Domestic spot alumina prices edged down slightly last week amid flat trading activity. Recent alumina price movements were mainly attributed to earlier concentrated restocking by downstream buyers, which has led to accumulating inventories at rail stations and smelters. Coupled with supply-side maintenance-driven output cuts that are still building, readily available spot volumes have tightened relatively. Only sporadic tender deals were heard recently, leaving prices in a temporary steady phase. On the bauxite front, domestic ore prices saw limited movement last week. Supply-side bottlenecks are unlikely to ease in the near term, with mines prioritising captive supply, leaving little excess spot material available. For imported ore, freight rates rebounded slightly and consecutively last...
The global aluminium supply chain is facing a series of changes that extend from bauxite mines and alumina refineries to smelters, regional premiums and finished-metal trade. In 2026, the market’s direction is being shaped not only by production volumes but also by freight costs, export restrictions, shifting Chinese demand and tariffs. Developments across Guinea, Australia, China, Europe and North America point to a market where access to supply is increasingly as important as the availability of raw materials. Bauxite supply: Guinea’s cap meets a well-stocked China, but is it stable? Guinea remains central to the seaborne bauxite market, with its shipment connections to China demonstrating the importance of reliable logistics. A new sea-rail route has enabled a Guinea bauxite shipment...
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The European Commission has officially announced imposition of provisional anti-dumping duties on fused alumina imports from China. This time, it is a move to resolve to protect Europe’s domestic industry from market distortions. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1456, adopted on July 17, 2025, delivers a stern warning to China’s state-backed industrial juggernaut: unfair trade practices will no longer be overlooked. Image for referential purposes only At the core of the Commission’s decision lies the recognition that fused alumina, rather commonly known as artificial corundum, derived from melting bauxite or aluminium oxide at over 2,000 °C, has been imported from China at dumped prices, causing material injury to the European Union’s domestic producers. The action follows a...
In May 2025, world alumina production recorded a slight rise month-on-month following a slump in April, but not without a twist. While total monthly output rose to 12.626 million tonnes, marking a 3 per cent increase, the daily average slipped slightly from 408,400 tonnes to 407,300 tonnes, according to the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). The decline in daily output is likely due to one fewer operational day in May’s calendar. Of the total alumina production in May, metallurgical-grade ore accounted for 11.841 million tonnes, making up 93.78 per cent of the total output, while chemical-grade output stood at 785,000 tonnes, contributing 6.22 per cent to the overall production. Notably, the growth in May alumina production was exclusively driven by metallurgical-grade ore, as...
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted approval for alumina refinery Rusal to proceed with a major extension of its dredging operations in the Shannon Estuary. Image source: limericklive The decision allows the Russian-owned company to carry out maintenance dredging near its marine jetty at Aughinish Island, County Limerick, and to dispose of over 450,000 tonnes of dredged material annually at a newly designated offshore site near Foynes Island. The EPA’s decision marks the final regulatory clearance needed for the project, following planning permission granted earlier this year by an Bord Pleanála (now An Coimisiún Pleanála) for the physical infrastructure involved. According to Rusal, the expanded dredging operations are essential to the long-term viability of the...
A Clare-based environmental group is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reassess the potential ecological impact of a new development on the Shannon Estuary. The EPA recently granted Aughinish Alumina a new licence to extend its dredging operations near Foynes Port, permitting the dumping of dredged material at a newly designated site close to Foynes Island. Futureproof Clare has voiced strong opposition to the renewal of the permit, warning that it could result in the disposal of an amount of potentially contaminated muddy sand equivalent to 5,000 double-decker buses annually. Campaign spokesperson Sinéad Sheehan has urged the EPA to exercise greater due diligence in its oversight of the development. In response to a query from Clare FM, the EPA confirmed it had...
Gardaí and army bomb disposal experts are investigating after a suspect device was defused near the Aughinish Alumina factory in County Limerick. Image credit: alustory.international-aluminium.org The device, found yesterday afternoon close to an oil tank at the facility, prompted a major operation involving the Defence Forces’ Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit. Controlled detonations were carried out to sever key components from gas cylinders, preserving significant forensic evidence for investigators. Gardaí were alerted to the device at approximately 3:30 pm, with the operation beginning shortly after 4 pm. A cordon was established, and the EOD team removed the device from the scene for further examination. Investigations are now underway to trace the origin of the device’s...
Vedanta Limited, an Indian metal giant has reported a robust operational performance in the first quarter ending June 30, 2025, with a particular highlight on its aluminium value chain. The highlight of the quarter was record alumina production at its Lanjigarh refinery, which reached an all-time high of 587 thousand tonnes. This marks a 9 per cent increase year-on-year and a sharp 36 per cent rise compared to the previous quarter. The growth in alumina output was primarily driven by Vedanta’s expansion of its refining capacity at the Lanjigarh facility in Odisha. The company recently enhanced the plant’s annual capacity from 2 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to 3.5mtpa. This capacity upgrade, along with improved raw material availability and operational efficiencies, enabled the company...
The Indonesian Navy has expressed strong objections to the planned USD 4.9 billion alumina refinery on Singkep Island in Indonesia’s Riau Islands province. Image for referential purposes only The project is being developed by China’s Tianshan Aluminium through its local subsidiary, Tianshan Alumina Indonesia, and has been granted National Strategic Project (PSN) status under the government’s mineral downstreaming agenda. The navy’s concerns stem from the project’s proposed location, which overlaps with a 400-hectare military training zone that has long supported operational readiness. The area has hosted major defence exercises, including the US-led Super Garuda Shield and joint amphibious drills with Australian forces. Navy spokesperson First Admiral Tunggul stated that the site remains...
California-based Brimstone is advancing plans to establish the first alumina refinery in the US in more than five decades, which is a major step toward restoring the domestic aluminium supply chain. The company has signed a letter of intent with Oklahoma’s Dolese Bros. Co . to supply raw material for the proposed Rock Refinery, which will co-produce smelter-grade alumina , Portland cement, and supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) . Image for representational purposes only Brimstone selected Dolese Bros following a competitive review of over 23,000 quarries across the country. In April 2025, primary aluminium imports fell by 20 per cent year-on-year to approximately 281,500 tonnes, down from 352,538 tonnes in April 2024. The rock for Brimstone’s refinery will come from Dolese’s...
Hindalco Industries Limited, the metals flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, has announced the acquisition of a 100 per cent equity stake in US-based AluChem Companies, a leading producer of speciality alumina, for an enterprise value of USD 125 million. The deal will be executed through Aditya Holdings LLC, a step-down wholly owned subsidiary of Hindalco. This strategic move represents a major investment in the speciality alumina space, reinforcing Hindalco's commitment to expanding its high-value, technology-driven materials portfolio. Hindalco's Specialty Alumina business has become a cornerstone of its value-added strategy, delivering consistent double-digit growth in recent years and establishing itself as a high-growth, high-margin segment within its portfolio. With speciality...
Impact Minerals has unveiled the latest progress report of its transformative pre-feasibility study (PFS) for its Lake Hope High Purity Alumina (HPA) project in Western Australia, positioning itself as a potential global cost leader in the burgeoning battery and tech-grade alumina sector. Managing Director Dr Mike Jones detailed the findings and outlined a bold strategy for vertical integration, downstream processing, and by-product monetisation that could significantly amplify project economics through a recently released media release by the company. Image for representational purposes only The PFS, conducted on the Lake Hope project located approximately 500 kilometres east of Perth, has revealed a compelling investment case. At the core of the results lies a net present value (NPV) of...
While bauxite imports to the United States show a steady course, alumina tells a different story. In the first quarter of 2025, US alumina imports reached 439,000 tonnes, marking a significant uptick both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter. The data revealed a 24.7 per cent rise from the previous quarter (352,000 tonnes) and an even sharper 53.5 per cent leap compared to Q1 2024 (286,000 tonnes), signaling a marked shift in sourcing dynamics. The upward trajectory, which began in Q2 2024 with 325,000 tonnes, gained momentum through Q3 (378,000 tonnes), momentarily slowed in Q4 (352,000 tonnes), and rebounded strongly in Q1 2025. This pattern, when juxtaposed with falling domestic production, paints a clear picture: the US is becoming increasingly dependent on imported alumina. Brazil and...
The European Union’s hallmark policy in the view of equitable trade and environment protection—the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)—seems fair on the surface, as long as its framework remains focused on preventing carbon leakage and blocking the influx of cheap, high-emission goods into the domestic market. Under CBAM, a carbon price is levied on imported goods, aligned with the carbon costs EU producers incur under the Emission Trading System (ETS). That sounds like a just deal for domestic producers, ensuring a level playing field. But what about EU-headquartered companies that relocated their operations abroad to escape carbon taxes? Here's where the issue arises as these companies will be required to purchase certificates that reflect the carbon emissions embedded in their...
Early deals of Atlas Metals Group (AMG) plc reached 90 per cent after it announced Universal Pozzolanic Silica Alumina (UPSA) Ltd’s acquisition. The act is deemed to be a reverse takeover. The acquisition will be via an all-share offer, for which no figure has yet been disclosed. The proposal to undergo the reverse takeover has led to AMG's doubled share price, making it the best performer on the London Stock Exchange. On June 17, the AGM signed the non-binding letter of intent highlighting the intention for UPSA's reverse takeover. However, AMG has not yet provided any assurance of when or whether the reverse takeover will occur and continues to look for other potential acquisition opportunities. UPSA holds its right to pozzolanic silica alumina (PSA) in Australia, where they have...
Impact Minerals appears poised to advance a major low-cost High Purity Alumina (HPA) project, following promising findings from a pre-feasibility study on its Lake Hope venture in Western Australia. The study suggests the project could rank among the world’s most cost-effective HPA producers. Situated approximately 500 kilometres southeast of Perth, Lake Hope boasts robust economic potential, with a net present value estimated at $1.165 billion. Lake Hope’s maiden ore reserve stands at 1.7 million tonnes, grading 26 per cent aluminium oxide, equating to 450,000 tonnes of contained alumina. “In just over two short years since acquiring the rights to the project, we have proven that Lake Hope’s unique natural feedstock, combined with a straightforward flowsheet, offers one of the most...
In April 2025, while most countries and regions witnessed a month-on-month decline in alumina production, there was one region that stood out as an exception and that was Africa & Asia (ex-China). According to the International Aluminium Institute, alumina production in Africa & Asia (ex-China) during April was 1.173 million tonnes, up by 4.45 per cent from the previous month’s 1.123 million tonnes. Production insights IAI data further indicates that Africa & Asia’s alumina output in April marked the second consecutive monthly rise, following a 7.36 per cent increase in March. In April, the growth extended but recorded relatively modest rate than the earlier month. As a result of increase in monthly output during April amid sluggish global alumina production, Africa & Asia’s (ex-China)...
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...
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...
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...
