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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As part of a significant enforcement action, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has arrested a state government official suspected of shielding illegal bauxite mining operations in Kuantan since 2022. The arrest occurred during a raid in the Bukit Goh area of Kuantan, where two company owners were detained. The individuals are suspected of engaging in corrupt activities aimed at safeguarding unauthorised mining practices, thereby undermining environmental and regulatory standards. MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki confirmed that the investigation is focused on allegations of soliciting and receiving bribes in violation of Section 16 of the MACC Act 2009. This development underscores ongoing efforts to clamp down on corruption linked to Malaysia's resource extraction...
China's dependence on imported bauxite is a significant factor in the nation's superior ranking in alumina and primary aluminium production. The sheer volume of raw material required to maintain this ranking cannot be met by domestic sources alone. Therefore, any disruption in bauxite supply has a profound impact on the entire aluminium production supply chain, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Guinea's role in the decline: According to S&P Global, China's reliance on imported bauxite is as high as 57 per cent. Guinea, as the primary supplier of bauxite to the nation, plays a crucial role in China's import figures. The disruption in Guinea's bauxite export scenario has therefore had a significant impact on China's bauxite supply, highlighting the importance of Guinea's bauxite...
In 2024, Ukraine heightened its aluminium ore and bauxite concentrate import Y-o-Y by 46.8 per cent in physical terms during the time period of January to October. The cumulative imports accounted for this year towered at a whopping 19,842 thousand tonnes. As stated in the statistical report released by the State Customs Service (SCS), bauxite import in monetary terms has increased by 50.9 per cent (USD 2.681 million) in the aforementioned time span. This year's imports can be attributed to Turkey, which has supplied 70.31 per cent of supplies in monetary terms and China, which has accounted for 26.67 per cent. Ukraine has not re-exported bauxite from January to October 2024 as opposed to the same period in 2023. As noted in 2022, Ukraine lowered imports of both substances in physical...
On November 12, 2024, the Forces Vives coalition of Guinean opposition groups, civil society organisations, and activists called for establishing civilian rule by January 1, 2025. The junta, which came to power through a coup in 2021, had initially proposed a two-year transition to elections, starting in 2022, following negotiations with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). However, there needs to be more progress toward organising the elections, fuelling growing public frustration. Since taking office, the military leader Mamady Doumbouya has faced sporadic protests against the authorities, with some escalating into deadly clashes between demonstrators and security forces. In July 2024, Guinea's transitional authorities unveiled a draft of a new constitution, which...
Alcoa declared force majeure on bauxite shipments from its Juruti mine in Brazil on November 7, 2024, due to a vessel stranded in the channel near the port obstructing transportation. This disruption poses significant challenges for global alumina supplies, which are already under pressure due to constrained production. However, the statement did not provide an estimate for when shipments might resume. According to a trader source, the vessel has been stranded near the Juruti port since late October, and bauxite shipments have been halted for nearly or more than 10 days. According to industry experts, the Alumar alumina refinery is currently grappling with significant challenges due to shortages of bauxite supply from the Juruti mine in Brazil. The bauxite source is vital to Alumar’s...
The ASX-listed Australian company with a portfolio of high-grade bauxite in Africa, Lindian Resources Ltd has entered into binding agreements with Enterprise Generale d’Entretien & Construction and Lancinet Dabo, granting them a 10-year lease and operational rights for the Woula Bauxite Project in Guinea, West Africa. This arrangement secures Lindian a passive annual royalty stream. The lessees, both well-established in Guinea with strong ties to the government and mining ministry, plan to commence construction within eight months. Their initial production goal is set at 2 million tonnes per year. Generale d'Entretien & Construction's Lancinet Dabo said, "We are delighted to have secured this binding agreement with Lindian for the Woula Bauxite Project, a unique, low-cost, fast start-up...
NASA's Perseverance rover has made a groundbreaking discovery on Mars, identifying unusual 'float rocks' in the Jezero Crater with exceptionally high levels of aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃) content. This distinctive discovery, centred around aluminium-rich rock fragments, is key to possibly providing fresh insights into the history of water on Mars and the geological processes that shaped the planet's surface. This discovery brings new questions and potential clues about the ancient Martian environment and whether it could have supported life. Discovery of aluminium-rich float rocks Perseverance's exploration of Jezero Crater—a 45-kilometre-wide impact basin believed to have once held a lake—has revealed thousands of scattered light-coloured rocks that stand out against the dark volcanic...
On November 7, Alcoa announced the suspension of bauxite shipments from Brazil’s Juruti port due to a vessel stranded in the waterway. This marks the latest in a series of supply chain disruptions impacting the aluminium raw material market, contributing to record-high alumina prices and supporting elevated aluminium prices. Image Source: Alcoa Website Alcoa invoked force majeure at its Juruti bauxite mine on November 6, citing the blocked waterway as a barrier to fulfilling customer supply commitments, according to an emailed statement from an Alcoa spokesperson to Reuters. The statement did not provide an estimated timeframe for the resumption of shipments. A trader source indicated that a vessel has been stranded near the Juruti port since late October, halting bauxite movement for...
Australia’s Metro Mining has secured multi-cargo offtake agreements for bauxite shipments from its Bauxite Hills Mine in Queensland, covering the years 2025 and 2026. The agreements total 6.9 million wet metric tonnes (WMT) in 2025 and 6.1 million WMT in 2026, ensuring a robust demand for its bauxite supply. These agreements include partnerships with key Chinese companies such as Xinfa Aluminium Group and China Aluminium International Trading Group. The deal with Xinfa Aluminium Group, Metro’s longest-term customer, also includes extending their contract. Additionally, Metro has signed a new agreement with China Aluminium International Trading Group, the trading arm of the Aluminium Corporation of China, as well as a contract with Shandong Lubei Enterprise Group General Company, a...
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the vice-president and flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of Ghana, has recently declared that the development of central railway lines in the country will be key in steering forward the upliftment Ghana needs through bauxite and other mineral mining and transportation. Image Source: www. bawumia.com "One of my priorities in infrastructure development is railway expansion," Dr Bawumia told stakeholders of the Atwima Mponua Constituency at the start of his Ashanti Regional tour on Monday. "This is very important for our country because if we are blessed with bauxite but lack sufficient railway lines, it creates a significant challenge. Developing our railways will greatly benefit Ghana," he stated. He emphasised his intent to develop three main railway lines:...
Metro Mining Limited has yet again achieved a new monthly high shipment by delivering 793,420 tonnes of wet bauxite in October 2024. The shipment volume rose 1.72 per cent month-on-month from 780,000 tonnes and surged year-on-year by 18 per cent. Image Source: LinkedIn (Metro Mining) The integration of a real-time monitoring system and improved operating capacity and loading rates, stabilising at 1,800 tph by September and peaking at 2,500 tph during free-digging operations at Ikamba's conveyor system, contributed to a new record high of Metro's bauxite shipment. The new monthly high has brought the total year-to-date shipment to 4.45 million tonnes of wet bauxite, marking a 69.5 per cent achievement of the annual target of 6 to 6.4 million tonnes. Until Q3 2024 ended September 30, Metro...
The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has welcomed the appointment of Dale Last as Australia's second-largest state Queensland's new Minister for Natural Resources and Mines and Minister for Regional and Rural Development. QRC Chief Executive Officer Janette Hewson extended her congratulations to Dale Last on his Cabinet appointment, highlighting the importance of his role in overseeing Queensland's critical resource sector. Hewson noted that the Council looks forward to working with the new Minister to advance sustainable development and ensure that the resources industry continues to contribute to regional growth and economic prosperity. Janette Hewson, Chief Executive Officer of QRC, stated, "The QRC looks forward to working constructively with Minister Last, whose own electorate...
Ministry of Mines, Government of India, has reportedly proposed to lower the benchmark price of bauxite used to calculate the estimated value of resources and premium payable in auctions. The Ministry has put forward this proposal after getting multiple complaints from mining companies that claim the formula used for calculating the average sale price (ASP) of bauxite based on aluminium price on the London Metal Exchange (LME) provides a very high conversion rate. Currently, the formula outlined in the Mineral Concession Rules of 2016 has a conversion rate of 6.4 per cent. Image Source: NALCO Ministry of Mines has proposed to lower the conversion rate for metallurgical grade bauxite to 4.9 per cent from the existing 6.4 per cent after a committee constituted for ASP submitted its report....
Mining and aluminium giant Rio Tinto is now focused on getting its Simandou iron ore project in Guinea up and running. Newspapers report that shipments will begin in 2025. Simandou is a huge project that has taken Rio Tinto years to realize. The initial production rate is said to be 120 million tonnes of ore per year. That's 10 million tonnes of iron ore going onto Capesize vessels in Guinea every month. Guinea is presently shipping about the same amount of bauxite every month, mostly to China. Although there probably won't be any conflicts of capacity landside, the same may not be true for the shipping market. I don't have any data on this, but if I were exposed to variations in the landed price of bauxite, I would be checking to ensure the shipping industry has enough Capesize vessels...
Metro Mining Limited has reported a standout third-quarter operational update for 2024, marking a record-breaking period for the company's bauxite production. The company achieved quarterly shipments of 2.13 million wet metric tonnes (WMT), a substantial 50 per cent increase over Q2 2024 and a 32 per cent rise compared to Q3 2023. This brings Metro's total output for the calendar year to 3.7 million WMT, setting the company on track to reach the lower end of its 6.0 to 6.4 million WMT guidance range, subject to weather conditions. Key components of Metro's flow sheet, including mining, screening, the barge loading facility, and transhipping, are now operating above budgeted rates, boosting Metro's confidence in achieving a production rate of 7 million WMT per annum by 2025. The company's...
The European Union (EU) has been actively engaged in the global competition to secure critical minerals and rare earth elements. Despite the aggressive competition worldwide, the EU's efforts to scan every nook and cranny of the globe for these essential components have been relentless. However, the ripple effect of such acquisitions and their potential impact on the world has posed significant challenges, akin to navigating a net-zero-driven project through back-to-back speed breakers. Image Source: UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) The U.S. Geological Survey's release "Going Critical" clarified, "REEs are necessary components of more than 200 products across a wide range of applications, especially high-tech consumer products, such as cellular telephones, computer hard drives, electric...
Alumina trihydrate (ATH), also known as aluminium hydroxide — chemical formula Al(OH)3, has a vast market potential ahead. The element, which is derived during the refinement of bauxite through the Bayer process, is majorly known for its flame retarding property. Image Source: Anglo Pacific Minerals The global market for alumina trihydrate is significant, with a size estimated at USD 4.21 billion in 2023. This figure is projected to grow to USD 5.8 billion in the next five years, demonstrating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6 per cent. These numbers underscore the substantial market potential of ATH. Production method of ATH: ATH, known by various standard names in the chemical industry such as alumina hydrate, hydrate alumina, aluminium hydrate, and aluminium hydroxide, is a...
Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, a former Speaker of Ghana's Parliament, has encouraged leaders to explore the natural resources of Africa, i.e. bauxite reserve, timber, manganese, gold, diamond, cocoa and oil resources at the Second General Assembly of the Conference of Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures (CoSPAL) held in Accra. Image Source: Twitter (X) While emphasising on the pressing need for African parliaments to take a leading role in addressing the continent's recurrent dependence on the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Oquaye said, "And as we come from the experience of that conference, we want to reexamine ourselves as to how we, as legislators, are going to take charge of some of the things that touch and concern Africa the most." He urged African countries to...
