International Responsible Business Conduct (IRBC) has completed a project examining aluminium and bauxite supply chains to improve transparency and traceability in materials supporting the renewable energy transition. The project brought together wind energy company Siemens Gamesa, Dutch cable manufacturer TKF, Digital Product Passport (DPP) technology provider Minespider, and project partner Responsible Trade. The initiative mapped selected upstream aluminium and bauxite supply chains and tested secure DPPs to organise and present traceability and sustainability information across multiple supplier tiers. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our report: " Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price...
Mount Ridley Mines has reported 94.9 per cent gallium recovery from a third-party bauxite sample using its patent-pending Selectro process, alongside recoveries of 92 per cent aluminium and 97 per cent iron in a single low-temperature leach. The test also produced a silica-rich residue instead of conventional red mud, highlighting the technology’s potential to recover multiple metals from bauxite through one processing route. The sample was provided by Australian Silica Quartz Group from its Darling Range bauxite project in Western Australia. It comprised material collected from 16 vacuum drill samples across four holes at the Athena and Ceres prospects. Containing 80 parts per million of gallium, the sample yielded an extraction rate of 94.9 per cent into solution. Mount Ridley said this...
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Canyon Resources Limited, the Australian business operating in the bauxite mining vertical, has made quite a progress in the development of its Minim Martap Bauxite Project by implementing a two-stage development plan aimed at accelerating production and enabling the first bauxite shipment by 2026. Image Source: https://canyonresources.com.au/ Key advancements include securing a USD 123.96 million loan for the purchase of rolling stock, fetching government approval for the location of a rail facility, and making a forward-looking investment in CAMRAIL SA. These developments are expected to enhance operational efficiencies, strengthen supply chain relationships, and position the project for future growth, ultimately benefiting stakeholders and reinforcing the project's viability as a...
The judicial case against the bauxite and alumina company from Jamaica, West Indies Alumina Company (Windalco), against the 2019 fish kill incident in the Rio Cobre, was postponed on Thursday in the St Catherine Parish Court due to the unavailability of an attorney in the case. Image for representational purposes only and does not depict the original incident (Source: Wikipedia) When the proceedings were about to commence, the court was informed that Windalco’s representative lawyer, Jacqueline Samuels Brown, was not there to attend and represent, ultimately pushing the case back to September 11. In the meantime, in one recent noteworthy development, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) attained further details to the case. DPP Dwayne Green conveyed that the office had...
Rio Tinto, the world’s second-largest metals and mining corporation, has reportedly demonstrated a positive start to 2025, achieving record-breaking quarterly bauxite output and setting a new monthly production high in March. Rightfully enough, Rio Tinto’s Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm said the company continued to deliver attractive growth in both operational and financial areas, generating substantial returns for shareholders and building a stronger and more diversified business. Production in focus In Q1 2025, Rio Tinto’s bauxite production reached 15 million tonnes, marking a significant Y-o-Y increase of 11.94 per cent from 13.4 million tonnes and a quarter-on-quarter decline of 3 per cent from 15.4 million tonnes. Alumina output was 2 million tonnes, up by 3 per cent Y-o-Y but...
In a landmark development for the metals sector, Brazilian Rare Earth (BRE) and Rio Tinto have signed a revised agreement to advance the Amargosa bauxite‑gallium project in Bahia, Brazil. This collaboration seeks to unlock one of the highest‑grade undeveloped gallium prospects in the world while securing a fresh source of bauxite, the critical feedstock for aluminium smelting. With global aluminium markets navigating tight supply dynamics, surging demand in green technologies and construction, and price volatility, the Amargosa pact arrives at a pivotal moment for the industry. Image source: https://www.ainvest.com/ The Amargosa project Located in north‑eastern Brazil, the Amargosa tenement neighbours BRE’s rare‑earth holdings and hosts both high-grade bauxite and significant gallium...
Ghana is positioning itself to become a key player in the global bauxite industry while simultaneously developing a fully integrated aluminium sector. With an estimated 900 million tonnes of bauxite reserves primarily located in Awaso, Nyinahin, and Kyebi, the West African nation is committed to leveraging its natural resources to boost bauxite production and drive sustainable economic growth. In line with Ghana’s future roadmap, Ghana Bauxite Company Limited (GBC), jointly owned by Ofori-Poku Company Limited (OPCL) and the Government of Ghana, aims to achieve a production of 6 million tonnes of bauxte in a year by the end of 2025. Upgrading infrastructure and operational efficiencies would be the key requirement to attain the 6 million tonnes goal. GBC, by investing USD 122.97 million,...
March has ushered in a striking divergence in the global bauxite landscape — North America and Asia are grappling with bloated inventories and cooling offtake. Au contraire, Europe, led by Germany, is scrambling to source feedstock amid a sudden uptick in industrial appetite. ChemAnalyst’s latest analysis flags this three-way split as ’a phase of divergence’ for bauxite prices and availability. The US: Surplus meets scepticism On this side of the Atlantic, producers and traders are wrestling with rising stockpiles and diminishing downstream demand. American bauxite prices have slipped as domestic mills and importers bulk up on material even as aluminium smelters pause expansion plans. There have been expansions in production houses, such as Bengang Plates Co.’s joint venture with Ansteel...
India hogs the limelight in the global mining sector with back-to-back discoveries of natural resources like bauxite. After Meghalaya , it is now Kerala, a southern part of India, where the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has found the richest aluminium ore deposit, particularly in Karadukka in Kasaragod district, across about 150 hectares. Image source: Wikipedia According to a GSI survey, about 0.21 million tonnes of high-grade bauxite and 5.14 million tonnes of aluminous laterite are present beneath the surface of the region, meaning the area has significant potential to become a central hub for bauxite and alumina production, thanks to the aluminous laterite, which contains both iron and aluminium oxides. GSI also finds the available bauxite resources contain 40 to 45 per cent...
Around mid-week, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) revealed their recent finding of the moderate-quality bauxite resources in the Rymrai area of West Khasi Hills. Alongside the resources, GSI also conveyed their findings, including substantial reserves near a village in East Khasi Hills. Image source: ALS Global In a recent survey conducted by GSI, many bauxite deposits have been identified across Meghalaya, along with other resources like lithium and limestone. With these findings, the state is predicted to receive immense economic benefits post the extraction process. The Director of GSI’s Meghalaya Training and Capacity Building Division also confirmed bauxite availability in the Garo Hills. The survey has further divulged some good-quality limestone deposits and high-grade reserves...
Guinea, the West African nation and the world's largest producer of bauxite, will implement its own Guinea Bauxite Price Index as its official price, which is planned to be implemented by the end of 2025. This initiative aims to curb low transfer pricing practices that have historically stripped significant value from the nation's vast bauxite reserves. The price index will ensure greater transparency, align export values with global market realities, and boost state revenues. The index is set to transform Guinea from a price taker to a price setter. With global demand for aluminium surging, this shift is both timely and strategic. International miners operating in Guinea must now prepare for a new era of accountability. The world will be watching as Guinea asserts control over its...
A preliminary survey was recently conducted on Forest Department land in Narlam in preparation for proposed bauxite mining operations. The inspection was led by M.C. Kishore, Additional Director of State Mining and Geology, with the participation of Revenue and Forest officials. Bauxite deposits have been identified across 150 hectares, and the survey aimed to assess the land available for mining. A detailed survey is scheduled to begin next week and is expected to be completed within a month, after which a report will be submitted to the State government. Mining activities will be confined to forest land, focusing on rocky areas while avoiding soil-rich zones, residential areas, and places of worship. Officials estimate that at least 100 hectares will be available for extraction. Mining...
In the heart of Odisha’s Kalahandi district, a storm brews over bauxite mining — a saga intertwining corporate ambitions, tribal rights, and the promise of progress. Recently, a full-page advertisement appeared in the leading Odisha dailies, championing bauxite mining in Kalahandi. The ad, purportedly from the Lanjigarh Anchalika Bikash Parishad, linked mining to tribal welfare and regional development. However, observers suspect Vedanta’s influence behind this message, given the company’s vested interests in the area. Image source: https://m.rediff.com/ Vedanta’s presence in Kalahandi has been contentious. In 2003, the Odisha government signed an MoU with Vedanta Aluminium Limited to establish an alumina refinery and bauxite mining plant in the Niyamgiri hills, the land which is also...
Metlen Energy & Metals, a prominent global industrial and energy company operating across all five continents in the Energy and Metallurgy sectors, has announced that its flagship gallium production initiative at the historic Aluminium of Greece facility has been designated a Strategic Project by the European Commission under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). Following an in-depth technical evaluation by independent experts, the European Critical Raw Materials Board recommended that METLEN’s investment be designated a Project of Strategic Importance for the Union. The board included representatives from all 27 EU Member States and members of the European Parliament. This decision, confirmed on March 25, 2025, marks a major milestone for European metallurgy and Greek mining,...
Alcoa's job loss prediction in late February 2025 has come true, as evidenced by hundreds of job cuts in Canada due to US tariffs targeting aluminium and steel. Companies operating in Canada's aluminium and steel sectors have already started reporting significant impacts of tariffs, including job cuts in both sectors. Permanent and temporary workers are being laid off, with some receiving early retirement notices and certain companies freezing hiring processes altogether. Bill Oplinger, CEO of Alcoa, had conveyed at the BMO Global Metals and Mining Conference in Florida that the tariff implementation could lead to a massive job loss of about 20,000 employees within the US aluminium industry and a further 80,000 jobs across the value-chain sectors that support it. This projection was...
According to the US Geological Survey, the United States experienced a 6.31 per cent decline in crude and dried bauxite imports in 2024, despite a 31.58 per cent year-on-year increase in the fourth quarter. Year-on-year decreases in the second and third quarters primarily drove the annual drop. Total imports for the year amounted to 2.08 million tonnes, down from 2.22 million tonnes in 2023. While fourth-quarter imports rose from 380,000 to 500,000 tonnes, the increase was insufficient to offset the yearly decline. Additionally, imports in the fourth quarter saw a quarter-on-quarter drop of 53,000 tonnes, or 9.58 per cent, further contributing to the overall decrease in import volumes. After a year-on-year increase in the first quarter, with imports rising from 462,000 tonnes to 501,000...
Arrow Minerals has announced a significant maiden mineral resource estimate for its Niagara bauxite project in Guinea, positioning it for a scoping study later this year. The resource totals 185 million tonnes with an average grade of 42.3 per cent aluminium oxide and 2.7 per cent silicon dioxide. Image Source: S Purohit (@subhapurohit) / X Within this, higher-grade zones include 138 million tonnes at 44 per cent aluminium oxide and 2.8 per cent silicon dioxide, with a premium subset of 48 million tonnes grading 48.2 per cent aluminium oxide and 2.6 per cent silicon dioxide. The Australian exploration and development company has conducted 173 drill holes across three target areas, covering 2,048 meters, revealing a bauxite zone with notably low silica content, a characteristic typical of...
Vietnam’s mining industry is taking a turn towards a greener future as it looks like the path forward is paved with sustainability. Leading the charge is Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Holding Corporation (TKV), which has laid out an ambitious roadmap to modernise its operations and align with the country’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Image for representational purposes only But can an industry traditionally known for its environmental challenges really turn a new leaf? If TKV’s latest strategy is anything to go by, the answer is a resounding ‘yes’. TKV’s game plan revolves around technology. Digital solutions like enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and automation are being deployed to improve efficiency and cut waste. At the heart of this...
The depletion of China's bauxite production quality and Indonesia's export ban to prioritise its domestic processing resulted in an increasing dependence on Guinea's supply. Source: Orbitshub The rally in demand for capesize bulk carriers is expected to persist for at least another six weeks, fuelled by a surge in Chinese orders for West African bauxite, according to Capt. Sastry, CEO of Adhira Shipping & Logistics and Rainmakers Management & Consulting DMCC Bauxite prices have climbed sharply—from around USD 73 per tonne in September 2024 to USD 120-USD 130 by January 2025—as a growing fleet of vessels queues at ports along the West African coastline, awaiting cargo destined for capesize carriers. The CEO of the Dubai-based shipping company stated, "When ocean freight was low over the...
China’s aluminium trade landscape saw stark contrasts in January 2025, as aluminium imports plummeted while bauxite imports soared. According to customs data, China’s imports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products fell by 24.3 per cent year-on-year to 290,000 tonnes. In comparison, bauxite imports surged by 23.3 per cent to 11.62 million tonnes. Here’s possibly why aluminium imports are falling The decline in aluminium imports can largely be attributed to the closure of the import arbitrage window. The price differential between domestic and international aluminium has remained unfavourable for imports, with London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices hovering above Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) rates. In 2024, China’s total aluminium imports reached 2.3 million tonnes, down 16...
