For the past two decades, the US aluminium industry has been treading through a volatile path, with a domestic primary aluminium sector deteriorating at a rapid and alarming rate, and the number of operational smelters falling from around thirty to only four. Primary aluminum output was estimated at 660,000 metric tons in 2025, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. The situation was compounded by the Section 232 tariffs on aluminum products, further blocking the inbound trade. The rebuilding of domestic capacity, therefore, is not only about restarting or constructing smelters. It also depends on the infrastructure and technology needed to transform molten aluminum into usable products, maintain ageing electrolysis assets, process scrap efficiently, and improve metal quality....
China’s domestic aluminium inventories declined, giving some support to aluminium prices. However, China’s aluminium production remained high, while a new alumina project in Guangxi entered trial production and is expected to add to future supply. For aluminium, the fall in domestic inventories is a positive factor for prices. However, the supply picture remains mixed, as China’s aluminium production reached a record 4 million tonnes in August, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Output was 4.7 per cent higher year on year, while production during January-August reached around 31 million tonnes, up 3.9 per cent from the same period last year. At the current pace, annual production could reach around 47 million tonnes, above the country’s long-standing 45-million-tonne...
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Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has reportedly certified Guangyuan Linfeng Aluminum & Electricity Co., LTD against the Performance Standard V2 (2017) Certification for aluminium smelting activities at the Yuanjiaba Industrial Park, Guangyuan Economic and Technological Development Zone, China. The facility runs aluminium smelting operation using hydropower available in Sichuan province. It has an annual output of nearly 250,000 tonnes of aluminium in liquid and ingot form, which are mainly destined for the production of aluminium strip and foil as well as automotive wheel manufacturing. Fiona Solomon, Chief Executive Officer at ASI, said: “We congratulate Guangyuan Linfeng Aluminum & Electricity Co., LTD for achieving Performance Standard Certification for its aluminium smelting...
World primary aluminium production in November 2022 amounted to 5.611 million tonnes, reflecting a monthly drop of 3.21 per cent, showed the International Aluminium Insititute. However, the output in October recorded a month-on-month rise of 2.26 per cent from 5.669 million tonnes to 5.797 million tonnes. On a year-on-year calculation, world primary aluminium production edged a hike of 3.79 per cent from 5.406 million tonnes. From January to November 2022, world primary aluminium production totalled 62.472 million tonnes, down by 1.44 per cent from 61.571 million tonnes a year ago. China, the world’s largest producer of primary aluminium, churned out 3.311 million tonnes in November 2022 – 3.2 per cent less than 3.421 million tonnes a month earlier but 7.19 per cent higher than 3.089...
LME aluminium opened at US$2,370 per tonne on Tuesday, December 20, with high and low at US$2,410 per tonne and US$2,363.50 per tonne, respectively, before closing at US$2,371.50 per tonne, a gain of US$1.5 per tonne or 0.06 per cent. On Tuesday, December 20, LME aluminium cash bid price slightly grew by US$4 per tonne to settle at US$2,329 per tonne, and LME aluminium official settlement price inched up by US$2.50 per tonne to rest at US$2,329.50 per tonne. 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price increased by US$6.50 per tonne and US$7 per tonne, respectively, to peg at US$2,370 per tonne and US$2,371 per tonne. December 23 bid price and December 23 offer price rose by US$5 per tonne to hover around US$2,453 per tonne and US$2,458 per tonne. LME aluminium opening stock further suffered...
On Wednesday, December 21, A00 aluminium ingot price has ascended by RMB 70 per tonne to stand at RMB 18,780 per tonne, with the average price expected to stand between RMB 18,760 per tonne and RMB 18,800 per tonne. The spot contract price is expected to be traded at a premium price of RMB 140 to RMB 180 per tonne. The prices in Shenyang and Wuxi have increased by RMB 80 per tonne and RMB 75 per tonne to settle at RMB 18,750 per tonne and RMB 18,795 per tonne. In Hangzhou and Foshan, the A00 aluminium ingot price hiked by RMB 70 per tonne to rest at RMB 18,810 per tonne and RMB 18,760 per tonne. As per the SMM data, A00 aluminium ingot price in Gongyi has grown by RMB 50 per tonne to score at RMB 18,650 per tonne. On the same day, the prices in Tianjin and Linyi have climbed up by RMB 40...
Aluminium is benefitting a lot these days from innovations brought in by eminent institutions across the globe. Some innovations have evolved the production processes of the metal, while others have advanced the technologies used in the processes. Here in this article, we have picked five institutions that have treated the global aluminium value chain to one-of-a-kind technologies and applications. EU’s Reveal Research Project works on heat-based energy storage in aluminium The Reveal Research Project involving nine participants from seven European countries has initiated the noble objective of producing aluminium from alumina in a way that emits the least amount of carbon dioxide. The project magnifies a vital idea if aluminium can hold electricity as heat that can be released later to...
The Board of the Russian aluminium giant and one of the world’s leading aluminium producers, Rusal, has approved the updated climate strategy until 2032 with a perspective up to 2050. The updated climate strategy was adopted at the Rusal Board of Directors meeting in Krasnoyarsk. The Strategy is divided into two scenarios: basic and intensive, each of which defines a strict framework for achieving the company's decarbonization goals. Rusal plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity per tonne of metal from all production facilities (Scope 1, Scope 2 - direct and indirect energy emissions) by at least 25 per cent by 2032 and by at least 47 per cent by 2050, compared to 2018, excluding the effect from carbon emissions neutralization projects. This reduction is in line with the most...
Hindalco Industries Limited has continued to cut its aluminium ingot and aluminium products prices for the fourth time in a row, effective from Tuesday, December 20. After a cut of INR 1,500 per tonne on December 17, Hindalco has further reduced its aluminium ingot price by INR 3,000 per tonne to stand at INR 221,500 per tonne as of December 20. Hindalco’s aluminium wire rod price has also been cut by INR 3,000 per tonne or 1.34 per cent on December 20 to INR 232,600 per tonne. On December 17, the wire rod price stood at INR 235,600 per tonne, down by INR 1,500 per tonne from INR 237,100 per tonne. Hindalco’s aluminium billets price has also suffered a loss of INR 3,000 per tonne on December 20 to peg at INR 235,600 per tonne versus INR 238,600 per tonne on December 17. Hindalco has...
A00 aluminium ingot price has recorded a drop of RMB 30 per tonne, resting at RMB 18,710 per tonne, as the Shanghai Metals Market recorded on Tuesday, December 20. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 18,690 per tonne and RMB 18,730 per tonne, with spot contracts trading at premium prices of RMB 120 per tonne and RMB 160 per tonne. The provinces in China all have experienced decreasing prices today, except in Gongyi, where the aluminium price has increased by RMB 10 per tonne, closing at RMB 18,600 per tonne. Other than that, the aluminium price in Shenyang plunged by RMB 40 per tonne to halt at RMB 18,670 per tonne, while the aluminium price in Chongqing and Linyi both shed RMB 30 per tonne, stopping at RMB 18,760 per tonne and RMB 18,710 per tonne. The aluminium prices...
LME aluminium opened at US$2,394 per tonne Monday, with its high and low at US$2,402.5 per tonne and US$2,358.5 per tonne, respectively, before closing at US$2,370 per tonne, a drop of US$9 per tonne or 0.38 per cent. On Monday, December 19, both LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price dropped by US$28 per tonne or 1.18 per cent and US$27 per tonne or 1.14 per tonne to halt at US$2,325 per tonne and US$2,327 per tonne. 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price settled at US$2,363.50 per tonne and US$2,364 per tonne after witnessing a fall of US$32.5 per tonne or 1.35 per cent and US$34 per tonne or 1.41 per cent. December 23 bid price and December 23 offer price slipped by US$32 per tonne to halt at US$2,448 per tonne and US$2,453 per tonne. LME aluminium...
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the most significant industrial organisation in the United Arab Emirates, excluding the oil and gas sector, has nodded in agreement to provide Kobe Steel with CelestiAL solar aluminium for creating automotive body sheets designated to be used in Nissan vehicles. EGA's supply deal with Kobe Steel will help in introducing the company's flagship solar aluminium, CelestiAL, in one of the most humungous rolling mills in Japan. Aluminium sheets are hugely in demand due to the rising Japanese automotive sector that gulps them down to constitute vehicle body components like panels, bonnets and doors. EGA has nourished a business relationship with Kobe Steel for more than two decades and a half, supplying them with over thousands of tonnes of aluminium each year....
On December 19, 2022, the world's leading industrial company committed to a sustainable future, Norsk Hydro and two partners stated that they plan to build an onshore wind farm costing between 3 and 4 billion Norwegian crowns ($304 million-$405 million) in Norway's west coast. If permitted, the project would use 50 wind turbines to provide one terawatt hour (TWh) of clean energy for present and future enterprises in the Hoeyanger and Sunnfjord areas. Local communities in Norway have recently opposed onshore wind farm projects out of concern for preserving pure nature, but Hydro said it aimed to overcome any potential opposition. Hydro, in its statement, stated, "The project will provide yearly income for Hoeyanger and Sunnfjord municipalities, as well as local value creation in the...
The global mining and metal giant Rio Tinto has announced the appointment of Kaisa Hietala as a non-executive director. A Finnish citizen, Kaisa Hietala, will join the Board on March 1, 2023. An experienced executive, Kaisa Hietala has a proven track record of assisting businesses in transforming environmental megatrends' challenges into growth opportunities. Her career began in upstream oil and gas exploration. As Neste's Executive Vice President of Renewable Products, she was instrumental in the company's commercial transformation into the world's largest and most profitable producer of renewable products. Kaisa Hietala is a seasoned non-executive director who chairs the board of Tracegrow, a private Finnish manufacturer of sustainable fertilisers. She also sits on the boards of Exxon...
The advent of the Paris Agreement in 2015 made it very clear to the energy-intensive industries of the world that it was high time to curb their carbon emissions. Factories and refineries were warned about the severe effects of carbon earlier, but with this agreement, the entire world came to actual terms with the truth about nature's depreciating condition. Instantly, many big organisations started mapping their journey toward carbon-less material or component production. Among them, aluminium plays a considerable part since it is a fully integrated industry for mining, energy-intensive refineries and product manufacturing facilities. The prominent players in the sector had to take a well-calculated step if they wanted to transform themselves into green industries. The need for renewable...
A00 aluminium ingot price has recorded a downfall of RMB 100 per tonne, resting at RMB 18,740 per tonne, as the Shanghai Metals Market recorded on Monday, December 19. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 18,720 per tonne and RMB 18,760 per tonne, with spot contracts trading at premium prices of RMB 100 per tonne and RMB 140 per tonne. The provinces in China all recorded plummeting prices today, with the aluminium price falling the highest in Tianjin by RMB 130 per tonne to rest at RMB 18,760 per tonne, followed by RMB 105 per tonne slump in Wuxi, arriving at RMB 18,735 per tonne. The prices of aluminium in Hangzhou, Shenyang and Linyi have experienced a uniform degradation of RMB 100 per tonne, closing at RMB 18,750 per tonne, RMB 18,710 per tonne and RMB 18,740 per...
LME aluminium opened at US$2,390 per tonne last Friday, with its high and low at US$2,421 per tonne and US$2,372 per tonne, respectively before closing at US$2,379 per tonne, a drop of US$7 per tonne or 0.29 per cent. On December 16, Friday, LME aluminium cash bid price and the LME aluminium official settlement price trickled down by US$42 per tonne or 1.75 per cent, closing at US$2,353 per tonne and US$2,354 per tonne, respectively. The 3-month bid price and the 3-month offer price had an equivalent slump of US$32 per tonne or 1.32 per cent to halt at US$2,396 per tonne and US$2,398 per tonne. December 23 bid price and December 23 offer price both witnessed a similar fall of US$32 per tonne or 1.27 per cent, stopping at US$2,480 per tonne and US$2,485 per tonne, respectively. LME...
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) reduced its aluminium ingot and aluminium products prices, with effect from December 15, following a significant rise of 6.6 per cent on December 7. NALCO this week cut its aluminium ingot price by INR 6,500 per tonne from INR 235,150-238,650 per tonne to INR 228,650- 232,150 per tonne. The company’s aluminium wire rod price also experienced a slash of INR 6,500 per tonne on December 15 to stand at INR 233,150-237,500 per tonne versus INR 239,650-244,000 per tonne on December 7. NALCO also withdrew INR 6,500 per tonne from its aluminium billets price, with effect from December 15, to sell the product at INR 233,100-235,750 per tonne, compared with INR 239,600-242,250 a week earlier. NALCO links its aluminium ingot and aluminium products prices...
The primary aluminium sector is gradually adopting more sustainable drives to build a better future for the upcoming generation. Vedanta's subsidiary, Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), is exploring biodiesel applications across plant operations to decarbonise emissions, whereas the parent organisation has published a Sustainable Development (SD) Report for FY 2021–22, titled 'Accelerating to Net Zero.' The World Trade Organization's (WTO) ruling against the 2018 tariffs placed on foreign aluminium and steel by then-President Donald Trump was not appreciated by the Biden administration. SHFE aluminium price started the week with a decline of RMB 300 per tonne at RMB 18,960 per tonne, which slumped across the week to settle at RMB 18,840 per tonne, witnessing a decrease of 0.63 per...
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), a multinational, non-profit organisation with the mission of maximising aluminium's contribution to a sustainable society, seeks to advance sustainability throughout the whole aluminium value chain. ASI Aluminium is a metal manufactured and obtained in line with ASI Standards, starting with its mined or recycled source and continuing through every stage of the value chain. ASI is the only responsible sourcing initiative covering procedures throughout the aluminium supply chain. This encompasses industries including packaging, transportation, building, and engineering, as well as upstream production and downstream usage sectors. The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) aims to advance sustainability along the whole value chain for aluminium. By...
