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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The average alumina spot price in China has declined by RMB 14 per tonne to stand at RMB 2,306 per tonne on Tuesday, October 20, following a restraint at RMB 2,320 per tonne from October 14 to 19, according to the Shanghai Metals Market. In Shandong, the price has decreased by RMB 35 per tonne to RMB 2,285 per tonne, while that in Henan and Shanxi has contracted by RMB 20 per tonne and RMB 10 per tonne to come in at RMB 2,300 per tonne. In Guizhou and Guangxi, the average alumina spot price has continued to be at RMB 2,345 per tonne. The imported alumina price has dipped as well by RMB 10 per tonne to stand at RMB 2,330 per tonne. However, the price of Australian Alumina FOB has remained muted at US$ 277 per tonne. Backed on the decline in alumina spot price, the price of A00 aluminium...
Mining company South32 reported alumina production of 1.315 million tonnes in Q1 FY21, compared to 1.358 million tonnes in Q4 FY20. That was down 3 per cent quarter-on-quarter. Alumina production was up 1 per cent year-on-year. Worsley Alumina saleable alumina production decreased by 5% quarter-on-quarter to 963,000 tonnes in the September 2020 quarter as a scheduled calciner shut was completed. Hydrate production rose by 4% to 1.010 million tonnes with the hydrate circuit operating at a record annualised rate of 4.65mtpa (100% basis). Alumina production was up 1 per cent year-on-year. “FY21 production guidance remains unchanged at 3,965kt with the refinery on track to sustainably achieve nameplate capacity,” South32 said. “Our priority remains keeping our people safe and well,...
Rio Tinto’s alumina production in the third quarter of 2020 was 7% higher than the same period of 2019. This was due to higher production at both Pacific refineries, considering a planned major shutdown at Yarwun during the quarter. Alumina production stood at 1.954 million tonnes in Q3. On a quarter-on-quarter comparison, the output registered a decrease of 2%. Rio Tinto Chief Executive J-S Jacques said “ Rio Tinto has shown great resilience through challenging conditions and will continue to prioritise the health and safety of our employees, contractors and communities. The quality of our assets, coupled with our strong focus on capital discipline and value over volume approach, mean we can continue to invest in our business, support our communities, pay taxes and royalties to host...
DADA Holdings LLC, the principal owner of New Day Aluminum, and Enervoxa, a Canadian based green technologies company, together announce a ground-breaking joint venture, ElementUS, to extract valuable rare earth elements and minerals from bauxite residue at New Day’s alumina refinery in Gramercy, Louisiana. ElementUS will deploy Enervoxa technology to separate bauxite residue into its component materials, including several rare earth elements along with iron, titanium and alumina. The refinery’s bauxite residue contains 10 of the 17 rare earth elements and 15 minerals identified as strategic and critical by the United States Defence Logistics Agency, many of which exist in unusually high concentrations. ElementUS plans to build a one million ton per year state of the art and...
As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, average spot alumina price in China has decreased by RMB 14 per tonne on Wednesday, 14 October 2020 to stand at RMB 2320 per tonne, after remaining flat at 2334 per tonne since September 21. Alumina prices in Shandong and Henan have declined by RMB 5 per tonne and RMB 20 per tonne to stand at RMB 2320 per tonne each. The prices of alumina in Shanxi, Guizhou, Guangxi China markets have dropped by RMB 10 per tonne each to stand at RMB 2310 per tonne, RMB 2345 per tonne and RMB 2345 per tonne on Wednesday, 14 October 2020. Alumina (Imported) price has reduced to RMB 2340 per tonne, representing a drop of RMB 10 per tonne after remaining unchanged at RMB 2350 per tonne since September 14. The average price is expected to move within a range of RMB...
According to the latest data revealed by the Shanghai Metals Market, China’s alumina production in September 2020 stood at 5.91 million tonnes, including 5.7 million tonnes of metallurgical-grade alumina. This marked a downfall of 1.04 per cent from 5.76 million tonnes of metallurgical-grade alumina output in August 2020. However, the daily average output stood up by 2.29 per cent month-on-month from 185,700 tonnes to 189,000 tonnes in September. On a year-on-year basis, the daily output was up by 5.56 per cent. The resumption of new capacities in southwest China and stable operating rates at northern refineries accounted for the rise in China’s daily average alumina output. The total production of metallurgical-grade alumina over the first nine months of the year amounted to 49.79...
Altech Chemicals Limited aiming to become the world’s leading supplier of HPA has announced that it has received a commitment letter from State Ministry for Economic, Labour and Transport, Saxony, Germany for a grant of €7,380,000. The grant would be available to Altech towards the support of total investment for construction of a high purity alumina (HPA) plant at the Schwarze Pumpe Industrial Park, in the State of Saxony, Germany. The grant offer follows the July 2020 signing of an option to purchase agreement by Altech’s wholly-owned German subsidiary Altech Industries Germany Gmbh, for a 10-hectare industrial site in the Schwarze Pumpe Industrial Park, Saxony and a recent joint site visit to the industrial park by Altech alternate director Mr Uwe Ahrens accompanied by various Altech...
Hydro has announced the termination of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Golar Power and CELBA. The MoU, which was signed in July 2020, between Hydro’s alumina refinery Alunorte, Golar Power Brasil Participações and Centrais Elétricas Barcarena (CELBA) for the project to bring liquified natural gas (LNG) to the Alunorte alumina refinery has been terminated. “The decision to terminate the MoU is based on the provisions of the agreement. Hydro is committed to pursue natural gas as an energy source for the Alunorte refinery and will continue discussions with interested parties,” Hydro said.
Ghana is the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve the Millenium Development Goal 1, which is the target of halving extreme poverty. Ghana has recently become a middle-income country. Ghana's economic freedom score is 59.4, making its economy the 104th freest in the 2020 Index. Ghana is ranked 11th among 47 countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, and its overall score is well above the regional average and slightly below the world average. The West African nation’s alumina import during 2019 has been recorded at 84,710 and the expenditure occurred for the import remained at $28.87 million. The alumina import for 2020 has been evaluated at 135,153 tonnes, growth by 59.54%, Y-o-Y surplus volume of 50,443 tonnes and foreign revenue to be expended is expected at $42.39 million, a...
Blockchain Foundry Inc., a leading North American blockchain development firm, has entered into an agreement with Alumina Partners (Ontario) Ltd., a subsidiary of Alumina Partners LLC, for a drawdown equity financing facility of up to C$4 million. It covers for a period of over a 24-month. Blockchain Foundry has the right to draw down on the facility, at its sole discretion, through tranches of equity private placements of up to C$250,000 each. The Units will be priced at a discount of 15% to 25% from the then most recent closing price of the Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange at the time of the applicable Company drawdown notice to Alumina. “The exercise price of the Warrants will be set at a 30% premium to the market price of the Shares and will have a term of three years from...
Austria is a well-developed market economy with a skilled labour force and a high standard of living. Its economy features a large service sector, a sound industrial sector, and a small, but highly developed agricultural sector. FocusEconomics panellists forecasted GDP will contract 6.6% in 2020, and grow by 4.8% in 2021. The southern part of Central European nation’s export of alumina during 2017-19 has been recorded at 54,515 tonnes, which generated revenue of $14.13 million. The analysed export for 2020 has been marked ta 19,553 tonnes and revenue earning to stand at $6.38 million, however, when the existing two years export and earning gets assorted, it depicts 74,068 tonnes and $20.51 million respectively. Austria’s alumina export in 2017 stood at 10,627 tonnes and earnings remained...
New Day Aluminum Holdings, and its parent company, DADA Holdings, are in discussions with several potential global partners on various strategic initiatives to materially expand its capabilities and further secure the long term sustainability of Noranda Alumina, its Louisiana-based alumina refinery. These initiatives range in scope from a major shift in its bauxite residue capabilities on its path to becoming a zero-residue refinery, to several potential ventures with major industry players to continue to build on Gramercy’s metallurgical and non-metallurgical product capabilities and capacities. While most of these initiatives are associated with its refinery, some would potentially involve the company’s Jamaican bauxite operations and speciality businesses in the U.S. and Europe. David...
SRG Global Limited has received $100m contract with South32 Worsley Alumina to deliver specialist Refractory Services, including gunning and casting and installation of refractory products and anchors. The company will start its work this month for a duration of eight years. South32 has also extended the company’s existing engineered Access Services contract worth $25m for a further two years. SRG Global will continue to provide access services at South32’s Worsley Alumina operations until mid-2027. David Macgeorge, Managing Director, said: “These contracts are a terrific achievement for SRG Global and we are excited to be expanding our partnership with South32 to continue to deliver long-term value for their Worsley operations. “This continues our focus on cross-selling our diverse...
The BUMN mining holding or Mining Industry Indonesia (MIND ID) is still working on several strategic projects even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, one of which is the Smelter Grade Alumina Refinery (SGAR). This project is a collaboration between PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminum (Inalum) and PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (ANTM). The composition of Inalum's share ownership in SGAR is recorded at 60%, while the remaining 40% is owned by ANTM. The two of them formed a subsidiary called PT Borneo Alumina Indonesia (BAI). Orias Petrus Moedak, President Director of MIND ID said: “The project, which is located in Mempawah, West Kalimantan, will connect the supply chain between the bauxite mineral ore from ANTM's IUP and Inalum's aluminium smelter.” “So far, Indonesia often exports raw bauxite which is processed...
Alumina production in North America continued to grow in August 2020, according to the latest data revealed by the International Aluminium Institute. From 231,000 tonnes in July, alumina output in North America increased by 7,000 tonnes or 3.03 per cent to stand at 238,000 tonnes in August. The output in July grew by 8,000 tonnes or 3.6 per cent from 223,000 tonnes in June. In May, North America produced 210,000 tonnes of alumina, meaning June saw a rise of 13,000 tonnes or 6.19 per cent in the output. However, on a year-on-year basis, North America’s alumina output in August decreased by 8.11 per cent from 259,000 tonnes. In the first eight months, alumina production in North America totalled 1.79 million tonnes, down by 7.73 per cent year-on-year from 1.94 million tonnes. In South...
West Europe’s alumina production stood 2.74 per cent higher year-on-year to 487,000 tonnes in August 2020. The output increased by 2.1 per cent from July’s production of 477,000 tonnes and 1.88 per cent from June’s production of 478,000 tonnes. In the first eight months of 2020, alumina output amounted to 3.806 million tonnes, from 3.876 million tonnes in the first eight months of 2019, according to the latest data showed by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). This marks a decrease of 1.81% year-on-year. Alumina output in West Europe stood at 5.738 million tonnes in 2019. East & Central Europe alumina production increased by 7.63 per cent year-on-year to 395,000 tonnes in August. The output inched up by 3.13 per cent from July’s production of 383,000 tonnes and 10.34 per cent...
According to the latest data released by the International Aluminium Institute, world alumina production in August 2020 stood flat at 11.366 million tonnes, following a hike of 3.1 per cent from 11.029 million tonnes in June to 11.367 tonnes in July 2020. On a year-on-year basis, the output in August increased by 2.6 per cent from 11.079 million tonnes, unlike the previous month when world alumina production saw a mere decline of 0.5 per cent over the year. The world’s total alumina production in the first eight months of 2020 stood at 88.831 million tonnes, registering an increase of 1 per cent from 88.095 million tonnes during the same period last year. China, being the highest global alumina producer, churned out 5.910 million tonnes in August, the same as that of July 2020 but...
Chevron, the American multinational energy corporation has signed an agreement to supply a supplementary 37PJ (962mn m³) of gas sourced from the three LNG projects located offshore Western Australia (WA) to Alcoa's alumina refineries in the southwest part of the state, adding to an existing contract with Alcoa for 64PJ of gas. The Chevron gas supply contract is one of three sales and purchase agreements that Alcoa has signed with gas producers. Alcoa has signed three new gas SPAs, which together will supply 198PJ of gas to its WA alumina refineries, starting from 2024. Alcoa said: “The agreements with Chevron, ExxonMobil and Australian independent Warrego Energy, coupled with existing gas contracts, will supply Alcoa's three refining operations in Western Australia over 10 years. The gas...
