Guinea's Minister of Mines and Geology announced plans to build five alumina refineries by 2030. Three projects — from Chinalco, SPIC, and SMB-Winning Consortium — are already under construction, with a combined planned capacity of 4.8 million mt. The Guinean government is currently in talks with Alcoa (CBG) for an additional alumina refinery project, as the country pushes to transition from a bauxite exporter to an alumina processor and move up the global aluminum value chain.

In Guinea, in the capital Conakry, Chalco Hong Kong—the project investment entity of Chalco, a publicly listed firm under Chinalco Group—signed an agreement related to the alumina project with the Guinean government. The local time in Guinea was May 21. The Chalco Guinea alumina project is another major international project invested and constructed by Chinalco Group in Guinea, following the Simandou iron ore project. Leveraging Guinea's high-quality resources, the project plans to invest approximately $1 billion to build a production line with an annual output of 1.2 million mt of alumina.

China First Heavy Industries has successfully completed the trial rolling of the domestically designed and manufactured 3500mm copper and copper alloy wide and thick plate cold and hot rolling mill, the first of its kind in China, for Chinalco Luoyang Copper Processing Co., Ltd., achieving the goal one month ahead of schedule. This marks a major breakthrough for China in the field of high-end copper and copper alloy wide and thick plate rolling equipment.

In a volatile fusion of tariff tensions, supply chain snarls, and shifting trade dynamics, US aluminium import costs have surged to multi-year highs, reshaping the metals market and sending shockwaves through American manufacturing.

Aluminium is an essential component of the global economy, and this week, the upstream sector witnessed some significant events. For instance, India's bauxite mining sector has grown in the non-ferrous segment, achieving an output of 23.93 million tonnes in FY 2023-2024.

The "Green Technology and Engineering Demonstration of Efficient Production of New Powder Materials by Bayer Process Red Mud" project by Chinalco Shandong Co., Ltd. has achieved a significant milestone.

【NR Electric Wins the Bid for the 135MW/540MWh Energy Storage AC Side and Ancillary Equipment PC Project of Chinalco in Baotou, Inner Mongolia】SMM learned that on July 8, the bid-winning announcement for the PC project of the 135MW/540MWh electrochemical energy storage project (energy storage AC side and ancillary equipment) of the green power supply project for the first phase 900,000 kW wind power project in the renewable energy comprehensive demonstration zone of Baotou Aluminum Industry Industrial Park of Chinalco in Baotou City was released. NR Electric won the bid for the project with a contract value of 90.7 million yuan. The project is located in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, with an extreme low temperature of minus 40 degrees Celsius. In this phase, a set of 135MW/540MWh energy storage system will be constructed at one time, with a battery power capacity ratio (W/Wh) of 0.5C. Lithium iron phosphate batteries are used with an energy storage time of 4 hours.

In the very recent Science and Technology Award of China Environmental Protection Federation 2023, Chinalco Shandong received prestigious recognition by winning the first prize for its scientific and technological progress in the comprehensive red mud utilisation project "Green Technology and Engineering Demonstration of Efficient Production of New Powder Materials by Bayer Process Red Mud".

In May, LCO production in China was 7,590 mt, up 7% MoM and 10% YoY.

On March 24, at the headquarters of the Chinalco Group, Chairman Duan Xiangdong hosted a meeting with Jakob Stausholm, CEO of the Rio Tinto Group, along with his accompanying delegation.