Four days to go, and the aluminium world is getting ready to move to Düsseldorf. From October 6-8, the city will host ALUMINIUM 2026 , with more than 800 exhibitors and partners and over 21,000 trade visitors expected at Messe Düsseldorf. The event will bring together producers, recyclers, downstream manufacturers, technology providers, equipment suppliers, policymakers and end users from across the global aluminium value chain. The 2026 edition comes at an important point for the aluminium industry. European producers are facing pressure from energy costs, international competition and tighter climate requirements, while concerns around raw material security and resilient supply chains continue to grow. At the same time, demand for aluminium is expanding across electric mobility,...
The Aluminum Association launched “America Needs Aluminum,” a new public awareness and advocacy campaign highlighting aluminum’s essential role in the US economy and calling for policies that help America make, recycle and build more with this critical material. The campaign centers on a straightforward message: America needs aluminum - let’s make more of it here. It builds on the association’s broader “all-of-the-above” strategy for aluminum supply, which calls for expanding both recycled and primary aluminum production, strengthening domestic manufacturing, improving energy availability and aggressively confronting unfair trade. “Aluminum is essential to nearly every part of modern American life - from our cars, homes and packaging to the power grid, fighter jets and advanced...
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Lightweight metals leader Alcoa announced on March 30, 2015 that it will curtail the remaining 74,000 metric tons of smelting capacity at its São Luís (Alumar) facility in Brazil. The decision is aligned with the Company’s recent announcement to evaluate upstream capacity for possible curtailment, closure or sale as Alcoa further optimizes its commodity portfolio. The curtailment is expected to be complete by April 15, 2015. “We continue to take decisive steps to create a globally competitive commodity business and are executing against our upstream capacity review,” said Bob Wilt, President of Alcoa’s Global Primary Products. “These are difficult but necessary actions in support of Alcoa’s strategy to lower the cost base of our upstream businesses.” This curtailment adds to the 85,000...
Sesa Sterlite Limited (‘Sesa Sterlite’ or ‘the Company’) hereby announces that the Shareholders of the Company, inter-alia have approved by requisite majority, the name change of the Company from its present name – Sesa Sterlite Limited to “Vedanta Limited”, through Postal Ballot Results announced today on March 30, 2015. "The name change will enable us to position ourselves strategically, create much greater value and align our businesses to a unified messaging. We want to strengthen the linkage between the global business and global stakeholders, which reflects the company’s commitment to creating value through a growing portfolio of global operations,” said Tom Albanese, Group CEO, Vedanta, adding that this is a landmark decision. “Our brand Vedanta, which is globally recognized as one...
The Aluminum Association announced the addition of six new members, completing a total membership of 104 member companies, a record for the 82-year-old trade association, which represents the North American aluminum industry. These additions come amidst continued demand improvement for the broader industry. According to recent preliminary Aluminum Association data, the North American aluminum industry shipped an estimated 25.5 billion pounds of aluminum in 2014, the most since 2006 and reflecting 5 percent year-over-year demand growth. From the 2009 baseline, demand in the U.S. and Canada has risen nearly 40 percent. The new member companies reflect the scope and breadth of today’s global aluminum industry. Two of the new companies join the Association as producer members – firms that...
The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) today announces the appointment of Dr Fiona Solomon as their new Executive Director from March 23, 2015. Fiona brings nearly twenty years of experience in sustainability, corporate social responsibility and independent third party certification in the mining industry and downstream precious metals sectors. ASI represents a logical next step for a metal that has been at the forefront of materials stewardship” initiatives for many years”, said Solomon. “I am honoured to be leading ASI into its next stage of development and sincerely thank the wide range of stakeholders who have contributed to its achievements to date. I look forward to growing the organisation with increasing company uptake across the aluminium value chain in the coming years, and...
Representatives from Emirates Global Aluminium ("EGA") addressed business leaders, engineers and scientists from around the world at the 144th TMS Annual Meeting and Exhibition ("TMS 2015"), which took place in the USA from 15 to19 March. A total of seven papers were presented by experts from EGA, representing both of the company's core operating subsidiaries - Dubai Aluminium (" DUBAL ") and Emirates Aluminium ("EMAL") . "EGA's commitment to continuous innovation has been a key factor in our success and TMS 2015 provided the ideal platform for us share our technical knowledge and research with leaders in our field," said Abdulla Kalban (Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer). He continued, "Each of the papers presented by our experts at the event were technically sound and well...
Japan's aluminium product demand, including for exports, is expected to grow 1.8 percent in the financial year starting April 1, backed by rising demand for cans for coffee beverages and a rebound in construction market, an industry body said on Friday. "Japanese economy is improving thanks to 'Abenomics' while export is also growing on the back of a weaker yen," Takashi Ishiyama, chairman of Japan Aluminium Association, told a news conference, referring to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policy to revive the economy. "Although demand in construction and automobile markets was hit by a sales tax hike last April, we expect it will gradually recover in the next business year," he said. Overall demand of aluminium products is forecast to increase to 4.16 million tonnes in the year to March 2016...
Norwegian aluminium company Norsk Hydro ASA’s fully owned subsidiary Hydro Energi AS has signed a long-term power contract with Axpo Trading AG, a Switzerland-based energy company with captive power production and international trading activity, for annual supply of 0.25 terrawatt hours (TWh) over 10 years from January 1, 2021, and a total delivery of 2.5 TWh. The contract covers a fourth of the Karmøy pilot plant’s power needs in the period 2021-2030. Hydro has already signed a contract with Lyse Produksjon AS for 330 GWh annually, or a third of the plant’s power needs, for the period 2031-2040.
As soon as the Angul aluminium park received a go-ahead by the government, it has generated interest in the downstream aluminium industry inviting 11 proposals from establishments who are interested in setting up downstream units in the park. The proposed aluminium hub is a joint venture between National Aluminium Company and state-owned Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) with a 49.50-50.50 stakes respectively. According to plan, the park will allow wide variety of sectors from downstream aluminium industry to set up shop including sectors like conductors, extrusions, casings, foils as well as powder and paste. Nalco has already committed to provide 50,000 tons of molten metal per annum to facilitate the downstream units, saving them remelting and...
Aluminium futures edged higher by 0.50% to INR 111.40 per kg today as speculators enlarged positions amid pick-up in demand at spot markets. Besides, a firming trend in base metals pack at London Metal Exchange supported the upside. At Multi Commodity Exchange, aluminium for delivery in March rose 55 paise, or 0.50%, to INR 111.40 per kg with a business turnover of 612 lots. The metal for delivery in April also gained 50 paise, or 0.45%, to trade at INR 112.40 per kg in a turnover of 94 lots. Traders said a firm trend in the metal at spot markets on increased demand from consuming industries, influenced aluminium prices at futures trade here.
Hydro's first quarter results 2015 will be released at 07:00 CET (01:00 AM EST, 06:00 UK time), on Wednesday April 29, 2015. The quarterly report and presentation slides will be available on Hydro's website at the same time. Presentation in Oslo Hydro will host a combined analyst and press conference, in English, at its corporate headquarters at Drammensveien 260, Oslo at 08:30 CET the same day. The presentation will be held by President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg and CFO Eivind Kallevik and can also be seen on web TV. To attend the presentation in Oslo, please register on Hydro's website. Q&A / Conference Call There will be a Conference Call at 15:00 UK Time (16:00 CET, 10:00 AM EST,) the same day. The Q&A will be held by President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg and CFO Eivind...
A U.S. judge on Thursday refused to dismiss antitrust litigation accusing a variety of Wall Street banks and commodity merchants of conspiring to drive up aluminum prices by reducing supply. U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest in Manhattan said metals purchasers may pursue claims against affiliates of Goldman Sachs Group Inc, JPMorgan Chase & Co and mining company Glencore Plc, and well as aluminum warehouse operators such as Metro International, Henry Bath and Pacorini Metals USA. Purchasers had accused the defendants of colluding since 2009 to raise banks' trading profits and warehouse companies' revenues, causing an increase in Platts Midwest Premium, a component used in setting aluminum prices. They said the collusion led to higher storage costs, delays of up to 16 months to fill...
Bharat Aluminium Company (Balco) has moved to High Court to contest against the government’s decision to cancel the company’s bid for Gare Palma IV/1 and allot it to the state-owned Coal India Limited (CIL). Balco was the highest bidder for the Chhattisgarh coal block with INR 1585 a tonne but it was much lower than the winning bids for similar coal blocks causing the government to reject the bid. The same thing happened with Jindal Power whose three coal blocks were cancelled and allocated to CIL. JPL had moved to court on 23rd March and managed to get a stay order issued against reallocation of the three coal mines the company bid for. High court questioned the Ministry how they could allot a mine to CIL when it has already been reserved by a company through the process of auction....
Russia's United Company Rusal Plc reported a more than six-fold rise in fourth-quarter earnings due to a slump in the rouble against the dollar and stronger aluminium prices, and forecast a deficit in aluminium supply in 2015 outside China. The world's biggest aluminium producer warned, however, that aluminium premiums in Asia may come under pressure from rising exports of semi-manufactured products from China, the world's largest aluminium producer and consumer. "Looking at the industry as a whole, we believe that global aluminum demand will grow by 6.5% in 2015 to 59 million tonnes, while production growth outside of China will continue to be limited, with 1.1 million tonnes remaining in supply deficit," Chief Executive Vladislav Soloviev said in a statement. Rusal's adjusted earnings...
The latest statistics released by the Aluminum Association indicate that aluminum demand in the United States and Canada (shipments by domestic producers plus imports) totaled an estimated 2,124 million pounds in January 2015, up one-tenth of one percent over a year ago. Demand for semi-fabricated (mill) products totaled 1,487 million pounds, up 10.1 percent. Apparent consumption (demand less exports) in domestic markets totaled an estimated 1,912 million pounds, increasing 7.9 percent. Exports of aluminum ingot and mill products from the U.S. and Canada (excluding cross-border trade) totaled 212 million pounds in January, down 39.5 percent from last year, while imports were up 17.6 percent to 477 million pounds. Aluminum imports of ingot, scrap and mill products into the U.S. and Canada...
Century Aluminum Co and unionized workers at its Hawesville, Kentucky, aluminum smelter agreed to extend by a week a deadline for reaching a new labor deal before the current contract expires on March 31, the two sides said on Wednesday. United Steelworkers (USW) Local 9423 did not specify a new deadline, but said on its website its negotiation committee was conferring with specialists at the USW's Pittsburgh headquarters. The union said the extension would give the two sides "another week to try and work out some difficult issues." Two years ago, the 244,000-tonne-per-year smelter was saved from closure when Century, which is owned by Swiss commodities trading and mining company Glencore, secured a new favorably priced power contract. Century spokesman Kenny Barkley confirmed on...
Aluminum Corp of China Ltd (Chalco), the country’s top aluminum producer, swung into its largest-ever loss in 2014 due to lower aluminum and alumina prices, it said in a filing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange yesterday. The Chinese aluminum giant suffered net loss of 16.2 billion yuan ($2.6 billion) in 2014, a sharp reversal from a profit of 948 million yuan in 2013, its earnings report showed. The average price for the most active SHFE aluminum contract dropped 6.13% year-on-year to 13,697 yuan/tonne in 2014 due to overcapacity, the major reason behind its losses, it said. Alumina prices in China sank to 2014’s bottom in Q1 as massive closures of hurt alumina demand. However, prices rebounded later in the year since aluminum capacity restarts and expansions boosted alumina demand. The...
Indian government to start another round of coal auction next month which belong to the 204 coal blocks that were cancelled by the Supreme Court last year, announced Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday. No official number was declared as to how many coal blocks would be put on auction although an inside source had revealed on Monday that there will most likely be 15-20 coal blocks in the fresh round of auctions. This announcement comes at a time when the government is facing litigations from Jindal Steel & Power whose coal mines was cancelled by the government due to extremely low winning prices. The coal block was going to be allotted to the state-owned Coal India Limited but JSP managed to get a stay order from the court preventing the government from cancelling three coal...
More than 26 German companies have signed up to showcase aluminium products at a leading aluminium and allied industry event in the Middle East, to take place in Dubai next month. Aluminium Middle East, organised by Reed Exhibitions Middle East, will run from April 14 to 16 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and will have the participation of more than 200 exhibitors from 25 countries. The show is expecting more that 4,000 visitors, a 14 per cent increase over the last edition, which saw around 3,500 visitors, said a statement. ?The exhibition, which will be held under the slogan ‘Forging Connections, Building Possibilities,’ will help the region’s aluminium industry reach a new level of extraordinary growth, it said. It is the biggest specialised exhibition for...
