Rio Tinto’s planned USD 1.9 billion investment in the Kangwinan bauxite project is expected to support more than 1,300 construction jobs in Queensland, while helping secure the long-term future of its Weipa mining operations as existing sources of production approach the end of their lives. Located on Western Cape York Peninsula, Kangwinan will add 20 million tonnes of annual bauxite production capacity, with first output targeted for 2029 and full production expected by 2032. The project will raise Weipa Operations’ annual capacity to around 44 million tonnes from current production of approximately 38 million tonnes. Construction is scheduled to ramp up in 2027. Beyond the immediate employment boost, the investment is expected to help sustain Rio Tinto’s residentially based workforce of...
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...
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Ghana Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia declared that around 10,000 housing units would be constructed in Ghana for security personnel across the country under the infrastructure of US$2 billion worth of barter trade bauxite deal signed with Chinese Sinohydro Group. This initiative for the security services under the Sinohydro project would be the largest single undertaking of its kind since the independence. Bawumia said this at a sod-cutting ceremony for the construction of 320 housing units at the Ghana Police Training School, Tesano, Accra, on 13th of August, 2018. “I would like to assure the Security Services that this project will not be the last. Government has reached advanced stages with Sinohydro Corporation Limited for the construction of houses and court structures for the...
Metro Mining has secured and signed further bauxite offtake agreements with its Chinese partners for the supply of its 2018-2019 production from its Bauxite Hills operation in Far North Queensland. After securing the two new agreements, about 90% of Metro’s planned 2018 production is sold or contracted for sale, as well as 80% of its 2019 production. Sales have been made into China’s Henan Province, where supply of domestic bauxite has been hindered by recent mine closures on environmental restrictions. According to Metro Mining managing director Simon Finnis the agreements were another development towards building credibility for Metro bauxite and getting a stronger foothold in the Chinese market. “These agreements are particularly pleasing as 2018 is now largely covered to a number of...
Infrastructure development finance institution Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) on Wednesday announced the on time completion of the Bel Air mine, in Guinea on Wednesday. It also announces the first successful shipment of high-grade bauxite to China. The construction of the mine was completed on time and within budget. Annual production capacity of the mine is expected to be 5.5-million tons of bauxite, which will be added to Guinea’s average annual bauxite exports of about 35-million tonnes. The Bel Air mine was developed by bauxite producer Alufer Mining in the Boffa region of western Guinea. The project was co-financed by a number of organizations under the name of International Investment Consortium and includes names like AFC, Orion Mine Finance and Resource Capital Funds. The total...
China, with the biggest aluminium market, is constantly diversifying its bauxite import sources and at the same time witnessing a year-on-year growth in volume. According to the latest data by China Customs, the country saw an 8 per cent Y-o-Y growth in bauxite import in June to stand at 7.45 million tonnes, against 6.86 million tonnes in the same period of 2017, but 9.4 per cent down from 7.52 million tonnes in a month ago. The major share of import volume was from Guinea at 44.2 per cent as the country continued to be a major supplier of bauxite to China. The data shows that Guinea has been emerging as the mainstay for bauxite sourcing as far the China market is concerned. In 2017, Guinea had exported a total volume of 27.62 million tonnes of bauxite to China that recorded a rise by...
The Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) has agreed to lend its support to the Integrated Bauxite and Aluminium Project of the country, stating that this project represents an excellent step to market the country’s own bauxite reserves. Mark Badu-Aboagye, president of the GNNCI, explained that dual investment strategies are usually a typical model adopted by resource-rich states for mineral exploitation, which they “spend as you go” (SAYG) and delinked investment. “In the Chamber’s view, the government appears to be pursuing a conflation of the two models in order to bridge the estimated US$ 30 billion infrastructural gap in the country with the US$2 billion barter agreement with SinoHydro Group Limited of China for Ghana’s refined bauxite.” Although Mr. Mark Badu...
The National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco), a government of India Enterprise and Navaratna Company, has come forward for bauxite mining in the agency area of Visakhapatnam district, along with a plan to set up an aluminium plant. Minister of state for mines Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary announced this news a day or two ago while replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha. This news already raises a deep concern as bauxite beehive is likely to be ruptured once again in the agency area. The tribals of Visakha agency are still up in arms against bauxite mining since the last one-and-half decade, when mining agreements were signed with the company of Ras Al Khaima. Later on, the agreements with the company were shelved by the government. With passing years, several attempts were taken to...
Australian Bauxite Limited told the ASX wholly owned subsidiary ALCORE Limited would have the world rights for refining with its ALCORE technology. It said the technology aimed to refine raw bauxite to produce aluminium fluoride and other valuable co-products. "... in the longer term, these global technology rights allow ALCORE Limited to produce aluminium fluoride in any location globally," Ian Levy. Australian Bauxite said the global licence would allow ALCORE to build plants anywhere to meet growing demand for aluminium fluoride and related products. “Step by step, ABx (Australian Bauxite) is bringing ALCORE’s powerful new bauxite refining technology closer to becoming an important domestic producer and supplier of key aluminium fluoride products for the Australasian aluminium...
According to an update from the office of Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation (CMDC) the organization has started the tendering process for carrying out detailed exploration of different Bauxite and Iron Ore blocks in the State. The Corporation has also started processing tender for preparation of Exploration and Pre-feasibility Report of the blocks. The bauxite blocks are situated at Sukhjhar, Rupakhar and Pathrai blocks covering a total area of about 580 hectors. According to the Central Government data, the exploration of bauxite mineral reserves had been going on in Kabirdham, Surguja, Balrampur, Jashpur, Kanker and Kondagaon districts of Chhattisgarh. The mining activities of major minerals including Bauxite, are regulated as per the provisions contained in the amended Mines...
General Manager of Ghana Bauxite Company, J.K Fang, has said that despite various operational challenges, the company managed to register profits for the first time in bauxite mining for two years. Ghana Bauxite Company is facing allegations that the company is hiding facts to evade tax payment to the government. The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu asked for a probe into the operations of the mining firm. The Minister suspected that there may be tax-shielding mechanisms adopted by the company to default the Corporate Income Tax into government coffers. The minister made the remarks during a one-day visit to the company's Awaso Mine. He also saw an ulterior motive in declaring losses than gains. According to J.K Fang, the company made a profit of US$4,020,000 in...
Followed by the announcement to extend bauxite mining moratorium through December in Malaysia, Minister of Water, Land and Natural Resources Dr. A. Xavier Jayakumar said the Pahang State government would be the one to decide on whether to lift the moratorium or not in the future. Speaking to reporters at Parliament lobby today, August 3, Xavier said he would soon hold a meeting with bauxite miners, state assembly representatives, and Pahang Members of Parliament to explain the current bauxite mining status in the state. "We want to know if they are interested in pursuing it or that they want to say that they don't want bauxite mining in Pahang.” Dr. Xavier also added while speaking to the reporters that he would prefer holding two meetings, the first with Pahang MB Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy...
After a month of uncertainty over bauxite mining, when the mining moratorium period officially ended on June 30, the Malaysian government announced it has extended its 2016 moratorium on bauxite mining until the end of 2018, as large stockpiles of bauxite in the ports still remain to be cleared. "The moratorium is until Dec. 31, as there is still half a million tonnes of [bauxite] stockpiled at the ports," a spokesman for the Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources said on Tuesday , July 31. Malaysia became the biggest supplier of bauxite to China after Indonesia, the top bauxite supplier to China declared a ban of ore export in 2014. However, unregulated random mining of bauxite and growing bauxite stockpiles in the eastern state of Pahang contaminated water sources, environment...
Rio Tinto has released its H1 2018 financial results on August 1, 2018. The Aluminium group’s underlying EBITDA increased by ten per cent compared with H1 2017, driven significantly by higher bauxite volumes and stronger pricing. Rio Tinto’s H1 bauxite production of 25.9 million tonnes was up 7% from the 2017 first half production of 24.1 million tonnes, driven by its continued implementation of operational improvements. Gross sales revenues for bauxite in 2018 first half increased 26% to US$1,207 million and included freight revenues of US$178 million compared to US$111 million in H1 2017. This strong operational performance in bauxite segment enabled the group to increase its third party bauxite shipments by 14% to 17.0 million tonnes. This has further established Rio Tinto’s position...
Metro Mining releases its June Quarterly activity Report. The Bauxite Hills Mine was successfully commissioned during the June quarter. The company reported a bauxite sales of 399kt generating A$25.2m of revenue for the quarter and recorded its first monthly profit in June. Six Ocean Going Vessels (“OGVs”) were loaded and departed the Port of Skardon with a seventh partially loaded at financial year-end. The mine could achieve the daily production required for a target of 2 million tonne per annum production. The company is on track to meet its production and shipping guidance of 1.980M – 2.075 million wet metric tonne for CY 2018. Metro’s available cash on hand and trade receivables as at 30 June 2018 was A$30.6M. Due to an extended wet season and the site evacuation, caused by Tropical...
The Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment Ministry has not made any statement yet on behalf of the government over the issue of bauxite moratorium after it officially ended on June 30, 2018, reported Paya Besar Member of Parliament Mohd Shahar Abdullah. He said he would bring up the issue in Dewan Rakyat on July 31 so that the ministry could explain the government’s stand and end public concern if any over the issue. Government’s silence, according to him, is making things difficult for the owners of land on which bauxite had been mined before the moratorium, started from January 15, 2016. “As it is now, the mines have been abandoned and if they cannot go ahead (with mining bauxite), it should be stated so that they can go ahead and start replanting the area with oil...
Bauxite Resources Limited has published its June 2018 Quarterly Activities and Cashflow report with updates on its exploration activities, takeover bid and cash flows. The report confirms that that proposed proportional off-market takeover bid of BRL by Mercantile OFM Pty Ltd closed on 30 June 2018, with less than 2 million (1% of Issued Capital) shares accepting into the bid. Mercantile purchased on-market shares through its entity One Managed Investment Funds Limited during the offer period and now holds approx. 17.9% of Bauxite’s issued capital. The company has a JV with HD Mining & Investment Pty Ltd (HD Mining) a wholly owned subsidiary of the Shandong Bureau No1 Institute for Prospecting of Geology & Minerals (Shandong) to explore bauxite in Darling Range, WA. The JV provides for HD...
Australian Bauxite on Tuesday, July 24, reported that its subsidiary ALCORE received the minimum funding to start Stage 1 of the project. Site construction works started in July at the pre-approved pilot plant site in New South Wales, as per the plan, for the production of aluminium fluoride samples by refining raw bauxite. The budget set for the Stage 1 operation is A$ 2.5 million. “This is the beginning of a powerful new bauxite refining technology which will commence as an important supplier of key aluminium fluoride products for the Australasian aluminium smelters and producing silica fume for the cement industry, then develop Corethane pure hydrocarbons for energy and fuel security,” said Australian Bauxite CEO Ian Levy. It will initially start with the production of aluminium...
Ghana Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia has declared that the establishment of Ghana Integrated Bauxite and Aluminium Development Authority is about to complete and almost ready to add value to country’s mineral resources. He explicitly said, "We are almost at the end of establishing a government holding company by name Ghana Integrated Bauxite and Aluminum Development Authority (GIBADA). The bill establishing GIBADA is already laid in parliament awaiting passage." He further explained that Ghana being one of the richest sources of bauxite can yield substantial benefits for the country’s citizens if developed further and help curb the unemployment situation. "With production rate of about 10 million tonnes metric tonnes of alumina annually, production could last well over 50 years,"...
Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) reported that its subsidiary Maaden Bauxite and Alumina Company (MBAC) has signed an agreement with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) to amend the terms of its existing loan of SR3.75 billion ($1 billion) which has been reduced to SR3.506 billion ($935 million) through previous repayments. A major player in the region, MBAC is 74.9 per cent owned by Maaden and 25.1 per cent by US aluminium giant Alcoa Corporation. MBAC’s bauxite mine produced 3.7 million tonnes of bauxite, and the refinery produced 1.48 million tonnes of alumina from which the smelter produced 762Kmt of aluminium. MBAC has also signed a financing agreement with a number of local and regional commercial banks for SR4.245 billion ($1.132 billion). The funding will refinance the existing...
