Century Aluminum’s proposed USD 4 billion primary aluminum smelter in Inola, Oklahoma, is “moving forward on all fronts” as the company prepares for construction, despite local opposition and legal challenges, CEO Jesse Gary said during the company’s third-quarter earnings call. Developed jointly by Century Aluminum and Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the project is designed to produce 750,000 tonnes of primary aluminum annually, potentially doubling U.S. primary aluminum production. The facility is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs and add USD 1.5 billion to Oklahoma’s gross domestic product, according to company estimates. The partners had targeted construction to begin by the end of 2026. However, local restrictions and permitting challenges have affected the...
LME aluminium stocks declined by more than half during the first nine months of 2026, falling by 267,875 tonnes from 509,250 tonnes on January 2 to 241,375 tonnes on September 30 (52.6 per cent). The decline continued throughout the period, with average warehouse inventories falling each month. Compared with the same period in 2025, monthly average stocks were lower across all nine months, with the gap widening in the third quarter. Q1 LME aluminium stocks fall 18.2 per cent LME aluminium inventories continued to decline during Q1 2026. Month-end stocks fell from 495,725 tonnes in January to 465,550 tonnes in February, before dropping further to 416,775 tonnes in March. Monthly average inventories stood at 498,670 tonnes in January, 481,801 tonnes in February and 440,710 tonnes in March....
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The retirees of Century Aluminum have accepted the deal that will restore some of their lost health benefits. The retirees' approval Thursday is expected to open the way for the state to aid the company in restarting operations at the Ravenswood plant. Around 400 retirees attended a meeting Thursday evening at Ravenswood Middle School where the vote was taken to accept a deal negotiated by the company and representatives of the union. Karen Gorrell has helped fight for the lost benefits. Gorrell said Century has agreed to pay at least $44 million over the next decade toward coverage. Retirees not yet eligible for Medicaid would pay premiums. Gorrell said benefits for older retirees are still being discussed. Lindsey Berryhill, spokesman for Century Aluminum, said Thursday the company had...
The general manager of Bell Bay Aluminium in northern Tasmania has told a mining forum in Launceston the struggling smelter has a future. Ray Mostogl has outlined the challenges facing Bell Bay Aluminium. He says the business is trying to survive in the same conditions it faced during the global financial crisis. Aluminium prices are down by 30 percent because of the high Australian dollar and a global surplus of aluminium. Mr Mostogl says input costs are up and it is likely to be at least five years before freight volumes at Bell Bay are high enough to attract an international shipping service. The general manager says it is a steep hill to climb but Bell Bay is well positioned in the market to recover. The smelter directly employs 520 people.
Premiums for primary aluminum exported to Japan in the second quarter have settled mostly at $115-122/mt to London Metal Exchange cash CIF Japan, while talks involving two major overseas producers continue, sources said Thursday. Japanese buyers and overseas supplier sources said they have agreed to set the Q2 premiums at $115/mt, $117/mt, $120/mt, $121/mt and $122/mt to LME cash of the loading month, on a of CIF main Japanese ports basis. The premiums were for 500-5,000 mt/month shipments of ingots. In addition, a deal at $127/mt plus LME cash CIF Japan was confirmed for less than 500 mt/month of ingot. Separately, a Q2 deal for a $132/mt premium to LME cash plus $180-200/mt processing fee, CIF Japan was heard in the market for over 500 mt/month of slab and billets. Platts has not been...
West Virginia may offer a tax break worth up to $20 million annually to help Century Aluminum restart its Jackson County smelter, but officials say any such aid depends on retirees resolving an impasse over their revoked health benefits with a Thursday vote. Lawmakers, aides to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, company officials and other interested parties are discussing a tax break proposal similar to legislation introduced in 2010. That unsuccessful bill aimed to offset the Ravenswood plant's electricity costs. The credits would benefit the utility in exchange for it setting special, reduced rates for the plant that would be triggered by weak aluminum prices. The Jackson County plant laid off about 650 workers when the California-based company idled the facility in 2009. But Century's subsequent...
LME three-month aluminum futures closed down USD 28/mt or 1.24% at USD 2,227/mt on Wednesday as China’s signal to maintain property curb boosts dollar buying and weighs on base metals. The light metal lost all previous-day gains after losing support at the 5-day moving average. China’s property curb vow and persisting worries towards the European debt crisis will continue weighing on metals today. As such, SMM expects LME three-month aluminum to move between USD 2,200-2,250/mt today as it tests support at the USD 2,200/mt mark. The most active SHFE aluminum contract for May delivery is expected to test support at RMB 16,100/mt and hover between RMB 16,100-16,190/mt. Spot aluminum is expected to trade at discounts or premiums within RMB 20/mt over the SHFE current-month aluminum contract...
Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation (NYSE: NOR - News) (“Noranda”), a leading North American integrated producer of value-added primary aluminum products, announced today a public secondary offering of 10 million shares of common stock (the “Shares”) by certain investment funds affiliated with or managed by Apollo Management VI, L.P. (“Apollo”), pursuant to an underwriting agreement among the Company, Apollo and UBS Investment Bank, as underwriter, providing for the sale of the Shares. Apollo has granted to UBS Investment Bank an option to purchase up to 1.5 million additional shares of common stock. Noranda will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of Shares by Apollo. The offering will be made pursuant to Noranda’s registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-172640) filed...
Two contracts have been awarded for the expansion of the Alcoa and Ma'aden aluminum complex under construction at Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia. Texas-based Fluor won the engineering, procurement and construction contract. Germany's SMS Siemag will supply the mill and heat treatment line equipment. The mill will have the capacity to produce about 100,000 tonnes of product per year, including automotive heat-treated and non-heat-treated sheet, building and construction sheet and foil stock sheet. Depending on demand, the line will start production at the end of 2014. "These new capabilities will help establish downstream industries in Saudi Arabia using aluminium that has been mined, refined, smelted and rolled in the Kingdom," Khalid Mudaifer, Ma'aden's president and CEO, told reporters. The...
National Aluminium Co. (NACL), India’s third-largest producer, is delaying the restart of the shuttered 10 percent of its capacity on signs the economy is stalling in China, the biggest user of the light metal. Aluminum prices on the London Metal Exchange are being dragged down by the uncertain outlook for Chinese growth, Chairman B.L. Bagra said in a telephone interview. The recent price rally, driven by global output shutdowns, couldn’t hold above $2,300 a metric ton, the lowest level required for National Aluminium to operate at full capacity, he said. China last week reported its biggest trade deficit in at least 22 years as government data also showed the world’s second-largest economy had the weakest January-February factory- production gain since 2009. Aluminum in London, which has...
Emirates Aluminium (Emal) is the host sponsor of the World Aluminium Conference set to be held in Abu Dhabi from April 30 to May 2. Saeed Fadhel Al Mazrooei, president and CEO, Emal, said: “The region is now a serious player in the global aluminium market. With the world coming to Abu Dhabi, it is the perfect opportunity to showcase the advanced facilities we have which enable us to provide a reliable source of quality products to customers around the world.” Al Mazrooei will deliver a key note speech at the event, a statement from Emal said. The issues for discussion include strategic threats facing producers, the impact on demand of the economic climate, and downstream opportunities in the Middle East, the statement said. Conference organisers, CRU, will also hold a number of workshops...
Bosnia's sole aluminium smelter, Aluminij Mostar, expects to lose 10 million Bosnian marka ($6.7 million) this year, but that would rise if electricity prices go up, its general manager said on Tuesday. Ivo Bradvica said Aluminij recorded a small profit of 1.2 million marka last year and forecast a nearly 10 million marka loss this year as the price of the metal remains low while raw materials and electricity prices rise. "But this loss has been planned calculating the price of the electricity at 48 euros per meggawatt-hour, and even the smallest rise in the price would be unbearable for us," Bradvica said in an interview for the company's annual magazine. Aluminij, based in the southern town of Mostar, is Bosnia's top exporter, with annual output of around 160,000 tonnes of metal. It has...
According to the data from China Custom displayed in Feb. China exported 47,404 tons unwrought aluminum totally which was lower than Jan. While compared with the same period in last year increased 16.8%. In January and February China exported 107,196 tons unwrought aluminum totally.
China unwrought Aluminium exports increased sharply by 45.5% year-on-year to 47404 metric tons in February this year and down by 21% month-on-month. China unwrought Aluminium exports declined as imports showed a significant jump. In January this year china exported 59792 tons of unwrought Aluminium and in February they exported 32589 tons.
The billionaire chairman of Russia's RUSAL Plc has quit, saying the firm faces a "deep crisis" and triggering a halt to trade in shares of the world's largest aluminium maker. Chairman Viktor Vekselberg, a Russian billionaire with an indirect stake in the Hong Kong-listed company, said in announcing his departure that RUSAL had become mired in debt. "It is with great regret that I have to state that, due to the actions of its management, UC Rusal is presently facing a deep crisis as a result of which UC Rusal has in my opinion deteriorated from an international aluminum leader into a company overburdened with debt and entangled in numerous lawsuits and social conflicts," he said in a statement. RUSAL immediately shot back on Tuesday, calling a temporary halt to trade in its stock and...
Alcoa, a manufacturer of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina, has received a $2.1 million contract from the U.S. Navy to develop advanced welding technologies to decrease aluminum-intensive shipbuilding costs. A collaboration program has been developed by scientists at New Kensington, Pennsylvania-based Alcoa Technical Center and Government Affairs team of Alcoa to work on the contract. Under the program, the company will employ the high-deposition gas metal arc welding techniques to build marine structures. This will enable the Navy to minimize manufacturing costs on ships and the recent shipbuilding plans are expected to save about $200 million for the Navy. The semi-automated metal arc welding process will be implemented to the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and it can also...
Midwest aluminum premiums for prompt delivery hit 9 cents per lb, closing in on a record set last May, as buyers pay ever-higher prices to compete with hefty warehouse incentives. The latest increase, spurred mostly by rising warehouse incentives rather than any meaningful pickup in demand, is likely to reignite anger among consumers who will either have to pay up or wait nine months to receive their metal. "Whatever wasn't done under contract to consumers for the year seems to be heading to the warehouses, and unless there is some significant premium to bring it in a different direction, it should stay that way," a physical dealer said. "For prompt material, you're awfully close to the 9-cent level at this point." Incentives are paid by warehouses to traders to store metal in their...
Aluminium stocks held at three major Japanese ports came to 264,500 tonnes at the end of February, down 4.8 percent or 13,300 tonnes from a month earlier, trading house Marubeni Corp said on Monday. Marubeni collects data from the key ports of Yokohama, Nagoya and Osaka. Port Yokohama Nagoya Osaka total 29-Feb 138,100 111,400 15,000 264,500 31-Jan 135,800 27,000 5,000 277,800 31-Dec 123,000 09,800 4,500 247,300 30-Nov 111,500 95,500 4,500 221,500 30-Oct 123,700 98,100 4,000 235,800 30-Sep 126,700 90,700 4,000 231,400 31-Aug 119,600 07,600 4,000 241,200 31-Jul 98,300 90,700 4,500 203,500 30-Jun 114,500 01,100 3,000 228,600 End-Feb 2011 102,300 91,800 4,000 208,100
China’s first-in-ten-year trade deficit in February reported by General Administration of Customs added to worries towards a China slowdown. Commodity investors were mostly standing on the sidelines though, waiting for results of Fed interest rate meeting. Consequently, LME three-month aluminum only closed slightly down by USD 9.3/mt or 0.41% at USD 2,229/mt as transactions and positions dropped in the same time. The wait-and-see sentiment is expected to stay during today’s trading before the Fed interest rate meeting. As such, SMM expects LME aluminum to test support at USD 2,200/mt and move between USD 2,200-2,250/mt today. The most active SHFE aluminum contract for May delivery is expected stay between RMB 16,140-16,230/mt. Spot discounts over the SHFE current-month aluminum price are...
The aluminum market is giving all the signals of robust health: Prices have surged since the start of the year, and market participants are indicating they want to take the metal out of warehouses in record amounts. But the signals camouflage a deeper flaw: Supply has gotten ahead of demand. Prices are rising because major producers have cut back production, squeezing supplies. And the withdrawal of aluminum appears to be a shuffling of the metal among warehouses, not a call from manufacturers. "Since the start of the year, we have seen a big increase in prices, but that's not been driven by demand," said Standard Chartered commodity analyst Judy Zhu. The gains are "mostly supply-driven, due to cuts at smelters." On Friday, three-month aluminum closed up 1.6%, at $2,240 a ton on the...
