Saudi Arabia’s aluminium consumption could climb to as much as 1.8 million tonnes a year by 2030, as the Kingdom ramps up infrastructure and industrial development ahead of the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Ahmad Al-Alshaikh, executive vice president of Maaden’s Aluminum Business Unit, said demand is expected to reach at least 1.6 million tonnes annually by 2030, up from around 1 million tonnes currently. Consumption could potentially double over the next five to seven years, he said. Speaking on the sidelines of the Fastmarkets International Aluminium Conference in Budapest, Al-Alshaikh said construction of 15 new stadiums for the football tournament is helping to support aluminium demand, Reuters reported. Major exhibitions and preparations for the World Cup are also expected to contribute to...
The story of the aluminium industry is starting a chapter wherein scrap availability, recycling technology, trade policy, carbon costs and demand growth are becoming increasingly interconnected. From the US and Canada to Europe, India, New Zealand and China, recent developments show that the global aluminium supply chain is being reshaped on several fronts at once. These developments point to a changing aluminium business model: access to metal alone may no longer be enough. Quality of recycled feedstock, domestic processing capacity, carbon intensity, trade exposure and the ability to meet increasingly specific customer requirements could become equally important competitive factors. Join the fourth edition of the webinar “Hedging for recyclers - Become an expert in 6 hours” by Jorge...
Grow with
AL Circle
DECO Australia leads the way in sustainable architecture by prioritising ethical sourcing, low-carbon aluminium and traceable supply chains as an ASI member. Their dedication to environmental responsibility and community values sets a benchmark in innovative, sustainable building materials. The energy-intensive process of producing virgin aluminium, especially during smelting, highlights the critical need for lower-carbon solutions. DECO has become the first building company to adopt Capral Aluminium’s LocAl® Green lower-carbon aluminium across its entire Capral supply, setting a strong example for the industry. “Growing environmental pressures, increased regulatory scrutiny and the rising demand from consumers and stakeholders for responsible sourcing are all key factors,” stated Richard...
Updated on 18/07/2025: State environmental regulators have recorded fresh violations at Atlantic Alumina’s Gramercy refinery in Louisiana, the only operational alumina refinery in the United States. A compliance inspection by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) on May 29 documented nine violations, including discharges from red mud waste lakes, unmaintained levees, and chemical overflows into public drainage systems. This follows an earlier LDEQ report from March, which found that toxic waste from the site had entered a drainage ditch leading to the Blind River Swamp. Water samples from that ditch contained arsenic levels nearly 1,400% above the EPA’s safety threshold. Inspectors noted that “multiple discharges from Red Mud Lake 3 into Outfall 003” had occurred, while...
Giga Storage, a Dutch developer of battery energy storage systems (BESS), has commenced construction on its largest project to date, the Giga Leopard. This standalone BESS will have a capacity of 300 megawatts (MW) and an energy storage capacity of 1,200 megawatt-hours (MWh), equivalent to 1.2 gigawatt-hours (GWh). The project is located in Delfzijl, Groningen, in the northeast of the Netherlands, on the site of the former Damco Aluminum Delfzijl (Aldel) smelting plant. In September 2024, the news of the plant's shutdown was announced due to continuous high energy costs and insufficient government support. Giga Storage's flagship project The construction for Giga Storage's flagship project began after securing €300 million (approximately US$342 million) in project financing from eight...
Danish roof-window innovator VELUX has turned last year's letter of intent into a multi-year supply deal that secures flat-rolled aluminium with over 70 per cent recycled scrap for its windows and flashing kits. Novelis states the tailored alloy already passed VELUX's stringent salt-spray and freeze-thaw tests and will reduce the material's specific footprint to under 4 kg CO2 per kg this year, less than half the European primary average. Image source: Novelis The deal comes on the heels of Novelis' recent introduction of the first coil produced from 100 per cent end-of-life automobile scrap and its $4.5 billion investment pipeline for recycling capacity. This is an indication that high-recycled alloys are transitioning from specialities to standard. As per the latest data on industry...
The Ghana Bauxite Company Limited (GBC) has reportedly clarified that its sole purpose for building a state-of-the-art alumina refinery is to process low-grade bauxite that has been rejected by international markets. Image credit: ghanabauxite General Manager of GBC, Alexander Gyedu, said: “Some of the areas we are mining, the quality is a bit low, but if we have the refinery, the 48 per cent alumina content and below will be refined. Currently, such ore is dumped in the tailing dam, which is now full but contains deposits averaging 47 per cent alumina, suitable for refining.” GBC’s report on processing low-grade bauxite followed the announcement of its plan to accelerate the construction of the refinery, as part of its strategic moves towards enhancing domestic bauxite processing...
Western Yilgarn has expanded its bauxite asset portfolio by acquiring the Cardea 3 Bauxite Project in Western Australia's Darling Range for $25,000. This acquisition, finalised after completing vacuum drilling, involves an initial cash deposit followed by a payment in company shares. The Cardea 3 project is situated approximately 17.5 km east of Western Yilgarn's existing Julimar West Bauxite Project, which holds an estimated 168 million tonnes of bauxite. Exploration efforts at Cardea 3 included 433 vacuum drill holes, with 139 showings available alumina content exceeding 34.5 per cent and average reactive silica content of 3.14 per cent. These results suggest promising bauxite quality. The project's proximity to a multi-user railway offers logistical advantages, especially amid high...
Already strained by the United States’ 25 per cent import tariffs, East Asian economies like China, Japan and South Korea are now bracing for even higher uncertainty as Washington eyes a steep 50 per cent duty. Reports show that all the three economic powerhouses experienced subdued export orders and manufacturing activity in May, just as signs of stabilisation had begun to emerge. Both South Korea and Japan’s PMI recorded contraction, hovering at 47.7 and 49.4, respectively, attributed to weakening global demand, with many citing US tariffs and rising cautious buying sentiment as key drags on production and order volumes. South Korea’s export struggle deepens amid US tariffs Evidently bearing the brunt of intensifying US trade policies, South Korea is seeing cracks in its export-driven...
Today, SHFE aluminium fluctuated upward in the morning session. Outflows from warehouses were good in major consumption areas. In terms of spot market performance, spot aluminium in eastern China performed moderately, with a focus on selling. High premiums loosened somewhat, and early in the morning, the market saw transactions at a RMB 10 per tonne discount against the SMM average price. Image for referential purposes only Today, SMM A00 aluminium was quoted at RMB 20,280 per tonne, up RMB 160 per tonne from the previous trading day, with a premium of RMB 100 per tonne against the June contract, narrowing by RMB 10 per tonne from the previous trading day. In the central China market, premiums are held steady today, with transactions mainly focused on selling against the average price of...
Century Aluminum is making strong strides toward energy independence at its Jamalco alumina refinery in Jamaica, with the installation of a steam power generation turbine on track for completion by the end of this year. The new turbine will enable the refinery to become fully self-sufficient in power generation, significantly lowering operating costs by reducing reliance on third-party energy suppliers. According to Century Aluminum, the cost savings from the project are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026. In its Q1 2025 financial report released on May 8, CEO Jesse Gary announced that approximately $16 million is being invested in the facility, with the bulk of the funding allocated to the steam turbine project. The refinery is currently running at an annual production rate...
The Franklin County Commission has transferred ownership of the Moon property to the Industrial Development Board to facilitate its sale to a potential aluminium extrusion company. The move aims to attract a $135 million investment and create up to 275 jobs. On May 19, the commission unanimously approved a resolution in a 14-0 vote, authorising the Industrial Development Board to negotiate the sale. If the deal is finalised, the proceeds will be returned to the county government's budget. Commissioners Lydia Curtis Johnson and David Eldridge were not present at the meeting. The resolution also grants the Industrial Development Board the flexibility to lease the Moon property instead of selling it, with the option to establish a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement. This would offer...
Two major Indian companies, India Potash Ltd and JM Baxi Ports and Logistics, have forged a joint venture by signing an agreement with Aditya Birla Group's flagship metal company, Hindalco Industries Ltd. This joint venture is formed to develop India's first fully automated, sustainable alumina handling facility. Image source: toppersnotes.com The project of India's first fully automated sustainable alumina handling facility will be coming up at the EQ-07 berth of the Visakhapatnam Port and is estimated to be completed by next year. By developing this automated, sustainable alumina handling facility via the joint venture, the common aim lies in: Eliminating the need for manual cargo handling Enabling the shift to railway rakes from truck-based transportation Reduced greenhouse gas...
Every Can Counts, a global initiative committed to encouraging aluminium drink can recycling, has analysed data from the first four months of 2025, based on official monthly reports by RetuRO, Romania's Deposit Return System (SGR) operator. The findings reveal that Romania is making significant strides in sustainability. Between January and April 2025, the national recycling rate for aluminium cans soared to nearly 74 per cent, more than double the 35 per cent reported by European Aluminium for the country in 2022. Which country scored the big? Not only this, during the first four months of 2025, Romanian countries like Bucharest, Timiș, Cluj, Ilfov, and Constanța emerged as national leaders in aluminium can returns, both in terms of volume and consistency. These regions benefit from...
For all its ambition, the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) suffers from a problem not uncommon in modern climate regulation: data complexity outpacing policy design. In our previous editorial derived from the same study by European Aluminium , we have explored how aluminium scrap has become a billion-euro backdoor for foreign producers to undercut CBAM fees and outprice European producers. But underneath the circumvention tactics lies an even bigger story, one of missing traceability, legal grey zones, and statistical blind spots that could seriously undermine CBAM’s integrity over the next decade. This time, we delve deeper into why CBAM’s loophole isn’t just about policy, it’s about enforcement infrastructure, legal classification, and the technical debt of...
Rio Tinto-owned the New Zealand aluminium smelter at Tiwai Point is eyeing production expansion with hydro lake storage levels on the rise. As per the report, the output is likely to ramp up to 335,000 tonnes per year from June 16, 2025. Image source: southlandtribune.substack.com Tiwai Point smelter has gained confidence for expanding its annual production, following assurance from NZX-listed Meridian Energy that New Zealand’s hydro storage levels are now better positioned to support a reliable electricity supply than just a week ago. In light of this development, NZAS and Meridian have reached a mutual agreement to move forward with the expansion plans. As a result, the smelter is now set to reach full production capacity by August 2025, three months ahead of the previously scheduled...
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the UAE’s largest industrial company outside the oil and gas sector, has taken a bold step forward in protecting its workforce this summer by introducing cutting-edge wearable safety technology as part of its annual ‘Beat the Heat’ campaign. With outdoor temperatures soaring during the UAE summer, heat-related illness poses a serious threat, especially for those working around-the-clock in EGA’s high-temperature industrial environments. But EGA is no stranger to this challenge. A global front-runner in heat safety, the company hasn’t recorded a single heat-related illness case since 2021. EGA is raising the bar even higher The new wearable tech will give real-time data on workers’ physical conditions, helping detect early signs of heat stress and enabling...
The Trump administration has put a temporary lid on an economic powder keg by delaying the proposed 50 per cent tariffs on European Union exports until July 9, 2025. However, the world will have faced the same tariff rate card, specifically for aluminium and steel, starting June 04. Image for referential purposes only This last-minute pause by the US president, after what is being called a good conversation with EU president Ursula Von Der Leyen, deemed more than just diplomatic prudence. It transmitted the aura of a calculated US strategy to press Brussels into a more favourable trade arrangement without triggering immediate retaliation from a bloc already navigating economic headwinds and geopolitical constraints. Trump’s policy by provocation Earlier in May, former President Donald...
The Ghana Bauxite Company Limited (GBC), based in Awaso in the Western North Region, is gearing up to transform the local industry with plans to build a state-of-the-art alumina refinery. This bold move promises to supercharge domestic processing capabilities and break Ghana's reliance on foreign refineries, marking a powerful step toward unlocking the full potential of the country's rich bauxite reserves. A commendable move by GBC The government has praised the leadership of Ghana Bauxite Company (GBC) at Awaso for taking a bold step towards building an alumina refinery, an initiative to transform the country's bauxite industry. "The refinery will significantly improve our operations and contribute meaningfully to Ghana's economy. It will allow us to process bauxite locally, create jobs,...
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, has reaffirmed the Jamaican Government’s commitment to revitalising the country’s bauxite and alumina sector, a long-standing contributor to the national economy despite years of contraction. Photo credit: Dave Reid At the Bauxite/Alumina Industry Day held at the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) in Hope Gardens, St. Andrew, Minister Green emphasised the government’s intent to take a more hands-on approach in improving operational efficiency and drawing new investments into the industry. “We are going to be looking at things like the quality of our ore that is left, what is happening across our bauxite companies with the ageing infrastructure, and the plans to invest to ensure that we can be more efficient in what we do,”...
