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...
Grow with
AL Circle
UC RUSAL , a leading global aluminium producer, has commenced the modernization of the Boksitogorsk Alumina Refinery. The goal of the modernization programme is to increase the production of corundum, which is used in the manufacturing of abrasive and fire-resistant products. The project investment will total about USD 2 million. Completion of the modernization project will allow for product range expansion on account of new fractions’ production, as well as allowing for an increase in annual corundum production volume by 10 thousand tonnes – up to 73 thousand tonnes per annum. The products will be supplied to Europe, Japan, the USA, Russia and the CIS. The modernization program is scheduled to complete in 2017 and will take place in several stages. Currently, project documentation is...
While the latest round of alumina price rise in China is nowhere near end, future upside room will be curbed by growing supply from production recovery, SMM predicts. Alumina capacity restarts are still on the rise, while aluminium capacity restarts cannot keep up pace. This means alumina supply will turn into surplus in the medium term, SMM foresees. SMM learns that Shandong Lubei Chemical Co. brought 250,000-tpy metallurgical-grade alumina capacity back online in May. Luoyang Xiangjiang Wanji Aluminium Co. plans to restart 600,000-tpy alumina capacity in late May. It is said Shandong Weiqiao Group has restarted 1 million-tpy alumina capacity to match its new aluminium capacity.
Altech Chemicals Limited has announced the execution of an agreement with Dana Shipping and Trading S.A. for the sale of exploration licence E70/3923 at Meckering, Western Australia for $2.0 million. The exploration licence is surplus to Altech’s feedstock requirements for its proposed Malaysian high purity alumina (HPA) plant. Feedstock for the plant will be sourced from within M70/1334 which contains an estimated ~11 million tonnes of kaolin mineral resources, representing in excess of 250 years of supply for the HPA plant. Altech continues to hold exploration licences E70/4708, E70/4716, E70/4717EL at Meckering. Altech will receive proceeds from the sale in two tranches; Dana has already paid a non-refundable cash deposit of $250,000, the balance of $1,750,000 will be paid within 5...
Alcoa's Australian partner Alumina Ltd says demand for aluminium is expected to remain strong and the company is well positioned as it looks to secure higher prices. Chief executive Peter Wasow said strong growth in demand for aluminium was expected to continue, and Alumina's Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (AWAC) joint venture with metals giant Alcoa remains well positioned. Mr Wasow told the company's annual general meeting that AWAC's strategy of reducing costs had seen the company improve its cost advantage and it would try to increase higher priced index based sales from 75 per cent to 85 per cent of total sales.
Altech Chemicals Limited announces that it has executed a settlement and option to purchase agreement for the freehold land that completely encompasses its mining lease application M70/1334 at Meckering, Western Australia. As reported previously, the landowners had objected to the application for grant of the mining lease and the objection was before the Warden’s Court (WA). Concurrently, the Company continued to negotiate a settlement with the landowners and a final settlement has now been reached. The parties have agreed to settle for an undisclosed amount and on the terms and conditions contained below: • Landowners will dismiss the objection to the grant of M70/1334 • Altech will proceed with the grant of the mining lease • Landowners have granted Altech an option to purchase 94...
Customs data showed China imported 359,800 mt of alumina in March, up 64.88 per cent YoY, but down 3.37 per cent MoM. High profit encouraged Chinese alumina producers to step up production in March 2015, reducing demand for imported alumina. Alumina imports in March 2015 were partly affected by the 2015 Chinese New Year holiday, which took place in mid-February. Lower base in March 2015 explained the year-on-year increase in March 2016. Alumina stocks at domestic ports were stable in March this year. Rising alumina FOB prices left imported alumina at no obvious price advantage. As such, trading at domestic ports was inactive, causing imports to drop on a month-on-month basis. Share of Australian alumina in total imports fell to 42.56 per cent in March from February’s 51.33 per cent, while...
Chinese domestic alumina prices continued their positive run in 2016, up 1.3 per cent (RMB25/t) to RMB1,989/t (US$306/t including VAT) in the north and up marginally, by 0.8 per cent (RMB15/t), to RMB1,880/t (US$290/t including VAT) in the south, revealed data released by Bauxite Index for the week ended April 29. No alumina refining capacity restarts were detected during the week. According to Bauxite Index, currently China’s refining industry is running at 71 per cent utilisation.
Russia's United Company RUSAL Plc announced its operating results for the first quarter 2016. In first quarter, RUSAL's total alumina production was 1,873 thousand tons (-1.7 per cent QoQ). Alumina production at Non-Russian operations decreased by 4.3 per cent QoQ to 1,196 thousand tons due largely to scheduled repairs performed at the production facilities (in particular at the Nikolaev Alumina Refinery and Aughinish Alumina Refinery). Output at RUSAL’s Russian operations increased by 12.4 per cent QoQ to 677 thousand tons amid an improved performance at the Achinsk Alumina Refinery.
Orbite Technologies Inc. announced yesterday that it has entered into a letter of intent with Investissement Quebec, acting as mandatory of the Government of Quebec, whereby Investissement Quebec has agreed to provide the company with an aggregate financing of $15 million. The Financing is expected to be comprised of the purchase of 10 per cent convertible non-secured debentures in the principal amount of $5 million, the purchase of class A shares of the company in the amount of $5 million, together with the grant of a $4.9 million bridge loan secured by the company's 2016 refundable investment tax credits. "These funds, as we receive them, will allow us to reaccelerate our activities at Cap-Chat towards completion of our high purity alumina (HPA) plant," stated Glenn Kelly, CEO of...
Altech Chemicals Limited has announced the execution of a 10 year off take sales arrangement (Agreement) with Mitsubishi Corporation’s Australian subsidiary, Mitsubishi Australia Ltd (Mitsubishi) for 100 per cent of the high purity alumina (HPA) production from the company’s proposed Malaysian HPA plant. The Agreement appoints Mitsubishi as the exclusive buyer of the full 4,000tpa production capacity and will commence on the date of first shipment of final HPA product. The contracted sale quantities will mirror Altech’s proposed HPA plants’ production ramp up and account for 100 per cent of planned production. Under the Agreement both parties have set specific off take sales target quantities, which will be at prevailing market prices. Altech managing director, Mr Iggy Tan said that...
Aluminium prices have risen slightly and demand is expected to stay strong. With Queensland Alumina Limited, Rio Tinto Yarwun and Boyne Smelters Limited relying on the price of aluminium to ensure their profitability, it is good news. The London Medal Exchange had the aluminium cash settlement price up 6.08 per cent at the close of business on Monday to US$1641 a tonne. The alumina price also increased marginally by 0.75 per cent to $255 a tonne. That is an increase of 28 per cent since December 31, which would be good news for Queensland Alumina Limited and Rio Tinto Yarwun. It still has a way to climb, with the alumina index for Australia at $324.14, 27 per cent higher than what it was on July 1 last year, which is about where it sat two years ago.
The General Court of the European Union issued judgments in joined cases upholding a decision of the European Commission ordering the repayment of tax exemptions granted by France, Ireland, and Italy for alumina production. Each of the countries- France, Ireland and Italy have only one producer, and each exempted its producer from paying excise duty on mineral oil. The Council of the European Union authorised those exemptions until 31 December 2006, the EU General Court said. However, the European Commission ruled in 2005 that this constituted illegal state aid, and that aid granted after 2 February 2002 should be recovered. Aid granted up to that date did not need to be recovered as that would be contrary to "the principles of legitimate expectation and legal certainty", the Commission...
China’s spot alumina prices were bullish this week as domestic aluminium prices reached a 10-month high last Friday and firmed further on Monday, market participants said. The front-month aluminium contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange closed at Yuan 12,830/mt ($1,970/mt) on Monday. The last time the SHFE price was seen above this level was on June 8, 2015, when the front-month price settled at Yuan 12,860/mt. The current price was also up from Yuan 11,940/mt last week and from Yuan 11,660/mt a month ago. The Platts ex-works Shanxi alumina spot assessment stood at Yuan 1,995/mt full cash terms on Monday, after gaining Yuan 15/mt on Friday. The current price was up Yuan 35/mt from last week and up Yuan 85/mt from a month ago. The Shanxi price is expected to rise further in the near...
The Port of Corpus Christi has put in a bid to buy the property of Sherwin Alumina Co., now wrestling with bankruptcy and a nearly two-year-long labor dispute, federal court records show. The fifth-largest port of the USA has offered a bid totaling $32.9 million, and already has made a $2 million "good faith deposit" with a bank to move the process forward, according to documents filed Monday at U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston. The port also looks to spend $13 million in capital, deferred maintenance, and environmental improvements in the area if Sherwin Alumina or another company continues to operate the nonport assets in the production of alumina. The Port Authority on Tuesday authorized its staff to close the purchase of the land. In a letter included in the court filing, John P....
China’s alumina output grew in March as rising prices gave many producers incentive to resume production. Production totaled 4.6 million tonnes in March, up 8.19 per cent from February, but down 2.32 per cent from a year ago, according to SMM statistics. Weighted average alumina price in China’s four major markets was 1,902 yuan per tonne in March, and rose further to 1,929 yuan per tonne in the first half of April.
Rio Tinto posted strong production results for the quarter ended March 31. Production volume inreased across all verticals of the aluminium business value chain compared to the corresponding period previous year. This indeed is a major development keeping in view the recent downturn in the global commodity market. Rio Tinto's alumina production in the first quarter improved by seven per cent compared with the first quarter of 2015 and was consistent with the fourth quarter of 2015. This solid performance was mainly driven by Yarwun, where first quarter production of 785 thousand tones was 15 per cent higher than the first quarter of 2015, setting a new quarterly record. It also reflected the ongoing focus on productivity improvements across all refineries, which continues to be the...
A project that could lead to the use of solar thermal technology by Australia’s large industrial sector – and cut its reliance on fossil fuels in half – has been selected by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency in its latest round of funding. Led by the University of Adelaide, the project will work with Australian aluminium giant Alcoa to evaluate the potential for using concentrating solar thermal technologies to generate the industrial process heat used in its alumina refineries in Australia and beyond. The $15 million project – which ARENA chief Ivor Frischknecht has described as “essential” – was awarded a $4.5 million from the Agency, making it “the biggest project in the round by far.” “This is about turning bauxite into alumina. It uses a huge amount of heat,” Frischknecht said...
Vedanta Limited announced yesterday production results of fourth quarter and full year ended 31 March 2016. In Q4 FY2016, Lanjigarh alumina refinery operated at a single stream and produced 211,400 tonnes. Vedanta Ltd has received approvals for expansion of the Lanjigarh refinery to 4 mtpa, which will be ramped up in phases on further visibility on bauxite sources. During FY2016, alumina production was marginally lower at 970,900, due to the single-stream operations at the refinery. Vedanta had set up the refinery in 2007, keeping an eye on the bauxite mine at Niyamagiri, spread over Kalahandi and Rayagada districts. In 2004, Vedanta had entered into a joint venture with state-owned Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), the original lessee of Niyamagiri deposits for mining and sourcing of...
