Russia

Europe’s 9M 2026 aluminium production jumps to 5.56Mt as smelter restarts gain ground
28 OCT 20264MINS

Europe’s 9M 2026 aluminium production jumps to 5.56Mt as smelter restarts gain ground

As the global aluminium supply chain continues to swing between shifts and crunches, how has Europe fared on the production front in the 2026 year-to-date calendar? Substantially well, going by the output figures. Between January and September 2026, the European continent, including Russia, has produced a total of 5.56 million tonnes of primary aluminium, building a significant year-on-year growth chart. The nine-month growth chart Set against the same period of 2025, the first nine months of 2026 show a clear lift in output. From January to September 2026, Europe, including Russia, produced 5.56 million tonnes of primary aluminium, raising the annual growth rate by 5.69 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) over the 5.26 million tonnes produced in 2025. Explore the production, demand and...

24 OCT 20263MINS

A new rival for RUSAL? Sual deal puts 150,000 tonnes of Russian aluminium in focus

Russia’s aluminium market could face a new competitive dynamic after Sual Partners signed a production-sharing agreement with state-controlled hydropower group RusHydro, potentially giving Sual access to up to 150,000 tonnes of aluminium from the Boguchany smelter in Siberia. The arrangement could challenge Rusal’s near 20-year dominance of Russia’s primary aluminium market, allowing Sual to target both domestic and overseas customers with the metal. The agreement, announced on October 15 during Russian Energy Week, provides for a production-sharing mechanism at the Boguchansky aluminium plant, which is co-owned by RusHydro. The arrangement could give Sual access to as much as a 50 per cent share of the smelter’s output, putting it in a position to compete directly with Rusal, its...


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Aughinish Alumina dodges proposed EU sanctions as 22nd Russia package takes shape
Alumina

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....

Russian aluminium accounts for nearly 100% of available LME stocks in September
Primary AL

Russian aluminium accounts for nearly 100% of available LME stocks in September

Russian-origin aluminium accounted for 99.98 per cent of available aluminium stocks in London Metal Exchange (LME) warehouses at the end of September, up from 95 per cent in August, as Indian metal stocks dwindled to just 50 tonnes. The figures, released by the exchange on Wednesday, highlight the limited choice of aluminium available for delivery through the LME warehouse system. Total available, or on-warrant, aluminium inventories fell by 6.5 per cent to 226,675 tonnes at the end of September, marking their lowest level since March 2025. The decline came as the conflict in the Middle East tightened global supply. Although available Russian aluminium stocks also decreased, falling by 3,425 tonnes during the month to 226,625 tonnes, their share of the remaining inventory increased as...

Head of State Property Fund acknowledges: Mykolaiv Alumina Plant privatisation auction in Q1 2027
Alumina

Head of State Property Fund acknowledges: Mykolaiv Alumina Plant privatisation auction in Q1 2027

Ukraine’s Mykolaiv Alumina Plant could go up for a privatisation auction in the first quarter of 2027, according to Dmytro Natalukha, head of Ukraine's State Property Fund. The government must approve the final auction date, which Natalukha expects to be announced by the end of October 2026. In a recent interview with NikVesti, Natalukha said, “This is one of the few enterprises on our books that attracts regular and persistent interest. However, a change of ownership would not necessarily mean an immediate restart of production. An investor could acquire the facility and keep it idle until operating conditions improve. To know the futuristic market and value proposition of red mud, explore the report " A Comprehensive Analysis of Bauxite Residue (Red Mud): Sustainability, Resource...

AL Circle Analysis: From Guinea to Gulf, how bauxite, tariffs and logistics redraw aluminium map
Bauxite

AL Circle Analysis: From Guinea to Gulf, how bauxite, tariffs and logistics redraw aluminium map

Aluminium markets in late 2026 are being shaped by more than the headline LME aluminium price. Bauxite security, alumina availability, geopolitical disruptions, tariff negotiations, logistics diversification and regional premiums are increasingly determining where metal moves and what buyers pay. From RUSAL reassessing Caribbean assets and Vedanta securing Odisha bauxite to Brazil extending mine life and EGA rebuilding its Guinea supply chain, producers are strengthening control over critical raw materials. At the same time, the US remains heavily dependent on imported bauxite and alumina, while Europe and Asia are experiencing sharply different premium dynamics. These developments point to a market where physical availability is becoming a regional factor even as aluminium itself remains...

Russia takes EU’s CBAM to WTO: 5 key questions for global climate, aluminium trade
Sustainability

Russia takes EU’s CBAM to WTO: 5 key questions for global climate, aluminium trade

The European Union’s (EU’s) Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has entered a new phase of scrutiny. In light of the conflict between Russia and the EU, a new World Trade Organisation (WTO) panel was formed on September 25. The debate, initiated in May 2025, puts both the design and implementation of CBAM and aspects of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) under the WTO lens, with implications extending beyond the EU-Russia conflict and possibly entering the aluminium trade boundaries. Join the fourth edition of the webinar "Hedging for recyclers - Become an expert in 6 hours" by Jorge Dyszel. Why is Russia challenging the EU-ETS? Russia has challenged the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) over the allocation of free emissions allowances to sectors considered vulnerable to carbon...

Aughinish Alumina seeks support as EU reviews Russia-bound alumina exports
Alumina

Aughinish Alumina seeks support as EU reviews Russia-bound alumina exports

Aughinish Alumina has stepped up its engagement with Irish government representatives and officials as the European Commission considers further measures that could affect alumina exports from its Co Limerick facility to Russia. The increased engagement comes ahead of the next round of EU measures, with some member states expected to seek restrictions on Irish alumina exports to Russia. The European Commission is aiming to implement the measures before winter. Aughinish’s exports have come under increased attention following reports of shipments from the plant to Russian smelters. The resulting aluminium is sold to a company that supplies more than 100 Russian manufacturing companies, according to various industry sources. The latest trade data underlines the scale of the shipments. A...

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