Advanced Alloys

Attempting to analyse the analysts. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist – or in this case, mining industry analysts – to work out that copper is going to play an important part in all our futures and in particular in the development of low carbon economies. Copper is essential for most things electrical and its in high demand for everything from electric vehicles to wind turbines and managing geothermal energy. Pretty much anything which creates, stores or distributes electricity requires copper. The price of doom and gloom Stable prices require an approximate balance of supply and demand. Where supply fails to meet demand, prices go up. Where there is too much supply, prices fall until there is parity.  Given the rapid growth of electric vehicle production, especially in China, and the inexorable move to EVs in Europe and the US, plus increasing demand for wind turbines globally, demand for copper is already on the up.  Copper used for other purposes such as roofing and piping...

Considering a shiny red metal in a post pandemic world. Global commodity markets function according to their own internal logic. So do the bureaucrats and civil servants tasked with unravelling the implications of Brexit. Throw in projected increases in demand for copper and copper alloys, and the future looks interesting. With clients in the EU and with most of our copper sourced from outside the UK, we’re positioned right at the heart of a copper-coloured matrix. This is not without its challenges, but it also gives us unique opportunities to see what’s going on. Buying and selling the future Copper prices are determined by the commodities markets in a complex interaction of actual and predicted supply and actual and predicted demand. Despite the reputation of commodity markets to fluctuate wildly on whim and rumour, the reality is that trends tend to be very rational over the medium and long terms. In 2020 the markets struggled with competing pressures of reduced production, pandemi...

Why copper is a real investment in the future. Copper is the most remarkable metal. It is not strictly a ‘precious’ metal of course, but its multiplicity of uses renders that distinction irrelevant. It’s much cheaper than gold but many times more useful, and it’s 100% recyclable without any loss of its properties. In fact, it is estimated that as much as 50% of Europe’s demand for copper (and 35% worldwide) is met from recycled sources, and that at least 60% of all copper ever produced is still in use.   Greening the world with copper   Although copper production can have a relatively high carbon footprint (it varies considerably depending on origin), its complete recyclability renders it carbon efficient in the long run. And once produced, copper alloys empower sustainable development.   Copper is already making a contribution to a low carbon future. It is essential for wind turbines, which use it in their ring generators, and it features significantly down...