Red Mud
Brazil’s alumina ambition leaves a 13Mt red mud challenge: How effective is residue handling? The story behind one of aluminium's largest residues
Every year, Brazil produces more than 13 million tonnes of red mud, making it one of the world's largest generators of the aluminium industry's biggest industrial residue. Created during alumina refining, red mud is unavoidable-but the amount produced is never determined by the residue itself. It depends on everything that happens much earlier, from the quality of bauxite entering a refinery to how efficiently alumina is extracted. In 2025, Brazil mined 33 million tonnes of bauxite. Around 27 million tonnes of that ore was refined domestically, producing 10.86 million tonnes of alumina and ultimately generating around 13.5 million tonnes of red mud. The numbers appear straightforward, showing stable red mud generation alongside rising bauxite production. The explanation begins long before...
FAST Metals raises $4.3 million and commercialises its critical mineral recovery technology
FAST Metals, the mining technology company recovering base and rare materials from red mud (bauxite tailings) and other iron-rich waste, has raised USD 4.3 million in pre-seed funding and announced its first commercial customer, Metalox Mineral Corporation. Under a strategic partnership, FAST Metals will process one ton of red mud & other iron bearing waste feed stock per week at Metalox’s Florida facility, confirming the commercial viability of its technology. Having additional MOUs signed with trading partners, FAST Metals’ early-stage investment is led by New Climate Ventures with backing from mining and tech authorities such as Azolla Ventures, Astor Swiss (a family office in Switzerland with Glencore roots) and Rio Tinto, via its mining tech accelerator with Founders Factory. Global...
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ALUMINIUM 2026
15th International Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium Conference & Exhibition - IBAAS–VFMSTA 2026
ICSOBA 2026 - 44th International Conference and Exhibition
ALUMINIUM 2026
15th International Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium Conference & Exhibition - IBAAS–VFMSTA 2026
ICSOBA 2026 - 44th International Conference and Exhibition
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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.
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Enervoxa eyes Indian rare earths plant from red mud, seeks Vedanta, Hindalco, NALCO tie-ups
Canadian climate technology company Enervoxa is planning to establish a commercial-scale rare earth processing plant in India that would recover critical minerals from red mud, the aluminium waste residue generated during alumina refining. The company is exploring partnerships with Vedanta Aluminium, Hindalco Industries and state-run National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) for the project. According to Vandit Verma, Enervoxa Chief Executive Officer, the proposed facility would require an investment worth USD 250 million to USD 350 million, developed in eastern India, through a mix of strategic equity and project financing. To know the futuristic market and value proposition of red mud, explore the report A Comprehensive Analysis of Bauxite Residue (Red Mud): Sustainability, Resource...
Green metallurgy and cement production key to unlocking full value of red mud
Red mud, the highly alkaline by-product generated during alumina production, could become a valuable source of iron and low-carbon construction materials if processed through an integrated recovery route, according to a new review examining advances in green metallurgy and sustainable cement technologies. The study argues that coupling iron extraction with the production of cementitious materials offers a practical pathway for reducing waste, lowering carbon emissions and improving resource efficiency across the aluminium industry. Aluminium industry's waste challenge continues to grow The review notes that global red mud (RM) stockpiles have now exceeded 4 billion tonnes, with the production of every tonne of alumina generating roughly one to two tonnes of the residue. China alone...
China’s 33% red mud generation growth goes hand-in-hand with alumina production - ore beneficiation and waste utilisation in focus
China's alumina industry has been expanding steadily over the past six years. Production has increased from 71 million tonnes in 2020 to around 92.9–94.5 million tonnes in 2025, an overall rise of about 31–33 per cent. But behind every new tonne of alumina lies another, less visible story that begins in the bauxite mines and after the refining process leaves behind a highly alkaline by-product known as red mud. To understand why this residue is becoming an increasingly important issue, it is necessary to look at the raw material that feeds China's refineries. It all starts with the ore Every tonne of alumina begins with bauxite, but the quality of that bauxite determines how efficiently it can be refined and how much waste is left behind. Here, China faces a structural challenge. Only 25...
U.S. Critical Materials reveals domestic rare earth and gallium processing roadmap
U.S. Critical Materials Corp. ("USCM") is featured in a new AL Circle interview spotlighting a largely untapped domestic resource: the defense-critical metals, including gallium, scandium, titanium, and rare earth elements, recoverable from red mud, the primary byproduct of aluminum refining. The interview details USCM's capabilities and the scale of bauxite residue reserves available across the United States. Harvey Kaye, Executive Chairman of US Critical Materials, described U.S. supply chain vulnerabilities, including full import dependence on gallium and scandium, materials essential for secure communications, advanced semiconductors, directed-energy systems, hypersonics, and next-generation aerospace platforms. The interview further examines red mud as a source of metals essential to...
US DOE backs rare earth recovery projects with $134M funding
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced USD 134 million in funding for two projects focused on recovering rare earth elements from waste materials. The funding will support projects being developed by the Colorado School of Mines and Phoenix Tailings as part of efforts to increase the availability of rare earth materials within the United States. One of the projects will be built near the Gramercy alumina refinery in Louisiana. The facility will process red mud, a waste product generated during alumina production from bauxite. The project aims to recover rare earth oxides from the material and convert them into rare earth metals that can be used by industry. The Colorado School of Mines is carrying out the project with support from ElementUSA, Pacific Northwest National...
There are over 30 Mt of red mud or bauxite residue on the grounds of the Atlantic Alumina (Alcoa) plant in Gramercy, shows LSU reporting
In a conversation with Harvey Kaye, Executive Chairman of U.S. Critical Materials Corp., AL Circle discussed the United States’ growing push to strengthen its domestic critical minerals supply chain and the company’s role in supporting this strategic objective. During the interaction, Harvey said U.S. Critical Materials Corp. is advancing plans to become the first new rare earths mine in the United States to begin supplying heavy rare earth elements within the next two years. Referring to LSU reporting from March 2026, he noted that more than 30 million tonnes of red mud, or bauxite residue, remain on the grounds of the Atlantic Alumina, formerly Alcoa, plant in Gramercy. He further confirmed that Sheep Creek is currently the only economically viable source of virgin ore gallium in the...
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