China’s 45Mt aluminium cap pushes producers overseas as global dominance grows
China’s aluminium industry is running close to its limits in 2026. As Shanghai aluminium prices near a three-month high, historically low raw material costs and strong smelter margins encourage producers to operate at maximum capacity. National aluminium output remains above Beijing’s...
Alamtri Resources enters new growth phase as aluminium smelter ramps up
PT Alamtri Resources Indonesia Tbk (ADRO), the Jakarta-listed natural resources company, is entering a new stage of growth as its aluminium smelting investments begin to take shape alongside stronger margins from its metallurgical coal business. The outlook has strengthened Sucor Sekuritas' view of...
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Kurri Kurri smelter may cut production
The Kurri Kurri smelter may cut production as workers refuse to delay a pay rise for a year. It comes as the smelter, run by Hyrdo, is set to slash around 50 jobs, around 10% of its work force. Union reps will meet with Hydro CEO Alberto Fabrini as the company struggles against falling aluminium...
Barr seeks guarantee for Hydro
Member for Cessnock, Clayton Barr, is calling on the O'Farrell Government to provide a guaranteed supply of electricity to Hydro Aluminium smelter at Kurri. The call follows the announcement by the O'Farrell Government that it will privatise all NSW electricity generators – putting any agreement...
ECL secures Kitimat contract
French group ECL has secured a contract with Rio Tnto Alcan’s Kitimat smelter, British Columbia, Canada. ECL will supply eight pot tending machines, two furnace tending assembly’s, a rodding shop, an anode handling system, two anode beam raising frames, a transfer gantry, simulator and two anode...
GMB launches campaign to save Alcan smelter
Last week the GMB accused Rio Tinto bosses of not doing enough to keep the smelter open, claiming they had rejected one offer because they felt it was not financially viable, while interest from other parties had failed to progress even to talks. The union wants the company to provide the names of...
UAE's Emal to invest $3.8 bln in production boost
Emirates Aluminium (Emal), a joint venture between Abu Dhabi's Mubadala and Dubai Aluminium (Dubal), plans to invest $3.8 billion for its phase two development as it ramps up production to become the single largest greenfield smelter in the world, its chief executive said. "Phase two, which we have...
VHE Helps Aluminium Smelters Minimize Erosion of Anode Stubs
Erosion of anode stubs is an expense which may be eliminated by the use of carbon collars. Smelters which source their anodes from specialist producers have a good economic reason to extend anode life, minimising the quantity of butt to be returned or otherwise disposed. This is achieved by...
Qatar set to tap gas-to-solids energy source
After emerging as the world's top exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the world's GTL (gas-to-liquids) capital, Qatar is all set to tap another innovative energy source, gas-to-solids (GTS). As part of the strategy, Qatalum, the state-of-the-art aluminium smelter, is taking the lead in...
Minimising stub erosion
Erosion of anode stubs is an expense which may be eliminated by the use of carbon collars. Smelters which source their anodes from specialist producers have a good economic reason to extend anode life, minimising the quantity of butt to be returned or otherwise disposed. This is achieved by...
Nalco yet to make headway on Orissa expansion
Nalco awaits allotment of land and water from the Orissa government. State-owned National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco) is still awaiting allotment of land and water by the Orissa government for its proposed 0.5-million tonne aluminium smelter plant involving an estimated investment of Rs...
Vedanta expanding its smelting capacity to 2.5 mn tonne
Vedanta Aluminium, an associate company of the globally-diversified metals and mining group Vedanta Resources PLC, hopes to complete its ambitious Rs 60,000 crore smelting capacity expansion project by the next fiscal, a top official said here today. The smelting capacity will be raised to 2.5...
Emal celebrates 1 million tonne landmark
Emirates Aluminium (Emal) has produced its one millionth tonne of hot metal. The Al Taweelah, UAE smelter achieved the landmark figure in November, less than two years after it was commissioned in December 2009. Average daily metal production since 2009 has been 1400t/day. Current production stands...
Gulf set to become aluminum powerhouse
The aluminum industry in the GCC is on the brink of becoming a leading global contributor, according to a new publication issued by Deloitte Middle East. The report titled “GCC: Tomorrow’s Aluminum Powerhouse” pointed out that the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar are all home to some of the largest...
Rio Tinto to go ahead with Kitimat smelter expansion
Rio Tinto Alcan is pushing ahead with construction of a $3.3-billion (U.S.) smelter in Kitimat, B.C., even as stagnant prices have spurred a selloff of other aluminum assets. London-based Rio Tinto PLC (RIO-N52.15-0.92-1.73%), which acquired Montreal-based aluminum giant Alcan for $38.1-billion in...
UPDATE 1-Marubeni to double stake in Canadian aluminium smelter
Marubeni Corp said on Tuesday it would spend about $180 million to double its stake in Aluminerie Alouette, North America's biggest aluminium smelter, to 13.33 percent to tap growing demand in emerging economies. Japan's fifth-biggest trading house said it will buy additional shares in the...
Kubal order stub straightener from VHE
Kubikenborg Aluminium (Kubal) of Sweden has placed an order with VHE for the supply of a stub straightening machine. Inward bending of anode stubs, generally known as “toe-in“, is a well understood occurrence in all pre-bake aluminium smelters. The difference in linear expansion of the carbon anode...
Nigerian Senate panel wants sale of aluminium smelter to Rusal revoked
The Nigerian Senate's committee on privatization has called for the sale of the government's stake in the Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) to Russia's Rusal to be revoked, according to the committee's report published Wednesday. The report was the outcome of a wider investigation begun...
Aluminium firm vows more output
Key experts and top managers from Qatar University’s Material Technology Unit, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Qatalum and Hydro, gathered at a symposium to discuss the properties, usage area and production processes of aluminium – an element being described as the metal for the...
Rio Tinto aims to boost aluminium production in Oman
Jacynthe Cote,CEO of the world's largest aluminium producer, Rio Tinto Alcan has said the firm is working with its Omani partner to find ways to boost aluminium production in the Sultanate, Muscat Daily has reported. The company will focus on the Middle East in its future plans, especially the...
