Alumina Production
Red mud-based concrete cuts carbon footprint by up to 79.8% in Trinity College Dublin study
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin are testing a new type of concrete made using red mud, a residue from alumina refining. The project, supported by Enterprise Ireland and carried out with Gannon Eco and McGrath Quarries, has progressed from laboratory research to trials using industrial batching equipment. The university reported on 22 October that the geopolymer concrete formulations reduced the carbon footprint by 67.8–79.8 per cent against a CEM II-A/L cement reference. The comparison included raw material supply, transport and manufacturing. To know the futuristic market and value proposition of red mud, explore the report " A Comprehensive Analysis of Bauxite Residue (Red Mud): Sustainability, Resource Recovery and Strategic Recommendations " Laboratory tests also found that the...
Alumina steady-to-soft as spot tightens, deepening losses fail to spur cuts
Domestic spot alumina prices edged down slightly last week amid flat trading activity. Recent alumina price movements were mainly attributed to earlier concentrated restocking by downstream buyers, which has led to accumulating inventories at rail stations and smelters. Coupled with supply-side maintenance-driven output cuts that are still building, readily available spot volumes have tightened relatively. Only sporadic tender deals were heard recently, leaving prices in a temporary steady phase. On the bauxite front, domestic ore prices saw limited movement last week. Supply-side bottlenecks are unlikely to ease in the near term, with mines prioritising captive supply, leaving little excess spot material available. For imported ore, freight rates rebounded slightly and consecutively last...
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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 MOREEurope’s recycled aluminium production: Germany, Italy and the UK anchor a competitive market
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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?
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Power crisis bites Guinea’s aluminium ambitions; 75kt supply to wait until after 2030
Guinea’s ambition to move beyond bauxite exports into alumina refining and aluminium smelting is running into a major electricity constraint. Producing about 1,000 MW of power at present, it needs another estimated 5,000–10,000 MW for industrialisation. While new alumina refineries could expand intermediate supply, the shortage of reliable electricity is likely to delay additional aluminium production capacity beyond 2030. The challenge emerges as aluminium traded at USD 3,008.5 per tonne, down 8.77 per cent over the month but up 8.43 per cent year on year. Guinea mined an estimated 150 million tonnes of bauxite in 2025, accounting for 34 per cent of global output of 440 million tonnes. Yet it produced only 360,000 tonnes of alumina, or 0.24 per cent of worldwide production of 150 million...
Ghana’s bauxite bottleneck: President Mahama courts investors for missing alumina refinery
Ghana is seeking investors to establish an alumina refinery, aiming to close a gap in its bauxite-to-aluminium production chain as the country prepares to phase out raw mineral ore exports by 2030. President John Dramani Mahama has identified the absence of domestic alumina refining as a key obstacle to retaining more value from the country’s mineral resources. Speaking during a panel discussion at the 2026 Financial Times Africa Summit on October 21, Mahama said Ghana could no longer rely on exporting raw materials while importing finished products. The government wants more processing to take place locally, creating jobs and expanding industrial activity. “We cannot continue forever to be the exporter of raw materials to the rest of the world and consumers of finished products,” Mahama...
Aughinish Alumina dodges proposed EU sanctions as 22nd Russia package takes shape
Aughinish Alumina, the Rusal-owned refinery in County Limerick and one of Ireland’s major industrial employers, remains outside the European Commission’s draft 22nd sanctions package against Russia, although pressure to restrict its alumina exports continues. However, the position could change as the European Commission consults EU member states on the proposed measures. Confidential discussions involving Commission officials and senior diplomats from all 27 member states are expected to take place over the coming weeks to assess support for the proposals and consider possible amendments. Alumina export restrictions remain under consideration The debate centres on Aughinish Alumina’s shipments to Russia, where the raw material is processed into aluminium at smelters owned by Rusal....
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...
Red mud waste to stronger cement: Sulphate activation delivers 7.33 MPa compressive strength
China’s growing red mud waste problem could offer an opportunity for the construction industry, as new research has demonstrated how aluminium industry residue can be converted into stronger cementitious materials. The study found that sulphate activation using flue gas desulphurisation gypsum achieved a compressive strength of 7.33 megapascals (MPa), more than double that of untreated mixtures. Researchers also identified the fractal geometry of microscopic pores as a potential indicator of material strength. The findings could support efforts to develop low-carbon construction materials from industrial waste, including red mud generated during alumina refining. However, the results also highlight a key engineering trade-off: the activation method that delivered the highest compressive...
Alcoa reports $483m net income in Q3 2026 as aluminium production rises
Alcoa Corporation reported net income of USD 483 million in the third quarter of 2026, up from USD 407 million in the previous quarter and USD 232 million in the same period last year, as the company increased aluminium production and improved refinery performance. Revenue reached USD 3.7 billion, down 6.6 per cent from USD 4 billion in the second quarter but up from about USD 3 billion in the third quarter of 2025. Adjusted EBITDA, excluding special items, was USD 789 million, compared with USD 901 million in the previous quarter and USD 270 million a year earlier. Adjusted net income stood at USD 1.82 per share, while earnings per common share were USD 1.81. Alcoa generated USD 643 million in cash from operations and reported free cash flow of USD 472 million. Its cash balance reached...
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Dr. Deependra Singh
India is likely to witness a 4–6x increase in critical mineral consumption by 2040
Dr. Ashok Nandi
AL Circle x Dr Ashok Nandi: With the deteriorating domestic and imported bauxite quality, alumina refineries are slowly adopting the lower-grade ores for survival
Patrice L’HUILLIER
AL Circle x Patrice L’HUILLIER from Nimba Mining: "We are targeting China and India, which are the major bauxite consumers for alumina production”
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