Chevron Australia has entered a new natural gas supply agreement with South32’s Worsley Alumina business, reinforcing the importance of reliable energy supplies to Australia’s alumina refining industry. The deal will support operations at the Western Australian facility, where energy availability remains central to mineral processing and industrial activity. Under the contract, Chevron will supply natural gas to South32 Worsley Alumina Pty Ltd from 1 January 2028. The arrangement continues a longstanding commercial relationship between the companies, with the fuel allocated to the alumina producer’s processing requirements. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our report: " Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade...
Rio Tinto and Rondo Energy have commenced front-end engineering and design for a 30 MW/360 MWh thermal energy storage project at the Yarwun alumina refinery near Gladstone, Queensland, marking a potential milestone in the use of heat batteries to reduce emissions from alumina refining. The Rondo Heat Battery will store energy as high-temperature heat in refractory bricks and supply continuous process heat to support Rio Tinto’s alumina refining operations. If progressed, the project would be one of the first large-scale demonstrations of thermal energy storage for industrial process heat globally and a world-first for the alumina industry. Heat batteries target round-the-clock industrial demand Australia regularly experiences four to six hours of surplus solar-generated renewable...
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As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, average spot alumina price in China has registered a hike after three days of restraint. The price has marked an increase of RMB 11 per tonne to stand at RMB 2303 per tonne on Tuesday, 08 December 2020. The prices of alumina in Shandong, Henan and Shanxi China markets have risen by RMB 10 per tonne, RMB 15 per tonne and RMB 15 per tonne to stand at RMB 2290 per tonne, RMB 2310 per tonne and RMB 2310 per tonne on Tuesday, 08 December 2020. Alumina prices in Guizhou and Guangxi have dropped by RMB 10 per tonne and RMB 5 per tonne to RMB 2275 per tonne and RMB 2270 per tonne. Australian alumina FOB price stands at USD 292.5 per tonne. This registers an increase of USD 8 per tonne. A00 aluminium ingot price remains unchanged at RMB 16500 per tonne on...
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with alumina producer Hangzhou Jinjiang Group Co. Ltd (HJJ) for securing Alba’s alumina requirements. Alba’s Chairman of the Board Shaikh Daij bin Salman bin Daij Al Khalifa commented: “This Memorandum of Understanding translates Company’s strategy to have a vertically integrated business model as well as partially hedge against Alumina price volatility and supply constraints. We are also excited to explore more avenues for collaboration with HJJ which will further consolidate Alba’s status as one of the world’s leading aluminium producers.” HJJ is a leading alumina producer with an annual nameplate capacity of 10 million tonnes in China. The MoU will remain in effect for a period of three years. Both entities can...
A time at odds on the environmental aspect of the future of the Alteo alumina plant in Gardanne, the mayors of Bouc-Bel-Air and Gardanne in a joint press release on 5 th December’20 stated that they place their trust in the project to continue the activity of the mining industrialist United mining supply (UMS). “It turns out that the solidity of the UMS file does not suffer from any possible comparison on the financial, industrial, environmental dimensions and in terms of support for employees”, consider the councillors. The mayor of Bouc-Bel-Air, Richard Maillé, also expresses his opinion on the prospective buyer in a joint letter with the mayors of the neighbouring towns of Simiane-Collongue and Cabriès addressed to the receiver that they reaffirm their desire to see the Mange-Garri...
At the 2020 Nonferrous Metals Industry Chain Annual Conference in Suzhou, Joyce Li, senior analyst at SMM, noted that China’s alumina market would likely see a supply deficit of 361,000 tonnes in 2020, with annual average operating rate at refineries at 78.03 per cent. “Operating rates at Chinese alumina plants hovered at low levels in 2020, and demand and supply of alumina remained in tight balance,” said Li. Li mentioned that there were 68.65 million tonnes of alumina capacity in operation as of early December among 88.4 million tonnes per year of existing capacity. In the first ten months of 2020, China produced 55.74 million tonnes of metallurgical-grade alumina, down 3.23 per cent year-on-year. By the end of the year, the output is expected to reach 67.54 million tonnes, 1.65 per...
The economic situation of Argentina remained frightful in Q3 after GDP collapsed in Q2. While the pace of the decline in economic activity softened in July-August from Q2, it remained considerable. Similarly, consumer confidence remained downbeat in Q3, pointing to constrained household spending. The South American nation’s import volume of alumina during 2019-20 is highlighted with 1,421,678 tonnes and the foreign revenue expenditure accounted for the import stands at $470.26 million. However, Argentina's top two major suppliers of alumina are Australia and Brazil. Aluar Aluminio Argentino is the only aluminium smelter in Argentina and one of the largest in South America. Most of Aluar's operations are carried out in the Primary Division at its plant in Puerto Madryn and plates, ingots,...
As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, average spot alumina price in China has hiked for the second time in a row. The price registered an increase of RMB 4 per tonne to stand at RMB 2292 per tonne on Wednesday, 02 December 2020. The prices of alumina in Shandong, Henan and Shanxi China markets have risen by RMB 5 per tonne to stand at RMB 2280 per tonne, RMB 2295 per tonne and RMB 2295 per tonne on Wednesday, 02 December 2020. Alumina prices in Guangxi dropped by RMB 5 per tonne to RMB 2275 per tonne. SMM aluminium ingot price edged higher by RMB 100 per tonne to stand at RMB 17080 per tonne on Wednesday, 02 December 2020, from Tuesday’s price of RMB 16980 per tonne. This marked the sixth consecutive rise in aluminium ingot price. The price is expected to range at RMB 17060-17100 per...
According to the Shanghai Metals Market, many northern regions in China have issued output control policies for the 2020-21 heating season. In mid-November, Lvliang in Shanxi province issued the List of Heavy Pollution Weather Emergency Emission Reductions in 2020, including ten alumina refineries and one aluminium smelter. The document issued by Lvliang also includes set requirements for production and transport at these companies. In Henan, one alumina refinery has shut down two roasting furnaces until now, leaving 450,000 tonnes per year of roasting capacity in operation. Another refinery in Henan has closed one roasting furnace, leaving 1.8 million tonnes per year of roasting capacity in operation. In Shanxi, one alumina refinery is currently operating a roasting furnace with capacity...
In October 2020, alumina production in South America stood at 926,000 tonnes, registering an increase of 24.63 per cent month-on-month following a slight dip in the previous month, showed the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). In September 2020, alumina production in South America came in at 743,000 tonnes, down by 3,000 tonnes from 746,000 in August. South America’s alumina output in August 2020 also recorded a decrease of 22.45 per cent month-on-month from 962,000 tonnes in July. So, the total alumina production during July-October 2020 amounted to 3.577 million tonnes, down by 9.44 per cent from 3.950 million tonnes during the same period last year. In the first ten months of the year (January-October), alumina production in South America totalled 9.664 million tonnes, growing by...
The National Industrial Development Center (NIDC), which shoulders the responsibility of transforming Saudi Arabia’s industrial sector by creating new industries to diversify the economy and meet vision 2030 ambitions, has associated with the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources. The Development Center and the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources is evaluating the development of more than $10.66 billion (SAR 40 billion) worth of projects in multiple business divisions. The investment opportunities include an alumina refinery among other non-ferrous metal industries. Nizar Y. Al-Hariri, CEO, NIDC, said: “The Kingdom’s industrial strategy aimed at enhancing the target business segments, and attracting top-notch industrial investments over the coming years, which will boost the...
The Chinese company engaged in alumina refinery project, PT Bintan Alumina Indonesia (BAI), will commence its operations in early 2021 in the Galang Batang Special Economic Zone (KEK), Bintan Regency, Riau Islands. Santoni, President Director of PT BAI stated that currently, BAI is the lone company that to process bauxite in the Riau Islands. "So it is estimated that in January or February 2021 it can operate," he commented. The bauxite to be processed to alumina by PT BAI will not only from Bintan Island but also from several regions of Kalimantan. "The electricity supply is almost ready. We estimate that the PLTU in the operational location will start operating in December 2020," said Santoni. "There are a few obstacles related to land claims made by people who claim to be land...
In West Europe, alumina production in October 2020 stood at 448,000 tonnes, recording a hike of 15,000 tonnes or 3.46 per cent from 433,000 tonnes in September. The output in September 2020 was, however, down by 11.09 per cent month-on-month from 487,000 tonnes in August 2020. Thus, the total alumina production in West Europe during August-October amounted to 1.368 million tonnes, down by 5.07 per cent from 1.441 million tonnes during the corresponding period last year. On a year-on-year basis, alumina production in West Europe for October recorded a downfall of 30,000 tonnes or 6.28 per cent from 478,000 tonnes. During January-October 2020, alumina production in West Europe totalled 4.686 million tonnes, 3.24 per cent lesser than 4.843 million tonnes during the same period last year. In...
The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) data shows the world alumina production in October 2020 stood at 11.450 million tonnes compared with 10.855 million tonnes in September 2020. This represents that production in October grew by 5.48 per cent month-on-month, following a drop of 4.81 per cent in the month earlier from 11.404 million tonnes in August 2020. Total production during August-October amounted to 33.709 million tonnes, up by 1.82 per cent from 33.106 million tonnes during the same period last year. On a year-on-year calculation, alumina production in October 2020 recorded a surge of 1.96 per cent from 11.226 million tonnes. In the first 10 months of the year, the world alumina output totalled 110.466 million tonnes, 0.55 per cent higher than 109.866 million tonnes during...
China’s average alumina spot price has recorded a dip of RMB 2 per tonne to close the week on Friday, November 27, at RMB 2,281 per tonne, according to the Shanghai Metals Market. The price has recorded a change today after remaining restrained for the last two consecutive days on November 25 & 26. However, today, except for Guizhou and Guangxi, average alumina spot price has remained muted in Shandong, Henan, and Shanxi. In Guangxi and Guizhou, average alumina spot price has dropped by RMB 10 per tonne and RMB 5 per tonne to stand, respectively, at RMB 2,290 per tonne and RMB 2,295 per tonne. Imported alumina price and Australian alumina FOB price have also registered no change from RMB 2,310 per tonne and US$ 283 per tonne, respectively. Despite the loss of average alumina spot price,...
Ghana is home to three out of the four stages in producing aluminium. Only the alumina refining stage does not take place in Ghana. The rest, namely bauxite mining, aluminium smelter producing ingots and the casting of aluminium ingots into sheets, coils and profiles, take place here. The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) has highlighted the need for the country to establish an alumina refinery plant to process raw bauxite and create an integrated aluminium industry. The establishment of the alumina refinery would inflate the country's revenue earnings from the mineral and also open up an industry that would create jobs, businesses and entrepreneurs. An observation followed by the export facilitation body that the country was earning less from its large deposits of bauxite materials...
As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, average spot alumina price in China has increased by RMB 4 per tonne on Tuesday, 24 November 2020 to stand at RMB 2283 per tonne, after a decline of RMB1 per tonne since yesterday. Alumina price in Shanxi has risen by RMB 10 per tonne to stand at RMB 2280 per tonne. The prices of alumina in Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, Guizhou, Guangxi China markets have remained unchanged at RMB 2275 per tonne, RMB 2280 per tonne, RMB 2300 per tonne and RMB 2300 per tonne on Tuesday, 24 November 2020. Australian alumina FOB price stands USD 3 per tonne higher. The price stands at USD 283 per tonne. A00 aluminium ingot price has dropped by RMB 50 per tonne after four days of rise. The price stands at RMB 15930 per tonne on Tuesday, 24 November 2020 from Monday’s price of...
Vedanta Lanjigarh, India’s premier producer of metallurgical grade alumina, has begun the ‘Energy Conservation Project’ to promote clean lighting and clean cooking in the villages of Lanjigarh. Under the project, the company has already distributed solar lights to every household in Dengsargi village. This initiative is specially designed, aiming at involving employees in community development projects. This initiative is also to ensure non-polluting, reliable, and affordable source of energy for the community in a sustainable manner. The distribution of solar lights and fuel-efficient chullah to replace firewood will improve energy efficiency in the villages, reduce respiratory health risks among women and children, and save costs. Prior to this, solar lights were also distributed in...
Vedanta Limited announced Organizational changes last month, wherein it centralized the Procurement & Marketing functions across all it’s businesses into an integrated Group Commercial Organization. As part of these Organization changes, Vedanta appointed Deeptaman Mukherjee as the ‘Director, Group Commercial - Bauxite & Alumina’, in the Group Commercial Organization. Deeptaman has been a known face in the Bauxite & Alumina, and the larger Aluminium industry, and before this appointment, was the Head of Alumina Procurement, for Vedanta’s Aluminium Business. His association with Vedanta Group is approx. 12 years, with initial stints at Vedanta’s Iron-Ore & Copper business, wherein he has led/been part of Supply Chain, Commercial, Strategic Raw Materials, Strategy & Supplier Development,...
Alteo alumina refinery, the producer of world-class speciality alumina is still in the run, as two houses are standing deadlock towards presenting their plan at the Marseille Commercial Court on November 17 to take over the plant. The refinery based in Gardanne in the Bouches-du-Rhône has been in receivership since demand collapsed last year. Eight offers were placed on the judges' desk this summer, while six withdrew, failing to convince the unions. The last two were presented to employees on 13 th November during an extraordinary social and economic committee gathering. The first comes from the logistics group United Mining Supply (UMS) based in Guinea. This family business knows the sector very well, as it holds a 30% stake in SMB, the world's largest bauxite mine, the raw material for...
