Coal-heavy Australian aluminium vs renewables-led New Zealand: How Oceania is balancing decarbonisation
Oceania’s primary aluminium industry is facing a fragmented energy transition. While Australia, the leading aluminium producer of the continent, has abundant renewable resources and a well-established aluminium value chain, its smelters remain significantly more dependent on fossil-fuel-based...
Can the US afford to cut Canada off? 75% aluminium and $100b energy tell the story
The US aluminium industry’s dependence on Canada extends far beyond primary aluminium imports. While Canada supplies around 75 per cent of US imported primary aluminium, covering roughly 60 per cent of the country’s annual aluminium usage, it is also a major supplier of crude oil, natural gas and...
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Alba upgrades to improve productivity
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C (Alba)'s pledge to continue strengthening its credentials as an environmentally friendly and energy efficient aluminium producer was bolstered with the recent upgrade of Pot Line5 from AP30 to AP36 technology. The upgrade was made possible with the successful installation of...
Saudi power project faces 10-month delay
Saudi Saline Water Conversion Corp (SWCC) expects the start up of a new power plant at Ras Al Khair to be delayed until late 2013, the head of the utility said, which may affect production at a new aluminium smelter relying on it. Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) expects to begin production at...
Hydro-Quebec Q3 profits drop on electricity contracts with aluminum producers
A hit to electricity contracts with aluminum smelters reduced Hydro-Quebec's profits in the third quarter. Excluding a charge related to the planned closure of the Gentilly-2 nuclear reactor, the public utility's profits fell 6.9 per cent to $376 million for the period ended Sept. 30. That's down...
MOU to Identify Energy Solution for JAMALCO
Cabinet has approved the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at providing a suitable energy solution for the Jamalco plant in Clarendon. The MoU is to be executed by the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, and involve the Government, Alcoa Minerals of Jamaica, and...
China Becomes Largest Aluminum Exporter in the World
Primary aluminum output of China surpassed 26000kt/a in 2011. Output of in construction and planning to build is 20000kt/a. If eighty percent of these projects are completed in 2015, the primary aluminum output will reach 42000kt/a, which takes up sixty four percent of world’s total output....
Alcoa calls for domestic gas reservation
Australia should set aside enough gas for use by local industries because it would benefit the economy more than by just exporting it, says the local head of Alcoa. Australia should have a thriving aluminium smelting industry providing jobs and income, but was instead missing out by selling bauxite...
GCC, power plants, technology and the Arab Spring dominate first day of ARABAL 2012
The first full day of the Arab Aluminium Conference – ARABAL 2012 – has kicked off in Doha, with regional issues, power generation and technology dominating the agenda. Mr. Al Shaibi, Chairman of ARABAL 2012 Organising Host Qatalum, took the audience through the steps that the company has taken in...
Commission sets date to reconsider power rate for Century Aluminium
The state Public Service Commission has set a Dec. 14 date to respond to requests to reconsider the special power rate it proposed for Century Aluminum's Ravenswood plant. But in the order setting that date, the commission took issue with the way Century has responded in the case. Century has been...
Alcoa denies Brazilian aluminum production stoppage reports
US-based aluminum giant Alcoa has denied Brazilian press reports that it has stopped producing aluminum at its plant in the municipality of Poços de Caldas, in Minas Gerais state. According to local magazine Veja, Alcoa has become self-sufficient in electricity and noticed that it could earn a lot...
Australian Aluminium Council demands inquiry into govt's gas export decision
Following the release of the Federal Government's Energy White Paper, manufacturers from across Australian industry are today jointly calling for a dedicated and independent inquiry to resolve serious questions about domestic gas supply and prices in light of the expected massive increase in gas...
China's Domestic Aluminum Price Move in Uptrend
The industrial distribution of aluminum manufacturing enterprises has moved to the West. With the application of captive power plant, the real production cost of aluminum ingots was lower than market expectation. Since captive power plants occupied large ratio, production cost was up only 1-1.3%....
Australian government tries rescuing Rio Tinto’s Gove Alumina Refinery
Australia’s federal government has agreed to back the construction of a proposed gas pipeline to supply Rio Tinto’s struggling Gove aluminum operations in the country’s Northern Territory. According to The Australian, the Territory's government is expected to sell up to 13% of its gas supply to...
Montenegro's Ministry of Economy in talk with Turkish Tosyali Group on KAP aluminium plant
Representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Turkish Tosyali Group met in Podgorica to discuss the KAP aluminium plant and the offer to take over the company. The dominant topic of the talks was the electricity supply, which is known to be the most troubling issue for KAP. The Government requires...
BHP power deal in balance
More than 1600 jobs will be on the line at BHP Billiton's Hillside and Bayside aluminium smelters in KwaZulu-Natal if Eskom gets its way in setting aside a controversial electricity supply deal. Eskom this week said it will refer the supply contract with BHP to energy regulator Nersa. The 25-year...
Nalco stops drawing expensive grid power from Odisha
National Aluminium Company Ltd (Nalco) has ceased to draw costlier power from the Odisha grid. It will now rely on captive power. According to Nalco sources, the management took this decision to reduce the cost of power purchased, since it affected profitability in the second quarter ended...
NZ Aluminium Smelters halts $70m of capital spending
New Zealand Aluminium Smelters, which operates the smelter at Bluff, has halted $70 million of planned capital spending, citing "extremely challenging" market conditions that have eroded margins. The change affects $15 million planned for the remainder of 2012 and 2013 and follows a review of all...
Søral secures power supply for continued operation
Sør-Norge Aluminium (Søral) primary aluminium plant in Norway has signed electricity contracts with Agder Energi, Lyse, Statkraft and Hydro for the long-term annual supply of up to 2.6 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity in Norway over an eight-year period, starting in 2013. "We are pleased that...
Alcoa Participates in the Inauguration of Estreito Hydro Power Plant in Brazil
Alcoa (NYSE:AA) joined with Brazilian business and government dignitaries, including President Dilma Rousseff, in the inauguration of the 1087-megawatt Estreito hydroelectric power plant in Brazil. The power plant was developed by the Estreito Power Consortium, comprised of Alcoa (25.49%),...
