Aluminum prices continue to edge up as market contradictions intensify [SMM South China spot aluminum daily review]

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Indian auto components manufacturer Uno Minda has approved ₹14.15 billion (₹1,415 crore, around US$150 million) of investment across four manufacturing projects, including a major expansion of its aluminum casting operations. The company will invest ₹5.1 billion in a new greenfield aluminum casting facility at Thally Road in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, raising casting capacity from around 13,000 tonnes/year to 34,000 tonnes/year at peak, an increase of roughly 162%. The Hosur expansion will add around 21,000 tonnes/year of aluminum casting capacity and will serve two-wheelers, passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles, including EV and powertrain applications. The facility will also be capable of producing around 1 million high-pressure die-cast two-wheeler alloy wheels annually. Development will take place in phases over three years, with Phase I production targeted for Q4 FY2028 and existing Hosur operations expected to be consolidated at the new site by Q1 FY2029. Separately, Uno Minda will invest ₹1.55 billion in a 3.3 million-unit/year two-wheeler alloy wheel facility in Kharkhoda, Haryana, including relocation of 2 million units of existing capacity from Maharashtra. The expansion highlights growing Indian downstream aluminum demand from vehicle lightweighting, EVs and advanced powertrain applications, with Uno Minda saying the investments are supported by existing orders or firm demand visibility.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] The proposed US$4 billion EGA-Century aluminum smelter in Inola, Oklahoma faces a further delay after the Inola Town Council unanimously extended its moratorium on primary aluminum smelting through April 7, 2027. On the same date, residents will vote in a town-wide referendum on whether to permanently ban primary aluminum smelting within Inola. The project, being developed by Oklahoma Primary Aluminum, a 60:40 venture between EGA and Century Aluminum, is planned to produce more than 750,000 tonnes/year, which would make it the largest US primary aluminum smelter. The extension adds another layer of uncertainty to the project, but does not mean the smelter has been cancelled. Oklahoma Primary Aluminum said it may pursue legal remedies against the town, arguing that tens of millions of dollars have already been invested under existing authorizations. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt also criticized the moratorium, while state Attorney General Gentner Drummond is separately seeking a preliminary injunction to block construction amid environmental concerns.