World alumina production in 2022 improves slightly Y-o-Y to 139 Mt; China's contribution accounts for 56.6%

According to the International Aluminium Institute, world alumina production in 2022 totalled 139.02 million tonnes, reflecting a marginal growth of 0.31 per cent from 138.587 million tonnes last year. China, the world’s leading alumina producer, contributed the highest to 2022 output by producing 78.695 million tonnes versus 75.259 million tonnes in 2021. That was an increase of 4.57 per cent in China’s annual alumina production in 2022.

However, IAI shows China’s alumina production in the fourth quarter of 2022 recorded a 3.31 per cent drop to 20.025 million tonnes from 20.71 million tonnes in Q3 2022; nonetheless registered a hike of 7.38 per cent on the year from 18.649 million tonnes.

World alumina production in Q4 also stood lower over the quarter, from 35.621 million tonnes to 34.955 million tonnes, while edged 3.52 per cent higher than 34.410 million tonnes a year ago.

In December 2022, the global alumina production stood at 11.671 million tonnes, contributed by China’s 6.655 million tonnes of output, followed by 1.729 million tonnes in the Oceania region. The December alumina production in China grew by 3.34 per cent M-o-M from 6.440 million tonnes, and that in Oceania increased by 6.47 per cent from 1.624 million tonnes.

Oceania’s alumina production in Q4 2022 was 5.028 million tonnes, up by 3.67 per cent from 4.850 million tonnes in Q3 but down by 2.22 per cent from 5.142 million tonnes in Q4 2021. In the full-year 2022, the Oceania region produced 20.116 million tonnes – 3.92 per cent less than 20.936 million tonnes in 2021.

The world daily average alumina production in December 2022 stood at 564,700 tonnes, representing an increase of 0.28 per cent from 566,300 tonnes in November and a downfall of 1.05 per cent from 570,700 tonnes in December 2021.