Aluminium billet inventories rose 2,700 mt on week on larger arrivals

Aluminium Dunkerque has launched its high-purity aluminium product CrystAl, expanding into high value-added materials. Initial production has reached 4N purity, with a target up to 4N6, serving markets such as metal powders, electronic materials, semiconductors and capacitors. The product is produced in sows and ingots, with current capacity at around 200 tonnes per year, expected to scale up to 3,000 tonnes by 2028–2029. The company said the project combines metallurgical expertise and low-carbon aluminium to provide stable supply for advanced materials and strengthen its competitiveness in high-purity aluminium.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Century Aluminum has restarted the second potline at its Norðurál smelter in Grundartangi, Iceland, ahead of schedule, with full capacity expected by end-July. The potline accounts for about two-thirds of total capacity, with operations resuming after transformer repairs following an unexpected failure. Permanent replacements are set for installation in autumn. The restart strengthens Century’s primary aluminum output, alongside recent expansion at Mt. Holly, to meet market demand.

[Inventory Trends Diverge Significantly in and outside China; Aluminum Prices Continue LME-Outperforms-SHFE Pattern] Negotiations in the Middle East experienced repeated twists and turns, and geopolitical risks had not yet fully been cleared. However, the widening supply gap outside China and the steady drawdown of LME inventory jointly supported LME aluminum prices in holding up well. In China, social inventory of aluminum ingots remained at elevated levels, with the strength of demand recovery and the pace of inventory drawdown becoming the core variables influencing SHFE price trends.