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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Alpha HPA, a key aluminium materials manufacturer, is close to finishing upgrades at its small-scale commercial high purity alumina (HPA) production facility in Gladstone, Queensland. These improvements are supported by a $15.5 million grant from the federal government's Critical Minerals Development Programme. The upgrades include the addition of an HPA circuit, which comprises an HPA tunnel kiln, five rotary kilns, a jet mill room, a rolls crusher, and a rooftop solar array. These new facilities will enable Alpha to meet product orders from various customers, such as the South Korean semiconductor industry and the production of sintered HPA tablets used in sapphire glass manufacturing. Sapphire glass is an exceptionally pure glass used in optical devices and mobile phone screens. Alpha...
Alumina production in Europe, including Russia, recorded a slight rise of 2,000 tonnes to reach 551,000 tonnes during August 2023, found the International Aluminium Institute. According to IAI data, the output moved up for the second month in a row, following an increase of 24,000 tonnes or 4.57 per cent to 549,000 tonnes in July from 525,000 tonnes in June. For the first time this year, alumina output in Europe, including Russia, flaunted a back-to-back rise for the second month. However, on a year-on-year calculation, alumina production in Europe (incl. Russia) during August 2023 registered a sharp fall of 109,000 tonnes or 16.52 per cent from 660,000 tonnes. Daily average alumina production in Europe (incl. Russia) was 17,800 tonnes in August 2023, down by 100 tonnes from 17,700 tonnes...
Advanced Energy Minerals (AEM) is expanding its plant in Cap-Chat, Quebec, to make it larger. They're doing this to make more high-purity alumina. On 12 October 2023, the company's leaders and workers started the project with a special event. Local government officials, like Mayor Marcel Soucy and Prefect Guy Bernatchez, joined in. This plant expansion is a big deal for AEM. It will take two years to finish, and it will help them make more valuable aluminium products like high-purity alumina. The plant will have new technology and equipment to meet customer needs. AEM's CEO, Mick Adams, said, "This expansion will match our production with our growing demand and help us reach new markets." Charles Taschereau, the President of AEM Canada Group Inc., said, "This investment is proof of our...
Alpha HPA is getting closer to fully starting up their high purity alumina (HPA) circuit at their Stage 1 precursor production facility in Queensland. The company has reported that they are in the final stages of using a A$15.5-million grant from the Critical Minerals Development Programme. This grant will help them set up a small-scale commercial HPA circuit within the Stage 1 project. The HPA circuit will increase PPF production capacity for aluminium nitrate and aluminium sulfate, producing up to 15 tonnes per year of extra HPA, 15 to 25 tonnes per year of HPA trihydrate, and an additional 10 tonnes per year of high purity boehmite. It will also enable nano HPA production for semiconductor users and the creation of HPA tablets for synthetic sapphire glass growth. Furthermore, the...
According to the Shanghai Metals Market survey, China’s metallurgical-grade alumina production in September 2023 (30 days) recorded a decline of 4.06 per cent month-on-month to 6.732 million tonnes. Daily output also registered a fall from the previous month to stand at 224,400 tonnes, unlike the earlier estimation of 229,000 tonnes for the said month. Part production shutdown in Guangxi because of the bauxite supply shortage was one of the reasons for the output decline in September. Maintenance at some refineries in Shandong and Shanxi also affected operating rates, leading to lower daily production. In Shanxi, the operating rate in September was 72.8 per cent, down by 0.4 per cent M-o-M, owing to line maintenance at some refineries. However, a new capacity in Shanxi with 500,000 tonnes...
Residents in Goose Creek have been troubled by a white powder, alumina dust, in the air, which has covered their belongings and posed breathing difficulties. Health and environmental experts recently addressed the concerns and outlined a plan to resolve the issue in a meeting with Goose Creek residents. Representatives from Century Aluminium and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) also answered questions. Some residents sought transparency regarding the matter. The plant manager at Century Aluminium, Dennis Harbath, expressed regret for the issue, assured residents that they would address it, and explained that the alumina dust release occurred due to bag failures. They are replacing the failed bags and expect the issue to be resolved within 10 days....
Headquartered in China, the State Power Investment Corp Ltd (SPIC) had signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Henan Shenhuo Group on September 28. The alliance was signed under the presence of Feng Jianqing, Party secretary and chairman of the State Power Investment Aluminium Power Company, Li Wei, Party secretary and chairman of Henan Shenhuo Group, Zhao Mingjie, Party member and deputy general manager of Aluminium Power Company, and Zhang Wenzhang, Party member of Shenhuo Group and general manager of Shenhuo Shares. Based on the agreement, both parties will uphold the principle of "complementary advantages, mutual benefit, long-term cooperation, and common development." They will leverage their respective strengths to engage in comprehensive and multi-level collaboration in areas...
Hindalco Industries, the leading Indian aluminium manufacturing company, is set to establish a two million tonnes per annum (MTPA) alumina refinery plant in the Rayagada district of Odisha. In this context, the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hindalco Industries to provide a long-term supply of raw materials for the alumina refinery project located in Kansariguda, Rayagada district. The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Balwant Singh (Managing Director of OMC), and Satish Pai (Managing Director of Hindalco). This agreement is expected to expedite and facilitate the progress of the two-million-ton alumina refinery in Rayagada, as announced by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). Notably, this marks...
Alumina production in Iran recorded a 1 per cent rise during the first five months of the Iranian calendar year (March 21-August 22). According to the Iranian Mines & Mining Industries Development & Renovation, known as IMIDRO, Iran produced 99,473 tonnes of alumina during the said period compared to 98,169 tonnes a year ago. In the first four months till July 22, Iran’s production of the ore stood at 82,548 tonnes, up 2 per cent year-on-year from 80,896 tonnes. In the previous calendar year 1401, Iran generated 225,942 tonnes of alumina powder, reflecting a 2 per cent drop from the earlier year. Alumina is a critical raw material for producing primary aluminium. The ore is also used for industrial applications, in the form of construction materials, filling materials, and abrasives and...
RHI Magnesita has announced the acquisition of the Preiss-Daimler Group's refractory businesses in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia for roughly €45 million in cash. The acquisition would strengthen RHI Magnesita's capabilities in alumina-based refractories and its footprint in process industries, where the Group is currently under-represented compared to other customer sectors. Access to new clients and cross-selling opportunities, production network and logistics economies, vertical integration benefits, recycling, technology transfer, and procurement reductions are expected to provide significant synergies. Based on a pro forma EBITDA basis, the purchase is anticipated to not substantially increase the Group's gearing. The financial resources required for the acquisition will...
According to a recent report, Vietnam Industry – Coal and Mineral Industries Group, popularly known as Vinacomin, has decided to invest in setting up new alumina refineries and aluminium smelters, along with expanding the capacity of its existing Nhân Cơ Alumina Plant in Đắk Nông. Vinacomin is focused on establishing new investment projects in Đắk Nông with a long-term goal of developing the upstream aluminium industry in a modern and sustainable manner. Vinacomin aims to increase its alumina production to 6-8 million tonnes per year and generate 450,000-900,000 tonnes of aluminium ingots each year after 2030. For refining alumina, Vinacomin will reportedly source bauxite from Nhân Cơ, Gia Nghĩa, Gia Nghĩa 2, Bắc Gia Nghĩa, Tuy Đức, Đắk Song, and Quảng Sơn mines. To increase the...
Hydro is responsible for operating and maintaining three bauxite residual facilities located at the Schwandorf legacy site in the eastern region of Bavaria, Germany. The site contains remnants from the operational activities conducted by VAW, a German aluminium company, from the 1930s to the 1990s. As a result, Hydro is investing € 3 million in installing a new water treatment plant at the legacy bauxite residue facilities in Schwandorf, Germany. The project is carried out in five steps- Construction of a temporary water treatment plant adjacent to the existing water treatment plant The transition from the old water treatment plant to the temporary plant, which began operating on October 1, 2023 Dismantling of the old water treatment plant Construction of a new permanent water treatment...
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Alumina production in Africa & Asia (ex-China) during August 2023 amounted to 1.172 million tonnes, registering a downfall of 1.01 per cent month-on-month from 1.184 million tonnes, found the International Aluminium Institute survey. However, Africa & Asia’s (ex-China) alumina output in July edged an increase of 7.05 per cent from 1.106 million tonnes in June 2023. On an annual basis too, alumina production in Africa & Asia (ex-China) during August 2023 recorded a fall of 2 per cent from 1.196 million tonnes. In the first seven months of 2023, Africa & Asia’s (ex-China) alumina output totalled 8.934 million tonnes, down by 3.3 per cent from 9.239 million tonnes during the corresponding period of the previous year. The daily average production of alumina in Africa & Asia during August 2023...
On September 23, 2023, the secretary of the Ministry of National Development and Planning, Indonesia, visited the Chinese industrial investment project Nanshan Bintan Alumina Co., Ltd. to strengthen government-enterprise cooperation and exchanges as well as promote the development of the Karangbatang Special Economic Zone. Nanshan Indonesia Bintan Alumina Co., Ltd. warmly welcomed the secretary and his delegation, expressing gratitude to the Indonesian National Development Planning Department and various government departments for their sustained interest and support. They provided a comprehensive overview of the current development status, future growth trajectory, development priorities, and the industrial layout within the Special Zone. Subsequently, the secretary and his team were...
Scientists at the Ural Federal University have introduced a ground-breaking modification to the Bayer technology, significantly enhancing the efficiency of aluminium oxide (alumina) extraction from bauxite, the primary raw material for aluminium production. In traditional processing, alumina extraction rates typically reached 80-85 per cent. However, this innovative approach now permits the extraction of 95-98 per cent of alumina from bauxite while simultaneously reducing the generation of red mud, a byproduct of bauxite processing, contributing to sustainable and environmentally friendly production. According to Andrei Shoppert, Associate Professor at the Department of Non-Ferrous Metallurgy at UrFU, "For every tonne of bauxite, the standard Bayer process produces 0.7 to 1 tonne of red...
ChemX Materials has officially verified the noteworthy 4N (99.99 per cent) purity outcomes obtained from its wholly-owned high-purity alumina "micro-plant" located in the southern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. The results were determined across an astonishing range of 66 elements and represented a significant milestone for the company - reached just a year after launching its HPA plant - on its journey to 5N (99.999%) purity. “This is a proud day for CMX shareholders and the team. Today’s breakthrough validates the disruptive nature of the HiPurA® process and ChemX views the ability to achieve bespoke high purity (4N) outcomes in a locally-based, scalable, modular format may be a game-changer for gigafactory feedstock management. Importantly, data obtained during the optimisation...
World alumina production in August 2023 officially stood at 12.229 million tonnes, reflecting a month-on-month rise for the second month in a row. According to the International Aluminium Institute survey, the output grew by 0.53 per cent in August compared to 12.164 million tonnes in the previous month. The growth rate, however, fell in August compared to the rise of 3.06 per cent in July output from 11.803 million tonnes. On a year-on-year basis, world alumina production in August 2023 registered a slight fall of 0.21 per cent from 12.255 million tonnes, found IAI. In the first eight months of 2023, world alumina output totalled 93.908 million tonnes, displaying a downtrend compared to 94.809 million tonnes during the corresponding period of the previous year. That could be attributed...
The United States alumina imports recorded a sequential rise of 9,000 tonnes or 2.71 per cent in the second quarter of 2023. From 323,000 tonnes in Q1 , the United States alumina imports increased to 332,000 tonnes in Q2, found the US Census Bureau data. On a year-on-year basis, the import volume in Q2 2023 saw a plunge of 161,000 tonnes or 31.4 per cent from 484,000 tonnes. The total imports in the first half of 2023 amounted to 656,000 tonnes, reflecting a downfall of 29.39 per cent from 929,000 tonnes a year ago. From Canada and Jamaica, the United States alumina imports in Q2 2023 declined by 13.90 per cent and 53.92 per cent, respectively, on a quarter-on-quarter basis. The imports from Canada decreased from 22,300 tonnes to 19,200 tonnes and from Jamaica to 5,990 tonnes from 13,000...
