Alba's overall sales increased despite the downward trend in the all-in aluminium price (London Metal Exchange cash price + premium), the company reported. 

For the first quarter of 2016, sales reached 231,538 tonnes, an increase of 3,231 tonnes compared with 228,307 tonnes in Q1 2015 while production dropped to 235,478 tonnes against 237,774 tonnes in the same period of 2015.

Further, Alba’s value-added sales averaged 52 per cent of total shipments in the first quarter versus 64 per cent for the same period in 2015.

Commenting on Alba’s sales and production for Q1 2016, Alba’s chief executive officer Tim Murray said: “We managed to step up our sales performance despite tough market conditions weighing on the aluminium industry and thanks to a focused marketing strategy.”

Established in 1971 as a 120,000 tonnes per annum smelter, Alba today produces annually more than 960,000 tonnes of the highest grade aluminium with products including standard and T-ingots, extrusion billets, rolling slab, properzi ingots and molten aluminium.  Alba said it would release its Q1 2016 financial results to the public early this month.