Oceania
Australia to prioritise critical minerals refining and European market in updated strategy
Australia plans to give greater attention to critical minerals refining and processing under an updated strategy, as competition for investment grows and concerns over supply chains continue. Resources Minister Madeleine King said the revised strategy would guide the industry's next stage of development, with a focus on creating greater economic and strategic value from critical minerals. She said Australia would prioritise processing activities where it already has, or could develop, a competitive advantage. Australia is a major supplier of critical minerals, including rare earths used in defence and renewable energy. However, China dominates the refining stage of the supply chain. Western countries are seeking to expand their own processing capabilities and diversify supplies of...
Japan’s aluminium imports shift: UAE shipments plunge 41.8% as Australia takes the lead
Japan imported 1.36 million tonnes of downstream aluminium products in January–August 2026, down 6.2 per cent from 1.45 million tonnes in the same period of 2025. The latest figures show lower overall imports, with shipments from the UAE seeing the biggest decline among the five leading exporters listed, while imports from Australia also fell. Japan’s total imports decline Japan’s downstream aluminium imports stood at 1.36 million tonnes through August 2026, a drop of around 90,000 tonnes, compared to shipments in 2025 during the same period. However, annual imports remained broadly stable over the previous three years, rising from 2.11 million tonnes in 2023 to 2.12 million tonnes in 2024, an increase of 0.3 per cent. In 2025, imports edged up by a further 0.1 per cent to 2.12 million...
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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 9M 2026 aluminium production jumps to 5.56Mt as smelter restarts gain ground
Europe’s recycled aluminium production: Germany, Italy and the UK anchor a competitive market
Global 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
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Rio Tinto plans 360 MWh heat battery, Australia’s largest for Yarwun alumina refinery
Rio Tinto is assessing the use of thermal energy storage at its Yarwun alumina refinery in Queensland, Australia, through a partnership with Rondo Energy. The proposed system would store 360 MWh of energy and deliver heat at a rate of 30 MW, potentially reducing the refinery’s reliance on fossil fuels to produce steam. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has committed AUD 3.6 million (USD 2.5 million) for front-end engineering and design studies. A further AUD 38 million (USD 27 million) could be made available to support installation if the study is completed successfully and the project proceeds. Join the fourth edition of webinar " Hedging for recyclers - Become an expert in 6 hours " by Jorge Dyszel. The proposed installation would be among the first large-scale industrial...
$3.7B Kurri Kurri Data Centre to transform former aluminium smelter site with 550.5 MW power demand
A proposed AUD 3.7 billion data centre at the former Hydro Aluminium Kurri Kurri industrial site in New South Wales, Australia, could repurpose a major industrial property for digital infrastructure, with an estimated peak construction workforce of 1,210 people and around 254 ongoing jobs. The Kurri Kurri Data Centre project, proposed at Hart Road, Loxford, is seeking approval for the fit-out and operation of a large-scale data storage facility with a planned power consumption of 550.5 megawatts (MW). The development application, listed as a State Significant Development under reference SSD-128819490, is currently at the public exhibition stage. The proposal highlights how former aluminium industry sites could find new uses as demand for data storage and computing infrastructure expands....
Metro Mining cuts 2026 bauxite shipment guidance to 6.5m WMT amid operational challenges
Metro Mining has lowered its 2026 bauxite shipment guidance to 6.0–6.5 million wet metric tonnes (WMT), following below-plan performance in September at its Bauxite Hills Mine in Far North Queensland, Australia. The revised outlook factors in ongoing mitigation measures, mine productivity improvements, channel maintenance and potential weather-related constraints as the company seeks to maximise shipments before its planned February maintenance shutdown. The revised guidance was considered by Metro Mining’s Board of Directors on October 19, following the company’s September operational update issued on October 12. The company acknowledged investor disappointment after a challenging year, while maintaining that it is working to improve operating performance and deliver bauxite to market at...
Mount Ridley Mines files second Selectro patent to target industrial metals recovery
Australia’s Mount Ridley Mines is expanding its Selectro processing technology beyond critical minerals, with a second provisional patent application targeting industrial feedstocks such as bauxite and potentially opening new licensing and partnership opportunities. Mount Ridley Mines Ltd (ASX: MRD) has lodged a second provisional patent application for its proprietary Selectro hydrometallurgical technology, seeking to protect an adapted version of the process designed to recover metals from industrial feedstocks. Filed on October 15 2026, with IP Australia through its wholly owned subsidiary, Mount Ridley Tech, the application follows the company's initial Selectro patent filing in August 2026. The new application covers an adaptation of the technology in which the reagent molecule has...
Capral backs provisional duties of up to 73.3% on Chinese aluminium windows and doors
Australian aluminium producer Capral has welcomed proposed trade measures against Chinese aluminium window and door imports, following preliminary findings of dumping and subsidies that have put pressure on local manufacturers. The Australian Trade Remedies Commission's investigation found dumping margins of 5.3 per cent to 70.4 per cent on certain imports. Provisional measures introduced on October 15 require importers to provide financial security against potential duties of up to 73.3 per cent. The investigation covers fully and partially assembled aluminium windows and doors imported from China between July 2024 and June 2025. Capral said the findings were important for Australia's domestic aluminium supply chain, particularly businesses involved in manufacturing windows and doors. To...
ABx Group’s 37Mt Sunrise bauxite project opens for public comment in Queensland
ABx Group’s proposed Sunrise bauxite project in Queensland, Australia, has reached a milestone in the federal environmental approval process. Its referral under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act is open for public comment until October 26. The greenfield mine is proposed for Binjour, about 115 km southwest of the Port of Bundaberg and 25 km west of Gayndah. Project documents indicate annual production of 600,000 to 800,000 tonnes of run-of-mine (ROM) and product bauxite, with an upper limit of approximately 1.2 million tonnes per annum. The mine is expected to operate for 20–25 years. 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...
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