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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China aluminum costs continue falling in June
The average cash cost at Chinese aluminum smelters fell another 2.55% month-on-month in June , driven by lower alumina and power costs, SMM survey showed. Some smelters have received preferential power tariffs due to China’s power reform, cutting the average power cost by 4.55%. Alumina cost fell...
ALRO Slatina continues investment in aluminium
The Slatina-based plant was built 50 years ago and, all this time, has produced over 9.5 M tons of aluminium. The highest production was recorded in 2008 - 265,000 tons of primary aluminium. The crisis caused a notable decrease of production, but, in the last 2-3 years, the company has managed to...
NZAS 2014 Sustainable Development Report shows an increase in aluminium production despite volatile market
The power supply contract deadline that could see New Zealand Aluminium Smelters close is looming but a report from the smelter shows it was still investing capital and upping production. Despite this, industry analysts are still not confident of the outcome as aluminium prices had fallen from more...
Tiwai aluminium smelter to give notice today to Meridian Energy
Rio Tinto's aluminium smelter in New Zealand, which has suffered losses in two of the last three years, faces a July 1 deadline to decide whether to extend its power supply contract with utility Meridian Energy. The decision could determine the future of the 350,000-tonne-per-year smelter, which is...
South32 shares in red territory
BHP Billiton spinoff company South32 closed at R17.24 on Friday, dropping by 2.49%, down 10.3% on the week, and about 14.82% since it listed on the JSE over a month ago. Currently sitting a R17.20 per share, Troy Brady from NOAH Capital Markets says South32 has simply become a victim of the general...
Rusal spends $500,000 monthly to maintain ALSCON
The management of the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) says it spends $500,000 (about N10 million) monthly to maintain facilities and equipment at its factory located in Ikot Abasi local government area of Akwa Ibom State since it took over the plant in 2007. It adds that more than...
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry backs deal on RET cuts in Australia
A late night compromise on the nation's renewable energy target had the businesses in Australia celebrating the return of certainty to energy policy and environmentalists worrying that the policy has been watered down too far. The deal between the Coalition, Labor and the crossbenchers will cut the...
Jamalco to spend US$500m on coal-fired plant
The Jamalco bauxite mining and alumina refinery will spend roughly US$500 million to build its coal-fired plant as a means to offset its high energy costs, stated Government. The plans were long discussed but it's the first time the authorities have released estimates on the cost. "The mining and...
Aluminium industry should get coal blocks to increase production: NALCO
Allocating coal blocks for the aluminium industry is the key to increase the indigenous production of the metal, said the National Aluminium Company (NALCO), a public sector unit. The price of aluminium is controlled by the London Metal Exchange. In India, the production of aluminium is solely...
ESET confident about 30 per cent electricity rate cut in Jamaica
The head of the Electricity Sector Enterprise Team (ESET) says the slow progress in starting new energy projects in the bauxite sector will not affect the overall national programme to bring energy costs down. The expression of confidence came from Dr Vincent Lawrence during a press briefing at...
Inalum begins $1.9 billion expansion with new power plant
State-owned aluminium maker PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Inalum) will spend around US$750 million on a steam-fueled power plant, which would double its production capacity, starting from mid-next year in anticipation of higher energy demand. Inalum president director Winardi Sunoto said Friday...
Constellium and Linde announce joint development agreement for energy-saving re-melting technologies
Constellium N.V. and Linde Gases, a division of The Linde Group, announced today that they have signed a joint development agreement to use Linde’s oxy-fuel technology in Constellium’s recycling and melting furnaces, with a goal of cutting energy consumption by half while increasing melting rates...
Alro salutes the EC conclusion that its contract with Hidroelectrica did not involve state aid
Alro SA, one of the largest aluminium producers in Central and Eastern Europe, salutes the conclusions of the investigations conducted by the European Commission (EC) in respect to its contracts with the electricity generator Hidroelectrica. As per the EC press release sent out on June 12th,...
Northwest Iceland Municipalities sign co-operation agreement for new aluminum project
Northwest Iceland Municipalities and Klappir Development ehf. have signed together a declaration of intent and an agreement of cooperation for the construction and operation of an aluminum smelter with a capacity of 120,000 tpy at Hafursstaðir in Skagabyggð. The municipalities of Blönduósbær,...
China Hongqiao builds more power plants and secures materials abroad
China Hongqiao Group, which is poised to surpass Russia's Rusal as the world's biggest aluminium producer, plans to spend 10 billion yuan on building power plants and expanding smelting capacity in China and on projects in Indonesia and Guinea. The Shandong firm aimed to raise its output by 22.5...
AGL's new gas storage facility to benefit Tomago Aluminium smelter
Energy company AGL says its new gas storage facility near Newcastle has given the Hunter region much needed security of supply. AGL managing director Andy Vesey has today officially opened the $310 million Newcastle Gas Storage plant at Tomago. The storage facility will secure supply for industrial...
Synthesis Energy Systems, Inc. announces commissioning phase at first of three Aluminum Corporation of China Industrial Syngas Gasification Plants
Synthesis Energy Systems, Inc., a global energy and gasification technology company enabling clean, high-value energy and chemical products from multiple feedstocks, announced that the first of three previously announced industrial syngas gasification plants from its Tianwo-SES Joint Venture has...
Chinese aluminum smelting costs fall in May on lower alumina, power costs
The average cost at Chinese aluminum smelters slid 1.0% from a month ago in May, driven by lower alumina and power costs, SMM survey showed. The average weighted alumina price in China's four major regions slipped 2.2% or 57 yuan per tonne month-on-month, and the Bohai-Rim Steam-Coal Price Index...
