Africa
AL Circle Analysis: Guinea’s 150Mt bauxite cap, China’s import swings, US tariffs draw aluminium Q4’26
The global aluminium supply chain is facing a series of changes that extend from bauxite mines and alumina refineries to smelters, regional premiums and finished-metal trade. In 2026, the market’s direction is being shaped not only by production volumes but also by freight costs, export restrictions, shifting Chinese demand and tariffs. Developments across Guinea, Australia, China, Europe and North America point to a market where access to supply is increasingly as important as the availability of raw materials. Bauxite supply: Guinea’s cap meets a well-stocked China, but is it stable? Guinea remains central to the seaborne bauxite market, with its shipment connections to China demonstrating the importance of reliable logistics. A new sea-rail route has enabled a Guinea bauxite shipment...
Guinea targets 8Mt of alumina capacity by 2030: Can its power grid deliver 5k–10k MW?
After introducing its annual bauxite export cap at 150 million tonnes in June 2026 , Guinea is now accelerating its alumina refining ambitions, with three refineries under construction and a target of five operating by 2030. However, the country’s electricity generation of around 1,000 MW falls well short of the estimated 5,000–10,000 MW needed to support industrialisation, putting energy infrastructure at the centre of its bauxite-to-alumina strategy. Daouda Diakite, Senior Adviser to Guinea’s Minister of Mines and Geology, Bouna Sylla, outlined the plans at African Mining Week in Cape Town. The government aims to establish annual alumina production capacity of approximately 7 million to 8 million tonnes, with aluminium smelters envisioned as a subsequent step. To know the future market...
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LEARN MOREGlobal EV sales to hit 35.4 million by 2030, with aluminium usage forecast to rise 38% in North America & 79% in China
AL Circle analysis: How do Germany’s 32.8% automotive aluminium share, 40% Diet Coke can price rise & 3.54Mt North American extrusion demand matter?
AL Circle Analysis: Guinea’s 150Mt bauxite cap, China’s import swings, US tariffs draw aluminium Q4’26
EU approves Germany’s power relief instrument: Could aluminium producers save €459m annually?
North America’s aluminum extrusion demand set to reach 3.54Mt by 2035: The end-use sectors behind the climb
News
FMO, AXIAN and Africa Via advance €55.5m solar project in Côte d’Ivoire
Dutch development bank FMO has signed a financing agreement with Kong Solaire SAS for the development of a 50 MWp solar power plant near Kong in northern Côte d’Ivoire. FMO will provide up to EUR 55.5 million (USD 62 million) in long-term financing with a 20-year tenor, covering the project’s entire long-term financing requirement. The project company is owned by Africa Via, AXIAN and the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) through its project development solution, InfraCo. The financing structure has been adapted to reflect the specific conditions of emerging markets in West Africa. Benjamin Memmi, CEO of AXIAN Group’s Energy division, said, “ With an installed capacity of 50 MWp, the project will help diversify the national energy mix and meet growing electricity demand with...
Aluminium du Maroc’s revenue retreats, but profit refuses to follow with a 31% Y-o-Y increase in H1 2026
Aluminium du Maroc reported a 31 per cent year-over-year increase in H1 2026 net income to MAD 41.0 million (USD 4.11 million), even as consolidated revenue declined to MAD 603.7 million (USD 60.55 million) from MAD 650.1 million (USD 65.21 million). The Moroccan aluminium producer’s results point to a stronger profitability performance despite weaker top-line activity. Net income rose from MAD 31.3 million (USD 3.14 million) in H1 2025, while operating income also increased by 23 per cent to MAD 77.2 million (USD 7.74 million), according to AlphaMena. Profit growth outpaces revenue The divergence between revenue and profit was the key feature of Aluminium du Maroc’s H1 2026 performance. Revenue declined by around 7 per cent year over year, while net income increased by nearly one-third....
Yantai Port's rail freight corridor crosses 10Mt as African bauxite heads to Shanxi
Yantai Port's growing role in China's bauxite and aluminium supply chain has come into focus after its Dezhou-Longkou-Yantai rail freight corridor surpassed 10 million tonnes of total cargo. The milestone was reached as 3,200 tonnes of African bauxite moved from the Shandong port to an aluminium processing plant in Shanxi province. The bauxite shipment departed Yantai Port on September 29, travelling along a railway network that stretches roughly 1,000 kilometres and connects the coastal port with inland industrial markets. The corridor now serves 25 destinations across five provinces and regions - Shandong, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia. Six destinations are located in Shandong, while 19 are in other provinces. The scale of the network has expanded alongside its cargo...
$150 billion, 12+ countries, one Gulf player: Inside the UAE's ports-to-bauxite web across Africa
Stretch a line from the Red Sea through the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean all the way to the Atlantic coast, and you'll pass through a decade-old network of ports, long-term concessions, roads, and logistics corridors built by a single Gulf state. The common thread running through the United Arab Emirates is bauxite mines, the raw ore behind aluminium production, sit alongside renewable energy plants, and data centres. On 20 September 2026, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, put a number on that footprint sharing that the UAE investment in Africa is approaching USD 150 billion, with annual two-way trade now exceeding USD 107 billion. He framed the expansion as part of Abu Dhabi’s push to build direct ties with the continent, bypassing traditional Western...
Yadea finds a new route into Africa’s electric two-wheeler market, partnering with Spiro
Expanding across Africa may no longer require building an electric mobility network from scratch. The Chinese electric two-wheeler maker, Yadea, has partnered with African electric mobility company Spiro, giving it access to an established fleet of electric motorcycles and battery-swapping infrastructure across the continent. Signed in Dubai on September 11, 2026, the strategic partnership will see Yadea supply electric two-wheelers and related products for Spiro’s African markets. The scale of Spiro’s existing network is significant. The company operates more than 130,000 electric motorcycles and around 2,500 battery-swap stations across West and East Africa. For Yadea, that network could provide a ready-made route into markets where electric two-wheelers are gaining ground. Yadea has...
Scatec’s Thakadu solar project gets a $16m risk buffer by Lyra Energy, Norway
Norway will provide a guarantee of up to NOK 150 million (USD 16.08 million) to support revenue security for the planned 255 MW Thakadu solar project in South Africa, helping reduce the risk faced by investors in the renewable energy development. The guarantee will be provided to Lyra Energy, an electricity sales platform jointly owned by Scatec, Standard Bank and Stanlib. It will cover the risk of companies buying electricity from the solar plant failing to make their payments. The agreement, announced on September 14, 2026, is the first involving a private company under Norway's renewable energy guarantee mechanism. The NOK 5 billion (USD 536 million) programme is designed to encourage greater private investment in renewable energy projects in developing countries by taking on part of...
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