Covert struggle for Azerbaijani aluminum flares

World prices for primary aluminum are changing every day , which is not uninteresting for Azerbaijani metallurgists : the majority of non-ferrous metal produced in the country is exported.

Only from March 5 to April 4 on the London Metal Exchange aluminum prices rose from $ 1672 to $ 1810 per 1 ton . Earlier this year, prices did not reach $ 1,700 , while a year earlier for aluminum futures were made at a price higher than $ 2,000 per 1 ton .

 In the State Statistical Committee of Azerbaijan they told Turan, that in 2013 produced 53.3 thousand tons of aluminum . During the year, exports of alumina and aluminum declined year on year by 13 % to $ 82.8 million is due not only to price factors , but also forging production of semifinished products , partially implemented in the local market . Within two months of this year, exports of aluminum and its products ( $ 12.9 million ) also decreased by 4.3 %.

Meanwhile, the passion around the aluminum business in Azerbaijan ignites. In 2006, the Dutch company Fondel Metal was actually expelled from Azerbaijan by state-run Azeraluminium JSC. The contract with the company on management for a period of 25 years signed in 2002 and terminated upon failure of the investment obligations. Later came the company Det.Al with opaque biography ( country of registration and the founders were not disclosed), which also received certain rights in relationship with JSC Azeraluminium.

Before the global economic crisis in September 2008, JSC "Azeraluminim" exercise an independent economic activity . In the first quarter of 2009, the joint stock company in Sumgait and Ganja suspended operations because of low aluminum prices . Then it turned out that the JSC "Azeraluminim" there are huge debts unknown creditors. Central Bank in this regard has taken the rare step of : state-owned companies provided two tranches ( 141 million and 61 million manat) for 10 years at an annual rate of 3% .

The crisis is over. But it turned out that the JSC Azeraluminium will no longer act independently. Det.Al Holding at that time began to build its own production facility. In 2011, Ganja was commissioned plant primary aluminum capacity of 50 thousand tons. And since May 2013 began to operate factories producing aluminum semi-finished products (plant casting and continuous rolling, metal processing plant under pressure and color) of the same capacity. Already this year Det.Al plans to launch the second phase of the smelter and to increase the capacity of the enterprise to 100 thousand tons. It is noteworthy that the opening ceremony of new facilities Det.Al Aluminium with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev Det.Al Holding is chairman of the State Committee for Property Affairs (SCPA) Kerem Hasanov .

Det.Al recently opened more ambitious plans for the next 3 years. Thus in his range of interests and the company has included the production capacity of Azeraluminium.

The company plans to increase annual production capacity smelter to 200,000 tons , the construction of an anode plant production capacity of 125,000 tons per year. She intends to reconstruct according the latest technologies Sumgait aluminum smelter. The Ganja alumina refinery will be rebuilt for the production of aluminum oxide up to 450,000 tons per year.

JSC Azeraluminium is subordinate to SCPA. While the Committee has never revealed plans to restore activity of Azeraluminium. Not commented and plans Det.Al Holding, which directly relate to the state enterprise. - 08B-