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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KEY decisions on the future of Northumberland's biggest private sector employer are awaiting new information on Government support for renewable energy generation after 2013. Rio Tinto Alcan which employs 630 people at its aluminium smelter and power station in Lynemouth said last night the future direction of the complex remains uncertain until coalition ministers provide clarification of the way forward. The company yesterday welcomed a decision made by county council planners which helps pave the way for a £50m project to convert the coal-fired power station to biomass-fuelled generation. Councillors approved an application for the construction of 10 biomass pellet storage silos, which would handle 75,000 tonnes of fuel and help achieve full biomass generation at the plant by April...
Spot aluminum market sentiment slightly improved after most active SHFE aluminum contract opened higher to struggle at RMB 17,450/mt, with spot aluminum prices slightly rising. Mainstream trading prices in the region were between RMB 17,940-17,960/mt. With sufficient supply, market transactions remained limited as downstream enterprises continued to purchase as-needed.
Trading prices of spot aluminum in Shanghai were between RMB 17,800-17,830/mt on September 8th, with premiums of positive RMB 10-40/mt over SHFE current-month aluminum prices. Low-iron aluminum was traded between RMB 17,860-17,900/mt. Trading prices of spot aluminum in Wuxi were between RMB 17,800-17,850/mt. Narrow range fluctuation in SHFE current-month aluminum price following a higher opening helped spot aluminum consolidate at above RMB 17,800/mt. However, as downstream buyers stayed back, mainstream trading prices quickly slipped. Market transactions were rarely seen.
South Korea's Public Procurement Service, a state commodities stockpiling agency, said Thursday it is looking to buy 5,000 metric tons of aluminum in two separate tenders. One tender is for 3,000 tons of metal and the second is for 2,000 tons, it said in an email. Both tenders will take place on Sept. 16. In both cases, the metal must be of London Metal Exchange-registered brands and must be shipped by Nov. 30, the agency said.
China will eventually become a net importer of aluminum but the timing of this shift is uncertain, the chief executive of Rio Tinto Alcan said Thursday. "It may take some time, but we believe China will eventually turn into a net importer of aluminum, as it has for bauxite and for alumina," Jacynthe Cote said Cote said China won't become a destabilizing market force as a significant net exporter of aluminum, and noted cost pressures in China due to rising energy prices, and increased power tariffs for industrial users in 15 Chinese provinces.
The stabilization of aluminum inventories in exchange-approved warehouses may be short-lived as a result of a rising surplus during the second half, the chief executive of Rio Tinto Alcan said Thursday. According to Jacynthe Cote, total inventory has been declining in the number of weeks of consumption that is available to the market. Since early April, Chinese total stocks fell by over 600,000 metric tons on the back of strong demand from key consuming markets, although global London Metal Exchange and producer inventories rose by about 50,000 tons in the same period as inflows to London Metal Exchange warehouses offset outflows to non-registered ones, she noted.
Indian state-run National Aluminium Co. Ltd sold 7,500 tonnes of aluminium ingots at nearly $102 per tonne premium over the average LME cash price on a cost, insurance and freight basis, a senior company official said on Thursday.
An extended period of low interest rates around the world suggest that the warehouse financing deals eating into aluminium availability for consumers will remain intact for a while yet, the chief executive of Rio Tinto Alcan said on Thursday. "Financial deals remain attractive for an extended period... This is constraining the availability of metal to the consumer market and further supporting prices and physical premiums," Jacynthe Côté, chief executive, Rio Tinto Alcan, Canada told delegates to a Metal Bulletin alumninium conference in Paris.
The world's top aluminium producer UC Rusal sees aluminium prices in a range of $2,500-2,600/t in 2012, supported by rising production costs. Despite macro-economic uncertainty, higher costs for producers should underpin aluminium prices, Vladislav Soloviev, the group's first deputy CEO, told a conference. Demand for alumnium should remain strong this year and next, he said.
Russian Federal Anti-Monopoly Service, or FAS, said on Wednesday it has launched an investigation against the world's biggest aluminum producer United Co. Rusal PLC (0486.HK), suspecting the company of abusing its dominant position in the local market. FAS's investigation concerns a Rusal trading subsidiary, which the service suspects of enforcing disadvantageous conditions of supply to a counterparty. A statement said that the claimant company had complained that Rusal "systematically" declined to sell it aluminum from its plant geographically closest to the firm, and instead sold the metal from some of its plants further away, which led to a "significant" rise in the transportation costs for the client and reduced its competitive position on the market. Rusal said the grade of primary...
The London Metal Exchange on Wednesday said it has suspended deliveries of the IS brand of aluminum alloy until further notice. The brand is produced by Ukraine-based Intersplav and the suspension takes place with immediate effect.
Trading prices of spot aluminum in Shanghai were between RMB 17,750-17,780/mt on September 7th, with premiums of positive RMB 20-50/mt over SHFE current-month aluminum prices. Following a slight rebound in SHFE aluminum prices, spot premiums narrowed to less than RMB 50/mt. Though buying interest was moderate in the market, general market sentiment improved with stabilizing prices. This also boosted goods holder confidence to hold their quotes firm in the future. Mainstream spot quotes rose to RMB 17,760-17,800/mt in the afternoon with continuously rising futures prices. However, as middlemen and downstream buyers were cautious after spot price climbed, no market transaction was seen in the afternoon.
The USD 300 billion job package scheduled to be announced by Obama today, combined with successful approval of austerity plan in Italy meaning lower default risk, boosted investor risk appetite overnight, with US stock markets surging by over 2% and the US dollar index closing 0.47% lower at 75.508. Supported by above news, LME aluminum rebounded with other base metals from earlier intraday low of USD 2,374.8/mt to an intraday high of USD 2,409/mt. The metal failed to break through the 10-day moving average, however, due to strong resistance, and finally closed at USD 2,405/mt, up 0.64%. Total positions increased 8,606 lots to 745,306 lots. SMM expects LME aluminum to fluctuate between USD 2,380-2,420/mt today. Most active SHFE 1111 aluminum contract is expected to open slightly higher at...
With a recent milestone achieved in aluminium production, Oman is becoming an increasingly prominent player in the global metals industry. The company is looking to secure additional natural gas supplies from the government to support efforts to expand its production facility. With an additional $3 billion in investment, it hopes to upgrade the 1,000-MW power plant that supplies energy to the smelter and to double capacity, bringing total production to 720,000 tonnes per year. The expected growth of segments like steel and aluminium will also create employment opportunities for Omanis as the government presses on with its “Omanisation” policy, which requires that 35 per cent of employees in industrial firms be Omani.
LME aluminium is expected to zigzag up within a rising channel until it breaks above the upper channel, and surge towards $2,460 per tonne. A high-low bottom has formed around $2,370, and the neckline of the pattern is at $2,410. Strategically, a rise above $2,420 will open the way to $2,460, as pointed by the upper channel line of the upper channel. Before the metal escapes from the lower channel, a chance is there for it to retrace to $2,390, as an accumulation of the strength to retest the upper channel line of the lower channel.
In order to lower the purchase cost, regulate the procurement business and improve efficiency, Chinalco launched an overall building plan of an e-commerce procurement platform. According to the request of Chinalco’s head office, the marketing department started to run the platform formally on Nov. 30, 2010. The advantages of the platform have been fully demonstrated by the marketing department since it was put online. From January to July this year, the utilization rate of this platform reached 96.64% calculated by the quantity of purchasing orders and 97.88% by order amount. The procurement platform has standardized purchasing activities through sequenced operation. It has also raised transparency of purchasing work by sharing price information between different companies. The marketing...
Zunyi Aluminum Industry Co., Ltd, takes measures and lays guidelines to counter serious power rationing. First of all,to save electricity,shifts of peak hours and power rationing should be pre-planned.Second is to improve public awareness of power rationing, save electricity and increase energy conservation. Third is to ensure safety in production during power rationing period. At last,accelerate and improve integration with coal, electricity and aluminum.
Market supply and demand ratio of dry-method aluminum fluoride is 1:1.7, over supply. According to research, after start of September, price of dry-method aluminum fluoride is facing further downward pressure. At present, price in East China is down to 9,600 Yuan/Ton, price declining by over 100Yuan/Ton compared to previous month.
