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 State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF) plans to take control of the assets of Russian businesses, as stated by Rustem Umerov, the head of SPF. Umerov said, "Legally, the Mykolaiv alumina refinery has yet to reach the management of the State Property Fund. We plan to put it up for auction quickly as soon as we get it under control." The State Property Fund of Ukraine is a central body of executive power with special status administrated by the Cabinet of Ukraine. "It is feasible to begin the privatization of the alumina refinery in the second or third quarter of this year. Site preparation for privatization typically takes 60–90 days", Umerov added. "If the state gives us other Russian assets confiscated by the court ruling, we will put them up for privatization. We are moving as quickly...
According to the International Aluminium Institute survey, the world alumina production recorded 10.232 million tonnes in February 2023, reflecting a decrease of 10.40 per cent month-on-month and representing the second month of downfall this year. In January 2023, the alumina output was 11.420 million tonnes, down by 2.36 per cent from 11.696 million tonnes a month earlier. Thus, it is to be noted that the decline rate in global alumina production intensified during February’23. On a year-on-year calculation, the world alumina production in February 2023 stood almost restrained compared to 10.262 million tonnes. The world average daily production of alumina during February 2023 was 365,400 tonnes – 0.81 per cent or 3000 tonnes less than 368,400 tonnes in January 2023, and 0.30 per cent...
Alumina supply from China, the Middle East and Brazil witnessed growth in 2022. China ranked as the largest alumina producer, while Australia was the world's second-largest alumina producer in 2022. The commissioning of new capacities in China and the supply from Brazil remained key sector drivers. Australia countered the offsetting of the alumina deficit caused by operations-related issues at its refineries during 2022. In the short-term, demand for alumina and alumina prices will continue to be influenced by the need for primary aluminium and the slowing of global economic growth in 2023. AlCircle's latest industry-focused report, 'Aluminium Industry Outlook 2023' , reveals that in 2022, the global alumina production was 139.2 million tonnes, a slight increase from 138.6 million tonnes...
Tianshan Aluminium Group, China’s second-largest aluminium producer by capacity, will reportedly invest US$1.6 billion to build an alumina refinery in the Riau Islands, Indonesia. Since Indonesia is rich in bauxite and coal and has low labour costs, building a plant here can improve Tianshan’s supply of raw materials. The plant will have an annual capacity of 2 million tonnes. But initially, it will produce 1 million tonnes of aluminium oxide a year, requiring an investment of US$952 million. However, the construction schedule is not yet revealed. Tianshan Aluminium Group produces primary aluminium, alumina, high-purity aluminium, pre-baked anodes, aluminium deep-processed products, and other materials. The company has been raising its annual aluminium oxide capacity in recent years. In...
Surefire Resources has hired materials science firm Lava Blue to investigate the value-added potential of high-purity aluminium oxide production from its flagship Victory Bore vanadium project in Western Australia. Victory Bore has waste rock surrounding the primary resource with significantly higher levels of aluminium oxide, with grades as high as 31.4 per cent. This will ensure Surefire is an exceptional feedstock for manufacturing high-purity alumina (HPA), targeting 4N-HPA (or more than 99.99% pure). Aluminium oxide samples will be used by Lava Blue for testing in the lab to show a manufacturing route. For the upcoming vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) market, Surefire is investigating the manufacturing of aluminium oxide in addition to high-purity vanadium. HPA products may sell...
According to the data released by the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organisation (IMIDRO), Iran's alumina powder output during the first eleven months of the current Iranian calendar (March 21, 2022-February 19, 2023) totalled 206,887 tonnes. That reflected a 2 per cent drop from 211,499 tonnes during the same period of the previous year. Alumina is an important raw material for industrial applications, including construction materials, filling materials, abrasives, and catalysts. In plants and mechanical engineering, alumina ceramics are used for wear and corrosion protection. Due to these vital alumina applications, the material plays a prime role in the Iranian economy. Hence, the country has implemented several policies as part of its continuous...
In January 2023, alumina production in South America stood at 1.029 million tonnes, reflecting a month-on-month decline of 1.25 per cent from 1.042 million tonnes, found the International Aluminium Institute survey. However, on a year-on-year calculation, the output recorded an increase of 3.42 per cent from 995,000 tonnes. The daily average output of aluminium ore in South America was 33,200 tonnes during January 2023, marginally down by 400 tonnes from 33,600 tonnes a month ago. On an annual basis, the daily output edged an increase of 3.31 per cent or 1,100 tonnes compared to 32,100 tonnes. During January-December 2022, South America’s alumina production totalled 11.634 million tonnes, down by 3.94 per cent from 12.111 million tonnes in 2021. Now it is to see how the production in 2023...
According to the US Census Bureau survey, the United States imported 508,000 tonnes of alumina in the fourth quarter of 2022, which reflected a significant rise of 63,000 tonnes or 25.39 per cent quarter-on-quarter from 445,000 tonnes. On a year-on-year calculation, the United States alumina imports in Q4 2022 soared by 97,000 tonnes or 35.77 per cent from 411,000 tonnes. In the year's second half, the United States imported 953,000 tonnes of alumina, up by 2.58 per cent from 929,000 tonnes in H1 2022 and 27.58 per cent more than 747,000 tonnes in H2 2021. In the full year 2022, the United States sourced 1.88 million tonnes of alumina, which recorded a year-on-year increase of 21.29 per cent from 1.55 million tonnes, found the USGS data. In the fourth quarter of 2022, Brazil continued as...
In February 2023 (28 calendar days), China’s metallurgical-grade alumina production decreased by 3.9 per cent month-on-month to stand at 6.12 million tonnes versus 6.37 million tonnes in January (31 calendar days), found the Shanghai Metals Market data. But the daily output increased by 14,000 tonnes M-o-M from 205,000 tonnes to 219,000 tonnes. On a year-on-year calculation, China’s alumina production in February stood 16.1 per cent higher, with domestic installed capacity at 97.75 million tonnes and operating capacity at 79.14 million tonnes. The average domestic operating rate in February was 80.9 per cent, up by 7.95 percentage points from 74.94 per cent in January. That indicated China’s average daily output and the operating rate increased M-o-M in February, but monthly production...
Carborundum Universal Limited (CUMI), one of India's largest and oldest conglomerates and leading manufacturers of abrasives, ceramics, refractories, aluminium oxide grains and machine tools, unveiled its new product 'CUMI Monk' at GrindTec Fair in Leipzig, Germany. CUMI Monk or Monocrystalline Alumina is an electro-fused abrasive produced by blending high-purity alumina and special additives. Each particle of CUMI Monk is a single crystal of alpha-phase alumina. The uniqueness of the material is the little grain boundaries in the grains. The unique process applied to making CUMI Monk creates rough surfaces with firm cutting edges that give better bonding and sharper cutting actions compared to conventional alumina grains used in the abrasive industry, said the company during the product...
Vedanta Limited, Lanjigarh, announced last month that its in-house laboratory received an official certification, the first in India, for its ability to test calcined alumina on all relevant physical and chemical parameters such as Bulk Density, BET Surface Area, Iron, Silicon, and Sodium. That marked a new, significant achievement among many in its relentless pursuit of operational excellence. The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) issued the ISO 17025:2017 certification to Vedanta Lanjigarh’s Quality Control and Laboratory for meeting specialized requirements vital for competent calcined alumina testing. What makes this certification more remarkable is the Vedanta Lanjigarh team independently completed the NABL certification process in one go...
Alumina production in Europe (incl. Russia) stood at 517,000 tonnes during January 2023, which was down by 6.17 per cent or 34,000 tonnes from 551,000 tonnes in December 2022, found the International Aluminium Institute. On a year-on-year calculation, the output recorded a plunge of 41.58 per cent from 885,000 tonnes. In the entire year of 2022, alumina production in Europe (incl. Russia) totalled 8.219 million tonnes, reflecting a sharp decline of 20.97 per cent from 10.4 million tonnes a year ago. In January 2023, the world’s alumina production amounted to 11.647 million tonnes – 0.42 per cent less than 11.696 million tonnes a month ago. On a year-on-year basis, the output edged 1.09 per cent less than 11.775 million tonnes. In Europe, daily average alumina production during January...
Hindalco’s Belagavi Works plant in India has been enrolled under the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) and given the ASI Performance Standard V2 (2017) Certification. The first alumina refinery in India, Belagavi Works specialises in making calcined alumina, special calcined alumina, alumina hydrate and special alumina hydrate. The plant located in Karnataka was presented with the certification only last week. It produces almost ten dozen vivid grades of alumina portfolios. The plant yields alumina hydrates and special alumina for various non-metallurgical applications like ceramics, refractory, polishing, also for fire retardant filler in polymer composites zeolite and alum. After this successful accomplishment, Hindalco can claim to have three facilities attested under the ASI’s...
The average alumina spot price in China has started the week on Monday, March 6, with a drop of RMB 5 per tonne (US$0.73/t) to stand at RMB 2,936 per tonne (US$425.81/t), found the Shanghai Metals Market. In Guangxi, the alumina price has decreased by RMB 20 per tonne (US$2.9/t) to peg at RMB 2,835 per tonne (US$411.16/t), while in all other provinces stood restrained. According to SMM survey, the Australian alumina spot price has shed off US$3 per tonne to amount to US$366 per tonne as of March 6, 2023. A00 aluminium ingot price has shrunk by RMB 80 per tonne after three consecutive hikes last week. According to SMM, the primary aluminium ingot price has amounted to RMB 18,470 per tonne as of March 6, down by RMB 140 per tonne from RMB 18,330 per tonne a week ago . On a month-on-month...
Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, leader of Guinea's military junta, has offered the mining minister another two weeks to meet with bauxite miners and discuss alumina refinery construction plans, according to a report by Bloomberg. On March 4, 2023, the government of Guinea emailed that the mining companies must also submit their feasibility studies. Guinea has one of the world's largest reserves of bauxite, and it is of metallurgical grade as well. In order to expand its economy, the West African nation's government is trying to force bauxite exporters to build more refining capacity in the country. Guinea Alumina Corporation, a unit of Emirates Global Aluminum, Societe Miniere de Boke, and China's State Power Investment Corporation are among the companies due to submit their plans. After the...
Rusal, the world’s second-largest aluminium producer by primary output, has reportedly developed and inaugurated the production of raw materials for catalysts at the Achinsk Alumina Refinery (RUSAL Achinsk), besides the production of VOGA fire retardants. The project has involved an investment of more than RUB 800 million, taking the site's capacity to 5,000 tonnes per year. It has also created 50 additional jobs. Rusal Engineering and Technology Centre (Rusal ETC) specialists have invented a unique technology that enables the production of powder products for various purposes on the same equipment. The technology passed all necessary tests and proved claimed specifications, resulting in environmentally friendly production. The construction of RUSAL Achinsk was completed in two years. It...
The second largest chemicals company in Germany, Evonik, and also one of the largest speciality chemicals companies in the world, is investing multi-million euros in expanding production facilities for fumed alumina at its Yokkaichi site in Japan. The material will be used as an ultrathin coating for battery separator foils. This facility will be the German chemical company's first alumina asset in Asia, designed to produce speciality lithium-ion battery technologies for electric vehicles. Evonik revealed that construction will begin in the summer of 2023, while commercial operations will start in 2025. The project will also create additional jobs. However, the Japanese government subsidy is yet to be disclosed. Japan's automakers are at a fork in the road as the world shifts to electric...
World alumina production in January 2023 totalled 11.647 million tonnes, with China accounting for more than 50 per cent, found the International Aluminium Insitute. The world’s biggest alumina and primary aluminium producer churned out 6.7 tonnes of aluminium ore in January, which majorly remained unchanged from 6.68 million tonnes tonnes in December 2022. However, on a year-on-year calculation, China’s alumina output registered a hike of 4 per cent from 6.430 million tonnes. For January, world alumina production recorded a month-on-month drop of 0.42 per cent from 11.696 million tonnes and a year-on-year downfall of 1.09 per cent from 11.775 million tonnes. World daily average alumina production was recorded at 375,700 tonnes in January, down by 0.42 per cent from 377,300 tonnes...
