DJ India’s Nalco Aluminum Output May Drop
India’s state-run National Aluminium Co. (532234.BY) is concerned aluminum output could fall as the company’s facilities run out of bauxite as the result of a 35% reduction in bauxite production following the attack on its Panchpatmali mine, the Business Standard reported on its Web site, citing A. Chakraborty, general manager of mines.
Chakraborty warned that output could fall by a third in 16 days time, amid a shortage of bauxite at its aluminum refinery plant, the Web site reported. Read more
Hydro Inaugurate New Aluminium Recycling Furnace
nine meters wide – swallows large quantities of used aluminium and remelts it. The twin-chamber furnace is one of the largest and most advanced of its kind. (Photo: Michael Peter Steffen) The furnace in Germany is capable of swallowing up to 50,000 metric tons of used aluminium annually, and remelting the metal for its next application. Hydro expects this process to save more than 400,000 mt of carbon dioxide equivalents, annually, compared with the production of virgin aluminium metal. The twin-chamber furnace is one of the largest and most advanced of its kind.
The operation starts with removal from the aluminium of any lacquer, adhesives and compound materials. The emerging heat and gases from this smoldering process is then used directly in the subsequent metal melting process. As a result, less energy is used than in other remelting furnaces. “We have had the climate in mind with this furnace, but it will also help secure the competitiveness of our plant in Hamburg,” says Oliver Bell, who is responsible for Hydro’s rolled products operations.
Formal ceremony Axel Gedaschko, the Senator for Economic Affairs in the City State of Hamburg, attended the inauguration and celebrated the investment, which he said is sound for business and for the environment. Hydro also used the formal inauguration to forge closer ties with the Hamburg Industry Chamber, the Northern German Association of Metal Industry Employers, The German Association of Non-Ferrous Metals, WV Metalle, and leading executives of other metal companies.
Axel Brand, who manages the Hamburg plant for Hydro, demonstrated for Gedaschko and the other guests how the company is closing the material loop. Today, Hydro is a leader in the production of secondary aluminium, with remelting capabilities at nearly 30 different sites world-wide. Remelting is an efficient process, using just 5 percent of the energy required to produce the primary aluminium.
Monthly Trends Favour Rally In Equities, Aluminium And Euro
Equity investors have had many reasons to believe in Santa Claus given the traditional Christmas rally in share prices and while this year the month has not started off well, Barclays Capital’s analysis of monthly trends shows both median and average returns have a decidely positive skew in December.
The Toronto Stock Exchange has been the best with 11 straight years of December gains and the FTSE has risen for five straight years, while Barclays sees all exchanges having a better than 50% chance of posting a gain this time around with the exception of the Shanghai Composite index.
India’s Sensex Index and the FTSE are regarded as having an 83% chance of finishing this month higher, while the Dow Jones and S&P500 indices are rated around 70% chances, the All Ords 75%, but the Nikkei just a 63% chance and the NASDAQ Composite and Germany’s DAX just 57% chances of gaining.
Similarly base metal prices generally perform well in December, the group noting aluminium tends to be the standout with a median gain of 1.86%. It gives the metal a 71% chance of gaining this time around. Copper is rated as only a 50% chance of finishing the month higher, while both gold and silver are rated as slightly higher than 50% chances of gaining.
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New Report Predicts That U.s Aluminium Market To Grow By 210,000 Metric Tons From 2007-2011
Report Buyer, the online destination for business intelligence for major industry sectors, has added a new report which finds that the U.S. aluminium market is expected to grow by volume by 210,000 Metric Tons (nearly 9%) during 2007-2011.
The report, “US Aluminum Market Analysis”, which is available at http://www.reportbuyer.com/go/ RCS00338, finds that factors like enhanced energy supply capacity, new cost efficient production technologies and government support have helped drive the market. Analysts say that the U.S. aluminum industry is the world’s largest single producer of primary aluminum. The US industry operates over 300 plants in 35 states, produces more than 23 billion pounds of metal annually, and employs over 145,000 people with an annual payroll of about US$ 5 billion. Read more
