Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) reviewed its production operations and development projects during a visit by the Deputy King, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who also welcomed the company’s recent acquisition of Aluminium Dunkerque, the largest aluminium smelter in the European Union. During the visit, His Royal Highness conveyed the greetings and appreciation of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to Alba’s national workforce. He reviewed the progress of operations across Alba’s production lines and the development projects currently being undertaken by the company. He also commended the company’s achievements, including the milestone of recording 50 million safe working hours. He also commended the efforts and dedication of Alba’s national workforce in maintaining...
LME aluminium prices softened on September 22, with the cash and three-month contracts declining from the previous trading session, while LME aluminium opening stocks also edged lower on September 23. On September 22, the LME aluminium cash bid price stood at USD 3,240 per tonne, down 0.66 per cent from USD 3,261.5 per tonne on September 21. The cash offer price was USD 3,242 per tonne , down 0.63 per cent from USD 3,262.5 per tonne. The LME aluminium 3-month bid price stood at USD 3,263.5 per tonne on September 22, compared with USD 3,272.5 per tonne on September 21, representing a decline of 0.28 per cent. The 3-month offer price fell 0.27 per cent to USD 3,264 per tonne from USD 3,273 per tonne. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our...
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North America’s primary aluminium production increased by 6.08 per cent year-on-year to 314,000 tonnes in February 2020. The output fell by 4.85 per cent from January’s production of 330,000 tonnes. The output in the first two months of 2020 stood 3.54 per cent higher than the same period last year. The production totalled 644,000 tonnes, from 622,000 tonnes in the first two 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. South America’s primary aluminium production increased by 9.76 per cent year-on-year to 90,000 tonnes in February. On a month-on-month comparison, the output dropped by 8.16 per cent from 98,000 tonnes in...
As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, social inventories of primary aluminium across eight consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, stood at 1.667 million tonnes in the week ended March 26. That was up 20,000 tonnes compared to a build of 54,000 tonnes in the previous week. The chart below shows the current status of the primary aluminium inventories across China in more details: Primary aluminium stocks in Wuxi and Shanghai increased by 3,000 tonnes and 7,000 tonnes from March 19 to stand at 652,000 tonnes and 158,000 tonnes on Thursday, 26 March 2020. Stocks in Nanhai and Hangzhou stood at 441,000 tonnes, and 132,000 tonnes, up 14,000 tonnes and 2,000 tonnes. But the inventories in Gongyi dropped by 7,000 tonnes to 197,000 tonnes. Inventories of primary aluminium in Tianjin...
The world's largest aluminium rolling company and one of biggest producers of primary aluminium in Asia, Hindalco, has temporarily closed down or curtailed operations of some of the Aluminium production facilities, following the directives of the state governments due to COVID-19. The minimized operations are being administered by a lesser number of staffs as a part of the ongoing effort to practice social distancing. The company has adopted several measures to safeguard the health and safety of the workforce. Hindalco’s subsidiary Novelis in the US has also partially closed down some of its plants as the outcome of temporary shutdown measures of US automakers in response to the “Corona” crisis. Hindalco said: “Novelis has temporarily ramped down aluminium supply for the automotive market...
The US dollar extended its decline on Wednesday as a US$ 2 trillion US stimulus bill helped boost risk appetite and reduced demand for the safe haven currency. The US dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, hits its lowest in a week. Three-month LME aluminium pulled back after the European trading session began. It touched its lowest since May 2016 at US$ 1,535 per tonne before recovering some ground to end at US$ 1,548 per tonne. LME aluminium bucked the uptrend across nonferrous metals on Wednesday. It is expected to continue to hover between US$1,540-1,600 per tonne today. As of Wednesday, March 25, both LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official settlement price recorded a sharp decline from US$ 1532.50 per tonne to US$ 1507.50 per tonne. 3-months...
Since last few weeks, something is bothering each one of us. Something is not letting us be in peace. Something is causing unwarranted disruptions in our life’s. While on one hand few of us are fighting our personal battles, on the other hand our businesses are witnessing great uncertainties. Amidst this pandemic of Covid-19 we all need to come together and fight this battle. We need to overcome these disruptions & enable the businesses to run as usual. We at AlCircle pledge to support your business to the best of our ability. We may not have solutions to all your problems, but we can assure you of sincerely attempting at finding a collective solution. To begin with, we would wish to offer two of our services on complimentary basis. Keeping in mind that most individuals are working from...
The Dubal Holding Company has been in concern for setting up multiple projects in the UAE; a low carbon aluminium plant is at high priority as communicated by the CEO of Dubal Holding today. The Dubai government’s investment arm for power and energy, commodities, mining and industrial projects is under the consideration of Dubal Holdings During the AGM press statement, Abdulnasser Bin Kalban said: “the investment firm is actively pursuing the development of an integrated aluminium rolling facility that will produce aluminium with low CO2 footprint. He said the projects "will support infrastructure and investment strategy for a potential future assembly line for an electrical vehicle facility to support the UAE Green Economy." He added, “Additional projects under study include an...
Vedanta has cut the prices of its aluminium ingots and billets for the fourth time in a row. With effect from March 24, the prices of some ingots are in the range of INR 131,750-144,750 per tonne, down from INR 134,250-147,250 per tonne on March 19. The company is now selling its billet at INR 139,750 per tonne. That was down from INR 142,250 per tonne. The Indian aluminium producers generally link prices of its products to the three-month futures of aluminium on London Metal Exchange. The three-month futures of aluminium are down nearly 15% in the current quarter due to slower demand in China following the coronavirus outbreak. Vedanta is present in the aluminium segment through its 51 per cent stake in Bharat Aluminium Company Limited and its smelters at Jharsugda in Odisha. With this,...
Hindalco Industries Limited has dropped the prices of its aluminium ingots by 1.65%, the fourth consecutive cut in price. With effect from March 24, the price for Hindalco aluminium ingots now stands at INR 134,500 per tonne, from INR 136,750 per tonne, on March 19. The prices of wire rods and billets have reduced by 1.53% and 1.57% to stand at INR 145,100 per tonne and INR 141,100 per tonne. The prices of these products were 147,350 per tonne and INR 143,350 per tonne on Thursday, 19 March 2020. <iframe width="500" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g3rQComBDMU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> The Indian aluminium producers generally link prices of its products to the three-month...
Century Aluminium Company announced on Tuesday, March 24, that together with the United Steel Workers Local 9423, it has agreed to extend the labour contract for one year. The contract was set to expire on April 1, 2020. Michael Bless, President and Chief Executive Officer of Century Aluminium, said: “We want to thank the representatives of the local and international unions for the partnership evident in this development. We all share the clear focus on the health and welfare of our employees, their families and our communities, as well as on the importance of sustaining the operations of the plant; this dedication is consistent with the approach at all of our facilities.” Commenting on the measures taken by Century Aluminium to contain the spread of COVID-19, Mr Bless said they already...
The Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter, employing about 1000 Southlanders, has been exempted from the countrywide four-week lockdown in New Zealand. The aluminium smelter was launched in 1971 and has been running continuously. As decided the smelter has been kept out of the lockdown process, as it will keep its production persistent. Confusion over what services would be considered essential and permitted to remain open during the lockdown period led to a clarifying press release from the National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) on 24 th March night. The NCMC guidelines indicated that dairies would remain open, most liquor stores would close and the Warehouse would not receive the exemption it had claimed to have earlier in the day on 24 th March. Industrial businesses received special focus:...
Global primary aluminium production stood at 5.112 million tonnes in February, with a year-on-year increase of 3.75% according to the latest data showed by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) on Friday, 20 March 2020. On a month-on-month comparison, aluminium production declined by 6.15% from 5.447 million tonnes. Aluminium production totalled 10.559 million tonnes in the first two months of 2020, up by 2.05% from 10.347million tonnes in the first two months of 2019. In Asia ex-China, aluminium production declined by 3.77% year-on-year and 5.14% month-on-month to 332,000 tonnes in February. Output in January-February amounted to 682,000 tonnes, from 718,000 tonnes in January-February 2019. In the Middle East, primary aluminium production stood at 475,000 tonnes and 982,00 tonnes...
Nordex, the European company that designs, sells and manufactures wind turbines has secured an order for the 400 MW Øyfjellet wind farm in northern Norway from a un-famed German investment house linked to a corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) with metals group Alcoa. Electricity generation from the mammoth wind farm will deliver energy for the aluminium giant's smelter plant in the nearby industrial town of Mosjøen, as well for the local community. The Øyfjellet project was developed by Eolus Vind, one of the largest developers in the Nordics, and will feature 72 of the OEM’s N149/5.X turbines in the 5MW class on 105-metre steel towers. Nordex Chief Sales Officer Patxi Landa said: “With Øyfjellet being such a large and prestigious project, we are delighted that our new customer,...
The US dollar fell against a basket of currencies on Tuesday. LME aluminium and lead, closed lower overnight. The SHFE kept its night trading session suspended. Three-month LME aluminium weakened in a volatile trading session and ended at US$1,554.5 per tonne. Shanghai Metals Market expects the contract to trade at US$1,540-1,600 per tonne today. As on Tuesday March 24, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1532.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1532.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1567.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1567.50 per tonne; Dec 21 bid price stands at US$ 1685.50 per tonne, and Dec 21 offer price stands at US$ 1685.50 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock stood at 1100675 tonnes. Live Warrants totalled 929675 tonnes,...
After remaining restrained at RMB 11,220 per tonne on March 24, followed by a havoc downfall of RMB 570 per tonne on the preceeding day, the A00 aluminium ingot price today, on March 25, has gained RMB 110 per tonne to stand at RMB 11,330 per tonne, found Shanghai Metals Market. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 11,310 per tonne and RMB 11,350 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a discount price of RMB 110 per tonne to RMB 70 per tonne. Wuxi and Gongyi have seen the highest rise of RMB 125 per tonne to RMB 11,335 per tonne and RMB 11,375 per tonne, respectively. In Foshan and Chongqing, the price has increased by RMB 110 per tonne to RMB 11,320 per tonne and RMB 11,380 per tonne, and that in Tianjin, Shenyang, and Hangzhou has grown by RMB 90 per tonne, RMB 80...
European Aluminium sincerely regrets the US anti-dumping investigation into common alloy aluminium sheet from Croatia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey. European Aluminium oppose the injurious dumping and subsidisation allegations and strongly urges the US authorities not to impose additional trade barriers but rather to work together with the European Commission to address subsidised Chinese overcapacity. This is the root cause of the challenges faced by the aluminium industries in Europe and the US. Gerd Götz, Director General of European Aluminium said: “We are very concerned about the possibility of having additional trade barriers between the US and Europe. Instead of imposing additional duties on each other, we should work together to address the...
On 23 rd March’20, Francois Legault ordered the closure of all non-essential businesses and businesses as early as 11:59 p.m. 24 th March’20, in the hope to cut off the widespread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The government has admitted the “strategic” nature of the aluminium industry, allowing it to continue its activities. However, the industrial and mining complexes must minimize their activities. The aluminium industry was delighted on Monday to be counted among the "indispensable" companies which will be able to continue operating, even though in a limited way, beyond 24 th March’20 evening. The Aluminum Association of Canada has assured that its members intend to comply with this instruction, in effect until 13 th April’20. The Association said: "This contribution to the national...
Today, as a result of separate actions by the Premier of Quebec and the President of South Africa to contain the spread of COVID-19, Rio Tinto will slow down some of its operations. At Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) in South Africa Rio Tinto will curtail production in compliance with a directive from the Government aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19. As a result, all mining operations at RBM will be halted by midnight on Thursday, 26 March, for 21 days. In line with the President’s directive, Rio Tinto will make arrangements for the furnaces to be put on care and maintenance in order to avoid damage to their continuous operations. At this time, it is too early to speculate on when operations will resume or on 2020 production guidance. Resumption of the construction of the Zulti South...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the social inventories of primary aluminium ingots rose by 17,000 tonnes over the weekend across eight major consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, as of Monday, March 23. The price thus, came in at 1.664 million tonnes, in contrast to 1.647 million tonnes on last Thursday, March 19. The chart below indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories across China in more details: As the above chart shows, the inventories in Shanghai, Nanhai, Hangzhou, and Wuxi grew by 7,000 tonnes, 5,000 tonnes, 2,000 tonnes, and 1,000 tonnes, respectively, to stand at 158,000 tonnes, 432,000 tonnes, 132,000 tonnes, and 650,000 tonnes. In Chongqing, the inventories increased by 4,000 tonnes to 21,000 tonnes, while that in Gongyi have dropped by...
