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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The signing of the first agreement named Kuessilueu, which means "the wind is turning" in Nelueun, by Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation and Rio Tinto marks the beginning of a new era in their relationship. From a human, cultural, and economic standpoint, this agreement lays the groundwork for both partners' innovative and sustainable alliance. The agreement, which Gilbert Dominique signed, Chief of the Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation, and Sébastien Ross, Managing Director, Atlantic Operations, Rio Tinto Aluminium, is the first step in a special process that could result in as many as 80 representatives from the Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation and Rio Tinto working together as early as 2023. They will collaborate in multidisciplinary teams for several months to identify opportunities for...
Vedanta Limited’s aluminium ingot and aluminium products prices have rebounded on December 16 after a dip on the previous day. On Thursday, December 15, the company cut its aluminium ingot selling price by INR 1,250 per tonne to INR 228,250- 259,250 per tonne but added to same amount on the next day to bring its ingot price back to INR 227,000 -258,000 per tonne. Vedanta’s aluminium wire rod price also built up INR 1,250 per tonne to stand at INR 235,750-243,250 per tonne on December 16, after losing the same amount on the preceding day to clock at INR 234,500-242,000 per tonne on December 15. Vedanta’s aluminium billets price has come in at INR 237,250 per tonne as of December 16, up by INR 1,250 per tonne from INR 236,000 per tonne on December 15. Vedanta has grown its aluminium ingot...
According to a report on Wednesday, December 14, global aluminium producers have proposed premiums of $95-$105 per tonne to Japanese buyers for the metal shipments during the first quarter of 2023. That is 4 per cent less than the current quarter, whilst at the same time, 6 per cent higher, as reported by three sources directly involved in quarterly pricing talks. Japan is Asia’s biggest importer of primary aluminium, and the premiums it agrees to pay for the metal each quarter over the London Metal Exchange (LME) cash price set the benchmark for the region. For the current quarter ending December 31, Japanese buyers pay a premium of $99 per tonne, 33 per cent less than $148 per tonne in Q3 and 42 per cent shorter than $172 per tonne in Q2 2022. The price negotiation for Q1 2023 began...
On National Energy Conservation Day, Vedanta Aluminium, the largest aluminium producer in India, released its Sustainable Development (SD) Report for FY 2021–22, titled 'Accelerating to Net Zero.' The report summarized the organization's performance concerning critical sustainability dimensions, including economic performance, supply chain management, climate change & energy management, air quality & emissions control, water management, biodiversity management, waste to wealth, safety, health & well-being, people excellence, community welfare, etc. Additionally, under the Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosures, or TCFD framework, Vedanta Aluminium released its first climate change report titled "Road to Net Zero Carbon." Through this report, the corporation wants to educate...
Three-month LME aluminium opened at US$2,446 per tonne on Thursday, December 5, with high and low at US$2,450 per tonne and US$2,375.50 per tonne, respectively, before closing at US$2,386 per tonne, a drop of US$66 per tonne or 2.69 per cent. On Thursday, December 15, LME aluminium cash bid price accumulated US$16 per tonne to stand at US$2,395 per tonne and LME aluminium official settlement price gained US$16.50 per tonne to come in at US$2,396 per tonne. 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price totalled US$2,428 per tonne and US$2,430 per tonne, respectively. December 23 bid price and December 23 offer price rose by US$7 per tonne to hover around US$2,512 per tonne and US$2,517 per tonne, respectively. LME aluminium opening stock continued to plunge by 5,450 tonnes to total 483,850...
On Friday, December 16, the A00 aluminium ingot price in China slumped by RMB 80 per tonne to stand at RMB 18,840 per tonne, with the average prices standing between RMB 18,820 per tonne and RMB 18,860 per tonne. The spot contract price is expected to be traded at a premium price of RMB 100 to RMB 140 per tonne. The price in Shenyang and Linyi has slipped by RMB 90 per tonne and RMB 80 per tonne to halt at RMB 18,810 per tonne and RMB 18,840 per tonne. As per the SMM data, the A00 aluminium ingot price in Wuxi and Hangzhou has descended by RMB 75 per tonne to peg at RMB 18,850 per tonne. In Gongyi and Chongqing, the prices recorded a fall of RMB 40 per tonne to reside at RMB 18,680 per tonne and RMB 18,870 per tonne. In Foshan and Tianjin, the prices shrunk by RMB 50 per tonne, stopping...
China’s social inventories of primary aluminium have suffered a loss of 18,000 tonnes week-on-week to reach a new low on Thursday, December 15. According to the Shanghai Metals Market data, inventories have come in at 482,000 tonnes, the lowest in nearly five years. The figure is also 34,000 tonnes lower than at the end of November and 429,000 tonnes less than a year ago. The continuous decline is attributed to output cuts at smelters and lower proportions of ingots. In addition, improved shipments from warehouses to downstream customers have contributed to the inventory fall. To know the current status of primary aluminium inventories across China in more details, refer to the chart below: In Nanhai, primary aluminium inventories have shrunk by 9,000 tonnes week-on-week to come in at...
India’s iconic aluminium producer and a subsidiary of Vedanta Aluminium, Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), is exploring biodiesel applications across plant operations to decarbonize emissions. The business initially uses it as fuel for specialist vehicles used for plant-wide mobility. When burned, biodiesel has a substantially lower carbon impact than traditional, non-renewable fuels because it is made from organic matter. This is another effort the corporation is making to cut carbon emissions. The two key pillars of BALCO's decarbonization journey are energy efficiency and a rise in the use of green fuels. BALCO is attempting to achieve this goal by incorporating more renewable energy sources, such as biomass, biodiesel, and renewable energy, into its energy mix. For instance,...
On December 15, 2022, while distributing dividend Norsk Hydro, the Norwegian aluminium maker, stated that it would slash more costs and raise its capital expenditure (Capex) in 2023. On the plus side, Hydro anticipated rising industrial demand for aluminium produced with fewer emissions and reduced carbon impact. Hydro said, "The Company aimed to reduce its annual costs by 3.5 billion crowns ($358.7 million) to a total of 11 billion crowns by 2027, up from its previous target of 8.5 billion crowns between 2019 and 2025." Hilde Merete Aasheim, the Chief Executive Officer, said, "Cost cuts are coming from thousands of initiatives throughout the business to improve productivity and cut fixed costs." The group expected capital expenditure of 13.5 billion crowns in 2023, including a 2.1...
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), China’s primary aluminium production in November 2022 escalated by 9.4 per cent year-on-year as power restrictions eased, allowing some regions to ramp up output and small smelters to commence operations. NBS data showed China produced 3.41 million tonnes of primary aluminium in November'22, which, however, was down by 1.16 per cent month-on-month from 3.45 million tonnes. China’s primary aluminium production had grown consistently in each month of 2022 compared to the previous year when electricity consumption restrictions caused significant declines in output. Along with the production, demand for the metal has also increased this year, especially in the construction and transportation sectors after China relaxed its COVID19 –related...
The global industry leader in bauxite, alumina and aluminium products, Alcoa Corporation, with a vision to reinvent the aluminium industry for a sustainable future, has been recognized as a leader for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance with its most recent inclusion in the S&P Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). Alcoa has been ranked among the companies with excellent ESG performance in the annual indices since the DJSI was established in 1999. This year, Alcoa's ESG score was in the 96th percentile, placing it in the top spot among all foreign companies in Alcoa's industry peer group. For the aluminium industry, Alcoa was ranked first in the economic and governance categories and environmental categories (biodiversity, environmental reporting, operational...
Cimic Group's specialist end-to-end engineering and services provider, UGL, has been awarded five multi-year energy and resources contracts in Western Australia amounting to $136 million. The projects will start in late 2022. However, UGL will work with its existing client, Alcoa, per the contract extension, to provide electrical, instrumentation, mechanical and access services at an aluminium smelter and a five-year turbine servicing contract. A three-year agreement for electrical, instrumentation, mechanical, and cranage services for Santos' onshore and offshore gas assets was also secured by UGL, while a prolongation of Woodside Energy's asset preservation services at the Macedon Gas Plant on land and the offshore Pyrenees vessel. Juan Santamaria, the Executive Chairman of Cimic Group,...
LME aluminium opened at US$2,455 per tonne on Wednesday, with its high and low at US$2,466.5 per tonne and US$2,423 per tonne respectively before closing at US$2,452 per tonne, a drop of US$2.5 per tonne or 0.1 per cent. On December 14, Wednesday, LME aluminium cash bid price slumped by RMB 8 per tonne or 0.33 per cent, resting at RMB 2,379 per tonne and the LME aluminium official settlement price trickled down by US$8.50 per tonne or 0.35 per cent, closing at US$2,379.50 per tonne. The 3-month bid price and the 3-month offer price refrained from any alteration. December 23 bid price and December 23 offer price both hiked US$2 per tonne or 0.08 per cent, stopping at US$2,505 per tonne and US$2,510 per tonne, respectively. LME aluminium opening stock experienced a plunge of 7,125 tonnes or...
Australia’s aluminium biggies reportedly support a federal plan to cap coal and gas prices to contain high energy bills, claiming energy-intensive industries are at risk until provided immediate price relief. The proposed price cap is $12 a gigajoule, which gas producers think will deter vital future investments and jeopardise energy security. But nonetheless, Australian aluminium giants like Rio Tinto, Alcoa, and Tomago welcome Albanese government’s plan. Australian Aluminium Council chief executive Marghanita Johnson said the industry saw a four-fold increase in energy prices in the past one year, given the effect of Russia-Ukraine conflict on global energy resulting in supply crunch. “Currently, the pendulum has swung too far in favour of exports, to the detriment of domestic...
The RHB Research Institute in Malaysia has declared that Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd is one of its biggest alternatives for providing low-carbon aluminium opposing the smelters in the ASEAN vicinity. The risk-reward factor for the basic raw materials industry would be on a constant rise with the slowly declining inflationary pressure and the prevailing curtailment in global aluminium provision. This will result in augmented demand for hard commodities, RHB claims. “Press Metal is set to benefit from the structural demand shift towards Asian smelters as the European facilities are being hampered by the energy crisis there,” pointed out RHB Research. The research house specifically mentioned aluminium’s case that the commodity price on the London Metal Exchange (LME) witnessed a...
The largest company in the Austrian aluminium industry sector, AMAG Austria Metall AG, celebrated 30 years of ownership in Aluminerie Alouette. By safeguarding its primary source of aluminium input material for 30 years, AMAG held a 20% stake in Aluminerie Alouette in Canada. A worldwide renowned producer of the cast and rolled aluminium products, AMAG Austria Metall AG, is dedicated to "sustainability" and "innovation." When it was opened in 1939 as an aluminium smelter to guarantee the supply of raw materials for the German market, this development was anything but self-evident. For 30 years, the primary metal production of AMAG does not occur at the Ranshofen site but at the Aluminerie Alouette in Québec, Canada. This is when Austria Metall AG (AMAG) first adopted its current name and...
In October 2022, primary aluminium production in North America stood at 313,000 tonnes, rising by 3.99 per cent or 12,000 tonnes month-on-month. In September, the output was 301,000 tonnes, down by 4,000 tonnes or 1.31 per cent from 305,000 tonnes in August. Despite an increase in monthly production in October’22, North America’s primary aluminium output edged a drop of 1.57 per cent over the year from 318,000 tonnes. In the first ten months of 2022, primary aluminium production in North America totalled 3.114 million tonnes, down by 4.18 per cent from 3.25 million tonnes during the same period last year. In South America, primary aluminium production in October 2022 was 120,000 tonnes, 4.34 per cent higher than 115,000 tonnes in September, and 20 per cent more than 100,000 tonnes in...
A00 aluminium ingot price has recorded a spike of RMB 30 per tonne, resting at RMB 18,950 per tonne, as the Shanghai Metals Market recorded on Wednesday, December 14. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 18,930 per tonne and RMB 18,970 per tonne, with spot contracts trading at discount prices of RMB 320 per tonne and RMB 280 per tonne. The provinces in China have seen major price discrepancies today, with the aluminium price rising in Wuxi by RMB 25 per tonne to settle at RMB 18,940 per tonne, followed by RMB 20 per tonne hike in Shenyang, closing at RMB 18,910 per tonne. The aluminium prices in Gongyi and Hangzhou have both gained RMB 10 per tonne to halt at RMB 18,750 per tonne and RMB 18,950 per tonne, respectively. Whereas in Chongqing, the aluminium price fell by RMB...
