German aluminium producer Trimet has reportedly reduced the production of its P1020 ingot in response to tight global alumina supply.
The firm had started a gradual reduction in its output from autumn, but exactly when the ingot production started being affected is unknown.
The company’s board member Thomas Reuther said, "Due to a supply-shortage on the alumina market, Trimet has temporarily reduced its production of primary aluminium by approximately 10pc. Trimet expects to resume to full capacity in early 2019.”
The company’s casting production, however, remains unaffected and expected to meet all the delivery commitments, said Trimet itself.
Many other European smelters were hit similarly or more by the 50 per cent output cap at Norwegian producer Norsk Hydro’s Brazilian Alunorte refinery, implemented from March this year. After all, Alunorte was a significant producer and supplier of the aluminium raw material all across the globe. In 2017, Alunorte had reportedly recorded a production of 6.3 million tonnes of alumina, which was more than any other refinery in the world.
Trimet also declined to comment on whether it will source alternative alumina supply to plug the raw material gap.
In the last financial year ended on June 30, 2018, Trimet’s German operations had produced 625,000 tonnes of primary and recycled aluminium. The group’s output in France was 140,000 tonnes for the same period.
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