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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Vietnam's renowned miner Vinacomin has unveiled ambitious plans to significantly expand its alumina-aluminium production capacity. With an investment totalling a staggering 182 trillion dong ($7.3 billion), Vinacomin's endeavour highlights Vietnam's growing demand for this versatile metal, driven by its burgeoning manufacturing sector. Vinacomin's investment will primarily target the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong, where two bauxite exploration projects and five refining projects are slated to commence. Notably, the state-run firm aims to elevate the alumina capacity of its Nhan Co Alumina complex to an impressive 2 million tonnes annually, up from its current output of 650,000 tonnes. Furthermore, the nearby bauxite-alumina-aluminium Dak Nong complex is poised to witness a...
Alpha HPA, known for its production of chemicals essential for lithium-ion batteries and semiconductors, has unveiled a game-changing innovation: high-purity aluminium nitrate. With an impressive purity level of 99.99%, this aluminium oxide variant showcases immense potential to revolutionise battery safety. In a world increasingly reliant on lithium-ion batteries, concerns over safety have escalated due to the potential for thermal runaway events, which can lead to fires. However, Gladstone-based critical minerals company Alpha HPA is spearheading a path-changing solution. Dialogue with Rimas Kairaitis, Managing Director "Alpha's solution marks a pivotal advancement in lithium-ion battery safety," asserts Rimas Kairaitis, Managing Director of Alpha HPA. "Our breakthrough technology...
A significant groundbreaking ceremony marked the commencement of the annual production of 2 million tonnes of alumina and the establishment of the red mud transportation and storage facilities for the Guangxi Guangtou Beihai Green Ecological Aluminum Phase I Project. This project is of paramount importance on the premises of Guangxi Guangtou Lingang Industrial Co., Ltd., in Xinggang Town. The primary construction objectives encompass a range of unit projects. These include the construction and installation of pivotal components such as red mud pressure filtration systems transportation infrastructure for red mud filter cakes pipelines for red mud transportation the red mud return pump room the red mud yard, the management station for the red mud yard and the domestic sewage treatment...
On Wednesday, April 3, Vedanta Aluminium reported that it commissioned an additional 1.5 million tonnes of annual alumina capacity at its Lanjigarh refinery in Odisha. Earlier, the refining capacity of the unit was 2 million tonnes per annum, and with the new capacity, it has increased to 3.5 million tonnes, said Vedanta Aluminium in a statement. Vedanta's plan is to add 1.5 million tonnes of capacity more to the refinery and bring it to a total of 5 million tonnes per annum. The Group also aims to increase its aluminium production capacity to 3 million tonnes per annum from 2.37 million tonnes at present. All these expansion efforts will bring Vedanta closer to its ultimate goal of becoming one of the top three global producers in the world aluminium market. Vedanta Aluminium CEO John...
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According to the International Aluminium Institute survey, alumina production in Africa & Asia (ex-China) during February 2024 recorded a significant annual growth of 13.8 per cent but a month-on-month fall of 3.06 per cent. As per the data, Africa & Asia’s (ex-China) alumina production in February 2024 was 1.171 million tonnes versus 1.029 million tonnes a year ago, indicating that alumina production in Africa & Asia (ex-China) is on a steady growth path. The output declined month-on-month from 1.208 million tonnes mainly because of fewer calendar days in February. Africa & Asia’s (ex-China) daily average alumina output in February 2024 further underpins the above statement as the volume stood at 40,400 tonnes, up by 3.59 per cent from 39,000 tonnes in January 2024. On a year-on-year...
According to the International Aluminium Institute, world alumina production in February 2024 recorded a fall of 6.89 per cent month-on-month, primarily attributed to fewer calendar days. In this respect, it should be mentioned that the world alumina output started the year with a downtrend, with January production at 11.905 million tonnes, down by 1.43 per cent from 12.078 million tonnes in December 2023. Output trend The deflation continued in the subsequent month (February 2024), bringing the world's alumina production to 11.085 million tonnes. However, compared with the same period last year, the world's alumina production in February 2024 stood 5.99 per cent higher than 10.459 million tonnes. The combined production from January to February 2024 also edged a year-on-year hike of 4.22...
Alpha HPA, the aluminium chemicals company, has recently initiated small-scale commercial production of its 5N purity aluminium nitrate (Al-nitrate) precursors at its Stage 1 Precursor Production Facility (PPF) in Gladstone, Queensland. The facility manufactures high-purity alumina (HPA), essential components used as anodes in lithium-ion batteries. Additionally, it is in the final stages of equipment commissioning to enhance its capacity to produce the complete range of the company's high-purity aluminium products. According to a recent company statement, Alpha HPA is nearing completion of the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) and securing financing arrangements for Stage 2 of the HPA First Project. This significant step will establish a full-scale commercial aluminium purification...
The Indian multinational mining and metal company Vedanta Ltd, spearheaded by billionaire Anil Agarwal, has unveiled an ambitious investment strategy, earmarking a colossal $6 billion across diverse business sectors. This strategic initiative is poised to augment the company's annual EBITDA by a minimum of $2.5 billion, propelling it towards significant expansion and enhanced value generation in the foreseeable future. Pipeline of investment opportunities During an investor meeting, Vedanta executives revealed an extensive investment pipeline consisting of more than 50 active projects and expansions spanning various sectors such as aluminium, zinc, iron ore, steel, and oil and gas. These endeavours are forecasted to yield additional revenue surpassing $6 billion, boosting the company's...
Total alumina production in the Americas during January 2024 witnessed a downfall month-on-month and year-on-year. According to the International Aluminium Institute data, the output in January 2024 amounted to 1.215 million tonnes, down by 4.1 per cent from 1.267 million tonnes in December 2023 and 2.80 per cent less than 1.250 million tonnes in January 2023. The downfall was contributed by both South America and North America, except that the former saw month-on-month and year-on-year decline, unlike North America, wherein the alumina output only decreased on a year-over-year calculation and edged a rise month-on-month. However, the intensity of the annual downfall in North America was much higher than in South America. According to the International Aluminium Institute data, alumina...
According to the US Census Bureau data, the United States alumina imports in the fourth quarter of 2023 amounted to 359,000 tonnes, experiencing a sequential rise of 4.06 per cent. The quarter-on-quarter growth continued from the second quarter of the year when imports grew by 2.79 per cent from 323,000 tonnes to 332,000 tonnes. In Q3, the imports further grew by 3.9 per cent to stand at 345,000 tonnes. However, despite the Q-o-Q growth, the US alumina imports in Q4 edged a sharp downfall year-on-year by 29.33 per cent from 508,000 tonnes. In the entire year of 2023, the United States alumina imports totalled 1.36 million tonnes, reflecting a plunge of 27.66 per cent from 1.88 million tonnes. Going by the data share by US Geological Survey, the United States alumina imports stood down in...
Global mining and metal giant Rio Tinto's alumina refineries and Orica's cyanide plant in Australia, both of which are significant gas consumers, are operating at limited capacity as they race to secure supplies after a fire on a crucial gas pipeline managed by retailer Jemena, which serves Gladstone. As the largest gas distributor in New South Wales, Jemena reported that its teams successfully secured a segment of the Queensland Gas Pipeline that ignited on March 5, 2024. The fire, captured vividly, occurred on a portion of the pipeline between Rolleston and Oombabeer, approximately six hours west of Gladstone. Emergency services were alerted to the substantial blaze in the area around 7:30 am local time. AEMO has directed the diversion of gas to ensure ample supply for households and...
President Nana Addo Dankwa has assured Ghanaians of brighter days ahead, foreseeing an economic breakthrough following a recent downturn. He highlighted several government initiatives to mitigate economic challenges and provide relief to businesses and the general population. Government initiatives Among these initiatives is collaborating with the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) to construct an alumina refinery and develop mines at Nyinahin-Mpasaaso. Additionally, the government is moving forward with the Ada Songhor Salt project, which has sparked controversy but is seen as a vital part of Ghana's economic growth strategy. "I have witnessed the signing of two (2) separate agreements in Accra recently, firstly, between GIADEC, a wholly-owned public entity, and...
Rusal Aughinish Alumina, located in Limerick, Ireland, is considering using hydrogen as an alternative clean energy source and deploying electric heat pumps at its refinery, aiming to decarbonise its high-heat refinement process. According to a report on March 6, Aughinish Alumina, the largest refinery in Europe, has started working with the state to explore the viable sources of hydrogen and develop decarbonising solutions for its refinery. Eamon Ryan, the environment minister, and Willie Walsh, the chief executive of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), and Michael O’Toole, the community affairs manager with Aughinish Alumina, are at the forefront of this pioneering initiative. Shifting to green energy This initiative represents Aughinish Alumina's commitment to reducing...
According to the Shanghai Metals Market survey, China’s average alumina spot price has continued to decline since the beginning of March and today marks the fourth consecutive day. As per SMM data, the alumina price has experienced a drop of RMB 3 per tonne on Wednesday, March 6, to stand at RMB 3,332 per tonne. From March 1 to March 6, the alumina spot price has shed off RMB 16 per tonne or 0.48 per cent, according to SMM. Alumina prices in Shandong, Henan, and Shanxi have unanimously witnessed a drop of RMB 5 per tonne, settling at RMB 3,245 per tonne, RMB 3,355 per tonne, and RMB 3,345 per tonne. The Australian alumina FOB price, on the other hand, has remained restrained at US$360 per tonne as of March 6, 2024. In tandem with the continued price drop of alumina, A00 aluminium ingot...
According to the Shanghai Metals Market, China’s metallurgical-grade alumina production in February 2024 (29 calendar days) amounted to 6.262 million tonnes, experiencing a 6.8 per cent fall from 6.72 million tonnes in January (31 days). But on a year-on-year basis, the output increased by 2.4 per cent. The average daily production in February 2024 was 215,900 tonnes a day, down by 0.42 per cent from 216,800 tonnes in the previous month. As of the end of February 2024, China’s alumina production capacity was 100 million tonnes, with an operating capacity of 78.82 million tonnes. The month-on-month downfall in China’s alumina production is attributed to weaker operating rates in a few Chinese provinces such as Henan, Guizhou, and Guangxi. In Henan, the alumina operating rate was 55 per...
On Tuesday, March 5, China's average alumina spot price declined by RMB 7 per tonne to arrive at RMB 3,335 per tonne. As per the SMM data, the prices in Bayuquan, Henan and Lianyungang have plunged by RMB 30 per tonne, RMB 15 per tonne and RMB 10 per tonne to arrive at RMB 3,260 per tonne, RMB 3,360 per tonne and RMB 3,265 per tonne. In Shandong and Shanxi, the alumina prices have dipped by RMB 5 per tonne to clock at RMB 3,250 per tonne and RMB 3,350 per tonne. As per the SMM data, the A00 aluminium ingot price has gained by RMB 90 per tonne to reside at RMB 19,030 per tonne, with the average prices standing between RMB 19,010 per tonne and RMB 19,050 per tonne. The spot contract price may be traded at a discount price of RMB 50 to RMB 10 per tonne. On the same day, the price in...
According to the International Aluminium Institute, alumina production in Africa & Asia (ex-China) stood at 1.212 million tonnes in January 2024, reflecting a slight month-on-month fall of 0.57 per cent from 1.219 million tonnes. However, on a year-on-year basis, Africa & Asia’s (ex-China) alumina output registered an increase of 15.76 per cent from 1.047 million tonnes. After an annual downfall in Africa & Asia’s alumina production in January 2023, the regions experienced a hike at the beginning of this year, signalling a positive future. Africa and Asia’s alumina production started building up in H2 2023, which seemed to have continued in January’24. The daily average alumina production in Africa & Asia (ex-China) during January was 39,100 tonnes, slightly down by 200 tonnes from the...
According to the Shanghai Metals Market survey, the average aluminium spot price in China has further decreased over the weekend by RMB 6 per tonne to start the week at RMB 3,342 per tonne, as of Monday, March 4. In Shandong and Shanxi, the alumina spot price has declined by RMB 10 per tonne to stand RMB 3,255 per tonne and RMB 3,355 per tonne, with average prices to range between RMB 3,210-3,300 per tonne and RMB 3,310-3,400 per tonne, respectively. In Henan, the price has dropped by RMB 5 per tonne to RMB 3,375 per tonne, with average prices to hover around RMB 3,330-3,420 per tonne. Aluminium fluoride and bauxite prices Among other primary aluminium input costs, aluminium fluoride price, on the other hand, has hiked by RMB 200 per tonne to RMB 9,150 per tonne, after remaining...
