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....
Grow with
AL Circle
Has the alumina output of the Americas reflected a cooling effect across the global platform in the first half (H1) of 2026? According to industry data, cumulative alumina production in North America and South America from January to May totals 5.81 million tonnes. While the joint output registers a minor year-on-year dip of 0.38 per cent from 5.83 million tonnes in the same period of 2025, has the case been the same for the Americas on a singular basis? As of January-May, alumina produced in North America amounted to 790,000 tonnes, of which chemical-grade accounted for 169,000 tonnes and metallurgical grade for 621,000 tonnes. In the same period, South America produced 5.02 million tonnes, of which chemical grade totalled 389,000 tonnes and metallurgical grade contributed 4,629,000...
Indonesia’s breakneck build-out of alumina refining and aluminium smelting capacity is raising fresh alarm, with researchers warning the expansion could set off another wave of captive coal power construction while accelerating the drawdown of the country's bauxite ore reserves. The warning comes from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), whose analysts say the pattern now unfolding in Indonesia’s aluminium value chain closely mirrors what already happened in the country's nickel sector, where a rush of downstream processing capacity was built out faster than the resource base or the grid could sustainably support, locking in dependence on off-grid, coal-fired power. A familiar playbook: Coal-powered downstreaming Indonesia’s “downstreaming” policy, which bans the export...
Ireland has pledged to ensure that alumina produced at the Russian-owned Aughinish Alumina refinery is not used to support Russia's military, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the European Union to sanction the facility during his visit to Dublin. Speaking at a joint press conference on Wednesday following bilateral talks with Zelenskyy, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said the government's investigation into Aughinish Alumina's potential involvement in supplying material for Russian weapons production was nearing completion. "We do not want to be in a position where material emanating from a plant in Ireland goes to support the Russian war machine," Martin said. He added that the investigation would conclude soon, after which Ireland would discuss the findings with...
Aughinish Alumina will be required to provide almost EUR 31 million (USD 35.41 million) in financial security to cover the future closure of its alumina refinery in County Limerick and the environmental restoration of the site under a new agreement approved by Ireland's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The revised arrangement, finalised in early June, significantly reduces the State's reliance on guarantees from the refinery's parent company, Rusal. While previous agreements depended on a €14 million parental guarantee from the Russian aluminium producer, the new framework requires Aughinish Alumina to provide nearly the entire EUR 30.8 million (USD 34.34 million) estimated closure cost, with Rusal's contribution reduced to around EUR 220,000 (USD 250,564). According to the EPA, the...
The Irish government is considering seeking financial support from the European Union (EU) to keep Aughinish Alumina operating if fresh sanctions on Russia cloud the future of the refinery owing to its Russian ownership. Officials are reportedly examining several measures, including temporary State control of the County Limerick refinery, should European sanctions halt the company's operations. However, given Aughinish's strategic importance to European industry, such intervention might depend on financial aid from Brussels. Explore: The most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Report The refinery, which employs 459 workers, has come under increasing scrutiny since concerns...
Tajikistan and Azerbaijan are discussing a potential industrial cooperation arrangement under which Tajikistan would import alumina from Azerbaijan while supplying aluminium to the Azerbaijani market, according to Tajikistan's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Ilhom Abdurakhmon. The proposal was discussed during the latest meeting of the Azerbaijan-Tajikistan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation in Baku. During the meeting, both sides expressed interest in expanding cooperation in the aluminium sector. Tajikistan is ready to purchase alumina from Azerbaijan to support its aluminium production industry, while Azerbaijan's growing demand for aluminium could provide an export market for Tajik producers. Ambassador Abdurakhmon said favourable logistics and market conditions...
After Estonia’s call for Aughinish Alumina export sanctions on Russia , Belarus has joined the discussion with the European Union (EU). Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has urged the EU to halt alumina exports to Russia, arguing that the materials support industrial and military production. Speaking at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Tsikhanouskaya appreciated the investigation undertaken by The Irish Times and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project , claiming that alumina produced at the Aughinish Alumina refinery in Co Limerick, Ireland, may have entered Russian supply chains connected to military applications. She stated that the EU should continue closing sanction loopholes that could provide economic or industrial support...
Every aluminium smelter depends on a steady supply of alumina, and securing that supply begins at refineries such as Guangxi Huayin in southern China. Operated by Aluminum Corporation of China (Chalco), the facility converts imported and domestic bauxite into smelter-grade alumina, supplying both the company's own smelting network and external customers along the southern Chinese coast. For most buyers, the end product is simply a white powder arriving in bulk shipments. Behind that powder, however, sits a refining operation that has become an important part of Chalco's supply chain in a region where high-quality bauxite remains in limited supply. Bauxite entering Guangxi Huayin passes through the Bayer process before emerging as alumina suitable for aluminium production. Digestion tanks,...
The Irish High Court has overturned the approval granted to Aughinish Alumina’s expansion plan for its Bauxite Residue Disposal Area (BRDA) by 8 million cubic metres. Citing review gaps, the court sent the red mud project back to An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) for fresh consideration. The proposal would have allowed the largest alumina refinery in Europe, in County Limerick, to increase the capacity of its bauxite residue or red mud storage facility. The capacity ramp-up would have added another 22,500 cubic metres of salt cake, enabling continued refinery operations on the Shannon Estuary until 2039. The decision follows a successful judicial review brought by the Limerick-based Environmental Trust Ireland (ETI), which expressed doubt over ACP's approval issued in March 2025. Explore the...
Andromeda Metals has started commissioning its high-purity alumina (HPA) pilot plant. It marks another step towards commercial production using Great White kaolin and its proprietary processing technology. The pilot plant will allow the company to test continuous production rather than batch processing and is to operate through the third quarter of 2026. The company plans to use the program for future feasibility work and project development. Andromeda plans to produce commercial-grade 4N HPA samples in the second half of 2026. These samples will be sent to potential customers for qualification testing, an important stage before commercial supply agreements can be secured. The pilot plant follows earlier laboratory work in which the company produced HPA with a purity level of 99.9985 per...
Empire Metals has designed a new process flowsheet for its Pitfield titanium project and plans to produce alumina as a co-product through processing. Alumina, a hard, durable chemical compound extracted primarily from bauxite ore and heavily used as a primary material for smelting aluminium metal. Previously, Empire Metals explained that its mining body contains several minerals apart from titanium minerals. Among those is an alumina clay mineral. Managing Director of the company, Shaun Bunn, said that they want to reject that concentration from the front end of the plant through flotation because it has a tendency to dilute the titanium concentrate. But this is a very natural carryover during the process. He said, “Rather than continue to try and reject it, we can actually extract the...
Greenland Mines will fortify its foothold in the critical minerals segment of the economy through a strategic investment in the mineral-focused technology and resource development company, AnorTech Inc., for an initial equity stake of 9.9 per cent. Under the terms of this agreement, Greenland Mines will also have an option to increase its ownership in AnorTech to no more than 19.9 per cent over the next six months. This action bolsters Greenland's determination to create a comprehensive supply chain for critical materials. The investment supports Greenland Mines’ North Atlantic Critical Metals Corridor strategy, an initiative designed to connect Greenland’s abundant mineral resources with allied industrial and processing hubs. Through the partnership, the company gains exposure to...
As the push for halting Aughinish Alumina exports to Russia intensifies with the latest urge from Estonia , Ireland’s Minister of State, Seán Canney, indicated his support for potential EU sanctions, provided the ongoing investigation proves Russia’s use of alumina in military and industrial capabilities is legitimate. Minister Canney stated that the issue was under active examination and asserted the State would take necessary action if “reliable and hard evidence” from the ongoing investigation by the Department of Enterprise were brought to the table within the next two weeks. Explore the relevance of red mud in the sustainable aluminium industry in A Comprehensive Analysis of Bauxite Residue (Red Mud): Sustainability, Resource Recovery and Strategic Recommendations Regarding the...
As prevailing geopolitical volatility has led the European Union (EU) to impose trade sanctions on Russia-bound exports, alumina shipment concerns have taken centre stage. EU-member nation Estonia has renewed its call for a complete ban on alumina exports to Russia, citing concerns that the material continues to support sectors critical to the country's military and industrial capabilities. Foreign Minister of Estonia, Margus Tsahkna, argued that closing trade loopholes that allow Russia access to strategic raw materials is an imperative for the EU. This is pointed out particularly in light of the ongoing alumina shipments from Ireland to Russia. “Alumina is a key input in aluminium production, and aluminium is a strategically important material for Russia's defence, aviation and military...
Alcoa Corporation expects alumina shipments from its Pinjarra refinery in Australia to decline by about 120,000 tonnes in the second quarter compared with the first quarter, following disruptions caused by Cyclone Narelle. Speaking at the Wells Fargo Industrials & Materials Conference in Chicago, Alcoa Chief Financial Officer Molly Beerman said the cyclone, which struck Australia in March, disrupted liquefied natural gas supplies to the company's Pinjarra alumina refinery. The Pinjarra facility has an annual alumina production capacity of 4.7 million tonnes. According to Beerman, the disruption is expected to increase second-quarter production costs at the refinery by about USD 30 million. Alcoa is also facing higher costs at its Sao Luis alumina refinery in Brazil. Beerman said the...
Irish authorities are reviewing reports that alumina exports from the Russian-owned Aughinish Alumina refinery could have indirectly reached entities linked to Russia's defence industry, adding to calls for tighter oversight of strategic material supply chains. The issue has also brought renewed attention to official trade data. Earlier this month, The Irish Times reported that 83 per cent of Irish alumina exports in the first quarter of 2026 were shipped to Russia, citing figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). However, Ireland's Enterprise Minister Peter Burke later said the data was inaccurate, explaining that the actual distribution was closer to 45 per cent of exports going to Russia and around 45 per cent to the EU and other international markets. Explore: The most...
A rise in energy costs and disruption to one of the world’s most important shipping routes are creating fresh challenges for Alcoa, with the company warning that the impact will be felt in its results for the current quarter. The concern centres on the alumina business, which supplies the raw material used to produce aluminium. Speaking at the Wells Fargo Industrials & Materials Conference, Chief Financial Officer Molly Beerman said the division is facing significant pressure and is expected to remain unprofitable during the quarter. Her comments unsettled investors, sending Alcoa shares lower. The financial impact is already becoming clear. Alcoa estimates that its São Luís refinery in Brazil will incur around USD 15 million in additional fuel costs. The production expenses are expected...
China's alumina industry has been expanding steadily over the past six years. Production has increased from 71 million tonnes in 2020 to around 92.9–94.5 million tonnes in 2025, an overall rise of about 31–33 per cent. But behind every new tonne of alumina lies another, less visible story that begins in the bauxite mines and after the refining process leaves behind a highly alkaline by-product known as red mud. To understand why this residue is becoming an increasingly important issue, it is necessary to look at the raw material that feeds China's refineries. It all starts with the ore Every tonne of alumina begins with bauxite, but the quality of that bauxite determines how efficiently it can be refined and how much waste is left behind. Here, China faces a structural challenge. Only 25...
