On March 11, the low-grade bauxite comprehensive utilization project in Wuchuan Autonomous County was fully completed. The project is located in Canglang Community, Zhuoshui Town, Wuchuan Autonomous County, with a total investment of 110 million yuan. After the project begins operation, it is expected to process 300,000 mt/year of low-grade bauxite and mine waste slag, produce about 160,000 mt/year of aluminum concentrate ore, and generate annual output value of up to 100 million yuan. It was understood that the aluminum concentrate produced by the low-grade bauxite comprehensive utilization project will be supplied directly to SPIC (Zunyi) Industrial Development Co., Ltd., gradually forming a closed-loop industry chain from mining and waste slag comprehensive utilization to deep process.

On January 15, the 120,000 mt/year green aluminum power project in the Angola Aluminum Industrial Park, supported by core technology from Chalco Guiyang Aluminum Magnesium Design & Research Institute (hereinafter referred to as “Guiyang Institute”), was successfully put into operation here. Angolan President João Lourenço attended the project to inaugurate the commissioning ceremony. This marks the first time a Chinese aluminum project has landed on the African continent, and it is another landmark achievement in practicing green industry cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

According to foreign media: As part of an industrial demonstration project funded by the Department of Energy, Century Aluminum has received $500 million to build the most advanced aluminum smelter in the US. The Green Aluminum Smelter Project, led by Century Aluminum Company, will double the country's total aluminum production capacity while reducing emissions of exhaust pollutants by 75% compared to existing aluminum production facilities. This project will be the first of its kind in the country in 45 years and has been hailed as a "major turning point in aluminum production," which is a key factor in the clean energy economy.

After the Start of Spring, in the Luotuoquanzi Industrial Park of Xinxing Development Zone in Xinjiang, red factory buildings stand on the Gobi Desert like desert camels. In the dawn, 360 600KA electrolytic cells were successfully powered up and began operating, with molten aluminum surging like lava. This hot land is rapidly emerging as the largest green aluminum production base in Northwest China, injecting low-carbon vitality into the transformation of energy-intensive industries. The project has a total investment of 5.143 billion yuan and is expected to construct an annual production line of 580,000 mt of aluminum, along with a full set of supporting facilities.

Recently, the No. 3 production line of Chalco Green Materials' Zhaotong, Yunnan 400kt aluminum alloy flat ingot project was put into operation, successfully casting a 5.3-meter-long flat ingot. This marks a significant progress in the deep collaboration between green aluminum smelting and high-end material manufacturing within the Chalco Group.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Inalum) has achieved a significant milestone in its green transformation by officially publishing an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for its Aluminium Ingot G1 product. Registered in The International EPD® System and valid until 2030, this certification underscores Inalum's commitment to transparent, sustainable, and competitive aluminum production. President Director Melati Sarnita stated this is a strategic move to strengthen Indonesia's position in the global green aluminum industry. The EPD was prepared in accordance with international ISO standards and verified by an independent institution, ensuring an objective Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

Recently, Weike's 200,000 mt green lightweight high-end aluminum-based new material intensive processing project has been completed and reached full production in the Baotou Aluminum Industry Park. Upon reaching full production, the project will enable "one-stop" intensive processing from liquid aluminum to end-use products, with an annual production capacity of 100,000 mt of rare earth aluminum-based high-strength solar frame materials, 30,000 mt of new energy power and ESS battery trays, and 20,000 mt of automotive lightweight structural profiles.

On May 20, Yunnan Hongyan New Materials Co., Ltd. officially commenced production of its project with an annual output of 250,000 mt of high-precision aluminum alloy flat ingots. The company invested a total of 839 million yuan and is equipped with advanced facilities, including four 110-mt circular stationary melting furnaces and four 120-mt rectangular tilting holding furnaces. These facilities can produce aluminum alloy flat ingots with a maximum specification of 640x2220x10500mm and a unit weight of 40 mt, which are directly supplied to downstream aluminum rolling and processing enterprises. According to Zhang Yunpeng, the production manager of Yunnan Hongyan and Zhilv, Yunnan Hongyan New Materials leverages industrial synergy with Yunnan Hongtai Green Aluminum to achieve local conversion of liquid aluminum. The company is capable of producing 1-series, 3-series, 5-series, 6-series, and 8-series aluminum alloy flat ingots, primarily used as aluminum alloy billets for battery foil, battery cases, automotive panels, printed circuit board substrates, architectural and decorative strips, and can body stock for NEVs. Upon reaching full production, the project is expected to achieve an annual output value of 5 billion yuan and generate approximately 45 million yuan in tax revenue.

SMM May 19 News: Yunnan Aluminum Co., Ltd. recently released its Q1 2025 performance report. According to the announcement, the company achieved a total revenue of 14.411 billion yuan in Q1, up 26.89% YoY. The net profit attributable to shareholders of the publicly listed firm was 974 million yuan, down 16.26% YoY. Regarding the reasons for the company's revenue growth, Yunnan Aluminum stated that it was mainly due to the increase in sales volume and selling prices of aluminum commodities during the reporting period. Meanwhile, the operating costs increased by 33.38% YoY due to the rise in raw material prices and sales volume of aluminum commodities during the reporting period. From the perspective of futures prices, the main SHFE aluminum contract generally fluctuated upward in Q1. As of the close on March 31, 2025, the main SHFE aluminum contract closed at 20,480 yuan/mt, with a quarterly increase of 3.49%. In terms of spot prices, according to SMM spot quotes, the SMMA00 aluminum spot quotes also generally showed an upward trend in Q1. As of March 31, the average spot price of SMMA00 aluminum was reported at 20,560 yuan/mt, up 790 yuan/mt from 19,770 yuan/mt at the end of 2024, representing an increase of approximately 4%. 》Click to view SMM aluminum product spot quotes In late January, coinciding with the Chinese New Year holiday, the unexpected destocking of aluminum ingot inventory in the first two weeks drove aluminum prices to continue to climb, reaching a high of 20,550 yuan/mt during the session on January 20, a new high since December 2024. However, as downstream enterprises took holidays near the end of the year, weakening consumption exerted downward pressure on aluminum prices, which fluctuated downward under pressure. Nevertheless, aluminum prices generally showed an upward trend in January. In February, coinciding with the Chinese New Year holiday, aluminum ingot inventory buildup was slightly higher than the same period in history. However, as downstream enterprises gradually resumed production after the holiday, aluminum prices maintained highs in February despite being in the off-season. By March, the aluminum market entered the traditional peak consumption season, with downstream demand gradually recovering. Coupled with the installation rush stimulated by the new PV policies in the past 1-2 months, aluminum consumption increased, and social inventory showed a destocking trend. Meanwhile, downstream demand also continued to rebound, driving aluminum prices to hold up well in early March. However, in late March, due to poor macro sentiment overseas, funds exited for risk aversion, leading to a decline in the futures market. Nevertheless, from a quarterly perspective, aluminum prices still performed well in Q1. Turning to the current aluminum prices, according to SMM, the recent aluminum market has received support from improved macro environments both domestically and overseas, but bullish and bearish factors are intertwined. On the supply side, domestic aluminum capacity is approaching the ceiling, and the insufficient recovery of hydropower in Yunnan has exacerbated regional supply tightness, limiting the increase in aluminum ingot output. On the cost side, a sudden notice of production suspension was issued for mining areas in Guinea where mining licenses were revoked late last Friday, sparking market concerns about the supply of bauxite raw materials, which may push up alumina costs. However, the specific impact remains to be evaluated. The demand side is under dual pressures from domestic seasonal weakness and trade uncertainties, making significant growth in the short term unlikely. Inventories of aluminum ingots have fallen to a low level compared to the same period last year, and tight spot liquidity is supporting aluminum prices. Overall, favorable macro conditions provide a floor for aluminum prices, and low inventories further strengthen price resilience. However, off-season pressure on the demand side limits upside room. In the short term, attention should be paid to the performance of domestic and overseas demand, as well as the supply situation of bauxite. As of May 19, the spot quote for SMM A00 aluminum remained at 20,220-20,240 yuan/mt, with an average price of 20,230 yuan/mt. Yunnan Aluminum has also been striving to improve the self-sufficiency rate of bauxite. Previously, the company stated that it is enhancing the self-sufficiency rate through the following methods: First, based on current exploration results, bauxite in Yunnan Province is mainly concentrated in areas such as Wenshan and Zhaotong, and the company will increase its efforts in bauxite development in Yunnan Province. Second, focusing on countries in Southeast Asia such as Laos, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia, the company will accelerate the acquisition of exploration rights for bauxite resources in surrounding areas and resource exploration. Third, the company will expedite the processing of existing exploration-to-mining permits, ensure resource continuity, and safeguard the amount of ore available for mining. Public information shows that during the reporting period, Yunnan Aluminum was mainly engaged in the mining of bauxite, production and sales of alumina, green aluminum, aluminum processing, and carbon materials for aluminum production. Its main products include alumina, prebaked anodes for aluminum production, graphitised cathodes, aluminum ingots for remelting, refined aluminum ingots for remelting, round and flat casting ingots of wrought aluminum and aluminum alloys, cast aluminum alloy ingots, round aluminum rods for electrical purposes, aluminum and aluminum alloy welding materials, etc. Meanwhile, the company actively expands its circular economy businesses, including comprehensive utilization of secondary aluminum, solid waste resources from aluminum production, and aluminum ash. It is worth mentioning that according to the company's 2024 performance report, the company achieved a total revenue of 54.45 billion yuan in 2024, up 27.61% YoY, hitting a record high since its listing. The net profit attributable to shareholders of the publicly listed firm was 4.412 billion yuan, up 11.52% YoY. The company mentioned in its annual report data that it currently has a production capacity of 1.4 million mt of alumina, 3.05 million mt of green aluminum, 1.6 million mt of aluminum alloys and aluminum processing products, and 820,000 mt of carbon products. Throughout 2024, the company actively sought to increase its electricity load, seized opportunities, and achieved rapid production resumptions in aluminum production. It promoted standardized production to enhance operational quality, achieving full coverage of standardized processes across the production lines of aluminum, alumina, and carbon products. The company achieved increased production and efficiency for its main products, producing 1.4088 million mt of alumina, 2.9383 million mt of primary aluminum, up 22.45% YoY, 805,800 mt of carbon products, up 2.85% YoY, and 1.2541 million mt of aluminum alloys and aluminum processing products, up 1.75% YoY. Yunnan Aluminum Co., Ltd. was also asked about the impact of new technologies on the future of the aluminum industry. In response, Yunnan Aluminum Co., Ltd. stated that in recent years, the aluminum smelting technology has developed rapidly, with significant breakthroughs in carbon-free anodes, inert anodes, high-end alloy rail transit, high-purity aluminum, 3C electronics, circular economy, and other areas. The impact on the future of the aluminum industry is mainly reflected in energy conservation and carbon reduction, energy efficiency improvement, cost reduction, industrial upgrading promotion, and green development facilitation. When mentioning the highlights of the company's future performance improvement, Yunnan Aluminum Co., Ltd. indicated that in the future, the company will continue to leverage its comprehensive competitive advantages in the green and low-carbon entire industry chain, continuously optimize the value chain of the green aluminum industry, and further enhance the brand influence and market value of "Green Aluminum • At Yunnan Aluminum". It will strive to build a "benchmark for first-class green aluminum enterprises", reward investors with sound operating performance, and gradually increase the dividend payout ratio as the company's operating performance improves.

Recently, the Nanning project with an annual output of 200,000 mt of new energy battery aluminum foil flat ingots was officially signed and launched in Long'an. This project adopts a joint innovation model of "green electricity + green aluminum + aluminum-based new materials" to produce low-carbon, high-precision flat ingots for new energy battery aluminum foil. The project utilizes mature equipment from renowned domestic and overseas equipment manufacturers, including processes and equipment such as multi-chamber furnaces, electromagnetic stirring, triple-rotor degassing, and deep-bed filtration. The total investment in the project is approximately 630 million yuan, including 100 million yuan for supporting facilities such as workshops and R&D office buildings, 280 million yuan for fixed asset investments in production equipment and equipment foundations, and 250 million yuan for working capital investment. Upon reaching full production, the project is expected to create over 150 new jobs annually, generate a total output value exceeding 4.2 billion yuan, and contribute over 24 million yuan in annual taxes.