China-based China Aluminum International Engineering Co., Ltd. (CHALIECO) has won a bid for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract valued at approximately USD 833 million for a proposed alumina project in Vietnam, adding to investment activity in the country’s mineral processing sector. The project, being developed by Binh Phuoc Ore Mining and Beneficiation Joint Stock Company, is designed to process 2.4 million tonnes of alumina annually. The proposed contract is valued at around CNY 5.595 billion (USD 839.04 million), with completion expected within 27 months of the contract’s effective date. CHALIECO to oversee turnkey refinery development Under the proposed turnkey arrangement, CHALIECO’s responsibilities will cover the full project delivery process, from...
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...
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According to a report on Monday, October 21, The People’s National Party (PNP) is backing legal action against West Indies Alumina Company (WINDALCO) for releasing effluent into the Rio Cobre and contaminating the river, which is a major water source for many residents living on its banks. Dr Fenton Ferguson, the opposition spokesman on Water, Environment and Climate Change, said the opposition is in support of St Catherine North Central’s Member of Parliament Natalie Neita’s attempt for possible legal action against WINDALCO. He also wants the residents around the Rio Cobre river to receive proper and adequate compensation for the damages and inconvenience caused to them due to contamination of water caused by WINDALCO. Ferguson is calling for Darul Vaz as well, who is responsible for...
South32 reported alumina production of 1.3 million tonnes in the first quarter, unchanged from the prior quarter. But the production increased 13% year-on-year. Production at Brazil Alumina increased by 14% quarter-on-quarter to a record 356,000 in the September 2019 quarter as the refinery benefitted from the installation of package boilers, enabling the benefits of the De-bottlenecking Phase One project to be realised. Production was up 17% YoY. Sales declined 19% QoQ to 304,000 tonnes in the September quarter. FY20 production guidance remains unchanged at 1.33 million tonnes. "Achieved record production at Brazil Alumina and another strong quarter at Worsley Alumina as we deliver initiatives to sustainably increase to nameplate capacity from FY20," South32 said. Production at Worsley...
Alumina price in East China market stands at RMB 2660 per tonne on Wednesday, 16 October 2019, indicating an increase of RMB 10 per tonne. The average price is likely to move within a range of RMB 2640 per tonne and RMB 2680 per tonne. The average spot alumina price remained unchanged at RMB 2643 per tonne. Alumina Central China and North China stand at RMB 2650 per tonne and RMB 2640 per tonne, down RMB 10 per tonne and RMB 20 per tonne from its earlier price. Their average prices are expected to range at RMB 2640- 2660 per tonne and RMB 2600-2680 per tonne. After a continuous drop for the past four days in a row, A00 aluminium ingot price is up by RMB 110 per tonne from its earlier price to RMB13880 per tonne today. The price is expected to move within a range of RMB 13860-13900. Spot...
The average spot alumina price increased by RMB 15 per tonne or 0.57 per cent from Friday to at RMB 2643 per tonne on Monday, 14 October 2019. This is the fifth consecutive day of increase in alumina prices. The prices of alumina rose across East, Central, North China markets today. Alumina prices in East and Central markets climbed RMB 30 per tonne and RMB 20 per tonne to stand at RMB 2650 per tonne and RMB 2660 per tonne. Their average prices are expected to range at RMB 2640- 2660 per tonne and RMB 2650-2670 per tonne. In North market, the price stood at RMB 2660 per tonne, up RMB 10 per tonne from its previous price. The price in South Market remained unchanged at RMB 2520 per tonne. Australian alumina FOB price registered an increase of USD 2 per tonne on Monday, 14 October 2019. The...
FYI Resources Limited, an Australian Listed resources company, reportedly announced this week that it completed the trial production of high-purity alumina (HPA) at its pilot plant in Welshpool, Western Australia. This marks significant progress in FYI’s high-purity alumina development strategy. As per the report, the plant operated continuously from October 2 to October 9, meeting or exceeding the firm’s modelled operational performances. “We are really happy with the outcomes of our trial production run from our purpose-built HPA pilot plant,” said FYI managing director Roland Hill in a statement. He also said, “We continue to systematically progress the development of our HPA strategy towards the goal of commercial production of this ultra-pure, in demand product. To do that we needed...
The average spot alumina price in China increased from RMB 2618 per tonne on October 9 to RMB 2627 per tonne on October 10. This marks the third consecutive increase in alumina price after a long holiday. Alumina prices rose across major markets in China. Spot alumina prices in East China, Central China, and North China markets climbed by RMB 10 per tonne each. The average prices of alumina (East China), alumina (Central China), and alumina (North China) stood at RMB 2620 per tonne, RMB 2640 per tonne, RMB 2650 per tonne respectively on October 10. South China showed no movement today. Australian alumina FOB price dropped from USD280 per tonne on October 9 to stand at USD278 per tonne today. The prices for A00 Aluminium Ingot registered a drop after a consecutive increase in the last two...
As on Wednesday, 09 October 2019, the average spot alumina price stands at RMB 2618 per tonne, an increase of RMB 5 per tonne from its previous price of RMB 2613 per tonne on October 8. The average alumina price in North China is hovering around RMB 2640 per tonne, up RMB 10 per tonne from its previous price. The average price is expected to range within RMB 2630-2650 per tonne. The price of alumina remains unchanged in East, Central, and South at RMB 2610 per tonne, RMB 2630 per tonne, and RMB 2520 per tonne. Australian alumina FOB price is down by USD16 per tonne to stand at USD280 per tonne as of Wednesday, 09 October 2019. Cryolite price is also down by RMB 400 per tonne (-6.25 per cent) to stand at RMB 6000 per tonne today. The price is likely to range between RMB 5800-6200 per...
The average spot alumina price registered an increase of RMB 9 per tonne on Tuesday, 08 October 2019, after a week-long holiday. Alumina price in China stood at RMB 2613 per tonne, from RMB 2604 per tonne. Spot alumina prices in East China, Central China, and North China markets climbed by RMB 10 per tonne each. The average prices of alumina (East China), alumina (Central China), and alumina (North China) stood at RMB 2610 per tonne, RMB 2630 per tonne, RMB 2630 per tonne respectively on October 8. A00 aluminium ingot price rose by RMB 70 per tonne from its earlier price of RMB13980 per tonne. The price stood at RMB 14050 per tonne and expected to move within a range of RMB 14030-14070 per tonne, Aluminium ingot price in Foshan stood at RMB 14050 per tonne, up RMB 60 per tonne. Ingot...
Rio Tinto, Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL) and The University of Queensland’s (UQ) Sustainable Minerals Institute have received a recognition for their joint research into technologies that could turn bauxite residue, also known as red mud, into fertile soil. They are trying a new process that uses eco-engineering technology to alter the minerals in the red mud into a soil-like material suitable for plant growth. If successful, the research could help transform the way alumina refineries rehabilitate red mud dams. Led by the Sustainable Minerals Institute’s Professor Longbin Huang, the research team works closely with employees at the Yarwun and QAL refineries in Gladstone and Gove in the Northern Territory. Earlier this year, the trio won the Achieving Resilient Environments and...
According to a recent report, Black & Veatch-led project management consortium (PMC) has been appointed by PT Borneo Alumina Indonesia to manage the development of an alumina refinery in West Kalimantan. The facility, according to Black & Veatch, will feature a 1 Mt/year smelter-grade alumina refinery, a 2 x 40,000 cu.m/h coal gasification plant and a 3 x 25 MW coal-fired power plant. As the consortium leader, Black & Veatch is responsible for design review, equipment inspections, and provide power and coal gasification subject matter expertise. Progesys, as consortium partner, will manage the alumina refinery process design scope and Jaya CM, another consortium partner, will support the project with site construction engineers and inspectors. “As the project consultant, the consortium is...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the alumina output in China stood at 5.82 million tonnes in August and is likely to be about 5.8 million tonnes in September. Shanghai Metals Market report shows, the average spot price of alumina in China has extended its rise in September, which started during mid-August. The price currently stands at RMB 2604 or US$ 368 per tonne as updated on September 30 and it has been flat at this level since September 25. The price started the month of September at RMB 2528 or US$356.6 per tonne and is on an upward curve since then. In the international scenario, imported alumina price remains flat at RMB 2700 US$359.5 per tonne since August. Australian alumina FOB price currently stands at RMB 2108 or USD 295 per tonne. The price was on a steady downward curve...
Vietnam started producing alumina in the year 2011 in the Central Highlands. Tan Rai alumina refinery worth $460 million, invested by state mining group Vinacomin started operation in February 2011 and export in March. Now, Vietnam has become one of the emerging alumina producing hubs on the shores of the South China Sea, with an increase in its offshore alumina sales over the last three years. Since, Vietnam’s lion share of total exports go to India, let us here analyse how it has been performing over the years. According to the international export-import data, Vietnam in 2019 is expected to ship 865,433 tonnes of aluminium raw material to India, up 26.15 per cent from 685,995 tonnes in 2018. In fact, as per the available data, Vietnam’s alumina exports to India had been recording a...
Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates, announced that its Al Taweelah alumina refinery produced 600,000 tonnes of alumina since operations started in April 2019. The plant’s average daily production was 88 per cent of Al Taweelah alumina refinery’s nameplate capacity in August. Al Taweelah alumina refinery is expected to produce more than one million tonnes of alumina by the end of 2019. Once fully-ramped up, the output is projected to reach some two million tonnes of alumina per year. Abdulla Kalban, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of EGA, said: “Ramping up production at a new alumina refinery is a complex and challenging task, and we have been preparing for the ramp-up of Al Taweelah alumina refinery since before construction...
Norsk Hydro announced that The Brazilian federal court lifted the final embargo on Alunorte’s new bauxite residue disposal (DRS2) under a criminal lawsuit on Thursday, September 26th. This allows the alumina refinery to resume activities of installation and commissioning at DRS2, ending a 19-month embargo period which has restricted activities at the plant. The decision by the federal court to lift the DRS2 embargo under the criminal lawsuit came after a decision on September 20, to lift the DRS2 embargo under the civil lawsuit . Hydro President and CEO Hilde Merete Aasheim said: “This is a milestone for Alunorte and will contribute to our agenda towards a more profitable and sustainable Hydro.” “We are happy and eager to resume installation and commissioning activities at the...
According to a recent report, Alcoa Corporation is conducting VR training for its employees to train them for high-risk tasks at its alumina refineries in Western Australia. The guided training module replicates an environment of Alcoa’s refinery sub-station where the trainees are surrounded by equipment, sound, and personal protective equipment (PPE) that are found in real in the workplace. The module demonstrates how to safely and correctly isolate electrical switches to avoid arc flash incidents. Besides, Alcoa has incorporated free-play environments which include events and risks to mitigate, replicating what could occur in real life. According to Alcoa’s Pinjarra refinery manager Mark Hodgson, this step is taken for bringing in a change in the way training is usually delivered at...
Vedanta Limited’s Lanjigarh unit has won the ‘Excellent Energy Efficient Unit’ award during the 20th National Award for Excellence in Energy Management 2019, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). “The unit achieved its best process efficiency in FY19 and registered lowest energy consumption in the refinery’s history. This resulted in the lowest greenhouse gas (GHG) emission in Lanjgarh unit’s history, in the process creating a global benchmark for a coal-fired refinery,” it said. Rakesh Mohan, COO – Vedanta, Lanjigarh unit said, “The award bears testimony to some of our advanced energy efficiency practices aimed at reducing Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) and cost. Vedanta is committed to uphold sustainable practices in its operation with the highest energy-efficient...
According to China’s General Administration of Customs data released on Monday September 23, China’s imports of alumina stood at 120,000 tonnes in August, a jump of 848.4 per cent from the same period a year earlier. But the imports declined by 40 per cent from 200,000 tonnes in July 2019. Alumina imports in the first eight months of 2019 stood 71.8 per cent higher than the same period last year. China imported 640,000 tonnes of alumina in January-August 2019, Customs data showed. On the export side, China exported 3,555 tonnes of alumina last month, a decrease of 88 per cent year-on-year. On a month-on-month comparison, alumina exports dropped 19.5 per cent. In the first eight months of this year, exports reduced by 49.3 compared with the same period last year. Total exports stood at...
The average alumina prices in major China markets have witnessed growth on Wednesday, 25 September 2019. The average spot alumina price stands at RMB 2604 per tonne, up RMB 12 per tonne from the previous average alumina price of RMB 2592 per tonne. Alumina East China and Central China stand at RMB 2600 per tonne and RMB 2620 per tonne, up RMB 10 per tonne each from its earlier price. Alumina price in North China is hovering around RMB 2620 per tonne, up RMB 20 per tonne. Alumina South China remains unchanged at RMB 2520 per tonne as of September 25. Australian alumina FOB price has increased USD 5 per tonne to USD 298 per tonne on Wednesday, 25 September 2019. After a continuous rise for the past three days in a row, A00 aluminium ingot price is down by RMB 40 per tonne from its earlier...
