Bell Bay Aluminium (BBA), Australia's oldest aluminium smelter, is reviewing its workforce and offering redundancies for a small number of positions, just over a month after receiving an AUD 200 million (USD 137.52 million) government support package aimed at securing the facility's future until at least 2031. Up to 10 roles are understood to have been affected by the review, although the smelter is expected to retain its existing workforce of approximately 550 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. Some redeployment opportunities will also be available, while the positions identified are not understood to involve frontline services. The changes reportedly include some former participants in Bell Bay Aluminium's graduate programme. Rio Tinto, which operates the smelter near George Town in...
South32 expects the sale of its aluminium value chain assets to Alcoa to be completed in the six months ending June 2027. The proposed transaction covers its aluminium operations and related bauxite and alumina assets in South Africa, Australia and Brazil. The sale follows a binding conditional agreement signed by the two companies, under which Alcoa agreed to acquire the assets for up to USD 5.6 billion . The assets include South32's Hillside Aluminium smelter and the idled Bayside smelter in South Africa, its interests in the Boddington bauxite mine and Worsley alumina refinery in Australia, and the Mineração Rio do Norte bauxite mine and Alumar alumina refinery and aluminium smelter in Brazil. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our...
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Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), a leading aluminium smelter in the world, held a strategic offsite meeting titled ‘Preparing for Change Management’ for all executive management on Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at Alba Club with the aim to strengthen the company's competitive edge. This meeting was part of Alba’s Executive Education series and was led by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Murray. The meeting focused on the challenges facing the aluminium industry and how does Alba align its priorities to achieve its objectives. Commenting on the offsite meeting, Alba’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Murray said: “Alba and the aluminium industry are facing very challenging times with falling prices and rising input costs. The world is rapidly changing and we must change faster if we want...
In keeping with corporate commitments to excellence and sustainability, deliver high performance aluminium and ensure well-being of the people, Emirates Aluminium Company Limited PJSC (EMAL), an operating subsidiary of Emirates Global Aluminium PJSC (EGA), recently achieved three Certifications by TUV Rheinland after successfully completing manifold assessments at various levels in the organization. These included the ISO/TS 16949 Technical Specification (particular requirements for the application of ISO 9001:2008 for automotive production and relevant service part organisations); ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems standard; and OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems standard. In addition, following rigorous assessment by an independent agency, EMAL's...
Close to 2 million-tpy new aluminum capacity entered production in China from November through Q1, and an additional 1 million-tpy is about to come online in Q2, Shanghai Metals Market foresees. Falling power costs is the main incentive behind the aggressive expansions. The weighted average cash cost for operational aluminum capacity in China dropped 800-1000 yuan () per tonne year-on-year in Q1, SMM data showed. This is due to the growing use of captive power and falling coal prices. New capacity concentrates in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Shandong, where power costs are comparatively lower. Some 500,000 tonnes of capacity was idled in Q1, 150,000 tonnes were closed for maintenance, but 400,000 tonnes of idled capacity returned to production, SMM statistics showed.
Despite the downward-trend in aluminium LME prices, Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C (Alba) was able to increase its overall sales and throughput. For the first quarter of 2015, sales figures reached 228,307 metric tonnes (mt), an increase of 1,835 (mt), versus 226,472 mt in Q1 2014 while production jumped by 2.4% to 237,774 mt versus 232,298 mt for the same period in 2014. In addition, Alba closed the first quarter with its Value-Added Sales averaging 64% of total shipments versus 66% in 2014. Commenting on Alba’s sales and production for Q1 2015, Alba’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Murray said: “Despite challenging market conditions, we are pleased with the higher overall figures for production and sales, ahead of the company’s own forecast for the period, thanks to strong management...
China imported 6,607 mt of primary aluminum in February, plummeting 88.44% YoY, but up 26.66% MoM, customs data showed. The SHFE/LME aluminum price ratio rose to 7.4 from 6.7 in late 2014 as stockpiling by Chalco and other smelters allowed SHFE aluminum to stay firm. Besides, flooding of Chinese aluminum semis and Russian aluminum ingot, and expansions in Indian aluminum market, pushed down overseas aluminum premiums. Both factors offered incentive to increase primary aluminum imports. As long as the SHFE/LME aluminum price ratio stays high, China’s primary aluminum imports under processing trade will continue to grow.
UC RUSAL, a leading global aluminium producer, announces the launch of the Clean Soderberg project at its Irkutsk aluminium smelter (IrkAZ). According to the project, the smelter’s Potlines 1, 3 and 4 will be converted to the Clean Soderberg technology (IrkAZ has four operational potlines, numbers 1, 3, 4 and 5. Potline 5 was commissioned in 2009 and had initially been designed to run on the pre-bake technology, not Soderberg). The general goal of the project, which is scheduled to run until 2020, is to cut air emissions by 30% and improve of the overall environmental performance of the smelter. The current stage of the project involves development of basic design documents, estimation of efficiency of the proposed dry gas scrubbers, and consideration of various technical and engineering...
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has signed an MoU with the Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India regarding financial and non-financial targets for the FY 2015-16. The MoU was signed between Dr. Anup K Pujari, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Shri Ansuman Das, CMD, NALCO, in the presence of Shri R. Sridharan, IAS, Additional Secretary and other senior officials of Ministry & NALCO in New Delhi on 31st March 2015. As per the MoU, the net operating sales turnover target has been fixed at INR.8,488 crore. As regards physical performance, NALCO has set an annual production target of 68.25 lakh tonnes of bauxite, 21.80 lakh tonnes of alumina, 3.80 lakh tonnes of aluminium and net power generation of 6009 million units. Regarding new initiatives, the proposed major milestones would...
Deutsche Bank has cut the valuation of BHP Billiton’s spin-off company South32 by $US2 billion. Deutsche mining analyst Paul Young says when South32 lists on the ASX it will be valued at $US11.2 billion instead of the expected $US13 billion. This amounts to $2 a share, well below investor expectations of $3 a share, SMH reported. South32 will be made up of BHP’s Illawarra and South African coal mines as well as a number of aluminium, manganese, nickel, silver, lead and zinc operations. Young said after reviewing the company’s assets, it had reduced the value of them by $US3.5bn to $US13.8bn. The downgrades come as the bank predicts weaker prices for manganese operations, high costs for aluminium assets, and high capex at the South African coal assets. But Young said the company was in the...
National Aluminium Company Ltd (Nalco) has achieved its highest ever gross turnover of INR 7774 crore (provisional) in 2014-15 against INR 7024 crore in 2013-14 and previous best of INR 7247 crore in 2012-13. Export earning has been INR 3307 crore in 2014-15 against INR 3719 crore earned last year. The PSU has generated 181 MU of wind energy during the year by operation of a 50.4 MW wind power plant at Gandikota, Andhra Pradesh and another 47.6 MW plant at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. During the year, the company commissioned 260 KWp Rooftop Solar Power System at Corporate Office and Township, Bhubaneswar. 167 kilo unit solar energy has been generated during the year. (1 US Dollar ($) = 62 INR)
Mubadala Development Company (Mubadala), the Abu Dhabi-based investment and development company, today announced its full year audited financial and operational results for 2014. Mubadala Group CEO and Managing Director, Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, said: “Mubadala’s 2014 financial results reflect a resilient operating performance with one billion dirhams of profit, revenues increasing across all four of our global platforms and operating income more than doubling compared to last year. Our delivery of major priorities - including Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Emirates Global Aluminium, and Al Maryah Island, the home of Abu Dhabi Global Market - furthers the emirate’s economic vision of greater diversification and opportunity.” One of the major Business highlights for the group in 2014 was...
The recent announcement of Alumar smelter shutdown, the fifth and largest smelter to be decommissioned since 2009, has hammered another nail into the coffin of South America’s dying aluminium industry. The three potlines at Alumar had been systematically shut down starting in 2013 and ending a few days ago. The first potline with 127,000 tons/ year capcity was launched in 1984; the second with 156,000 tons/year was launched in 1986 while the third and the largest potline was launched in 1990. Alumar had considerably better economic viabilities than other smelter decommissioned in the area including Poscos de Caldas smelter in Minas Gerais, Valesul smelter both Alcoa project and Aratu and Ouro Preto plants belonging to Novelis. Brazil is left with only two smelters – Albras, the 460,000...
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), a leading aluminium smelter in the world, achieved a major milestone of 5 million hours without Lost Time Injury (LTI) on Tuesday, March 31, 2015. The Company last achieved this milestone in March 2008. The new milestone demonstrates Alba’s ongoing commitment to the safety and welfare of its employees and contractors at the workplace. Commenting on this achievement, Alba’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Murray said: “I would like to thank everyone working in Alba for this significant achievement. This milestone was achieved as a result of the team effort between Management, Alba Labour Union, employees and contractors. I would like to specifically thank Alba Labour Union for their tremendous support in all safety activities, which played a critical role in...
Morgan Thermal Ceramics has launched its new TCA 125 brick developed in response to growing customer demand. Anodes, which are crucial to the transformation of alumina into aluminum, are generally fired in graphite, in anode baking furnaces that incorporate insulation bricks. However, historically these bricks have been subject to damage and compromise as a result of the baking process, and a better quality alternative has long been sought. The TCA 125 has a cold crush strength of at least 8.0 MPa and permanent linear change (PLC) below 1% at 1350°C after 12 hours of firing. Previously, bricks of this quality had to be produced on hydraulic presses, however, extended development and experimentation by Morgan has resulted in the formulation of a new composition that allows such bricks to...
LME aluminium looks neutral in a range of $1,780-$1,805 a tonne, and an escape will point a direction. The range has been formed by the 23.6 per cent and the 61.8 per cent Fibonacci projection levels of an upward wave C, the third wave of a presumed three-wave cycle developed from March 12 low of $1,745. A break above $1,805 could confirm the extension of the wave c towards $1,830, the 100 per cent projection level, while a break below $1,780 may cause a further loss to $1,765. The bias could be towards the upside. LME copper may fall into a range of $5,932-$5,958 a tonne, as indicated by a Fibonacci ratio analysis. The drop from March 26 high of $6,294.50 seems been controlled by various supports and resistances, derived respectively from a Fibonacci retracement and projection analyses....
Century Aluminum Company announced today that it has hired Stephen K. Heyroth as Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer of the Company. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Heyroth served as Controller for Surface Mining Manufacturing Operations at Joy Global Inc., a publicly traded manufacturer of high-productivity mining solutions. Mr. Heyroth holds an M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a B.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Rick Dillon, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, commented, "I am very pleased to have Steve join the Century team. We believe Steve's extensive public accounting and industry experience will make him a great fit at Century."
The French Bank Natixis in its latest research report forecasts LME Aluminium price to average around $1,840 per mt in 2015. The prices are likely to move higher in 2016 to average around $2,000 per mt. In its metals review for H1 2015, Natixis forecasts a tug of war between positive and negative factors in aluminium market over the next few years. The bank indicates several positive factors that may favor the aluminium market. The biggest bullish factor for aluminium is the expected robust demand growth from automotive sector. Also, any shortage of bauxite mat lead to rise in alumina prices. In addition, limited excess supply from China may augur well for the commodity prices in the years to come. On the other hand, Natixis forecasts excess aluminium inventories to stay at least until...
Two companies, Hind Aluminium Industries and Universal Prime Aluminium Ltd. have appointed women directors to their board, to fulfill the mandatory requirement under Section 149 (1) of the Companies Act, 2013. The Act states, “Every listed company and every public company having a paid up share capital of Rs.100 crores or more OR turnover of Rs.300 crores or more shall mandatorily appoint one Woman Director.” Mrs. Renu Somnai has been appointed director in Hind Aluminium, effective from March 23, 2015 while Ms. Jayantika Jatia is a new director in Universal Prime Aluminium as decided in a company meeting held on March 26, 2015.
According to a recent report from Aluminum Association, the aluminium industry in the United States generates more than $65 billion per annum in direct economic impact. The aluminium industry in its entirety, incorporating players from all sectors including suppliers and related functions, contributes nearly 1 percent of the country’s GDP driving $152 billion in economic impact. Aluminum Association measured the aluminium demand in US and Canada based on domestic producer shipments and imports and found that there has been a rise by 0.1% compared to last year with total aluminium recorded at 2.124 billion lb in January. Aluminium industry employs nearly 155,000 workers directly in the US but that does not provide an accurate measure of the employment opportunities created by the industry....
