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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According to an update on Monday, November 20, Hydro and Glencore’s partnership over Alunorte and Mineracão Rio do Norte (MRN) acquisition has received unconditional approval from relevant competition authorities, including Brazil, China, Germany, and Austria. There remain no regulatory conditions pending to complete the transaction for the acquisition. As per the recent report, all the conditions have been approved, allowing Glencore to acquire a 30 per cent equity stake in Hydro’s Alunorte alumina refinery and Hydro’s 5 per cent ownership in the most prominent Brazilian bauxite producer Mineracão Rio do Norte (MRN). In addition, Glencore will acquire a 40 per cent stake in MRN, which is currently owned by Vale. As per the terms of the agreement, Hydro will first need to purchase the 40...
The 124th State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) meeting on November 18 approved eight transformational projects totalling 1397.18 crores, bolstering Odisha's standing as an investment destination. Significant investments in aluminium, plastic, and technical textiles have increased Odisha's industrial capacity. Hindalco Industries Ltd has announced plans to allocate INR 241.05 Crores towards investment in the aluminium industry. This investment would be primarily directed towards building a production plant for White Fused Alumina in Sambalpur. The substantial allocation of funds is anticipated to provide employment prospects for 210 persons. Investment from renowned firms such as Four Sandhu Tubes Private Limited and KAI Steel Private Limited has substantially developed...
Aughinish Alumina, a bauxite processing firm at Limerick in Ireland owned by the Russian aluminium giant Rusal, reported a loss of 167 million U.S. Dollars in the last year, as per the newly filed accounts. This is a decrease from the 378 million U.S. Dollars loss in 2021. The Irish operation on the Shannon Estuary faced challenges, losing key customers in Europe and expressing concerns about its ability to continue due to the impact of the geopolitical crisis in Ukraine. Despite a rise in revenue to 853.5 million U.S. Dollars from $784.5 million U.S. Dollars, the plant's output declined by 13 per cent. The accounts reveal that Rusal's business suffered from E.U. and U.S. sanctions following the geopolitical issues between Russia and Ukraine, leading to higher production costs,...
The National Fisheries Authority (NFA) has issued a fish habitat conservation order to West Indies Alumina Co (Windalco), a corporation involved in producing bauxite and alumina. This order pertains to the Rio Cobre watershed located in St Catherine. The order went into force on October 1 and will continue until the authority is satisfied that Windalco's activities pose no additional dangers to fish habitat. The directive mandates that the company undertake all requisite measures to proactively avert any subsequent discharge of harmful substances into the watershed. Additionally, it necessitates the prompt notification of the relevant authority within a 24-hour in the event of any such discharge. Furthermore, the company must expeditiously rectify any pollution incidents and restore the...
According to the Shanghai Metals Market, China’s metallurgical-grade alumina production stood at 6.842 million tonnes, down by 1.6 per cent month-on-month but up by 2.5 per cent year-on-year. Daily average output in the said month was 220,700 tonnes, down by 3,700 tonnes from the previous month. The decrease in China’s alumina output from the earlier month owes to a tight supply of bauxite in Guangxi and Henan, roasting maintenance, and production cuts due to carbon emission reduction policies in Shandong. However, the country’s cumulative production from January to October 2023 grew by 2 per cent year-on-year, reaching 66.264 million tonnes. By the end of October, China’s installed alumina capacity was 100 million tonnes, operating capacity 80.68 million tonnes, and operating rate 80.7...
On November 7, China's Department of Energy Conservation and Comprehensive Utilisation brought together representatives of relevant research institutions and key enterprises to hold a symposium on red mud. The purpose of the symposium was to discuss and promote the research, development, and application of green, low-cost utilisation technology of red mud. The goal is to encourage the large-scale comprehensive utilisation of red mud, which is a byproduct of the aluminium industry. During the symposium, the participants discussed the comprehensive utilisation path of red mud, key process technologies, typical product application scenarios, and the difficulties and obstacles faced in promoting and applying these products. The responsible comrades of the Department of Energy Conservation and...
In a recent incident at Alcoa's Pinjarra refinery, five workers were affected by a chemical spill, drawing emergency crews to the alumina refinery in Pinjarra, Western Australia. The spill, involving a caustic solution integral to the alumina extraction process from bauxite ore, occurred around 4 pm on a Tuesday. Two of the five affected workers were taken to Fiona Stanley Hospital for treatment, while the others received on-site medical attention. The injured workers, a man in his 30s and another in his 60s, were reported to be in stable condition by 6 pm that evening. Alcoa, a leading aluminum producer, has pledged full cooperation with authorities and is committed to conducting a comprehensive investigation into the incident. The company expressed deep concern for the well-being of the...
Century Aluminum Company, the owner of Jamalco, said on Wednesday, November 8, that the malfunction of the power generation unit at the Clarendon-based refinery caused a loss of about US$22 million. Explaining the incident, president & CEO of Century Aluminum Jesse Gary said a power disruption resulted in an equipment failure at the refinery, which led to partial production for a portion of September and all of October. The loss translates to $3.4 billion in local currency. Jamalco expects to recover almost two-thirds of the total loss from insurance. Gary added that Century Aluminum had to fly in engineers from the manufacturer to address the cause of the incident and find a long-term solution. “The impact of the Jamalco equipment failure in the third quarter was approximately US$16.9...
Vedanta, India's largest aluminium producer, has achieved a significant breakthrough in bauxite refining, a pivotal step in aluminium production. In a collaborative effort with the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT KGP), the company has developed an innovative method to substantially reduce the generation of bauxite residue, commonly called red mud. This pioneering process stands out for its remarkable accomplishment as it reduces bauxite residue by 30 per cent. It achieves this by eliminating iron values while simultaneously enhancing the yield of alumina. Moreover, this approach significantly reduces the total organic content in bauxite during the alumina refining process, ultimately curbing energy consumption. Vedanta Aluminium has been actively engaged in finding ways to...
In September 2023, alumina production in Europe (incl. Russia) stopped at 550,000 tonnes, lower by 1,000 tonnes or 0.18 per cent Month-on-Month from 551,000 tonnes recorded on August 2023, whereas, on a Quarter-on-Quarter scale, there has been an increase of 25,000 tonnes or 4.76 per cent from 525,000 tonnes registered in June 2023, as per IAI data. During Q3 2023, the total alumina produced in Europe (incl. Russia) amounted to 1.650 million tonnes, which plummeted by 319,000 tonnes or 16.2 per cent from 1.969 million tonnes marked in Q3 2022. International Aluminium Institute (IAI) claims alumina production in Europe (incl. Russia) during Q2 2023 was 1.590 million tonnes, which accelerated to 1.650 million tonnes in Q3 2023, gaining 60,000 tonnes or 3.77 per cent. The total world alumina...
Anil Agarwal, the chairman of the Vedanta Group, seeks Indian investors’ attention for collaboration and investment in the continued development and expansion of Kalahandi alumina refinery in Odisha. Vedanta’s Kalahandi alumina refinery expansion would mark a turning point in the industrial development of the area. Mr Agarwal generously asked for investments while recollecting the journey of the Kalahandi refinery. He recounted the dreadful circumstances of the area when he first visited in 1985. Since then, he has been committed to introducing change and establishing an industry in Kalahandi. Kalahandi alumina refinery began its operations in 2007 with a capacity of 2 million tonnes per year, withstanding resistance from neighbourhood organisations and non-governmental groups. The dire...
The world alumina production during Q3 2023 ended September 30, registered a sequential rise of 3.04 per cent to stand at 36.567 million tonnes versus 35.487 million tonnes, found the International Aluminium Institute. But on a year-on-year calculation, the output in Q3 was almost the same as 36.422 million tonnes of production. In September 2023, world alumina production descended by 3.19 per cent month-on-month from 12.399 million tonnes to 12.004 million tonnes. However, the output in August stood at 1.93 per cent higher month-on-month than 12.164 million tonnes. The July output was also up by 3.06 per cent from 11.803 million tonnes in June. In the first nine months of 2023, the world alumina production totalled 106 million tonnes, registering a drop of 0.56 per cent from 106.596...
On October 24, 2023, the Russian aluminium giant and one of the world's leading low-carbon aluminium producers, Rusal, disclosed the news to acquire a 30 per cent equity stake in Hebei Wenfeng New Materials (HWNM), a Chinese alumina producer, for $261.6 million (RMB 1.91 billion). However, as stated by the company, the pending deal is subject to approval from Chinese authorities and consent from HWNM's creditors, enabling Rusal to acquire alumina at a competitive price. Rusal's shift towards procuring alumina from China directly responds to the export ban imposed by Australia on alumina and bauxite destined for Russia in March 2022. This ban was enacted as part of the sanctions by Western countries against Russia following the Ukraine-Russia geopolitical crisis. HWNM presently possesses...
South32, a diversified mining and metals company, successfully converted the first coal-fired boilers to natural gas at its Worsley Alumina operation in Western Australia. This conversion is a significant step toward reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by the operation. The Worsley Alumina operation comprises a bauxite mine near Boddington and an alumina refinery near Collie. The alumina produced in the refinery is distributed to smelters worldwide, including South32's Hillside smelter in Richards Bay, South Africa, and the Mozal smelter in Mozambique. The operation relies on boilers to generate steam critical for the alumina refining process. The conversion work for the boiler began in May and successfully transitioned to a gas-fired boiler in late September. The formal...
Aluminium oxide, popularly known as alumina, is a direct resource of primary aluminium production. With the passage of time, as aluminium demand is rising, a timely need for alumina is being increasingly felt. The potentiality of the alumina market is mammoth, with an estimated growth rate of CAGR 5.89 per cent. Many market studies show that the alumina market size will most likely grow from US$48.22 billion in 2022 to US$72 billion in 2030. To tap this market, many new projects and expansions are underway. This article will explore some of them that started this year. Iran-China ties to start off alumina production : At the beginning of 2023, a report came from an official that Iran began the research to discover the possibility of producing 500,000 tonnes of alumina annually from...
The US aluminium powerhouse is evaluating several alternatives, one of which is the potential closure of the Kwinana alumina refinery. This decision comes amid the company’s efforts to get approval for the clearance of more Jarrah forest for bauxite mining. Concerns have been raised over the potential impact of this mining activity on the drinking water supply of Perth. As per the reports from Wall Street analysts the American organisation is exploring many strategies to reduce expenses and enhance profitability at the factory, which has been operational for six decades. The refinery, which produces alumina from bauxite for shipment to aluminium smelters, employs around 1200 people, including 900 employees and 300 contractors. The announcement comes barely two weeks after spokesperson in...
In a small South Carolina town, the Mt. Holly plant of Century Aluminum recently found itself at the centre of the Goose Creek community concerns . It all began with a malfunction in the plant's baghouse, which emitted a fine, sandy material known as alumina dust into nearby neighbourhoods. The initial discovery of this issue on September 3 sent the plant into immediate action. Bob McAlister, the spokesperson for the Mt. Holly plant, stated that Century Aluminum had been "working around the clock" to address the problems that resulted in these emissions. He mentioned their collaboration with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) as they tackled the two issues that had caused this unique event. Their dedicated team, consisting of nearly sixty internal...
Shandong Nanshan Aluminium Co. Ltd., a China-based company engaged in manufacturing and distributing aluminium products, will demerge its Indonesian business and enlist it to the Hong Kong stock exchange to ensure fetching finances for its future development. The news came on October 13 when Nanshan Aluminium announced that it might list Nanshan Aluminium Investment on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. However, the company also said that it would retain control over it. Nanshan International’s core assets, located in the industrial part of Bintan Island in Indonesia’s Galang Batang Special Economic Zone, will be engaged in alumina processing, production, and sales, said Nanshan Aluminium in a preliminary prospectus document for Hong Kong listing. To develop deep processing...
