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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After a decline last month, China's metallurgical-grade alumina production grew in October 2024, marking a M-o-M increase of 2.93 per cent, according to the Shanghai Metals Market survey. The output also escalated by 6.51 per cent year-on-year, backed by capacity expansion and higher operating rate. Exceeding the initial forecast of 1.73 per cent M-o-M growth, China's metallurgical-grade alumina production in October is estimated to have amounted to 7.112 million tonnes versus 6.91 million tonnes in September . Notably, the country's monthly output volume yet again surpassed the 7 million tonnes benchmark but fell short of 1.5 per cent to touch the August production. From January to October 2024, China's total production of metallurgical-grade alumina was recorded at 68.708 million...
On October 28th, Chen Kaibin, Party Secretary and Chairman of Chinalco Zhengzhou Research Institute, along with Su Ruigang, Secretary of the Working Committee and Director of the Management Committee of Zibo Economic Development Zone, officially launched the fine alumina branch of Chinalco Zhengzhou Nonferrous Metals Research Institute Co., Ltd. Image Source: Itaforte The fine alumina branch is committed to Chinalco Group's guiding principle of "innovation drives development, and technology leads the future." It aligns with the national scientific and technological innovation strategy, aiming to overhaul the enterprise's innovation system. The branch seeks to advance the high-quality development of fine alumina and strengthen its position in the core industry. The branch now operates with...
Each tonne of alumina production emits such heat, which, if reused further, can increase the energy demand, which in the long run also boosts carbon footprint reduction globally. Image Source: Hilt CRC How can we do that? The answer is ‘industrial heat pump’. These use electricity to transfer heat from one location to another, supplying heating and cooling for a building. Heat pumps are better energy efficient than conventional heating mechanisms with gas or oil boilers, emitting less carbon cumulatively. According to the International Energy Agency's (IEA's) World Energy Outlook special report titled The Future of Heat Pumps, decarbonisation of industrial heat through electrification is crucial in tackling the climate conundrum, and there is substantial potential for electric heat pumps...
The combination of high alumina prices, positive sentiment in relation to the Chinese economy, the US$ index moving down, and small shortages of metal has seen metal prices rise to over RMB21,000/ tonne. However, there are also signs that the price may have moved higher into the stratosphere. Traders are becoming concerned about entering the market at such a high price, while downstream factories are only buying bare minimums based on their order books. While the price may further test new highs, it's becoming clear that there's not much oxygen at these levels. On the other hand, alumina costs will continue to push the metal, and there is some evidence of major houses taking positions to push the metal price up. That's happening in alumina too. Overall, we think that the metal price will...
Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid University researchers have designed an anti-reflective coversheet filament that can be used by a 3D printer for photovoltaic (PV) modules. The cover sheet is entrenched on cyclic-olefin copolymers (COC), with added aluminium oxide (Al2O3) or better known as alumina powder, at different concentrations. COC are polymers with unique mechanical traits and transparency, while aluminium oxide is known for its enhanced anti-reflection attributes. Image Source: King Khalid University “The application of anti-reflective materials on the photovoltaic substrates can enhance the absorption of sunlight and minimise the reflection,” explained the researchers. “Currently, there is no ideal anti-reflective coating for solar cells that can transmit sunlight without reflection.”...
Cultivating restorative microbial activity to remediate metal-impacted mine wastes has retained some successes, mainly using man-made wetlands or passive bioreactors to generate (microbially mediated) anoxic and sulfidic conditions. Image Source: American Geosciences Institute Recently, researcher trio Dr Rosie Gillane, Fernanda Soto, and Luke Webster from the University of Queensland have come up with a method of detoxifying red mud , waste material yielded by the tonne at bauxite mining sites across Australia, a report shares. "You would not usually associate bacteria or microorganisms with mine rehabilitation," says Luke, whose PhD thesis focuses on 'synbio' mining techniques like the one he describes. The process is known as biohydrometallurgy, in which particular proteins can be used...
In October 2024, the LME aluminium prices saw renewed strength despite the headwinds of a stronger US dollar and varied economic indicators from key markets. After reaching a cash-month low of $2,521 per tonne on October 15, prices rebounded to USD $2,617 per tonne by the month's close. A major factor underpinning this upward trend is the tightening of alumina supply, which has fuelled cost pressures across the aluminium industry. Alumina prices have surged from USD $350 per tonne to around USD $700 per tonne—a figure expected to climb further in the coming weeks. The spike follows a series of production disruptions and a halt in bauxite exports from Guinea to one of the world's leading alumina and aluminium producers, amplifying concerns of continued supply constraints. Several companies...
This week has seen significant developments in the upstream sector of the aluminium industry, which includes bauxite, alumina, and primary aluminium. Notably, the average spot price for alumina in China surpassed RMB 5000 for the first time on Wednesday, settling at RMB 5,007 per tonne before rising further by RMB 49 to reach RMB 5,056 per tonne. In addition, Metro Mining Limited reported a remarkable operational update for the third quarter of 2024, achieving record bauxite production. The company shipped 2.13 million wet metric tonnes (WMT) during the quarter, representing a substantial increase of 50 per cent from Q2 2024 and a 32 per cent rise compared to Q3 2023. Meanwhile, Aluminium Corporation of China Limited (Chalco), the country's largest aluminium producer, disclosed its...
On October 9, the Guangxi Branch of Chinalco held a commissioning ceremony for the first and second phases of its alumina pipeline dissolution transformation project. Tian Mingsheng, Party Secretary and General Manager of the Guangxi Branch, and Chairman of Guangxi Hualei New Materials Co., Ltd., officially announced the project's launch. Ma Xiaozhong, Deputy General Manager of both the Guangxi Branch and Guangxi Hualei, presided over the ceremony. He Haibo introduced the project's construction journey, noting that since work commenced on August 21, 2023, all involved have upheld the drive of "approval means construction, opening means decisive battle, and starting means sprint." After 416 days and nights of dedicated effort, they achieved the ambitious goal of "completion in 14 months."...
In September 2024, the world's alumina production decreased to its lowest level in the past five months, with all the major alumina-producing countries or regions registering drops in their output. However, despite the sequential decline and a 5-month low, the world's alumina production stood above 12 million tonnes. Image Source: Advanced Ceramic Materials (ACM) Corporation Based on the International Aluminium Institute's (IAI) data, the intensity of the world's alumina production drop was higher in September compared to the decline previously seen in April. September was the second month in two quarters after April when the world aluminium production fell. According to an IAI survey, the world's alumina production in September 2024 decreased by 4.23 per cent month-on-month compared to a...
The ICSOBA 2024 day-1 technical conference commenced on October 28, 2024, following the registration and welcome reception on October 27, 2024. This marked an exciting start to three days of advanced discussions and deep dives into the evolving landscape of the aluminium industry. This year’s event, set against a backdrop of rapid technological progress and sustainability drives, offers an enriched programme segmented into four specialised streams, each spotlighting critical themes shaping the aluminium industry. The opening day began with keynote addresses, where industry leaders presented forward-looking insights, trends, and actionable strategies set to influence the future of aluminium. These keynotes underscored the industry's commitment to sustainable practices, including...
Iran's alumina powder production reached 96,685 tons in the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year, running from March 20 to August 21, as reported by the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organisation (IMIDRO). Despite ongoing economic and geopolitical challenges, this steady output reflects the country's commitment to maintaining a robust position in the global alumina market. The alumina sector, vital for Iran's aluminium industry, continues to play a key role in the country's industrial strategy. In 2023, it was reported that 80 per cent of Iran's domestic demand for alumina was met through imports, which cost $1 billion annually. On the global stage, alumina prices have shown signs of strengthening, driven by supply constraints and...
Impact Minerals has collaborated with CPC Engineering and the Mineral Recovery Research Centre (MRRC) at Edith Cowan University on an initiative to pilot the commercialisation of the company's ingenious process for producing High-Purity Alumina (HPA) from the Lake Hope reserve, located 500 kilometres east of Perth in Western Australia. The collaborative effort has received a AUD 2.87 million grant under the Federal Government's Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) programme, which fosters short-term, industry-led research works. The plant, crucial to providing material for offtake and qualification, is scheduled to commence construction next year. Impact Minerals' Managing Director, Dr Mike Jones, said, "We are immensely proud to drive this transformative project, which aligns...
According to the China National Intellectual Property Administration, Chinalco Qingdao Light Metal Co., Ltd. has obtained a patent titled "A Lump Aluminum Ash Pretreatment Device," with the authorisation announcement number CN 221753487 U. The application was submitted in February 2024. The patent abstract indicates that this utility model relates to the processing of massive aluminium ash. It features a pre-treatment device that includes a conveying trough equipped with both a second crushing roller and a first crushing roller. Triangular grinding teeth are fixed to the side surfaces of these rollers. The device also incorporates belts tensioned around two pulleys, a knocking component at the bottom of the conveying trough, and a limiting component at one end of the knocking mechanism....
According to a report on Friday, October 18, Vedanta has assured to give INR 1 lakh crore to the Odisha government for the establishment of an alumina refinery with a 6 million tonnes per annum capacity and an aluminium plant with 3 million tonnes per annum. The news came after an announcement made at the "Utkarsh Odisha" roadshow, part of the upcoming Make in Odisha Conclave 2025. Both the refinery and the plant will be powered by renewable energy for green aluminium production. Together, they are expected to create 2 lakh new jobs across the state. Concerning these projects, Vedanta's Chairman, Anil Agarwal, said: "Our investments reflect our commitment to the state's inclusive growth and driving large-scale industrialisation. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi,...
Since the beginning of this year, Shanxi Aluminum Industry has consistently enhanced its technical management system and production standards for alumina. The company has aggressively pursued cost-reduction initiatives in research and development, leading to significant improvements in key technical and consumption metrics. By the end of August, electricity, lime, gas, and sintered coal usage per unit had decreased year-on-year by 4.7 kWh per tonne, 7.01 kg per tonne, 0.27 cubic meters per tonne, and 41.38 kg per tonne, respectively. These optimisations have collectively reduced costs by RMB 20.77 million. Shanxi Aluminum Industry has strengthened its foundational process management, revising and improving 16 institutional standards, including "Process Technology Standards" and "Process...
On Wednesday, October 16, Alcoa Corporation, the world’s eighth-largest aluminium producer, announced its third-quarter results that reflected sequential increases in net income and Adjusted EBITDA amid declines in production and shipments. According to the figures revealed by Alcoa, the company encountered a havoc surge in net income from $20 million in Q2 2024 to $90 million in Q3 2024, driven by skyrocketed alumina prices amid stable raw material costs. Adjusted net income was $135 million in Q3 2024 versus $30 million in Q2 2024. However, on an annual basis, Alcoa’s net income and adjusted net income shrank from $168 million and $202 million, respectively. Alcoa’s Adjusted EBITDA (excluding special items) jumped by 250 per cent Q-o-Q and 550 per cent Y-o-Y, amounting to $455 million...
The leading Australian engineering group, Monadelphous, has announced receiving new contracts and extensions valued at approximately A$160 million (US$106.99 million). The company has secured two one-year extensions for fixed plant maintenance services and sustaining capital projects across Rio Tinto’s iron ore operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Additionally, Monadelphous has been awarded a contract for the fabrication, supply, installation, and commissioning work at Rio Tinto’s Tom Price mine. The project is expected to be completed by mid-2025. In a further development, Monadelphous has also secured a new three-year contract for minor project works at South32’s Worsley Alumina operations in Western Australia. This follows the recent maintenance and shutdown services...
