The proposed $4 billion Oklahoma Primary Aluminum (OPA) smelter, a joint venture between Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Century Aluminum, is targeting civil works in the second quarter of 2027, with first hot metal expected between mid- and late 2030. Realization of the 750,000-metric-ton project would render it the first new US primary aluminum smelter in nearly 50 years. However, local restrictions, environmental permitting and ongoing legal hurdles clouded its path towards maintaining the construction timeline. A local moratorium and an April 7 ballot sit on the same calendar. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our report: “ Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook ” A...
Vietnamese aluminium businesses are seeking a reduction in export duties to zero, arguing that the current tax rules put domestic suppliers at a disadvantage compared with imported materials. The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) has raised concerns over a proposal to cut export duties on unwrought aluminium, bars, rods, profiles and wire to 1 per cent from 5 per cent. The proposed duty on aluminium plates, sheets and strip in coils would be reduced to zero. Citing feedback from the Vietnam Aluminium Profile Association and businesses, VCCI said the proposed 1 per cent rate would bring little revenue to the state budget while leaving companies with administrative requirements, including tax declarations, payments, guarantees and post-clearance inspections. The chamber also...
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Century Aluminum Company, boasting a potent market capitalisation of USD 1.47 billion, reported its first-quarter 2025 earnings, revealing a substantial miss in earnings per share or EPS (USD 0.29 vs USD 0.44 last year) compared to expectations. The company’s adjusted EPS stood at USD 0.36, falling short of the projected USD 0.61. Revenue surpassed forecasts, coming in at USD 634 million against an anticipated USD 577.2 million, marking a 0.48 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) uptick from USD 630.9 million in Q1 2024. Following the announcement, Century Aluminum’s stock declined 5.18 per cent in after-hours trading, closing at USD 15. With a beta of 2.7, the stock demonstrates higher volatility relative to the broader market. The stock’s movement positions it closer to its 52-week low of USD...
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials (MPI-SusMat) in Germany have developed a new innovation that helps overcome the dilemma of aluminium's embrittlement , leading to cracking and failure when exposed to hydrogen. The problem In collaboration with partners from China and Japan, the researchers have introduced a groundbreaking alloy design strategy that resolves a long-standing trade-off. Their innovative approach achieves both outstanding strength and enhanced resistance to hydrogen embrittlement (HE), marking a significant step toward safer and more efficient aluminium components for the hydrogen economy. It is known that inspite of aluminium's widely valued nature for low weight and corrosion resistance, the green-metal faces a major hindrance when exposed...
China has topped the aluminium production for the past few years. An aluminium production cap to curtail overcapacity and emissions, a cumulative tariff of 145 per cent on Chinese aluminium articles entering the US imposed phase by phase, or bauxite import restrictions from multiple prime destinations have hit China’s ambitious industrial boom several times. However, the free flow of trade expansion is far from being curbed. This is an AI-generated image Of the total trade of aluminium worldwide in 2024, which was 13.68 million tonnes valued at USD 39.46 billion, 51.46 per cent was occupied for export of plates, sheets and strip exports, accounting for over 7 million tonnes. Meanwhile, foil exports contributed 23.41 per cent (3.2 million tonnes) to the total export number. Bars and rods...
Aluminium futures have experienced a notable recovery, climbing to USD 2,440 per tonne after reaching an eight-month low of USD 2,340 on April 9th. This upward trend aligns with gains observed in other base metals, spurred by diminishing concerns over a potential US recession, which has alleviated pessimism surrounding global manufacturing activities. Image source: pixabay Contributing to this positive momentum, US President Trump has postponed the implementation of aggressive reciprocal tariffs and indicated forthcoming trade agreements. This shift has eased apprehensions that escalating trade barriers could dampen global demand for metals. Despite the recent rebound, aluminium futures remain down by 5 per cent for the year, primarily due to overcapacity risks from Chinese production....
Egypt Aluminum, the largest aluminium producer in Egypt and one of the largest in Africa, has reportedly announced its financial results for the first nine months of fiscal year 2024-2025 ended March 31. In the first nine months of FY2024-25, the company posted an 89 per cent Y-o-Y increase in net profit after tax, which climbed to EGP 9.894 billion (US$ 194.91 million), up from EGP 5.227 billion (US$ 102.97 million) in the corresponding period last year. One of the leading players in the aluminium industry, Egyptalum recorded revenues of EGP 32.062 billion (US$673.3 million) for the period from July 2024 to March 2025, up from EGP 22.460 billion (US$ 442.7 million) in the same nine months of the previous fiscal year. With a robust financial performance, Egyptalum continues to strengthen...
Amid a string of challenges like a projected USD 90 million loss in Q2, delays in the recommencement of the Kwinana refinery, and production setbacks at the San Ciprián aluminium smelter in Spain due to a power outage that has unsettled Alcoa itself as well as the global aluminium industry, the reassuring message about the Portland aluminium smelter in Victoria has brought a sense of relief. Chief Executive Officer William Oplinger has ruled out all the plans to shut down the facility for at least the next decade, announcing stark contrasting news to the troubled San Ciprián smelter, which faces disruptions even before resuming the full operations as planned. He expressed, "I am sick of closing sites. I am much more focused on the Portland side, of trying to make sure we can get it...
Following the record-breaking fiscal year 2025, marked by the highest-ever double-digit profits and all-time high aluminium production, Vedanta Limited announces yet another positive outlook for FY2026. The company anticipates its aluminium business to emerge as the most profitable segment in the coming year, with margins exceeding USD 1,000 per tonne level compared to the current USD 850 per tonne. Image source: Vedanta Aluminium With full conviction, Chief Financial Officer Ajay Goel said, "Our focus remains on aluminium. We are working on volume augmentation and cost completion." Vedanta's focus on the aluminium business is also indicated by its plans to allocate a major share of increased capex into the aluminium and power segment. Out of USD 1.7 billion capex budgeted for FY2026,...
In a volatile fusion of tariff tensions, supply chain snarls, and shifting trade dynamics, US aluminium import costs have surged to multi-year highs, reshaping the metals market and sending shockwaves through American manufacturing. Image for representational purposes only On April 9, 2025, the United States imposed additional aluminium tariffs — 20 per cent on EU-origin goods and 10 per cent on UK imports, building on the existing 25 per cent base duty introduced under Section 232 in 2018. For EU producers, the effective tariff rate now stands at a crushing 45 per cent, sending shippers and buyers scrambling. The Midwest Premium, the benchmark regional surcharge that includes transport, handling, and tariffs, has reacted dramatically. According to Reuters and CME Group data, the Midwest...
On May 2, 2025, National Aluminium Company (NALCO) reported a gain of 3.01 per cent, a trend reversal after witnessing a decline for two consecutive days. However, the year-to-date performance of the company reflects a decline but is showing an increase in terms of the last five years. The company's stock had outperformed within its operating sector, showing a gain of 2.59 per cent connecting the sector's performance exceeding by 1.26 per cent. The stock price of the company reached INR 159.70 as of May 2, 2025 3:30 IST (USD 1.89), reflecting about a 2.66 per cent increase. Concerning the monthly averages, National Aluminium Company is representing an upward graph above its 50-day and 20-day moving averages. Nonetheless, the monthly averages are deemed to be lower than the 50-day, 100-day...
Vedanta Limited, a leading player in India’s metals and mining sector, has announced its financial and operational results for the fourth quarter of FY2025, ended March 31, showcasing robust performance in both financial metrics and production output. Financial outcome – outpaces previous benchmarks Thanks to favourable commodity prices and expense reduction strategy, Vedanta has seen the highest-ever quarterly profit after tax (PAT), recording a jump of 118 per cent Y-o-Y to INR 4,961 crore (USD 591.5 million). Revenue also stood the highest-ever at INR 39,789 crore (USD 4.74 billion), registering an increase of 14 per cent Y-o-Y. Quarterly EBITDA grew 30 per cent, reaching INR 11,618 crore (USD 1.4 billion), mainly driven by higher volumes and higher premiums but partly offset by input...
Indian conglomerate Vedanta, spanning metals to oil has announced plans to increase its capital expenditure for the current financial year. As per Chief Financial Officer Ajay Goel, Vedanta plans to increase it between $1.5 billion and $1.7 billion, up from $1.5 billion in the previous fiscal. The majority of the investment of around $700 million is expected to be allocated to aluminium and power business, followed by $400–$450 million set aside for the zinc division. "With our augmented volume base, with our compressed cost base, our operating free cash flows will be sufficient to fund the growth and, at the same time, leave money for deleveraging both Vedanta India and Vedanta Resources. We are looking at 10 per cent higher volume, and 10 per cent lower cost in the current year. So,...
On Thursday, May 1, the US aluminium giant Alcoa Corporation informed the media and stakeholders that its order book for the second quarter remains stable, despite US tariffs. CEO William Oplinger stated that the company has yet to observe any negative impact on bookings due to the tariffs; but could not give a positive outlook for the months to come, citing customer feedback that signals potential challenges ahead. Outlook under review amid tariffs and power outage In addition to the tariff pressure, Alcoa is now grappling with a new obstacle and that is power outage in Spain, which has disrupted operations at both its aluminum smelter and alumina refinery . The company is currently assessing the full extent of the operational and financial damage at its San Ciprián facility, the largest...
Uzbekistan and Russia have accelerated their collaboration in the aluminium industry, leveraging the 5th International Industrial Exhibition “Innoprom. Central Asia” in Tashkent as a launchpad for agreements on standards harmonisation, joint projects and cutting-edge materials such as aluminium-zirconium alloys. Image for representational purposes only (Source: https://oren.ru/) The potent partnership builds on over 650 existing joint ventures worth USD 67 billion, aligns with Uzbekistan’s robust 6.5 per cent economic growth in 2024, and taps into Russia’s industrial expertise across energy, transport and construction, promising to modernise infrastructure and boost regional supply chains. Expanding horizons At Innoprom Central Asia, Denis Manturov, First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia,...
In April 2025, Russian aluminium producer United Co. RUSAL (Rusal) publicly warned that it would pursue legal action against Germany after a German takeover of a bank disrupted a currency‐hedging deal. The bank in question was VTB Bank (Europe) SE – the Frankfurt-based subsidiary of Russia’s state-owned VTB Bank – which German authorities effectively took over in April 2022 amid EU sanctions on Russia. A German-appointed trustee later liquidated the bank (renamed OWH SE) in 2023, and by August 2024, its licence was revoked. This AI-generated image is used for representational purposes only Rusal says this sequence of events illegally expropriated its subsidiary’s rights under a hedging contract, culminating in a London arbitration award ordering Rusal to pay EUR 213 million to the bank’s...
The Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI) has urged the Indian government to extend the RoDTEP scheme to aluminium exporters, highlighting the financial stress faced by domestic producers. FIMI has submitted the request to ensure a level playing field in global markets. Image source: iStock The RoDTEP scheme offers refunds on embedded central, state and local taxes that are not currently reimbursed through other means. Until February 2025, aluminium units operating under Advance Authorisation (AA), Export Oriented Units (EOUs), and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) were eligible. The scheme aims to support export competitiveness by offsetting unclaimed taxes. The call for extension comes after the Aluminium Association of India (AAI) stressed the importance of this benefit. FIMI...
Alcoa’s San Ciprián complex was thrown into turmoil by the massive power outage that swept across Spain on April 28, hitting both the aluminium smelter and alumina refinery hard. “Alcoa’s San Ciprián complex was impacted by the widespread power outage across Spain. As a result of the outage, both the refinery and smelter at the complex were affected. The company is conducting a thorough assessment of the facility to determine the full extent of the operational and financial impact,” the company confirmed in a recent statement. The catastrophic event has shaken businesses, enthusiasts, and investors alike as the impact of what looks like just a power cut can curtail millions of dollars’ worth of business for the company and the nation. Image for representational purposes only The blackout...
Rio Tinto has expressed uncertainty around the future of operations for its Bell Bay aluminium smelter in Tasmania after six years of unsuccessful negotiations for a renewable power supply agreement with Hydro Tasmania. The company has eight months left on its current agreement with the state-owned Hydro Tasmania. Image source: bellbayaluminium.co Rio CEO Jakob Stausholm has committed to a low-carbon future for its Australasian smelters, despite past closure threats. Key decisions loom this year for both the Tomago and Bell Bay smelters. Rio has warned ASIC that Bell Bay faces "material uncertainty" due to its expiring power deal. In documents filed with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Rio Tinto stated, "There are a number of potential outcomes that could result from...
Metlen Energy and Metals has kicked off Q1 2025 with a striking surge in activity, posting total sales of EUR 1.50 billion (a 31 per cent upgrade on the EUR 1.143 billion generated in Q1 2024) steered forward by double-digit gains across Metals (an increase of 11 per cent), Energy (31 per cent growth) and a standout Infra and Concessions division (171 per cent). Energy output climbed 35 per cent to 3.1 TWh (renewables up 78 per cent to 0.6 TWh), while Metals production dipped marginally by 2.1 per cent to 58 thousand tonnes amid capacity realignments. The quarter also saw planned infusions of investor confidence, wherein Fairfax Financial’s EUR 110 million exchangeable bond will elevate its stake to 8.35 per cent, and a EUR 295.5 million commitment to an integrated bauxite-to-gallium...
