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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Altech Chemicals has delivered a positive outcome from high purity alumina research activities administered by Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. The Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS) of Dresden, Germany, specializes in lithium-ion battery research. This research focused on assessing how impurities, such as sodium, leach from lower quality alumina (sub-4N), and boehmite into a battery electrolyte solution. This is a cause of lithium-ion battery thermal truant, inefficiency, and life cycle reduction. As the lithium-ion battery industry continues to diversify, some producers have opted for cheaper low-grade alumina and boehmite as a coating material for battery separators. Results from Fraunhofer's test work have uncovered previously unrecognized contamination and...
The average spot alumina price in East China is up by RMB 15 per tonne or 0.69 per cent on Friday, 22 May 2020. Alumina price stands at RMB 2190 per tonne, after remaining flat at RMB 2175 per tonne since May 15. The price is expected to move within a range of RMB 2180-2200 per tonne Alumina prices remain unchanged across all major markets in China. Australian alumina FOB price stands USD 3 per tonne lower on Friday, 22 May 2020. The price now stands at USD 243 per tonne. A00 aluminium ingot price has recorded a big drop on Friday, 22 May 2020. The price has decreased by RMB 310 per tonne from its earlier price of RMB 13460 per tonne. The price now stands at RMB 13150 per tonne. The price is expected to move within a range of RMB 13130-13170 per tonne. Spot aluminium price is likely to be...
Lindian Resources Limited has reportedly confirmed that laboratory testing of extensions to the Bouba conglomerate bauxite plateau within the Gaoual Project has discovered high-grade alumina averaging more than 50 per cent. Earlier this year, resource drilling along the Bouba Plateau had confirmed the presence of very high-grade conglomerate bauxite. Further drilling was undertaken at Bouba North and Bouba South using a portable X-ray fluorescent (XRF) reader to determine alumina grade. Northern and southern extensions at the Bouba Plateau were discovered later in March. Three drill holes at Bouba North recovered average alumina grades of 50-54.4 per cent, while four holes at Bouba South found more than 54 per cent alumina with the highest average grade being 58.5 per cent. Lindian said...
According to a recent report, Vedanta’s Lanjigarh alumina refinery has further lent a helping hand in a bid to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. This time, the refinery has provided seeds to the needy peasants in the area to help them develop a vegetable cultivation plan, said a company official. He also said that in the fight against the global pandemic, the Lanjigarh alumina refinery is constantly striving to restore and sustain the livelihoods of the local communities. Under this new initiative, the refinery is ensuring the availability of good quality seeds of bitter gourd, cowpea, ridge gourd, etc. to the local farmers, who are adversely affected by the COVID-19. For this initiative, Vedanta has collaborated with the Agriculture and Horticulture Department of the state, according to...
The alumina market in China was flat over the week. The week started with an increase of RMB 2 per tonne from Friday and stood at RMB 2211 per tonne on Monday, May 11. The average spot price of alumina stood RMB 5 per tonne lower at RMB 2206 per tonne on Thursday, after remaining flat at RMB 2211 per tonne on Tuesday and Wednesday. The price did not show any movement on Friday. Other raw materials like Bauxite (4.5≤Al/Si＜5.5)Shanxi, Alumina (Imported), Australian Alumina FOB Price, and Prebaked Anode East are hovering at RMB 365 per tonne, RMB 2190 per tonne, USD 241 per tonne and RMB 2700 per tonne as of Friday, 15 May 2020. A00 aluminium ingot price witnessed an upward movement over the week, except Wednesday. The price stood higher at RMB 13030 per tonne and RMB 13040 per tonne on...
After remaining restrained for the two consecutive days following a rise to RMB 2,211 per tonne, the average alumina spot price in China has dipped by RMB 5 per tonne to RMB 2,206 per tonne on Thursday, May 14, found Shanghai Metals Market. In the east, the average alumina price has declined by RMB 25 per tonne to RMB 2,175 per tonne, while that in the north has plunged by RMB 10 per tonne to RMB 2,215 per tonne. In the central and south, however, the price has recorded no change from RMB 2,200 per tonne and RMB 2,520 per tonne, respectively. The Australia alumina FOB price has also remained restrained at US$ 241 per tonne after dwindling by US$ 1 per tonne on the last day. The imported alumina price is continuing at RMB 2,190 per tonne. The A00 aluminium ingot price, on the other hand,...
According to the data from Shanghai Metals Market, China in April 2020 produced 5.65 million tonnes of alumina, including 5.4 million tonnes of metallurgical-grade alumina. The daily output came in at 179,800 tonnes, up 2.62 per cent month-on-the month but down 7.07 per cent over the year. In the first four months of 2020, China’s total output of metallurgical-grade alumina stood at 21.56 million tonnes, 8.61 per cent lower than the corresponding period last year. Smaller production cut in Shanxi and Henan driven by the easing impact of COVID19 together with the slight recovery of alumina prices boosted China’s daily alumina production in April. The increased output of alumina offset the cutback at production lines using imported bauxite at SPIC Shanxi Aluminium, Luoyang Wanji, and...
The average spot alumina price in China is up by RMB 2 per tonne or 0.09 per cent on Monday, 11 May 2020. Alumina price stands at RMB 2211 per tonne, after remaining flat at RMB 2209 per tonne since May 6. Alumina prices remain unchanged across all major markets in China. Alumina (Imported) price has increased by RMB 20 per to stand at RMB 2190 per tonne, after remaining restrained since May 6. The average price is expected to range within RMB 2180-2200 per tonne. A00 aluminium ingot price has edged higher after two days of decline. As on Monday, 11 May 2020, ingot price ranged at RMB 13010-13050 per tonne; the average price stood at RMB 13030 per tonne, up RMB 190 per tonne from its previous price of RMB 12840 per tonne today. Spot aluminium price is likely to be traded at a premium of...
A lack of domestic bauxite mines means Mexico can't make enough aluminium domestically to meet demand. Aluminium is the world’s second-most-used industrial metal, second only to steel. Mexico’s long-running mining tradition dates back to colonial times, and despite the historically large (and continuing) importance of the mining industry and the fact that Mexico leads in the production of several metals and minerals. The alumina import of Mexico has remained even during 2017-19, as the total volume recorded was 91,495 tonnes and the revenue expenditure reflected was $116.42 million. The analyzed import volume for 2020 has been noted at 32,306 tonnes, while the expenditure might rise to $42.18 million. When the 2020 import volumes and revenue gets summed up with the last three years it...
Rusal’s Mykolaiv alumina refinery in Ukraine said on Tuesday, May 5, that it could settle the dispute with Ukrainian customs service regarding access to bauxite supplies and avoided temporary suspension of production . The refinery, located near Ukraine’s Black Sea coastline, primarily relies on overseas bauxite and exports alumina from its production to Rusal’s aluminium smelters in Siberia. Meanwhile, the Black Sea customs authority had blocked the import of bauxite raw materials into Ukraine, requiring additional fees, which led to almost a critical decline in bauxite stocks at the refinery. The management of the refinery then addressed directly to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky for support, saying that it might have to stop production temporarily if the bauxite reserves...
China, in March 2020, imported 338,600 tonnes of alumina, which was 1147.10 per cent higher than the imports in the same period last year, according to China customs data. Australia was the leading supplier in the said month, accounting for 159,770 tonnes of the total alumina imports by China. In the first three months of the year (January-March), China’s total volume of alumina imports amounted to 1.029 million tonnes, up 546.34 per cent from the corresponding period last year. As the availability of domestic alumina narrowed on the delayed resumption of production since the Lunar New Year Holidays, followed by the outbreak of COVID19, the aluminium smelters increased the consumption of imported alumina, resulting in the boost in alumina imports to China. As far as the export is...
The average spot price of alumina continued to trend higher over the week. After remaining flat at RMB 2125 per tonne on Friday, the price increased by RMB 8 per tonne and RMB 10 per tonne to RMB 2133 per tonne and RMB 2143per tonne on April 27 and April 28. The price on Thursday stood at RMB 2209 per tonne, up RMB 26 per tonne from Wednesday. The market was closed on Friday for the Labour Day holiday in China. Other raw materials like Bauxite (4.5≤Al/Si＜5.5)Shanxi, Alumina (Imported), Australian Alumina FOB Price, and Prebaked Anode East stood at RMB 365 per tonne, RMB 2170 per tonne, USD 242 per tonne and RMB 2700 per tonne as of Friday, April 30. A00 aluminium ingot price continued to rise over the week. The price started the week with an increase of RMB 50 per tonne and came in at RMB...
Rusal’s alumina refinery in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv announced on Wednesday, April 28, that it might have to temporarily stop production as Ukrainian customs authorities blocked access to bauxite supplies. The refinery, located near Ukraine’s Black Sea coastline, primarily relies on overseas bauxite and exports alumina from its production to Rusal’s aluminium smelters in Siberia. Besides, the Black Sea customs authority is hindering the import of bauxite raw materials into Ukraine, which is also adding up a cause for the critical decline in bauxite stocks at the refinery. “The Mykolaiv alumina plant operates entirely in line with Ukrainian law as it stands,” the business said in a statement. However, Ukraine’s customs declined to comment in this regard. The alumina refinery employs around 3,500...
The average alumina spot price has continued to grow, but slower than the previous day, according to Shanghai Metals Market. On Thursday, April 30, the price has increased by RMB 26 per tonne or at 1.19 per cent growth rate to stand at RMB 2,209 per tonne, compared to the growth of RMB 40 per tonne on Wednesday, April 29, as per the SMM data. In the north, the price has seen the highest growth of RMB 40 per tonne to come in at RMB 2,225 per tonne, as of April 30, followed by East and Central, where the average alumina spot price has grown by RMB 25 per tonne and RMB 20 per tonne to hover at RMB 2,200 per tonne. In the south, however, the price has remained restrained at RMB 2,520 per tonne. The imported alumina price has also registered a growth today after remaining restrained at RMB...
Extending the growth by RMB 10 per tonne today, on April 28, the average alumina spot price in China has come in at RMB 2,143 per tonne, found Shanghai Metals Market. In the east and central, the alumina price has gained RMB 10 per tonne as well to come in at RMB 2,135 per tonne. The average prices there are expected to range between RMB 2,120 per tonne and RMB 2,150 per tonne. In the north, the alumina price growth is slightly lower at RMB 5 per tonne, bringing the price at RMB 2,150 per tonne, while that in the south has remained restrained at RMB 2,520 per tonne. The imported alumina price has grown by RMB 25 per tonne to RMB 2,100 per tonne, as of April 28, according to SMM. The Australian alumina FOB price, on the other hand, has not registered any change today from US$ 227 per...
Average spot alumina price has continued their upward track and stood at RMB 2133 per tonne on Monday, 27 April 2020, registering an increase of 0.38% from RMB 2125 per tonne. The alumina prices remain unchanged across all major markets in China, except south. The average prices of Alumina-East, Alumina-Central, and Alumina-North have increased by RMB 10 per tonne each to stand at RMB 2125 per tonne, RMB 2125 per tonne, and RMB 2145 per tonne. Their average prices are expected to range at RMB 2100-2150 per tonne, RMB 2100-2150 per tonne, and RMB 2120-2170 per tonne. The price in South remains unchanged at RMB 2520 per tonne. A00 aluminium ingot price has increased by RMB 50 per tonne from its earlier price of RMB 12460 per tonne. The price now stands at RMB 12510 per tonne. The price is...
Pinjarra Alumina Refinery of Alcoa has reportedly opened funding applications for the next round of its Community Partnership program. Applications are open to non-profit organisations within the Shire of Murray and City of Mandurah. Applications are for getting responses from community organisations to the impacts of the COVID19 pandemic, along with other standard areas of focus such as environmental sustainability, health and safety, future workforce and leaders, and community capacity and resilience. Pinjarra Alumina Refinery Manager Mark Hodgson has realised that this crisis has created severe impacts on community groups and they need more support than ever before. Alcoa is thus, looking for ways to support community groups during the pandemic and also in the longer-term. The Alcoa...
After rising the past two days in a row from RMB 2,064 per tonne to RMB 2,123 per tonne, the average alumina spot price in China has decided to remain restrained today, on April 22, according to Shanghai Metals Market. Even in the major markets in the east, central, north, and south China, the price has remained unchanged. While in the east and central, the alumina price is hovering at RMB 2,115 per tonne, in the north and south, the price is standing at RMB 2,135 per tonne and RMB 2,520 per tonne, respectively. The average prices in the east and central are expected to range between RMB 2,080-2,150 per tonne, as of April 22, and that in the north and south between RMB 2,100-2,170 per tonne and 2,490-2,550 per tonne, respectively. The A00 aluminium ingot price has also not recorded any...
