Caustic soda may not be the most visible ingredient in aluminium production, but without it, the journey from bauxite to alumina would look very different. The chemical, also known as sodium hydroxide, is a crucial reagent in the Bayer process, where it helps dissolve alumina-bearing material in bauxite and separate it from impurities. The dissolved material is then processed to recover alumina, which ultimately feeds aluminium production. That makes caustic soda more than just another industrial chemical. Its availability, price and efficient use can influence the economics of alumina refining and, by extension, the wider aluminium value chain. As India expands its alumina and aluminium capacity, the requirement for this chemical is also becoming increasingly important. For companies...
The Ball Foundation and SKILLED Nation have extended their scholarship partnership for a third year, with 60 students set to receive $2,500 awards in 2026. The Ball Foundation and SKILLED Nation have extended their scholarship partnership for a third year, bringing the foundation’s cumulative investment in the program to $300,000. Through the Ball Foundation SKILLED Scholarship, another 60 students will receive $2,500 awards in 2026 to support education and training for careers in advanced manufacturing and other technical fields. More than 100 scholarships will have been supported over the three years of the partnership. “Three years and $300,000 reflect The Ball Foundation’s sustained commitment to creating real opportunities for students pursuing skilled careers,” said Alvin Townley,...
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National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO) has reported its highest-ever operational and financial performance for FY2025-26 as the state-run aluminium producer moves ahead with major expansion projects and a broader push into critical minerals and resource security. National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO) has delivered its highest-ever operational and financial performance in FY2025-26, with the state-run aluminium producer also preparing to expand production capacity across its alumina, bauxite, aluminium and captive power operations. Addressing NALCO's 45th Annual General Meeting, Chairman-cum-Managing Director Brijendra Pratap Singh said the company achieved record performance across key operational parameters during the year, resulting in its highest-ever revenue from operations, profit...
Canyon Resources' independent board committee says A2MP's AUD 0.05 (USD 0.036) offer materially undervalues the Cameroon-focused bauxite developer as questions also emerge over A2MP's potential ties to another major shareholder. Canyon Resources' independent board committee has recommended that shareholders reject a takeover offer from majority owner A2MP Investments, arguing that the bid materially undervalues the company and its Minim Martap bauxite project in Cameroon. A2MP, which controls 55.56 per cent of Canyon through associates, launched a conditional cash offer on July 29 to acquire the Canyon shares it does not already own for AUD 0.05 (USD 0.036) per share. The offer values Canyon at approximately AUD 103 million (USD 73.8 million). The independent board committee, including...
Indonesia's Attorney General's Office has seized assets worth IDR 338.36 billion (USD 19.1 million) and named five suspects in an alleged corruption case involving a bauxite mining permit in West Kalimantan. Indonesia's Attorney General's Office (AGO) has seized IDR 338.36 billion (USD 19.1 million) in assets belonging to Sudianto, also known as Aseng, the beneficial owner of PT Quality Success Sejahtera (QSS), as part of an alleged corruption investigation into the company's bauxite mining business permit. The seizure was carried out by investigators from the AGO's Special Crimes division and the Asset Recovery Agency between August 25 and 29 at several locations under the jurisdiction of West Kalimantan. The assets include land, buildings, mining equipment, barges, tugboats and vehicles...
As global demand for convenient, lightweight, and recyclable beverage packaging continues to grow, aluminium beverage cans are becoming increasingly important across the beer, soft drink, energy drink, juice, and other beverage sectors. For beverage brands, selecting the right packaging supplier is no longer simply about purchasing cans. Consistent dimensions, reliable can ends, food safety, printing quality, production capacity, and supply stability all play important roles in maintaining efficient filling operations and protecting the final product. Against this evolving market background, Packfine is strengthening its capabilities as a food and beverage packaging supplier by combining advanced production equipment, a broad aluminium packaging portfolio, quality management, and...
CREA estimates that Chinese investment in Indonesia's aluminium industry currently stands at between USD 5.5 billion and USD 6 billion, and forecasts that figure could rise to USD 30 billion by 2030. China currently produces around 60 per cent of the world's aluminium. Chinese companies began expanding into countries such as Indonesia after Beijing imposed a domestic cap on aluminium production in 2017 as part of efforts to address overcapacity. Putra Adhiguna of Jakarta-based Energy Shift Institute said Indonesia's relatively fewer restrictions have helped attract investment. The expansion also benefits from Indonesia's classification of aluminium and nickel as “transition minerals”, given their use in technologies such as electric vehicles and solar panels. But that classification has...
In the trade of aluminium semi-fabricated products such as sheets, plates, foils, extruded profiles, tubes, and wire, the import volume of the US in the January-March or first quarter of 2026 marks a significant year-on-year rise, driven by strong demand and limited domestic smelting capacity. According to the data recorded by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), as of Q1 2026, the volume of US imports of semi-fabricated aluminium products amounted to 423,000 tonnes . This marked a drastic year-on-year surge of 30.56 per cent , as the figures jumped from 324,000 tonnes imported in Q1 2025. To know the global production, demand and consumption forecasts of aluminium extrusions, explore our report “The World of Aluminium Extrusions to 2035” The month-on-month growth chart Comparing...
Kaiser Aluminum shares rose 0.3 per cent in Monday's trading after climbing as much as 4 per cent earlier in the session, following an upgrade from UBS to Buy from Neutral. UBS also raised its price target on the aluminium producer to USD 184 from USD 179. The upgrade came after Kaiser Aluminum's shares had fallen 19 per cent from their August highs, despite what UBS described as a strong second-quarter performance. UBS analyst Alex Stansbury said the decline had created an attractive entry point as the company's earnings power continues to improve. To know the global production, demand and consumption forecasts of aluminium extrusions, explore our report " The World of Aluminium Extrusions to 2035 " Kaiser's second-quarter EBITDA increased 60 per cent year-on-year, rising by USD 41...
South Korea’s Russian aluminium imports reached a record high in 2025, making Russia the country’s largest aluminium supplier for the first time. The sharp increase has strengthened Korea’s dependence on Russian metal even as the US and Europe tighten sanctions against Moscow. The exposure is significant for Korea’s defence industry, where aluminium and its alloys are used in missiles and other weapons systems. Korea imported 483,084 tonnes of aluminium from Russia in 2025, according to Korea Customs Service data, representing a 41 per cent increase year on year. The volume exceeded imports from Australia at 408,657 tonnes and China at 394,837 tonnes. The shift has become increasingly pronounced since 2022. Compared with the 120,629 tonnes imported from Russia in 2021, last year’s volume...
Leading Russian aluminium producer RUSAL is considering mothballing four alumina and bauxite facilities as the company faces combined annual losses of around USD 800 million. The move hints at the growing pressure on the economics of domestic raw-material production. RUSAL is also estimating losses of approximately USD 400 per tonne of aluminium from processing at the affected facilities. Four facilities face an uncertain future The facilities under consideration are the Pikalevo alumina refinery, the North Urals bauxite mine, the Bogoslovsky alumina refinery, and the Uralsky alumina refinery. RUSAL has informed Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin about the possibility of mothballing the four sites. The Pikalevo, Bogoslovsky and Uralsky refineries produced 2.1 million tonnes of alumina in...
According to SMM statistics, China's primary aluminium production in August 2026 (31 days) rose 2.2 per cent Y-o-Y and was flat month-on-month. Domestic downstream demand recovered month-on-month in August, with consumption of some fabricated products holding up reasonably well. In addition, some sectors brought forward peak-season orders for pre-stocking, which lifted willingness to procure molten aluminium and pushed up the share of molten aluminium output nationwide. The molten aluminium share rose 0.5 percentage points from the previous month to 78.8 per cent, slightly above expectations at the start of the month. The core increase came from firm aluminium billet processing premiums in the first half of the month, with production pacing modestly ahead of expectations; meanwhile,...
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) has appointed three executives across finance, legal and organisational development, strengthening its leadership capabilities as the company prepares for its next phase of growth. Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the world's largest aluminium smelter on one site, has strengthened its leadership team with three strategic appointments spanning finance, legal affairs and organisation development. The company has appointed Layla Al Qassab as Director of Finance, effective September 1, 2026; Taimur Tufail as Manager Legal, effective August 23, 2026; and Aysha Salem as Manager Organisation Development & HR Analytics, effective September 6, 2026. Alba said the appointments will further strengthen its leadership capabilities, enhance organisational effectiveness...
The Pentagon has announced a USD 174 million financing package for the aluminium producer Alcoa to set up a gallium production facility at its Wagerup alumina refinery in Western Australia, bringing critical mineral production into the refinery’s operations. The new facility is expected to produce approximately 100 tonnes of gallium metal annually. Construction began last month, marking a significant step towards expanding production of the critical metal and strengthening supply capabilities. The initiative is a multinational partnership with Export Finance Australia (EFA), the Government of Japan, and Sojitz Corporation. To learn about the market potential of aluminium dross, explore " ALuminium Dross Processing: Generation, Recovery & Strategic Roadmap " Gallium is not generally mined...
Asia’s alumina exports entered 2026 on a strong footing, with shipments to global markets reaching 7.05 million tonnes worth USD 2.76 billion in H1 2026 , up 27.36 per cent year-on-year . The sharp rise in H1 was driven by a quarter-on-quarter surge by a considerable margin. This indicates an acceleration in aluminium production, translating into an increased demand for alumina in the market. The key question for H2 2026 is whether Asia can maintain this pace despite geopolitical disruptions, evolving refinery capacity and changing market demand. H1 2026 sets a strong export benchmark Comparing the H1 export graphs of Asia across 2026, 2025 and 2024, the Y-o-Y improvement remains consistent. H1 2026 – 7.05 million tonnes, up 27.36 per cent Y-o-Y from H1 2025 H1 2025 – 5.54 million tonnes,...
Canada will raise tariffs on US steel and aluminium to 50 per cent from September 8 as part of a CAD 27.6 billion (USD 19.88 billion) retaliatory package, while Ottawa introduces CAD 7.5 billion (USD 5.4 billion) in support for workers and businesses affected by the trade dispute. Canada will double its tariffs on US steel and aluminium from 25 per cent to 50 per cent , while imposing additional duties on more than 700 American products as trade tensions between the two countries intensify. The measures, which take effect on September 8, form part of a CAD 27.6 billion (USD 19.88 billion) retaliatory package. The federal government said the measures are intended to match the latest round of US tariffs on Canadian goods dollar for dollar. The new duties will also cover products including...
Aluminium prices settled 0.35 per cent higher at INR 345.6 (USD 3.64), backed by declining exchange inventories, expectations of additional fiscal measures in China and concerns over constrained supply from the Middle East. However, improving production prospects in the region limited further gains. Aluminium warehouse scenario Aluminium inventories in Shanghai Futures Exchange ( SHFE )-monitored warehouses declined by 3 per cent from the previous week. Stocks at three major Japanese ports also fell 8.8 per cent month-on-month to 201,000 tonnes at the end of July, partly reflecting lower imports from the Middle East amid tensions resulting from the US-Iran conflict. China's economic outlook has also supported expectations of further policy measures. The country's GDP growth slowed to 4.3...
Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have advanced the use of DuAlumin-3D for high-temperature automotive components, opening new possibilities for stronger, lighter 3D-printed aluminium parts in engines and beyond. Aluminium has long been attractive for automotive components because it combines low weight with useful thermal properties. But when manufacturers try to push aluminium into demanding, high-temperature applications using additive manufacturing, the material can run into a major problem: cracking during the printing process. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have now demonstrated that DuAlumin-3D, an innovative aluminium alloy, could help overcome that limitation. The alloy performed better than traditional aluminium alloys during laser powder bed...
Epsilon Advanced Materials has secured INR 1,450 million (USD 15.24 million) in government CAPEX support under India's Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme, strengthening plans to scale domestic graphite anode production for batteries. India's push to build a self-reliant battery materials supply chain has received a fresh boost after Epsilon Advanced Materials secured government approval for its graphite anode material project under the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS). The company has been approved for INR 1,450 million (USD 15.24 million) in capital expenditure support, equivalent to 25 per cent of the project's total capital investment, from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The approval is particularly significant because Epsilon...
New Zealand’s aluminium extrusion industry is calling for urgent government action as it faces growing pressure from low-priced imports. The Aluminium Extruders Association of NZ (ALENZ) says a rise in imported aluminium extrusions, particularly from China, is affecting local manufacturers, with some products entering the market at prices below the cost of the raw aluminium billet used by domestic producers. ALENZ applied for a safeguard investigation into aluminium extrusion imports, and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Cameron Brewer initiated the investigation on May 27. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is required to report to the minister by late September under the statutory 85-working-day timeframe set out in the Trade (Safeguard Measures) Act. The...
