Stakeholders from aluminium producers to downstream consumers in Europe have a strong interest in market growth but more comprehensive transparency around various aluminium smelter emissions is needed to sustain that growth, Anne-Claire Lejeune, green and sustainable asset originator at bank Natixis, said in an interview with Fastmarkets.

Market growth and decarbonization collide to create an unclear future for steelmaking

Steel companies ArcelorMittal and Ovako have both begun to offer the first certified "green steel", following increased scrutiny on emissions from customers, the two companies announced separately.

Fastmarkets will publish inferred low-carbon midpoint calculations for some aluminium P1020A and value-added product (VAP) markets in line with the launch of the low-carbon aluminium differentials.

Fastmarkets will publish its first low-carbon aluminium differentials on Friday March 5, one for primary aluminium (P1020A) and one for aluminium value-added products (VAP).

Start, Rio Tinto’s new digital sustainability label, uses blockchain technology to encrypt key information about the company’s aluminium, functioning like a “digital filing cabinet,” vice president of sales marketing at Rio Tinto Aluminium Tolga Egrilmezer told Fastmarkets.

Market participants in the aluminium industry are calling for more transparency in low-carbon aluminium pricing, following recent global initiatives to lower carbon emissions that have created greater demand for such products.

Fastmarkets is launching low-carbon aluminium differentials to its existing European P1020 and value-added product (VAP) premium contracts in $ per tonne to meet market demand for a low-carbon aluminium pricing mechanism.

Aluminium producer Rusal has partnered with Henan Mingtai Aluminium to deliver low-carbon aluminium products to meet growing market demand, it said on Tuesday January 19.

Rabobank will close its commodity trade finance desks in London, Shanghai and Sydney after reviewing the embattled sector last summer.