Asian Metal News
IM Mengtai aluminium smelter, designed with primary aluminium capacity of 450 ktpy, is set to produce 250 kt of primary aluminium in 2019.
Mengtai restarted idled capacity in September and gradually ramped up to full operation in October. Prior to that the smelter was operating at only 180 ktpy during the first eight months of 2019. According to an inside source, the company is set to produce 420 kt of aluminium in 2020. The smelter chiefly buys alumina from Shanxi and Shandong and now is holding alumina stocks capable of sustaining two weeks of operations. The company has no plan to build up inventory. The smelter produced 130 kt of aluminium in 2018.
Mainstream aluminium ingot transaction prices were RMB 14,090~14,190/t at Shanghai warehouses this Wednesday, an increase of RMB 40/t on Tuesday.
