SPEciAL - ALU-WEB.DE

olled products manufacturers increase prices
Several manufacturers of semi-finished
products have announced price
increases for their aluminium rolled
product range in recent months. Already
in mid-October Hydro raised its
base conversion price for all uncoated
standard products supplied to the
general engineering industry by 25
euros per tonne, valid for all deliveries
in the first quarter of 2010.
In early November both Novelis
and Alcoa European Mill Products
(EMP) announced price increases
for their rolled products. Novelis
said it was increasing the price of its
aluminium coil and sheet standard
products sold to European distribution
and industrial customers by 30
euros per tonne for 1000, 3000 and
5000 series alloys and 6000 series in
‘O’ temper. The price change is effec-
It is meanwhile thirty years ago that
Dubai Aluminium Co. Ltd (Dubal)
tapped its first metal. On 12 November
1979 the company’s core smelter
operations started. Established to
support the diversification of the
UAE economy by adding value
to the country’s oil-rich mineral
resources, the entirely stateowned
enterprise is widely regarded
as the industrial flagship
of the UAE and is one of the
largest non-oil contributors to
Dubai’s economy.
Commercial production of
aluminium at Dubal began in
January 1980. The plant comprised
360 reduction cells in
three potlines, a 504 MW power
station and ancillary carbon,
casthouse, port and other facilities.
Through a series of successive
expansion projects in the intervening
years, Dubal has evolved into one of
the world’s largest aluminium smelters
with a captive power station. Currently,
its major facilities comprise a
960,000 tpy primary aluminium smelter,
a 2,350 megawatt power station, a
large carbon plant, three casthouses,
a water desalination plant, labora-
ALUMINIUM · 12/2009
tive for all shipment as from January
2010, except for orders under a fixed
contract.
Alcoa European Mill Products too
announced a price increase on its
conversion prices for all mill finish
commercial rolled products produced
at its European operations in Köfém
(Hungary), Fusina (Italy) and Amorebieta
(Spain). For all orders placed on
or after 3 November 2009 a 15 euros
per tonne increase on the base conversion
revenue of December 2009
will apply for January 2010 deliveries.
Already in October, the company had
raised prices by 20 euros per tonne for
all new November orders, with an additional
20 euros per tonne increase
for December deliveries.
Latest price adjustment is from
Aleris Europe which announced a
Dubal celebrates 30 years of excellence
tories, port and storage facilities.”
There are now 1,565 fully operational
cells in Dubal’s eight potlines.
Exceptionally high purity of metal is
maintained, with the standard purity
cells delivering 99.913% and the high
Aerial view of Dubal in 2009 Photo: Dubal
purity cells achieving up to 99.96%
metal purity levels. The company
can produce more than 1m tonnes of
finished aluminium products a year,
as foundry alloy for automotive applications
as well as extrusion billet
for construction, industrial and transportation
purposes and high purity
aluminium for the electronics and
aerospace industries. Dubal’s entire
News iN Brief
rise of 50 euros per tonne for deliveries
in Europe and 60 pounds for
deliveries to the UK on the total conversion
price of aluminium coil and
sheet products delivered to European
distributors and industrial end users.
The price increase is effective for all
new monthly and quarterly orders
and contracts booked on or after 9
November 2009, that are not covered
by existing contractual agreements.
The aluminium rolling industry in
Europe has been complaining of low
prices and weak profit for some time.
The sector is hit by overcapacities and
low demand due to the continuing
recession. Only recently, Oliver Bell,
Executive Vice President Hydro, said
in an interview given to ALUMINIUM
(11/2009) that the sector will have to
contract to a profitable core.
production is pre-sold to more than
300 customers in about 45 countries
predominantly in the Far East, Europe,
the Asean region, the Middle
East and Mediterranean region, and
North America.
“Ranked in 2008 as the largest
single-site smelter in the western
world and seventh-largest
producer of primary aluminium
in the world e, Dubal has set its
sights on becoming the world’s
fifth-largest producer of primary
aluminium by 2015”, Dubal
President and CEO Abdulla J. M.
Kalban says.
“The combination of a strong,
internationally renowned brand;
a forward-focused growth strategy;
a heritage of producing premium
quality, highest purity aluminium
products; reliable adherence
to delivery promises; ongoing investments
in people; and a commitment
to excellence-based partnerships
have enabled Dubal’s sustainable
growth and longevity to date. Building
on these essentials, the course of
our company’s continued journey is
certain to be paved with even greater
successes”, Mr Kalban says.