A rolling-mill drive can trip even when its encoder passes a bench test. A refinery instrument can report erratic readings with no obvious process upset. Engineers may suspect the devices first, but the installed cables, mating interfaces and routing deserve the same scrutiny. Intermittent faults sometimes disappear the moment an assembly is touched. That uncertainty has an economic cost: investigation consumes maintenance time, and a missed control signal may delay equipment availability. This article concerns sensor, instrumentation, encoder, fieldbus and appropriately rated low-power auxiliary interfaces, typically carrying signals or modest loads—not power feeders. Main motor circuits, plant distribution, rectifier outputs and potline busbars are outside its scope. No connector type...
The most-traded SHFE aluminium contract opened at RMB 23,255per tonne in the night session on Oct 8, hit a high of RMB 23,365 per tonne and a low of RMB 23,195 per tonne, and closed at RMB 23,220 per tonne, down RMB 165 per tonne or 0.71 from the previous close. Futures quickly dipped and weakened, with prices falling below all cyclical moving averages of 5/10/20/40/60. All moving averages turned downward to form resistance, highlighting a bearish pattern. Trading volume during the session was 74,115 lots, with open interest at 269,000 lots, down 819 lots, mainly driven by bulls cutting positions and exiting. On the technical front, the 4-hour MACD death cross continued, with DIFF well below DEA. Green bars expanded significantly, and bearish momentum continued to be released. The LME...
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Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. continues to focus on meeting its growth targets despite tough LME market prices, according to a statement issued by the Chairman of Alba's Board of Directors, Mahmood Hashim Al Kooheji. The statement was made following the second quarterly meeting for the year 2013 held on Tuesday, June 11, 2013 at the Gulf Hotel, Bahrain. The Board approved the appointment of Ali Al-Baqali as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) with immediate effect. Commenting on the appointment, the Chairman of Alba's Board of Directors, Mahmood Hashim Al Kooheji said: "I am happy to welcome Ali Al-Baqali as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team. We are confident that with his wealth of financial and procurement knowledge Ali will play a major role in the continued success at Alba." The...
Coal India and Aditya Birla group are among a host of global companies that have shown interest in the assets put on the block by Rio Tinto in Australia. The Anglo-Australian mining giant is selling a 29% stake in its subsidiary Coal & Allied in the New South Wales province and its majority stake in the Clermont mine in Queensland, among other assets. Coal and Allied Industries, managed by Rio Tinto Coal Australia, operates three open cast mines at Bengalla, Hunter Valley Operations and Mount Thorley Warkworth, while Rio Tinto Australia directly controls mines like Clermont, Hail Creek and Kestrel in Queensland. The group has reportedly hired Deutsche Bank to find buyers for stakes in these mines as it is unable to operate them economically. Sources in Coal India said the company’s...
In a move aimed at increasing capacities three-fold over the next three years, Hindalco has started the trial run of its 359-tpa (tons per annum) Mahan aluminium smelter and the 1.5-tpa Utkal alumina. The start of the first two planned expansions is sentimentally positive and will add to volumes growth in FY14, analysts say. The company even plans of commissioning its 359-ktpa Aditya aluminium smelter in the second half of FY14, though analysts do not expect this to be commissioned even in next financial year. However, the 58-ktpa Hirakud aluminium expansion, 135-ktpa flat rolled products project and the 20-ktpa foil project are in the process of being commissioned. These capacity additions come at a time when aluminium prices have softened and the outlook remains weak. The aluminium...
Aluminium prices on Tuesday rose by 0.95 per cent to INR 111.45 per kg in futures trade as speculators enlarged positions amid a firming trend overseas. Besides, increased demand at domestic spot markets also influenced prices. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, aluminium for delivery in June rose by 95 paise, or 0.95 per cent, to INR 111.45 per kg in business turnover of 992 lots. Similarly, the metal for delivery in July traded higher by INR 1.05, or 0.94 per cent, to INR 112.60 per kg in 49 lots. Market analysts said the rise in aluminium prices at futures trade was mostly attributed to a firming trend in metal at the London Metal Exchange and rising demand at spot markets here. Meanwhile, at the LME aluminium gained 0.4 per cent to $ 1,930.50 per tonne.
The closure of Bosnia's sole aluminium smelter, "Aluminij ", is set to affect thousands of jobs in the Balkan country and neighbouring Croatia and will lessen their chances for returning to economic growth any time soon, officials warned on Friday. Aluminij Mostar, faced with high power costs and low prices, has been racking up monthly losses this year and said on Thursday it would close on June 17.
Rain Commodities Ltd. (RCOL), the world’s second-largest producer of calcined petroleum coke used to make aluminum, will miss its own profit forecast as a slide in prices of the metal prompts smelters to scale back output. An aluminum supply glut and falling demand in China are causing many producers to shut down, hurting Rain Commodities, Chief Financial Officer T. Srinivasa Rao said in an interview. The Hyderabad, India-based company will no longer be able to meet its goal of doubling net income by the end of 2013, and instead will take two more years, he said. The light weight metal used to make aircraft and beverage cans has declined 47 percent in the past five years, making it the third-worst performer on the UBS Bloomberg CMCI index of commodities. Aluminum Corp. of China, the...
The Tiwai Pt aluminium smelter has partly caused the end of a 15-month streak of manufacturing gains in New Zealand. Sales volumes of manufactured goods fell 0.6 per cent in the March quarter, data released yesterday by Statistics New Zealand shows, with the volatile metals category dragging the headline number lower with a decline of 6.2 per cent. The drop in metals was caused by poor aluminium sales volumes, which fell 13 per cent compared to the December quarter, as the Tiwai Pt smelter battled with low international demand and the high New Zealand dollar. That was offset by a solid performance from the meat and dairy sector in the quarter, with sales volumes up 0.5 per cent. Overall, the picture was a very mixed affair, with seven of the 13 manufacturing industries gaining in the...
Land acquisition for the aluminium park near Angul being developed jointly by National Aluminium Company (Nalco) and Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) has gained momentum. Out of 200 acres of land needed for the park, 132 acres has been acquired. The park, located close to the Nalco’s smelter plant, will promote ancillary and downstream industries in the aluminium sector. A special purpose vehicle (SPV) called Angul Aluminium Park Private Ltd (AAPPL) was formed by Idco and Nalco for the purpose. The project has, so far, attracted investments worth Rs 631 crore. “Two industries - Midal Cables and Metal Powder Company Ltd have filed common application forms with the Industrial Promotion & Investment Corporation of Odisha Ltd (Ipicol) for setting up their units...
National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco), a Navratna PSU, has set up its 2nd wind power plant at Ludarva in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan with a capacity of 47.6 MW. The move is part of Nalco's plan to diversify into other metals and the energy sector. One part of the project has been commissioned successfully and power production has commenced from 18 wind energy generators. The INR 283-crore wind power project is being executed through Gamesa Wind Turbines Private Ltd.,which involves erection of 56 Wind Turbines, each of 850 KW rating. This is Nalco's second green initiative towards promoting sustainable development by harnessing the unconventional and renewable energy sources, which would credit the company with incentives from the government. The project is scheduled to be...
LME Aluminium inventories jumped by as much as 18750 tonnes in the single day on 9 June 2013. The rise is probably on account of closure of Chinese markets for Dragon Boat festival which will mean lower demand for metal in spot. The rise in Aluminium was followed by sharp decline in prices. After the announcement of 0.36 percent rise in Aluminium the prices have moved down by $ 40 per tonne to $ 1928 per tonne. MCX Aluminium didn't follow the footsteps of its counterpart and was up 0.64 percent mainly due to decline of Rupee to all time lows against the Dollar. Rupee was trading at 57.74 when last checked, up 1.2 percent.
Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL) -that owns and operates the world's largest primary aluminium smelter using pre-bake anode technology - was honoured by Higher Colleges of Technology ("HCT"), Dubai campus, at an award ceremony on 20 May 2013, through receipt of the Employer Award in the Work Experience category. The accolade is a fitting tribute for the on-going efforts of DUBAL in support of HCT and its students. In terms of a Memorandum of Understanding signed with HCT's Dubai Men's College, DUBAL provides internship and industrial training opportunities to DMC students; and also gives DMC graduates priority in terms of employment at DUBAL. DUBAL's Work Placement (Internship) programme works in close co-operation with universities and colleges across the UAE by providing opportunities for...
Aluminum Bahrain Chief Operations Officer said that the company is looking to boost production by 1,000 on an annual basis after its important technology upgrade in pot line 5, Daily News reported. He explains that this upgrade is a significant milestone for the company and was achieved by (Alba) internal resources without notable expenditure. It is worth noting that Aluminium Bahrain has been consistently ranked as one of the largest aluminium smelters in the world and is known for its technological strength and high quality aluminium.
Martin Abbott quit as chief of the London Metal Exchange, six months after triumphantly steering a sale to Hong Kong owners of the world’s biggest marketplace for materials such as copper and zinc. While admirers and critics credit him for persuading the 137-year old London institution’s fractious shareholders to accept the $2.2 billion takeover by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, he leaves boiling controversy over an LME warehouse system that constantly frustrates industrial users. “He takes with him the knowledge that he achieved 98.6 percent shareholder support for the sale, which is an amazing accolade,” brokerage Sucden’s Chief Executive Michael Overlander said. “But he also takes with him the knowledge that there is still a topic that preoccupies a lot of people’s time under his...
The Board of Approvals under Union commerce ministry is likely to clear two proposals from Odisha for extension of approvals of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in its 58th meeting to be held on June 12. This includes SEZs of Vedanta Aluminium Ltd (VAL) at Jharsuguda and the Infovalley IT SEZ being developed on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. VAL was granted approval on May 23, 2007 for setting up sector specific SEZ for manufacture and export of aluminium at Bhurkhamunda village near Jharsuguda. Since then, the developer has been granted three extensions, the validity of last extension expiring on May 22 this year. The development commissioner of Falta SEZ, who is the monitoring authority for this SEZ, has recommended extension of the SEZ approval for one more year. VAL is operating 0.5...
Emirates Aluminium has taken part in major regional and international conferences and forums to share its wealth of experience and successes in Corporate Social Responsibility. Senior figures from EMAL were on hand to showcase the industrial flagship's impressive record in the field of CSR at recent events in Abu Dhabi. EMAL was the Gold Sponsor of the Philanthropy in Education and Responsible Social Giving: When Giving is a Reward. The forum, held under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Youth, Culture, and Community Development, was hosted by the University Leadership Council of the UAE. Yousuf Bastaki, VP Projects Phase II for EMAL was part of a panel forum to discuss the increasingly important role of philanthropy and responsible social...
The new Icelandic government was only a day old when it announced in mid-May that it would do all it could to push ahead with the Helguvik aluminium smelter. Construction for the smelter began in in 2008 but since then has met with a variety of problems, mostly energy-related. Critics of the project say that too many aspects of the project still remain unresolved and allege that the rush to build the smelter is a corporate tactic to draw Iceland's government into developing infrastructure that it will be forced to continue supporting, to the detriment of the country's protected areas. Environmental concerns, meanwhile, were nearly inconspicuous during election campaigns, and on May 1, a few days after election results were announced, a Green March tagged along behind the trade unions'...
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba)'s production process achieved a significant milestone with the announcement that Pot Line 5 has been upgraded to AP37 technology following an increase in the line current to 370 kA. The upgrade will increase production by approximately 1,000 metric tons on an annual basis. Alba is currently focused on enhancing performance levels at the plant and remains on track in achieving these goals through the joint efforts of members from the Power, Carbon Operations & Maintenance, Process Control & Development, Reduction Operation & maintenance departments. Commenting on Pot Line 5's upgrade to AP37 technology, Alba's Chief Operations Officer, Isa Al Ansari said: "Pot Line 5's upgrade to AP37 is another milestone for the company. In early 2011 the team outlined a...
Government-owned Nalco saw its stock price hitting a 52-week low of INR 32.50 on Thursday, almost half the INR 63.50 on July 4 last year. While the weak outlook for base metals has been responsible, lack of backward integration of coal and the Offer for Sale by the government in March have also acted as a dampener. While the company continues to seek captive coal supplies, it is also optimising the cost of production through use of linkage coal and by curtailing production. Aluminium output at 98,000 tons was down two per cent sequentially and six per cent year-on-year owing to production cuts, in the wake of weakness in the prices. While aluminium production consumes more power, prices of the metal on the London Metal Exchange (LME) remain weak, leading to low profitability. The strategy...
