Europe's aluminium industry is facing mounting pressure from rising carbon costs, shifting trade policies and limited willingness among buyers to pay premiums for low-carbon metal. Yet, despite a series of crises since the Covid pandemic, producers remain committed to maintaining their presence in Europe and investing in decarbonisation, said Paul Voss, Director General of European Aluminium. In an exclusive interview with Fastmarkets at Aluminium Düsseldorf, Voss described the European aluminium industry's condition as bruised but resilient. He highlighted concerns over the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), the potential inclusion of indirect (Scope 2) emissions under the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the treatment of aluminium scrap in carbon accounting. Reflecting on...
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price graph depicted a faltering market picture. Declines over the November 2 close were reported across the pricing, contract, and inventory segments. The LME alumina Platts price remained stable at the session close. The LME aluminium cash bid as well as offer prices dipped by 0.42 per cent. The bid slipped to USD 3,081 per tonne from USD 3,094 per tonne, while the offer eased to USD 3,082 per tonne from USD 3,095 per tonne , down 0.61 per cent day-on-day. Explore: Most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook The LME aluminium three-month bid contracted by 0.64 per cent to USD 3,040 per tonne from USD 3,059.5 per tonne. The offer...
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Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) said the construction is in full swing at the company’s Spent Pot Lining (SPL) Treatment Plant, the first of its kind in the GCC and Middle East. The company said officials from Alba, Supreme Council for Environment (SCE), and Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism (MOICT) paid an inspection visit to the construction site. Alba’s CEO, Mr. Ali Al Baqali said: “The Spent Pot Lining Plant construction is in full swing and we are pleased with the progress we have achieved so far as that will bring us closer to realise our vision in setting the benchmark in terms of sustainability and waste management. I take the opportunity to thank MOICT for their continuous support in this journey and SCE for helping us to address one of the key environmental issues for our...
A00 aluminium ingot price has remained restrained at RMB 14,940 per tonne, as of Monday, October 26, following a drop from RMB 14,950 per tonne on Friday, October 23, according to the Shanghai Metals Market. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 14,920 per tonne and RMB 14,960 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a premium price of RMB 140-180 per tonne, down by RMB 50 per tonne from the previous day. However, the restraint at A00 aluminium ingot price has not touched upon all the major Chinese markets except Gongyi, where the price has remained muted at RMB 14,840 per tonne. In Chongqing and Shenyang, the price has increased by RMB 20 per tonne and RMB 15 per tonne to stand at RMB 14,890 per tonne and RMB 14,905 per tonne, respectively. In in Hangzhou and Tianjin,...
ALVANCE British Aluminium has joined Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) as a new Production & Transformation member. This brings the total number of ASI Members working toward a responsible aluminium value chain to 139. ALVANCE British Aluminium has a smelting facility in the UK. It is powered by hydro-electric power which makes the site one of the greenest metal production plants in the UK. The company provides semi-finished aluminium to the national and international market. The company’s vision is to add value through the development of downstream manufacturing based on the liquid aluminium produced on site. "ALVANCE British Aluminium is part of the ALVANCE Aluminium group. Our core business philosophy is to produce aluminium in a sustainable way to support our employees and the...
Three-month LME aluminium ended flat at US$1,848 per tonne on Thursday. Shrinking LME aluminium stocks underpinned prices. SMM expects the contract to trade between US$1,830-1,870 per tonne today. As of Thursday October 22, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1828 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1828 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1840 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1840 per tonne; Dec 21 bid price stands at US$ 1893.50 per tonne, and Dec 21 offer price stands at US$ 1893.50 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock stood at 1481950 tonnes. Live Warrants totalled 1264400 tonnes, and Cancelled Warrants were 217550 tonnes. LME aluminium 3-months Asian Reference Price is hovering at US$ 1845 per tonne. SHFE Aluminium Price Trend Benchmark...
Qatar Aluminium Manufacturing Company (Qamco), a 50% joint venture (JV) partner in a smelter that produces premium quality aluminium products, has posted net profit of QR12.3 million for the nine months period ended 30 September 2020. The company’s share of revenue stood at QR 1.6 billion, down by 14%, compared to nine months period of last year. Sales volume was marginally higher by 1% “as Qamco's JV swiftly shifted the production to standard ingots, whereas, the demand for premium aluminium products and alloys used by various industries declined.” The average selling prices dropped by 16% year-on-year. QAMCO’s share of joint venture’s EBITDA came in at QR 439 million for the nine months period ended 30 September 2020. That was down by 15% compared to the same period last year....
The high possibility of Century Aluminum to close down by the end of this year has already caused many Goose Creek businesses worried about the effects on the local industry. On Tuesday, October 20, Century Aluminum announced its Mt. Holly plant might close on December 31 unless they abled to secure a competitively-priced power arrangement with Santee Cooper. The plant’s closure will expectedly affect nearly 300 jobs and also those who have been doing business with Century Aluminum. It would be a huge loss for many local businesses like Allen and Webb, an industrial service and repair company, said Charles Swicord, the president of Allen and Webb. “We do a lot of business out there. We have 38 employees. We do a lot of repair business,” Swicord said. “We’re probably not going to lay...
The growing demands of decarbonisation over the next 15 years requires to meet by an investment of over $1 trillion, which will be entailed in vital energy transition metals - aluminium with other metals like copper, nickel and lithium stands in there. The UK headquartered Global Energy Research and Consultancy, Wood Mackenzie, in a new report, said the figure is double what was invested over the last 15 years. Wood Mackenzie pointed: “While the coronavirus pandemic has slowed climate change mitigation efforts this year, governments across the world are using stimulus packages to either kick-start or accelerate their decarbonisation journeys.” Julian Kettle, Wood Mackenzie’s Vice Chairman of Metals and Mining, said: “One can argue about both the pace and scale of the energy transition but...
According to the Shanghai Metals Market, primary aluminium inventories in China have shrunk by 24,000 tonnes this week, ending on Thursday, October 22. Data shows the inventories have declined across eight major consumption areas, including SHFE warrants, to stand at 695,000 tonnes versus 719,000 tonnes last week, October 15. The chart below shows the current status of primary aluminium inventories across China in more details: In Wuxi, primary aluminium inventories have decreased by 13,000 tonnes to stand at 208,000 tonnes, followed by the fall of 7,000 tonnes in Shanghai to 111,000 tonnes. In Nanhai, the inventories have inched down by 3,000 tonnes to come in at 197,000 tonnes, while that in Hangzhou and Tianjin have dipped by 1,000 tonnes to stand at 72,000 tonnes and 45,000 tonnes,...
Vedanta has increased its aluminium products price after declining it for the second time in a row. With effect from Thursday, 22 October 2020, the prices of some aluminium ingots are in the range of INR 153,750-166,750 per tonne, marking a growth of INR 1,500 per tonne from INR 152,250-165,250 per tonne on October 21. Vedanta is now selling its billet at INR 161,750 per tonne on October 22, an increase of INR 1,500 per tonne from INR 160,250 per tonne on October 21. The Indian aluminium producers generally link prices of its products to the three-month futures of aluminium on London Metal Exchange. The contract on LME has risen by nearly 3% so far in 2020. Vedanta’s aluminium business typically accounts for one-third of the company’s consolidated sales. Vedanta has a stake in Bharat...
Three-month LME aluminium settled 0.46% firmer at US$1,848 per tonne on Wednesday. The contract is expected to trade between US$1,830-1,870 per tonne today. As of Wednesday October 21, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1842.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1842.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1854.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1854.50 per tonne; Dec 21 bid price stands at US$ 1913 per tonne, and Dec 21 offer price stands at US$ 1913 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock stood at 1485125 tonnes. Live Warrants totalled 1266050 tonnes, and Cancelled Warrants were 219075 tonnes. LME aluminium 3-months Asian Reference Price is hovering at US$ 1850.31 per tonne. SHFE Aluminium Price Trend Benchmark aluminium price for SHFE...
North America’s primary aluminium production stood at 317,000 tonnes in September 2020, marking a growth of 2.26 per cent year-on-year. On a month on month basis, the output declined by 4.23 per cent from August production of 331,000 tonnes. In the first nine months of 2020, the production stood 4.13 per cent higher than the same period last year. The output totalled 2.976 million tonnes, from 2.858 million tonnes in the first nine months of 2019, according to the latest data showed by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). In 2019, the output stood at 3.809 million tonnes, an increase of 0.93 per cent from 3.774 million tonnes in 2018. In South America , primary aluminium production declined by 11.7 per cent year-on-year and 1.19 per cent month-on-month to 83,000 tonnes in...
Emirates Global Aluminium has announced today, on October 21, that it could save almost AED 60 million since the beginning of this year, thanks to its employee-led continuous improvement programmes. Since January, EGA employees have submitted 18,400 ideas through the company’s suggestion scheme to solve operational, safety, and environmental challenges, resulting in cost savings of over AED 28 million so far. EGA’s ‘Tamayaz’ programme, led by experts for detail analysis of the company’s operational processes and guide teams to implement improvements, has saved over AED 32 million. The most important idea in 2020 is using a laser detection system to prevent the entry of foreign objects into a critical piece of machinery. This has helped in preventing breakdowns which require time to fix....
In September 2020, primary aluminium production in Africa stood at 131,000 tonnes, found the International Aluminium Institute’s latest data. In the month earlier (August), Africa’s primary aluminium output was 135,000 tonnes, meaning the country’s production in September declined by 4,000 tonnes or 2.96 per cent month-on-month. On a year-on-year, the production decreased by 3,000 tonnes or 2.2 per cent from 134,000 tonnes. Africa’s primary aluminium production in August 2020 had risen month-on-month by 2,000 tonnes or 1.50 per cent from 133,000 tonnes in July. But on a yearly basis, the production stood down by 4,000 tonnes or 2.88 per cent from 139,000 tonnes. Africa’s primary aluminium production in the third quarter of the year amounted to 399,000 tonnes, down by 0.75 per cent from...
Hydro has signed an agreement with Lyse for the establishment of new hydropower company. The new company called Lyse Kraft DA will have a normal annual power production capacity of 9.5 TWh, of which Hydro will own 25.6% and Lyse 74.4%. “This is a great day for the future of Norwegian renewable-based industry. The agreement is strategically important for Hydro, as it secures the value of our RSK hydropower assets and contributes to predictability for further industrial development in Norway,” says Hydro President & CEO Hilde Merete Aasheim. The new company includes Hydro’s hydropower assets Røldal-Suldal Kraft (RSK) and the majority of Lyse’s power production portfolio. The transaction is in line with Hydro’s strategy to strengthen its position in low-carbon aluminium and grow in the...
The latest data released by the International Aluminium Institute for September 2020 shows the world primary aluminium production stood at 5.42 million tonnes, down by 1.81 per cent from 5.52 million tonnes in August 2020. However, on a year-on-year basis, the output grew by 4.03 per cent from 5.21 million tonnes. Total primary aluminium production from January to September 2020 came in at 48.61 million tonnes versus 47.61 million tonnes during the same period last year. This means the world primary aluminium production during the first nine months of 2020 stood higher by 1 million tonnes or 2.1 per cent year-on-year. In China, primary aluminium production in September 2020 stood at 3.15 million tonnes, lower by 1 per cent than 3.18 million tonnes in August 2020 but 8.25 per cent higher...
Vedanta has reduced its aluminium products price for the second time in a row. With effect from Wednesday, 21 October 2020, the prices of some aluminium ingots are in the range of INR 152,250-165,250 per tonne, a decline of INR 2,000 per tonne or 1.3% from INR 154,250-167,250 per tonne on October 20. Vedanta is now selling its billet at INR 160,250 per tonne on October 21. That is down INR 2,000 per tonne from INR 162,250 per tonne on October 20. The Indian aluminium producers generally link prices of its products to the three-month futures of aluminium on London Metal Exchange. The contract on LME has risen by nearly 3% so far in 2020. Vedanta’s aluminium business typically accounts for one-third of the company’s consolidated sales. Vedanta has a stake in Bharat Aluminium Co Ltd and...
A00 aluminium ingot price has edged lower by RMB 70 per tonne to stand at RMB 14890 per tonne on Wednesday, 21 October 2020, from its previous price of RMB 14960 per tonne on October 20. This marks the second consecutive drop in aluminium price. The price is expected to range at RMB 14870-14910 per tonne. In Foshan and Wuxi, the price has decreased by RMB 10 per tonne and RMB 30 per tonne to stand at RMB 14880 per tonne and RMB 14910 per tonne. Their average prices are expected to range within RMB 14860-14900 per tonne and RMB 14890-14930 per tonne. Aluminium prices in Hangzhou and Chongqing stand at RMB 14930 per tonne and RMB 14815 per tonne, down RMB 15 per tonne and RMB 115 per tonne. Aluminium ingot prices in Shenyang, Tianjin, and Gongyi have dropped to stand at RMB 14855 per tonne,...
Three-month LME aluminium weakened 0.33 per cent to end at US$ 1,839.5 per tonne on Tuesday, October 20, and is likely to fluctuate between US$ 1,820-1,860 per tonne today. LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official settlement price decreased for the second consecutive day from US$ 1848 per tonne to US$ 1826 per tonne, as of Tuesday, October 20. 3-months bid price and 3-months offer price stood at US$ 1844 per tonne, down by US$ 15 per tonne from US$ 1859 per tonne on October 19. Dec 21 bid price and Dec 21 offer price declined from US$ 1911 per tonne to US$ 1902.50 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock increased from 1406550 tonnes to 1421500 tonnes. Live Warrants stood at 1199300 tonnes, while Cancelled Warrants at 222200 tonnes. LME aluminium 3-months Asian Reference Price...
