SMM

December 12 According to data from Iran's Minerals & Mining Industries Development & Renovation Organization (IMIDRO), Iran's aluminum ingot production reached 411,351 tons during the first eight months of the Iranian calendar year (March 21 - November 20, 2025), up 3% year-on-year from 400,425 tons during the same period last year.

On December 14, 2025, Dong Mingzhu stated that while "aluminum replacing copper" is technically feasible in the air conditioning industry, Gree continues to insist on using copper materials. This is because aluminum has not yet met the same technical standards and reliability as copper.She emphasized that Gree will persist in researching aluminum substitution technology and will only adopt aluminum once it can fully replace copper.

Recently, the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology issued an announcement officially confirming the capacity replacement plan for Chongqing Bofeng Aluminum Co., Ltd.'s 180,000 mt aluminum project, as well as the capacity exit matters for Chongqing Tiantai Aluminum Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Guofeng Industrial Co., Ltd. I. Project Overview: As the core enterprise in this capacity replacement, Chongqing Bofeng Aluminum Co., Ltd.'s 180,000 mt aluminum project is located in the Baitao Industrial Park, Fuling District, Chongqing. The main equipment includes 168 units of 400 kA electrolysis cells, with an approved capacity of 180,000 mt. The project is scheduled to commence on December 1, 2025, and is expected to be operational by October 30, 2026. Utilizing advanced large prebaked electrolysis cell technology, the project features low energy consumption and high efficiency. Upon operation, it will not only meet regional aluminum semis demand but also drive local employment and industry chain extension, injecting new vitality into Chongqing's industrial economy. II. Capacity Exit Situation: The key to capacity replacement lies in "replacing old with new." This plan involves the capacity exit of two enterprises:

On December 9, Shanghai Yongmaotai Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Yongmaotai") announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Anhui Yongmaotai Automotive Parts Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Anhui Parts"), plans to invest approximately 400 million yuan to construct an intelligent manufacturing project for new magnesium-aluminum alloy automotive and robot parts. This investment aims to deepen the layout in the intelligent manufacturing sector of magnesium-aluminum alloy parts, seize new opportunities in the robotics industry, further diversify the company's product line, and explore new profit growth points. The announcement indicates that the project will be located in Guangde City, Anhui Province, with a construction period of 24 months. The main content of the project includes land acquisition, construction of new production facilities, and procurement of production and public equipment such as melting equipment, die-casting machines, magnesium alloy semi-solid injection molding machines, and machining equipment.

Explosion at Indian Aluminum Plant Leaves Three Seriously Injured, Details Revealed Recently, a sudden explosion occurred at the Green Anode Plant of Bharat Aluminum Company Limited (BALCO) in the Korba district of Chhattisgarh, India, leaving three workers seriously injured. Following the incident, the injured were urgently transported to the hospital for treatment. Local police have launched an investigation, with initial suspicions pointing to a mechanical malfunction as the cause. The company involved has not yet issued an official statement. This incident has once again brought the plant's safety management issues under public scrutiny, with past instances of exposed safety hazards raising further questions.

Recently, the Indonesia Aluminum Project undertaken by Guizhou Construction Investment Group has achieved full completion, significantly ahead of the original schedule, setting a new benchmark for construction speed in the industry. From the initial commissioning of the first work section to the full completion of the entire project, two critical periods set new records for construction speed among similar projects in the industry. This outstanding performance demonstrates the speed and quality of Guizhou Construction Investment, earning high praise from the project owner. Located on a remote island in Indonesia with complex natural conditions and scarce resources, the project faced multiple challenges from the outset, including a tight construction schedule and difficulties in mobilizing equipment and personnel. Despite starting under unfavorable conditions, the project team adopted a determined approach of "treating the beginning as the decisive battle and the start as the final sprint." Through scientific planning and perseverance in overcoming difficulties, all constructors carried forward the fine tradition of "daring to tackle tough battles and capable of winning them." By deeply optimizing construction organization, vigorously innovating technical processes, and strictly implementing meticulous management, they quickly reversed the passive situation and accelerated the pace of Guizhou Construction Investment. From earth excavation to the installation of the first stee

According to foreign media: Novelis recently announced an investment of €43 million (equivalent to $50.4 million) to strengthen its European logistics network, with the core objective of shifting more aluminum product transportation from road to rail. As a key part of the company's long-term sustainable development strategy centered on the principle of "rail over road," Novelis has procured 220 new Shimmns rail freight cars. Currently, 95% of material transportation between Novelis's 10 European production sites is already completed by rail, and the addition of this new fleet of freight trains will further consolidate this green logistics system. Unlike previously leased cars that could only transport a single type of material, these Shimmns freight cars offer greater flexibility and can simultaneously load aluminum coils, aluminum scrap, and aluminum ingots. This capacity upgrade is a core initiative by Novelis to optimize material transportation solutions between its production sites. With the new rail freight cars, Novelis plans to transport more aluminum ingots by train from its largest European secondary aluminum plant in Nachterstedt to the aluminum rolling mill in Arnefo, Neuss, for processing. Previously, due to rail capacity constraints, some aluminum ingots had to be transported by road trucks. Following this expansion in rail capacity, Novelis is expected to reduce approximately 2,000 road truck trips annually, corresponding to a reduction in carbon dioxide equi

According to foreign media reports, the Australian government has officially announced a plan to collaborate with the New South Wales government and Tomago Aluminum to ensure the aluminum smelter continues production beyond 2028. The government stated that it will explore implementation plans for supplying electricity to Tomago Aluminum starting in 2028, emphasizing that this move is a critical step for the smelter itself, its employees, and the broader Hunter region. This public-private partnership aims to finalize a long-term fixed electricity price purchase agreement for the smelter while providing favorable financing arrangements to accelerate the development of renewable energy generation and ESS projects in New South Wales. Under the agreement, Tomago Aluminum is expected to invest at least AUD 1 billion in capital expenditure and major equipment maintenance over the next decade, including exploring feasible solutions to further reduce carbon emissions for the smelter.

According to foreign media reports, the Guinea Bauxite, Alumina, and Aluminum Alliance (AGB2A-GIC), affiliated with Guinea International Group, has finally obtained formal approval from the Ministry of Mines and Geology to resume all operations suspended since May 2025. Informed sources revealed that the mining department ultimately selected the most reasonable and beneficial solution for Guinea's national interests: restoring the pre-incident status, whereby the Guinean government will directly collect mining royalties from the alliance and Shunda (SD) Mining, replacing the previous model of charging Axis Mining. Currently, Axis Mining, whose mining rights have been revoked, has filed a lawsuit in New York, seeking to protect its rights through arbitration. The alliance's chief executive has signed a protocol authorizing the enterprise to immediately resume operations in the mining license area of Guinea Smart Mining Company (GBT). The sources further disclosed that the agreement explicitly stipulates that, out of the agreed-upon $250 million, the alliance can commence operations in the former Axis Mining license area once $125 million is transferred to the Guinean treasury. If the involved Axis Mining mine resumes normal operations in December, it is expected to contribute approximately 40 million mt of supply throughout 2026.