The US aluminum trihydrate market strengthened in September 2026 as downstream procurement, rising overseas production costs, and shipping bottlenecks supported prices. In contrast, Bosnia’s market faced a quarterly correction as European buyers drew on accumulated inventories and lower caustic soda costs eased manufacturing pressures, highlighting diverging regional price trends. US aluminum trihydrate market gains on demand and supply constraints US aluminum trihydrate prices increased 2.38% month over month in September, supported by purchases from wire and cable manufacturers, electrical infrastructure compounders, and electric vehicle (EV) component producers. Demand remained particularly resilient for applications involving low-smoke cable compounds and flame-retardant materials....
China-based China Aluminum International Engineering Co., Ltd. (CHALIECO) has won a bid for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract valued at approximately USD 833 million for a proposed alumina project in Vietnam, adding to investment activity in the country’s mineral processing sector. The project, being developed by Binh Phuoc Ore Mining and Beneficiation Joint Stock Company, is designed to process 2.4 million tonnes of alumina annually. The proposed contract is valued at around CNY 5.595 billion (USD 839.04 million), with completion expected within 27 months of the contract’s effective date. CHALIECO to oversee turnkey refinery development Under the proposed turnkey arrangement, CHALIECO’s responsibilities will cover the full project delivery process, from...
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CRU's recently published Alumina Cost Service, 2016 Edition examines the key themes which had a significant effect on the alumina industry in 2015, including the main drivers behind the significant decrease in world average site costs. Three key themes emerged as particularly notable, including the impact of falling fuel prices, the continued strengthening of the US dollar and its effect on alumina costs in US$ terms, and the changing dynamics of bauxite sourcing in China. Fuel costs, which include oil, gas and coal consumed during the digestion, precipitation and calcination stages of the refining process, are the second largest contributor to site costs at most refineries, comprising 19.9 per cent of the world average site cost in 2015. Although the amount of fuel used in the production...
United Company RUSAL Plc announced that on 22 June 2016 the company's Board of Directors has approved (i) Annex 12 to the Dian-Dian Concession Agreement dated 21 July 2001 in relation to the Dian-Dian project; and (ii) an agreement on restoration of the alumina refinery Friguia and its further expansion, that were signed by the company and the Republic of Guinea. Annex 12 Taking into account the economic situation in the alumina industry, the parties to the Annex 12 agreed that the construction of a new alumina refinery on the bauxite mine Dian-Dian is not economically feasible. In this regard, Annex 12 provides the following obligations to the company: 1) The first stage of the bauxite production: The construction of a bauxite mine with a capacity of up to 3 million tons per annum aimed...
Alumina prices in China will keep falling as the market is gradually turning from shortfall to surplus, SMM predicts. The pace of capacity restarts and new capacity commissioning in alumina industry is faster than in aluminium industry because alumina production is more flexible than aluminium production. This will turn alumina shortage into oversupply, SMM explained. SMM, based on our forecast for alumina and aluminium output in June, expects alumina supply deficit to ease further in June.
The legal war between Alcoa Inc and Alumina Limited centred on the former’s strategic decision to subdivide itself has reportedly intensified. In a recent development, Alumina has sought relief from the confidentiality clauses attached to information provided by Alcoa in the wake of the aluminium giant’s move to the courts to avert Alumina’s claim that a bank of pre-emptive rights would be triggered by the act of separation. Alcoa, last September, confirmed plans to split into Upstream and Value-Add, hi-tech businesses in due course of time. Part of the upstream division is a bauxite and alumina business called Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (AWAC). Its 60 per cent stakes are owned by Alcoa while the balance is owned by Australian listed Alumina. Alcoa operates the business and...
Yunnan Aluminum Co.’s alumina project in Laos, which has been filed at China’s NDRC and passed censorship by authorities in Laos, is now waiting for approval by the Laos government, the company's executive told Yunnan Daily. The project, with total investment at $900 million, will produce 3 million tonnes of bauxite each year and 1 million tonnes of alumina. Bauxite reserves in Laos are estimated at over 5 billion tonnes. The company hopes to begin construction on the project within this year.
Orbite Technologies Inc. has provided an operational update on the company's progress with the construction of its high purity alumina plant, its commercial activities and expansion of its intellectual property portfolio. HPA plant update • CNC Mecanique was remobilized the week of May 24th to complete (notably) work on the high temperature steam piping for the calcination system, and they should be demobilized by the week of July 4th. • Isolation Morrisette was remobilized the week of June 6th. • The company put out to tender, in May, the remainder of piping mechanical and electrical work to be completed. • Piping mechanical was awarded to Fjordtech Industries Inc., who will be commencing work in the week of July 4th. • The work was awarded to Fjordtech on a fixed-price basis with...
Following its 3 June 2016 announcement regarding the strong interest shown in Altech Chemicals Limited as an emerging high purity alumina (HPA) producer during the 12th China International Battery Fair, the company has now presented its 10-year forecast of global demand for HPA used in the lithium-ion battery manufacturing sector. The company has estimated that demand for HPA from lithium-ion battery manufacturers will grow significantly over the next decade from forecast usage of ~1,000tpa in 2016 to ~15,000tpa in 2025; this represents annual year on-year demand growth of approximately 30 per cent per year. In order to meet this demand, additional HPA production capacity equivalent to four (4) of Altech’s proposed 4,000tpa HPA plants in Malaysia would need to be constructed and...
Indonesian conglomerate Harita Group representative Hidayat Sugiarto (left to right), bauxite miner Cita Mineral Investindo director Robby Irvan, president director Liem Hok Seng, director Yusak Parded, commissioner Harry Tanoto and commissioner Kartiko Sunu prepare for a photograph during a public expose following Cita Mineral Investindo’s annual shareholders meeting in Jakarta on Thursday, June 16. Bauxite mining company Cita Mineral Investindo will become the country’s first alumina producer following the completion of its new smelter. The publicly listed firm, part of natural resources conglomerate Harita Group, will begin the production of smelter grade alumina (SGA) at its smelter in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, within days. CITA president director Liem Hok Seng claimed that Indonesia...
Alumina producers face ongoing challenges to reduce costs and increase production. Today, the investment needed for a modern greenfield refinery is typically in the range of several billion dollars. But to gain economies of scale, larger, more complex refineries are constructed. Key considerations are to minimize energy and raw material consumption; minimize heater cleaning and maintenance needs in a sustained, high-temperature environment; and reduce overall environmental impact. During operational upsets, high transient pressures through a tube digestion unit can potentially expose plant, equipment, and personnel to operational safety risks. Canada's Hatch, a six-decade old business boasting technical experience in the mining, energy, and infrastructure sectors, says the use of...
Analyst Chris Olin at Rosenblatt Securities Inc. increased its Earnings per Share (EPS) estimates for Alcoa Inc. The improved EPS estimates reflect an improved profitability outlook for the company’s Alumina segment. The analyst stated that the company appears to be in a better position and could surpass its 2Q EPS forecasts. The better expectation is on the basis of relative strength in spot market pricing of alumina. Secondly, the better estimates are also on back of better expected contribution from its third-party bauxite revenues. Lastly, the incremental gains from Primary Segment productivity would also be a tailwind for the company. As per revised earnings for Alcoa, the new EPS forecasted is of $0.10 per share, which is up by $0.02 per share. The analyst now projects full year...
The Platts Australian alumina daily assessment at $244/mt FOB on Thursday, June 9, was unchanged from a day ago, but has fallen $6/mt in the last week. The market has been under downward pressure from unplaced cargoes in Australia, China, India and the Americas. On Thursday a smelter reported being approached by a trader seeking to offload multiple Australian shipments between July and December. A second smelter reported placing a bid at the equivalent of $240/mt FOB Western Australia that was subsequently rejected, for a 30,000 mt shipment in the second half of July. On Wednesday, June 8, a third consumer had reported knocking back a July offer at $246/mt FOB Australia. Platts assessed the Handysize freight rate at $11.40/mt on Thursday for a 30,000 mt shipment in July from Western...
Relations between Alcoa and Melbourne’s Alumina continue to sour ahead of a legal shootout in September on Alumina’s rights to force a reworking of the global alumina alliance, known as AWAC, between the pair because of Alcoa’s planned demerger. In a rare Sydney briefing to local investors and analysts hosted by Morgan Stanley, an adviser to Alcoa on its planned demerger in the December half, Alcoa let rip at its partner of 55 years (including Alumina antecedents). Matt Garth, Alcoa’s vice-president of investor relations, accused Alumina of being emotional and opportunistic in its pursuit of a better deal while Alcoa worked towards its demerger. He accused Alumina of making its initial approaches for a new deal “behind closed doors with the threat that they would take it public”. Alumina...
The worldwide demand for high purity alumina is on the rise. The mineral with purity level equal to or greater than 99.9 per cent finds use in single crystal materials such as sapphires for watch covers, translucent tubes for high-pressure sodium lamps, high-strength ceramic tools and abrasives for magnetic tape, among others. A recently published market research report revealed that the demand for high purity alumina is going to witness an increasing demand in areas exhibiting high growth rates such as semiconductors and computers, automobiles, display materials, and energy. High purity alumina, owing to its amazing blend of chemical and physical properties such as high wear-resistance and low-friction, high thermal and electrical insulating ability, and broad chemical compatibility is...
According to China Customs, China imported 102,600 mt of alumina in April, down 71.5 per cent MoM. The share of Australian alumina to China’s total imports surged from 42.6 per cent in March to 95.1 per cent in April. Imports from India, Vietnam and Brazil all fell to less than 1,000 mt, with their share to China’s total imports at less than 1per cent. SMM attributes the dramatic fall in China’s alumina imports to two factors. First, China’s alumina supply grew due to production resumptions at alumina producers. Second, trading of imported alumina at domestic ports was poor as imported alumina enjoyed no price advantage over domestic alumina. SMM learned that the Port of Lianyungang reported no arrivals of bauxite in April and saw just two ships of bauxite arrived as of May 24.
Strongly pleading for speedy development in backward Kalahandi and nearby areas of Odisha, locals including tribal people today opposed any campaign against projects like Vedanta even as activists including Medha Patkar held a meeting in Lanjigarh. Participants in the rally, organised by Niyamgiri Surakshya Samiti (NSS) at Jagannathpur near Lanjigarh and attended by Patkar, Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das and former MLA George Tirkey raised slogans against Vedanta. The rally drew sharp reaction from locals who claimed that the activists chose the World Environment Day to reach Lanjigarh and use the occasion to garner support against the state government, Vedanta and the agenda of development. The local people including tribals also staged demonstration in some places and shouted slogans...
Persistence Market Research (PMR), delivers key insights on the high purity alumina (HPA) market in its latest report titled “Global Market Study on High Purity Alumina (HPA): High Demand for LED's and Displays to Drive Growth During 2015-2021.” According to the report, the global HPA market was valued at US$ 1.2 Bn in 2014 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period to reach US$ 3.6 Bn by the end of 2021. High purity alumina or HPA is a high-end product of the non-metallurgical alumina market. It is a high-value product that serves as a base material for the manufacture of sapphire substrates used in a number of applications. Manufacture of synthetic single crystal sapphires (used as a base substrate for manufacturing LEDs) is a major application of HPA....
A well-supplied Chinese domestic alumina market and the depreciating yuan have made Australian alumina increasingly unaffordable for Chinese aluminum smelters, market sources have said in recent weeks. The yuan is at a five-year low, closing Wednesday at Yuan 6.5889 against the dollar. The Chinese currency has lost 2% of its value in the last month and alumina market participants have said they are anticipating further downside for the yuan. Although the price of Australian alumina has dropped $0.50/mt in the last week to $252.50/mt FOB on Wednesday, according to S&P Global Platts assessment, the premium for Australian alumina over material from China's Shanxi province has swelled disproportionately to $16/mt and Yuan 104/mt, compared with $11/mt and Yuan 70/mt a week ago, in import...
China’s alumina output in 2016 is expected to reach 61 million mt, up 5.2% from realized output of around 58 million mt in 2015, an analyst from state nonferrous information division Beijing Antaike said Tuesday. The forecast figure was also up 17.3% from the 52 million mt produced in 2014 and up 30% from from 47 million mt in 2013, Antaike figures showed. China’s alumina production capacity is also expected to increase to 74 million mt/year by end 2016, up 7.2% from 69 million mt/year at end 2015, the Antaike analyst said. The country’s alumina capacity stood at 65 million mt/year at end 2014 and 60 million mt/year at end 2013. The forecast increase in output was attributed mainly to numerous refinery restarts of idled capacity earlier this year, as well as several new refinery...
