Africa
$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...
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A report that reveals where the aluminium casting industry is heading and how businesses can act.
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A report that reveals where the aluminium casting industry is heading and how businesses can act.
LEARN MOREGermany’s aluminium FRP consumption reaches 1.68 Mt as 2025 trade surplus tops $3.1 billion
AL Circle Analysis: Europe’s aluminium scrap curbs, India’s risk and US’s supply opportunity
German downstream aluminium exports fall 13% in H1 2026 but US enters top 5 with 228.1% import surge
Caustic soda plant setup in India: How aluminium growth is reshaping demand, costs and opportunities
News
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...
H1 2026 sees more renewable energy than ever: Here’s a region-by-region guide to renewable energy supply in the recent past
In the first half of 2025, humanity generated more electricity from renewables than from coal for the first time ever. What led to it? It was possible only because of two decades of falling solar panel prices, taller wind turbines, and governments finally treating clean power like an economic opportunity instead of a favour to the planet. But the renewable energy scenario cannot be portrayed as a single global story. To get the full picture, one has to connect dozens of regional stories moving at wildly different speeds. Some countries are already powered almost entirely by sun, wind and water. Others are still warming up. Here is a tour of how renewable energy supply looks across the world’s regions right now, and who is actually leading the charge. The global scorecard: Renewable energy...
Ghana puts bauxite, lithium and iron ore in the spotlight to woo Australian capital
Ghana has stepped up efforts to attract Australian investment into its growing critical minerals sector, pitching the country as a stable and reform-driven destination for mining and value-added mineral development at the 2026 Africa Down Under (ADU) Summit in Perth. The Ghanaian delegation was led by High Commissioner to Australia Doris Brese and Maxwell Yao Akpene Klu, Deputy Chief Executive of the Minerals Commission in charge of Small Scale & Industrial Minerals. Addressing mining executives, financiers and policymakers, Klu said Ghana is looking to move beyond its traditional gold dominance and position itself as a strategic partner in battery minerals and green technologies. “Our country is not just about extracting resources, we are committed to a paradigm shift in mining, one that...
Alcoa files SEC registration for $5.6b South32 alumina, aluminium and bauxite asset deal
Alcoa has moved its proposed acquisition of South32's bauxite, alumina and aluminium interests forward with a US SEC filing, with the transaction carrying an implied enterprise value of up to USD 5.6 billion. Alcoa Corporation has filed a Form S-4 registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in connection with its proposed acquisition of South32 Limited's interests across the bauxite, alumina and aluminium value chain. Under the transaction agreed on June 30, 2026, Alcoa will pay South32 USD 3.1 billion in upfront cash and about USD 1.0 billion in Alcoa shares, while also assuming around USD 750 million in net debt and lease liabilities. A further USD 750 million in contingent cash consideration could become payable depending on alumina and aluminium prices...
AL Circle Analysis: Regional output & trade reflect bauxite-alumina supply contrast in aluminium market
If aluminium has a pressure point right now, it sits one step upstream of the metal itself - in alumina. China’s appetite for imported ore remains elevated, alumina markets diverge between regions, and disruptions in Guinea and Australia expose logistics risks. At the same time, tariffs and regional premiums are reshaping the economics of aluminium, making access to competitively priced alumina and metal increasingly dependent on geography, trade routes and policy. Bauxite supply: Sourcing, scrutiny and shifting trade flows Jamaica and Ghana are negotiating a USD 60 million arrangement in which Jamaican bauxite would be refined into alumina at ATALCO’s Gramercy, Louisiana plant before shipping to Ghana’s aluminium industry. Talks, backed by Ghana’s President Mahama, began in March 2026...
Alcoa-Hillside deal supports South Africa’s aluminium industry growth ambitions
Alcoa’s proposed acquisition of South32’s aluminium assets in Australia, Brazil and South Africa is an important development for the global aluminium industry, particularly for South Africa’s primary aluminium production. Aluminium Federation of South Africa (AFSA) CEO, Muzi Manzi, said, “On July 1, South32 signed a binding conditional agreement to sell its aluminium value chain assets…to US-based Alcoa.” The deal was valued at up to USD 5.6 billion and included the Hillside Aluminium smelter in Richards Bay. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2027, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. For South Africa, the key point is Hillside. The smelter is the country’s only primary aluminium smelter. Alcoa has said that its acquisition will keep Hillside operating...
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Khalid A. Latif
AL Circle x Khalid A. Latif: Inside Midal Cables’ blueprint for sustainable innovation, operational excellence and market leadership
Rodabell
AL Circle x Rodabell: Driving innovative and sustainable aluminium casting solutions with global reach and advanced engineering
Éloïse Harvey
Beyond China, India and the Middle East are ready to play pivotal roles in shaping the future of global primary aluminium production: Éloïse Harvey, CEO of EPIQ Machinery
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