Ghana is seeking investors to establish an alumina refinery, aiming to close a gap in its bauxite-to-aluminium production chain as the country prepares to phase out raw mineral ore exports by 2030. President John Dramani Mahama has identified the absence of domestic alumina refining as a key obstacle to retaining more value from the country’s mineral resources. Speaking during a panel discussion at the 2026 Financial Times Africa Summit on October 21, Mahama said Ghana could no longer rely on exporting raw materials while importing finished products. The government wants more processing to take place locally, creating jobs and expanding industrial activity. “We cannot continue forever to be the exporter of raw materials to the rest of the world and consumers of finished products,” Mahama...
Aughinish Alumina, the Rusal-owned refinery in County Limerick and one of Ireland’s major industrial employers, remains outside the European Commission’s draft 22nd sanctions package against Russia, although pressure to restrict its alumina exports continues. However, the position could change as the European Commission consults EU member states on the proposed measures. Confidential discussions involving Commission officials and senior diplomats from all 27 member states are expected to take place over the coming weeks to assess support for the proposals and consider possible amendments. Alumina export restrictions remain under consideration The debate centres on Aughinish Alumina’s shipments to Russia, where the raw material is processed into aluminium at smelters owned by Rusal....
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Chinese and Japanese aluminium stocks gained on Wednesday after Norsk Hydro announced that its Alunorte alumina refinery in Brazil had reduced production to 50 per cent of capacity because of disruptions to its natural gas supply. The move added to concerns over raw material availability in an already tight aluminium market. The announcement lifted aluminium prices and supported shares of major producers. In Hong Kong, China Aluminum Corp. rose 2.46 per cent, while its Shanghai-listed shares gained 1.02 per cent. Tianshan Aluminum climbed 3.33 per cent, Yunnan Aluminum added 1.06 per cent, Shandong Nanshan increased 1.64 per cent, and China Hongqiao gained 1.58 per cent. In Japan, UACJ rose 3.35 per cent, while Daiki Aluminium gained 0.38 per cent. To know the futuristic market and value...
Activated alumina continues to play an important role in industrial gas drying as manufacturers across sectors such as petrochemicals, electronics, pharmaceuticals and general manufacturing look for more reliable ways to remove moisture from process gases. Shanghai Joozhou New Materials Co., Ltd. said its activated alumina products are designed for applications where low moisture levels are needed to help reduce equipment corrosion, protect production systems and improve operating efficiency. According to the company, activated alumina is used in compressed air systems, air separation units and natural gas processing, where conventional cooling and mechanical separation alone cannot achieve the low moisture levels required for sensitive industrial operations. The material adsorbs water...
Oceania produced 8.194 million tonnes of alumina in H1 2026, down 3.23 per cent from 8.467 million tonnes in H1 2025. The region’s average daily production also declined to 45.27 thousand tonnes, from 46.78 thousand tonnes a year earlier, a decrease of 3.23 per cent. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, production declined from 4.142 million tonnes in Q1 2026 to 4.052 million tonnes in Q2, a decrease of 90,000 tonnes, or 2.17 per cent. The daily average fell from 46 to 44.5 thousand tonnes, down 3.26 per cent. Compared with Q1 2025, production in Q1 2026 was 4.142 million tonnes, down 170,000 tonnes, or 3.94 per cent, from 4.312 million tonnes. The daily average also fell from 47.9 to 46 thousand tonnes, a decline of 3.97 per cent. In Q2, production stood at 4.052 million tonnes, compared with...
Jamalco has switched on a new power turbine at its Jamaican alumina refinery, allowing the plant to generate all its electricity independently of the national grid and potentially cut production costs by around USD 28 million a year. Jamalco has taken a major step towards reducing the cost of producing alumina after bringing a new power-generation turbine online at its refinery in Clarendon, Jamaica. The turbine, known as TG4, allows the refinery to generate all of its own electricity, reducing its reliance on purchases from Jamaica's national grid. Century Aluminum, which owns a 55 per cent stake in the Jamalco joint venture, expects the change to deliver savings of around USD 20 per tonne of alumina. With Jamalco capable of producing around 1.4 million tonnes of alumina a year, that...
China's alumina imports continued to rise sharply in the first half of 2026, but expanding domestic production and rising inventories have created a supply surplus that is expected to keep alumina prices volatile and largely range-bound in the near term, according to SunSirs. China imported 2.277 million metric tonnes of alumina between January and June 2026, a 749.1 per cent increase year-on-year, according to data from the General Administration of Customs. During the same period, alumina exports reached 1.609 million metric tonnes, up 19.8 per cent, leaving cumulative net imports at 668,000 metric tonnes as the country's reliance on imported alumina continued to grow. On August 4, the most-traded alumina futures contract was quoted at RMB 2,644 per metric tonne, up 0.38 per cent during...
Indonesia has resumed exports of minerals containing rare earth element (REE) byproducts, providing relief to exporters of alumina, bauxite, copper cathodes and nickel products after shipment delays caused by mandatory inspections for rare earth content. The Indonesian government said exports of minerals containing trace amounts of rare earth elements can proceed while it prepares new regulations governing acceptable concentration limits and export procedures. Presidential Chief of Staff Dudung Abdurachman said the restriction applies only to rare earth elements exported as a primary product and does not automatically extend to trace rare earth content found as byproducts in other mineral exports. "Exporting rare earth elements as a primary product is indeed prohibited. It does not...
Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd (BALCO) has inducted its second Bogie Tank Alumina Powder (BTAP) M-1 (B12) railway rake at its railway yard, strengthening the movement of alumina to support its aluminium production expansion. BALCO introduced the new rake as it works to increase its aluminium production capacity to 1 million tonnes a year. Alumina is the main raw material for making aluminium, so its transport must be smooth and regular for smelter operations. The rake has been inducted under Indian Railways' Liberalised Special Freight Train Operator (LSFTO) Scheme, allowing BALCO to increase the share of rail transport in its logistics network. The company said greater use of rail will improve the movement of bulk alumina while reducing dependence on road transportation. To know the...
Australian Vanadium Ltd has entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Alcoa to explore the use of long-duration vanadium flow battery (VFB) technology at the company's alumina refinery operations in Western Australia. The agreement also includes Australian Vanadium's wholly owned subsidiary, VSUN Energy, which will jointly lead the assessment. The partnership will begin with a scoping study to determine whether a VFB system rated at 50-80 megawatts, capable of storing energy for six to eight hours and potentially longer than eight hours, can be integrated into Alcoa's refining operations. The assessment will focus on how such a system could enhance operational reliability, reduce energy use during peak demand and enable greater use of renewable electricity across...
The global aluminium value chain faced mixed signals in the first half (H1) of 2026, with production growth in key regions, evolving trade flows and emerging supply risks shaping the market. From Guinea’s record bauxite exports and China’s growing alumina and aluminium output to disruptions in Indonesia and the Middle East, offer important insights for producers, traders, suppliers and buyers. Guinea’s exports rise, miners under pressure, Africa seeks value addition During H1 2026, Guinea exported a record 114.8 million tonnes of bauxite , up 15 per cent year-on-year. Strong Chinese demand reinforced shipments despite rising operating costs for smaller mines. However, weak global bauxite prices, higher fuel and freight prices owing to the Middle East conflict and heavy rains have squeezed...
TRUNNANO has released a comprehensive guide covering nine advanced ceramic crucible materials, aiming to help engineers optimise material selection for high-temperature industrial processes as aluminium, metallurgy and advanced manufacturing applications demand greater performance, durability and process efficiency, published in the company's advanced ceramics platform, www.ozbo.com According to Roger Luo, Chief Executive Officer of TRUNNANO, selecting the right crucible material is becoming increasingly important as manufacturers seek higher product purity, longer equipment life and improved process efficiency. "In high-temperature processes, a crucible is not merely a container - it is a critical factor determining product purity and process success," Luo said. Material selection is...
Every year, Brazil produces more than 13 million tonnes of red mud, making it one of the world's largest generators of the aluminium industry's biggest industrial residue. Created during alumina refining, red mud is unavoidable-but the amount produced is never determined by the residue itself. It depends on everything that happens much earlier, from the quality of bauxite entering a refinery to how efficiently alumina is extracted. In 2025, Brazil mined 33 million tonnes of bauxite. Around 27 million tonnes of that ore was refined domestically, producing 10.86 million tonnes of alumina and ultimately generating around 13.5 million tonnes of red mud. The numbers appear straightforward, showing stable red mud generation alongside rising bauxite production. The explanation begins long before...
Impact Minerals has advanced its Lake Hope High Purity Alumina (HPA) Project in Western Australia during the June quarter, completing key processing studies, progressing engineering work and commencing a pilot plant programme. The company reported further progress in producing high-purity alumina for semiconductor, battery and advanced technology applications, while expanding customer engagement and technical testing. The project is designed to produce 10,000 tonnes per year of HPA with a Pre-Feasibility Study estimating an NPV10 of AUD 1.2 billion (USD 844 million). Lake Hope project advances toward DFS Engineering work during the quarter focused on refining the project's processing flowsheet. CPC Engineering shortlisted technology options for the alumina calciner and identified two...
Australia's Andromeda Metals has moved a step closer to commercialising an alternative route to high-purity alumina (HPA), commissioning its pilot plant to transition from laboratory-scale production to a continuous manufacturing process using Great White kaolin as feedstock. The milestone marks the company's next phase in developing HPA outside the conventional aluminium feedstock route. The pilot programme, scheduled to run through the third quarter of 2026, is expected to generate commercial-grade 4N HPA samples in the second half of the year for customer qualification while providing engineering data for future feasibility studies. Unlike traditional HPA production, which typically relies on aluminium metal through the alkoxide process, Andromeda's proprietary technology uses refined...
The European Commission is reviewing the role of Ireland's Aughinish Alumina refinery in alumina supply chains serving third countries, including Russia, following the completion of an investigation by the Irish government. European Commission spokesperson Siobhán McGarry said the Commission had received the findings of the Irish investigation, which concluded that there was no evidence to support allegations that alumina produced at the refinery had been used in Russian weapons manufacturing. The outcome means there is currently no basis for sanctions or other restrictive measures linked to the plant. McGarry said, "The Commission is examining the report and analysing the role played by Aughinish itself vis-à-vis its export flows to Russia and to any third countries." To know the...
Global metallurgical-grade alumina production remained almost unchanged in the first half of 2026, totalling 70.24 million tonnes, compared with 70.27 million tonnes in H1 2025-a marginal decline of just 0.04 per cent year on year. But that near-flat headline conceals one of the most eventful six-month periods the alumina industry has witnessed in recent years. While China's expanding refining capacity helped cushion the global output, Africa and Asia (excluding China) struggled with tightening bauxite availability and weakening refinery margins. North America remained constrained by operational changes at its only operating refinery, Europe continued to battle elevated energy costs, Oceania adjusted to the permanent loss of refining capacity, and South America stood out as one of the few...
Indonesia is working to resolve a regulatory issue that has delayed exports of alumina and nickel products after authorities raised concerns over the presence of rare earth elements in some shipments. The country’s Presidential Chief of Staff, Dudung Abdurachman, has called for closer coordination among government agencies, law enforcement bodies, and industry to address the lack of regulations specifying the maximum allowable rare earth content in exports of other minerals. Officials acknowledged that the absence of clear rules has disrupted mineral shipments. Industry sources said alumina exports have been directly affected. One source in the aluminium industry said, "The government claims our alumina contains rare earth materials." Indonesia is a major exporter of alumina, a key raw...
Aluminium prices command the market's attention because they determine the value of the finished metal that carmakers, packaging manufacturers and construction firms ultimately buy. Yet one step up the supply chain, a quieter benchmark has spent the past three years doing something aluminium rarely does: moving on its own terms. Alumina, the intermediate product refined from bauxite and smelted into primary aluminium, surged past USD 800 per tonne in late 2024, lost more than half its value within months and, by mid-2026, was trading near USD 330 per tonne even as aluminium climbed towards multi-year highs. Traders focused solely on the LME aluminium price would have missed much of that story. The LME alumina price trend is where it began. Reading the LME alumina price trend through its...
Ireland’s Aughinish Alumina is back on the news forefront as the government report based on its investigation has found no evidence that alumina produced at the refinery is being exported to feed the Russian defence sector . However, owing to complexities emerging from global supply chains, authorities could not conclusively rule out such a possibility. Therefore, the EU has not ruled out the potential of including alumina exports in the 21st Sanctions Package on Russia. Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin shared the findings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in Kyiv, where the two leaders discussed concerns surrounding alumina exports to Russia. While President Zelenskyy suggested Ireland examine whether alumina could be sanctioned under national legislation ,...
