, we demand them from our contractors and we challenge our employees to find new ways to improve. Protection of the environment is one of our core values and it is at the heart of all that we do." As part of the...
