https://www.miningweekly.com

Receive our free daily newsletter:

Aluminium

Aluminium is a lightweight, silvery-white metal and the most abundant metallic element in the Earth's crust, widely used across transport, construction, packaging and electrical applications. The metal is prized for its low density, high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance and excellent conductivity. Primary aluminium is produced by smelting alumina (refined from bauxite ore) in an energy-intensive electrolytic process, making access to affordable electricity a key competitive factor for smelters. Major producing regions include China, the Middle East, Russia, Canada and Australia, while significant consumption centres span Asia, Europe and North America. The industry is organised around integrated producers that mine bauxite, refine alumina and smelt metal, as well as downstream fabricators that roll, extrude and cast semi-finished products. Benchmark pricing is set on the London Metal Exchange, with regional premiums reflecting freight, supply tightness and trade flows. Aluminium's recyclability without loss of properties underpins a substantial secondary market, reducing the carbon footprint of supply. Demand is driven by lightweighting trends in automotive and aerospace, urbanisation in emerging markets, and the energy transition's need for transmission cable and renewable-energy components. Environmental pressures are prompting smelters to shift toward low-carbon power and adopt inert-anode technologies. The sector faces cyclical swings in capacity utilisation, geopolitical trade restrictions and volatility in energy costs, all of which shape investment and operating decisions.

Aluminium News


Aluminium
Japan Q3 aluminium premiums soar to highest since 2015 on Mideast supply squeeze
Updated 7 hours ago By: Reuters

Japanese aluminium buyers agreed to pay premiums of $395 a ton for shipments between July and September, the highest since 2015, as the US-Israeli war on Iran squeezed supply, five sources involved... 


New South32 CEO Matt Daley.
New South32 CEO sees strong growth ahead in zinc, lead, silver, copper
3rd July 2026 By: Martin Creamer

Being a premier base metals-focused business with strong growth potential is the vision for South32 of new CEO Matt Daley. “We've got around 55% production growth over the next handful of years in... 


Photo of Martin Creamer
On-The-Air (03/07/2026)
3rd July 2026 By: Martin Creamer

Martin Creamer discusses South32’s conditional agreement to sell Hillside Aluminium to Alcoa; Sibanye-Stillwater calling for new longer-term platinum group metal applications; and DRDGOLD’s... 


Hillside Aluminium, Sibanye-Stillwater, DRDGOLD make headlines
Hillside Aluminium, Sibanye-Stillwater, DRDGOLD make headlines
3rd July 2026

Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer discusses South32’s conditional agreement to sell Hillside Aluminium to Alcoa; Sibanye-Stillwater calling for new longer-term platinum group metal applications;... 


Alcoa President and CEO Bill Oplinger.
Alcoa sees South Africa’s Hillside Aluminium being 'cash flow accretive immediately'
2nd July 2026 By: Martin Creamer

This asset adds scale to our smelting portfolio in a way that is expected to be cash flow accretive immediately, Alcoa Corporation President and CEO William (Bill) F Oplinger said of South Africa’s... 


European Metals president Inge Hofkens
Industry body European Metals appoints Hofkens president
2nd July 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

Nonferrous metals representative body European Metals has appointed Inge Hofkens president of the group. She currently works as COO for multi-metal recycling at German copper recycler Aurubis.... 


Rolled aluminium
UAE's IHC, Adani plan $11bn aluminium project in India
2nd July 2026 By: Reuters

Abu Dhabi's International Holding Company plans to invest $11.5-billion in an integrated aluminium project in India's eastern state of Odisha through a joint venture with Adani Group, a State... 


South32 COO Africa Noel Pillay.
Alcoa is well positioned to operate South Africa’s Hillside Aluminium, says Pillay
1st July 2026 By: Martin Creamer

As a global producer of materials across the aluminium value chain, Alcoa Corporation is well positioned to operate South Africa’s Hillside Aluminium business into the future, South32 COO Africa... 


Norsk Hydro's Slovalco joint venture aluminium smelting plant, in Slovakia
Norsk Hydro's Slovak aluminium smelter to partially restart production
1st July 2026 By: Reuters

Norsk Hydro said on Wednesday its Slovalco aluminium joint venture had struck an agreement with the Slovak government to partially restart production after a four-year shutdown, with the deal... 


VBX's Wuudagu project location relative to other points of interest
Emerging bauxite producer VBX secures term sheet for offtake, prepayment facility
1st July 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

ASX-listed emerging bauxite producer VBX has secured an indicative term sheet for a A$10-million prepayment and offtake facility with materials distribution and supply chain service provider... 


An image of copper
US-Iran deal to have varied impact on metals complex – BMI
26th June 2026 By: Tasneem Bulbulia

The metals complex is poised for a mixed performance following the US-Iran deal announced in June, with easing demand-side concerns supporting industrial metals, while the alleviation of... 


ERG's vertical bauxite mining
Eurasian Resources Group, BAUER launches world's first vertical bauxite mining project
26th June 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

The Krasno-Oktyabrskoye Bauxite Mining Unit (KBRU) of Aluminium of Kazakhstan, owned by Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), a leading global metals and mining company, has officially launched a project... 


Aluminium
EU aluminium scrap export curbs delayed until September, group and sources say
26th June 2026 By: Reuters

The European Commission's plans to introduce measures to limit exports of aluminium scrap have been delayed until September, sector lobby group European Aluminium and other industry sources said.... 


Century Aluminium product
US metal producers Brimstone, Century ink MoU to strengthen primary aluminium production
25th June 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

US-based alumina and other industrial materials company Brimstone has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the largest American primary aluminium producer, Century Aluminium, to... 


Vedanta's aluminium smelter in India
Vedanta completes historic demerger, lists four new companies in India
25th June 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

Global diversified miner Vedanta Group has passed a defining milestone in Indian corporate history with the successful listing of four newly demerged companies on the Bombay Stock Exchange and... 


Alcoa aluminium smelting
Woodside inks gas supply agreement with Alcoa Australia
23rd June 2026 By: Reuters

Woodside Energy agreed to supply domestic gas to aluminium producer Alcoa Corporation's Australian unit from 2027 to 2030, the Australian energy major said on Tuesday. Under the deal, Woodside... 


Grid infrastructure requirements reshape base metals demand outlook to 2040 – WoodMac
Grid infrastructure requirements reshape base metals demand outlook to 2040 – WoodMac
17th June 2026 By: Sabrina Jardim

Research from consultancy Wood Mackenzie (WoodMac) finds that the base metals required to power the global data centre boom extend far beyond the servers, cooling units and enclosures inside these... 


Alcoa refinery
Alcoa flags lower Australian alumina shipments after cyclone
11th June 2026 By: Reuters

US-based bauxite, alumina, and aluminum producer Alcoa Corporation expects shipments from its Pinjarra alumina refinery in Australia to fall by around 120 000t in the second quarter compared to the... 


Iron-ore in rail wagons
Iron-ore remains unaffected by Iran war, but China's May data baffles
11th June 2026 By: Reuters

Iron-ore is the one major commodity that is sailing unaffected through the storm created by the US/Israeli war on Iran, but the relative calm masks shifting dynamics for the key steel raw... 


Molten copper
BMI expects mining to become more decarbonised and competitive by 2050
10th June 2026 By: Schalk Burger

Market research firm BMI expects decarbonisation to move to the top of the mining sector's agenda, that AI will become a foundational feature of the global metals and mining sector, that structural... 


1
2 3

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







pqt: 0.118s - ct: 0.167s - 275pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now