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Aluminum investment across North America and Asia: Who leads reshaping the next phase of growth?
30 SEPT 20265MINS

Aluminum investment across North America and Asia: Who leads reshaping the next phase of growth?

Aluminum investment has been spreading across the entire value chain, from primary smelting and alumina refining to recycling, rolling, extrusion and battery foil, building more integrated and higher-value supply chains. During the past 5 years, the US and Canada in North America and China in Asia have been grabbing headlines pertaining to the aluminum industry. These updates have involved growth stories or have shed light on volatile market situations. How have these headlines contributed to a greater picture for the benefit of the aluminum industries of the two continents? Between 2021 and 2026, major projects across North America and Asia have targeted new primary capacity, lower-carbon production, recycled aluminum and higher-value downstream products. But the investment pattern is...

14 SEPT 20262MINS

Alba Voronezh launches 4k cans-per-minute plant, targets 25% of Russia’s aluminium can demand

Alba Voronezh has launched a new aluminium beverage can manufacturing plant in the Voronezh region of Russia, with a production capacity of up to 4,000 cans per minute. The facility, located at the “Center” Special Economic Zone (SEZ), represents an investment of RUB 12 billion (USD 143 million). Construction was completed in 11 months, according to Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev. The plant has created more than 200 jobs and is expected to produce around 1 billion aluminium cans a year. Its warehouses can hold up to 150 million cans. The facility is expected to meet at least 25 per cent of Russia’s demand for aluminium beverage packaging. Over the next 10 years, the plant is projected to contribute around RUB 3 billion (USD 36 million) in taxes to the regional budget, along with more...


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China’s 45Mt aluminium cap pushes producers overseas as global dominance grows
Primary AL

China’s 45Mt aluminium cap pushes producers overseas as global dominance grows

China’s aluminium industry is running close to its limits in 2026. As Shanghai aluminium prices near a three-month high, historically low raw material costs and strong smelter margins encourage producers to operate at maximum capacity. National aluminium output remains above Beijing’s 45-million-tonne cap, projected to reach 46 million tonnes by the ned of 2026. But with the ceiling still firmly in place, Chinese producers are taking projects overseas to Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Angola and Saudi Arabia, strengthening China’s position in the global aluminium supply chain. Domestic capacity leaves little room to grow In August, Chinese smelters were operating at 99.7 per cent of effective capacity, estimated by AZ Global Consulting at 45.26 million tonnes. This is in line with AL Circle’s...

Stadler’s $31m Astana expansion brings aluminium carbody production to Central Asia
End User

Stadler’s $31m Astana expansion brings aluminium carbody production to Central Asia

Stadler is moving ahead with the next phase of its Astana plant in Kazakhstan, investing more than KZT 14 billion (USD 31 million) in new welding and painting shops for aluminium railcar bodies. The project will create the first aluminium carbody production facility of its kind in Central Asia. The new capacity is being developed under long-term contracts to supply and maintain 557 passenger coaches for Kazakhstan’s national railway operator, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ). Stadler Kazakhstan said the new shops, along with the modernisation of existing production facilities, will increase the plant’s capacity by 25 per cent and create around 100 additional jobs. The Astana plant currently has capacity to produce 80 railcars a year. The company said, “Once the welding and painting shops for...

Aluminium extrusion 2035 demand nears 44.22Mt: Industry experts decode next decade drivers
Downstream

Aluminium extrusion 2035 demand nears 44.22Mt: Industry experts decode next decade drivers

Global aluminium extrusion demand is entering a phase with consumption projected to rise from 35.25 million tonnes in 2025 to 35.93 million tonnes in 2026 and 44.22 million tonnes by 2035, representing a 2.29 per cent CAGR. While building and construction will remain the largest end-use sector and China will continue to dominate the global market, the next decade is expected to bring stronger momentum from transportation, electrical and electronics, industrial applications and emerging markets across Asia. China accounted for 64 per cent of global aluminium extrusion usage in 2025, while the Rest of Asia Pacific (ROAP) represented 10 per cent, North America 8 per cent, Europe 10 per cent, the Middle East and Africa 5 per cent and South America 3 per cent. At the same time, the global...

Guizhou Aluminum Plant's diesel anode transport vehicle passes inspection, ships to Kazakhstan
SupplementAL

Guizhou Aluminum Plant's diesel anode transport vehicle passes inspection, ships to Kazakhstan

The diesel anode transport vehicle independently developed by Guizhou Aluminum Plant has successfully passed factory inspection and been officially loaded for shipment to Kazakhstan. The anode transport vehicle is a core specialised equipment for aluminium electrolysis production, facing harsh operating conditions over the long term such as high temperatures, dust, strong magnetic fields, and heavy loads, with high barriers to R&D and manufacturing. The vehicles in this shipment have undergone targeted technical upgrades based on Guizhou Aluminum Plant's proven export car model Huaguang HG-5, addressing practical challenges in Kazakhstan such as extreme winter cold, long transfer distances, and strong magnetic field interference in workshops, achieving a dual leap in product adaptability...

EU plans aluminium scrap export ban on non-OECD countries; China, India in focus
Sustainability

EU plans aluminium scrap export ban on non-OECD countries; China, India in focus

The European Union (EU) is preparing a broader restriction on aluminium scrap exports to non-Organisation for Economic Co-operation ‌and ⁠Development (OECD) countries, replacing an earlier trade proposal that would have covered only part of the bloc’s scrap flows. The move could largely impact international aluminium recycling trade, especially major Asian destinations such as China and India. As per an official statement released from the cabinet, EU Executive Vice-President Stephane Sejourne has “decided to withdraw the proposal and to explore a ​proposal, independent from trade instruments.” and is instead working on a delegated act under the Waste Shipment Regulation. The European Commission had initially been expected to introduce limited measures on September 23. However, “In the...

Korea’s 483kt of Russian aluminium imports hit record high as sanctions risks deepen
Primary AL

Korea’s 483kt of Russian aluminium imports hit record high as sanctions risks deepen

South Korea’s Russian aluminium imports reached a record high in 2025, making Russia the country’s largest aluminium supplier for the first time. The sharp increase has strengthened Korea’s dependence on Russian metal even as the US and Europe tighten sanctions against Moscow. The exposure is significant for Korea’s defence industry, where aluminium and its alloys are used in missiles and other weapons systems. Korea imported 483,084 tonnes of aluminium from Russia in 2025, according to Korea Customs Service data, representing a 41 per cent increase year on year. The volume exceeded imports from Australia at 408,657 tonnes and China at 394,837 tonnes. The shift has become increasingly pronounced since 2022. Compared with the 120,629 tonnes imported from Russia in 2021, last year’s volume...

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