Metro Mining Limited shipped 2.1 million wet metric tonnes (WMT) of bauxite in the third quarter of 2026, up 17 per cent from 1.8 million WMT in the previous quarter. However, shipments remained below the 2.25 million WMT recorded in Q3 2025. The Australian bauxite producer reported improved market pricing during the July–September quarter, with its delivered (CIF) price rising by 6.5 per cent to AUD 60.8 (USD 42.79) per WMT from AUD 57.1 (USD 40.18) per WMT in Q2. Site EBITDA increased to AUD 7 (USD 4.93) per WMT from AUD 4.4 (USD 3.10) per WMT. Mining and shipping operations faced maintenance work, equipment issues and channel erosion during the quarter. The company said its offshore floating terminal, Ikamba, underwent a one-week shutdown in July to replace four large hydraulic crane...
Ghana Bauxite Company Limited (GBC) has appointed Ecobank Ghana PLC to arrange up to USD 250 million in financing for its expansion programme, which aims to increase bauxite production and improve mining and logistics infrastructure. The parties signed the agreement in Accra on October 28, 2026. Ecobank will structure the proposed financing and coordinate participation from other banks and financial institutions. The package includes a term loan and a revolving credit facility to cover capital investment and working capital. The funds are expected to support investments in mining equipment, haulage capacity, materials-handling systems and other infrastructure at GBC’s Awaso operations in the Western North Region. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and...
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Ghana could lose over $350 billion of revenue from the bauxite industry if measures are not put in place to establish a refinery and integrate the various players in the precious minerals’ value chain. This is according to the Volta Aluminum Company (VALCO). A conservative estimate of Ghana’s bauxite is reported to be about 700 million tons. VALCO which currently exports most of its output is calling for the establishment of a bauxite refinery in Ghana which will form a part of the Aluminum integration project. Deputy CEO of VALCO, Daniel Acheampong speaking on the Citi Breakfast show said, establishing the refinery is our best bet to sustaining the industry. “Ghana has bauxite resources at Kibi and Nyinahin that if mined and exported, will fetch Ghana about $17.5 billion, but currently...
The fifth gram sabha on Niyamgiri bauxite mining project, held at Talberi village in Kalahandi district on Thursday, followed the pattern of the previous four gram sabhas and rejected the proposal outright, asserting socio-cultural and religious rights over the Niyamagiri hill. Out of 15 eligible voters, 14 persons with equal number of male and female were present in the gram sabha, held amid tight security, under the supervision of the additional district judge (vigilance) P K Jena. Dongaria Kondh tribes residing in the village told the meeting that their religious and socio-cultural rights would be severely affected, if bauxite mining project is allowed at the top of Niyamgiri hill. “Our livelihood will be robbed as we depend on the hill. It gives us life and we worship it every day”,...
The villagers of Kunakeda, a Dongaria Kondh village in Kalahandi district, today unanimously rejected the proposal for mining in Niyamgiri, claiming community and religious rights over the entire hill range. It was the fourth out of 12 palli sabhas to be held in Rayagada (7 villages) and Kalahandi (5 villages) districts. In the last three palli sabhas-two in Rayagada and one in Kalahandi, the villagers had disapproved the plan of bauxite mining in this hill range. The next palli sabha will be held at Talberi in Kalahandi district tomorrow. 'Niyamgiri, the abode of Niyama Raja, is like the Puri Jagannath temple for us. The hill range belongs to us. We can’t leave it at any cost”, said Tanguru Majhi, the village head at the meeting conveyed by the gram panchayat to decide the fate of...
BJP vice president Jual Oram Tuesday urged the government to hold gram sabhas (meetings) in all villages in Odisha's Niyamgiri hills to take a decision on the bauxite mining project in the region. The former MP said he met Union Tribal Affairs Minister V. Kishore Chandra Deo in New Delhi Monday and sought his intervention into the issue. "The Odisha government has notified to hold grama sabhas only in 12 villages whereas more than 120 villages have Kondh (tribe) population in that specified area. I have requested the union minister to take steps for holding gram sabhas in all 120 villages," Oram told IANS. "It would be a mockery of the order of the apex court if the opinion of all the villagers is not taken into consideration," Oram said. Oram said the governor of Odisha has special...
Continuing the opposition to bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri hills, the third palli (gram) sabha held here in Trilochanpur panchayat adopted a unanimous resolution on Tuesday not to allow digging of bauxite ore from their area. Amid heavy bandobust, the gram sabha, home to 22 OBC families, repeated the sentiments expressed at two other gram sabhas held earlier at Serkapadi and Kesarpadi in the neighbouring Rayagada district. The gram sabhas are being held for the first time in the country on a directive by the Supreme Court to verify claims that mining in Niyamgiri — the seat of power of Niyamraja, the ‘ista debata’ (presiding deity) of the locals — would violate their religious and cultural rights. This is the only village, located in an interior area, where Gowds have lived for several...
China imported 6.08 million mt of bauxite in June. YTD imports through June totaled 32.71 million mt, up 29.75% YoY, according to China Customs. China’s imports of Indonesian bauxite rose 2.95% YoY to 21.395 million mt in H1, 2013. Imports of Australian bauxite jumped 56.99% YoY to 6.68 million mt, and imports of Indian bauxite hit 3.43 million mt, 3.19 million mt more than the same period last year. China has begun to source bauxite from Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Fiji and Brazil to avoid possible supply shortage from one country or another. Bauxite imports from these five countries totaled 1.098 million mt during H1, 2013. Chinese producers stepped up imports of Indonesian bauxite and began to purchase bauxite from other countries following the Indonesian government’s announcement that it...
Days after restarting its refinery in Odisha's Kalahandi district following a seven-month shutdown due to a bauxite scarcity, Vedanta Aluminium Limited is optimistic about getting the ore from the state itself. "If aluminium industries cannot survive in Odisha, having huge bauxite reserves, then they are not feasible anywhere in the country," Vedanta Aluminium Chief Operating Officer Mukesh Kumar said after meeting Chief Secretary J K Mohapatra here today. "Therefore, we hope that VAL will get the required raw material from the state." VAL, a unit of Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Resources, restarted its 1 million tonne per annum alumina refinery at Lanjigarh on July 11. Bauxite for the plant, which is operating at 60 percent capacity, is being procured from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and...
More shipments of bauxite are expected for China if the mining is not affected by the weather. Aurum Exploration Limited mine manager Basilio Vanuaca said there were only four shipments so far this year. The latest shipment was last week. Vanuaca said the landowners have received the benefits through employment and compensation. He said $1.2 million will be saved for the future generations while $3.2 million has already been given to the landowners. Earlier, the Director Mineral Resources Malakai Finau said the payment has been done in two installments with some funds saved for the future generation. Finau said the first $600,000 was paid to the landowners last year while the remaining $600,000 will be paid later.
At a time when all attention is focused on the outcome of gram sabhas in Niyamgiri Hill Range with regards to proposed bauxite mining, the State government is pushing for reservation of Karlapat mines in favour of Odisha Mining Corporation. According to Steel and Mines department sources, documents relating to reservation for Karlapat reserve are now being sent to Union Ministry of Mines. The proposal for reserving bauxite deposit over an area of 3113.25 hectares has been revised to 3002.497 ha. The State government has been pursuing with the Union government for reserving Karlapat mines in favour of OMC since last year. The move assumed significance as there were indications that Dongria Kandh, a particularly vulnerable tribal group, would say no to mining in Niyamgiri in gram sabhas...
A couple of days after Dongaria Kondhs of Serkapadi village unanimously rejected bauxite mining over Niyamgiri hills, Lanjigarh Vikash Parishad (LVP), an organization supporting the mining project and its beneficiary Vedanta's alumina refinery, has raised doubts over fairness of the village council meeting. "We want the people to exercise their judgement without fear and prejudice and hence did not campaign in the villages. However, we were shocked to note hundreds of people belonging to NGOs (non-government organization) and Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti (NSS) surrounding the palli sabha spot. This, prima facie appears to be against the spirit of the Supreme Court judgement as then the hearing neither becomes fair nor free from fear", said Shridhar Pesnia, president of LVP. Apart from being...
RIO Tinto Alcan has boosted bauxite production by 21% in the second quarter of the year, compared to the same quarter in 2012. Strong operational performance has driven higher volumes at Weipa, as bauxite requirements from the expanded Yarwun refinery at Gladstone increased, along with third party demand. Meanwhile, Rio's alumina production was 7% higher in the same period, with greater refining capacity at Yarwun. Aluminium production was up 15%. In 2013, Rio Tinto Alcan's share of bauxite, alumina and aluminium production is expected to be 34 million tonnes, 7.3 million tonnes and 2.5 million tonnes, respectively.
The inter-ministerial group (IMG) of Odisha government, which was formed in November last year to give its view regarding long-term supply of raw materials to local metal industries, submitted its report today to the chief minister for further discussion in the state cabinet. "We have formed a detailed report regarding long-term raw material supply to metal companies who do not have any captive mines. The report has been submitted to the Chief Minister and will be discussed in the state cabinet further to arrive at a definite decision," said Prasanna Kumar Acharya, state finance minister and head of the IMG. The committee was supposed to submit its report by January 31, but took extra time to study the Supreme Court decision regarding Karnataka mining. After 11 sittings and discussions...
In a setback to Vedanta's search for bauxite mines to feed its 1-million tonne (mt) refinery at Lanjigarh in the backward Kalahandi district of Odisha, Dongria Kondhs, the indigenous people who inhabit the plateaus of the Niyamgiri hill ranges, on Thursday made it clear that they would rather prefer to die than leave the hills for bauxite mining. "We will not leave Niyamgiri. This is our place". "Niyamgiri is our father, mother, God and main source of livelihood. We will prefer to die than leave the hills to Vedanta or any other company for mining of bauxite". These were some of the statements by 36 voters whose opinions were ascertained in the Gram Sabha as per the April 18 order of the Supreme Court. The apex court had ordered that the villagers would have to be provided with basic...
Bauxite mining company Alliance Mining Commodities (AMC) earlier this month signed a landmark rail agreement with the government of Guinea, in West Africa, confirming a viable infrastructure solution for its 90%-owned Koumbia Bauxite project in the country. The rail deal follows the completion of the project’s definitive feasibility study in November last year and the submission of an application for environmental and social impact assessments in March this year. “The agreement comprises two options for rail transportation of the mine’s bauxite – the construction of a 100 km railway that connects with an existing 25 km section of rail, owned by the Guinea government and operated by Compagnie Bauxite de Guinée (CBG), or the construction of a 125 km standalone rail line extending from the...
Aurukun Mayor Dereck Walpo says a proposed bauxite mining venture is a good chance to improve infrastructure in the Cape York community in far north Queensland. The Aurukun Shire Council, the State Government, and the community are in talks with five companies hoping to develop the site near the Watson River. The successful tender is expected to be named by the end of the year. Councillor Walpo says companies would need to be willing to invest significantly in the community if they are to secure his backing. "They need to offer me a really good deal in benefit packages in how we can make this community great in regards to infrastructure," he said. The Council's wishlist includes the construction of a high school and sporting facilities as well as the redevelopment of the Aurukun airport.
RIO Tinto's bauxite mining operations in and around Weipa on Cape York appear to have uncovered a biological hot spot, with staff discovering a third rare species. A total of 24 endangered northern quolls have been found in a 3500ha block at the mine lease, which covers 3860sq km. It's an important find because most of the species has been wiped out by poisonous cane toads. In 2011, a new species of crab was discovered during work to prepare an environmental-impact statement for the company's $1.4 billion South of Embley project, about 50km away. A shrimp not previously recorded in Australia was also found, prompting conservationists to call on then federal environment minister Tony Burke to halt the project. It was subsequently approved in May this year, with the miner saying it would...
Rio Tinto’s bauxite mining staff have discovered a rare quoll population at its operations located around Weipa on the Cape York Peninsula. A total of 24 endangered northern quolls have been counted on a 3500ha block of Rio’s mining lease which covers 3860 square kilometres, news.com.au reports. A significant proportion of the northern quoll species has been wiped out by cane toads. Back in 2011 while preparing an environmental impact statement for Rio’s $1.4 billion South of Embley project, located about 50 kilometres away, a new species of crab and a shrimp not previously recorded in Australia was identified. The discoveries prompted calls from conservationists to stop the project. But in May this year it was given the go ahead, with Rio saying it would protect the area. After more than...
A recent show on a local Doordarshan channel about Dongria Kondhs, indigenous people who inhabit the plateaus of the Niyamgiri hill ranges in Odisha, ended with a scene where a young member of a tribe throws away some rupee coins given by a government official, asks for a matchbox instead and quickly vanishes into the jungle. The show, depicting the lifestyle of the Dongria Kondhs, had a subtle message that one of the oldest tribes of the country is indifferent to the urban growth story. Scantily dressed, with axes hanging from their shoulders, it is hard to imagine that these people will decide the fate of a bauxite mining project at the Niyamgiri hills. The project is crucial for India-focused British firm Vedanta Group’s Rs 40,000-crore investment in Odisha in bauxite refining, alumina...
