Asian Metal News
15th Aug: Jingxi Tiangui Aluminium, with designed alumina capacity of 800 ktpy in the first phase of its alumina project, will begin production in mid-September this year.
The company postponed starting production from the end of August to mid-September, due to technical upgrades. According to a company spokesman, imported bauxite will be used for about half of their annual consumption (2.2 mtpy). They hold 400 kt of bauxite inventory at present, including 90 kt from Australia.
The first phase of the project, wholly owned by Tiangui Aluminium, began construction in September 2017, with a budget of RMB 2 bln.
Tiangui Aluminium plans to produce alumina in mid-October 2019, with 200 kt in Q4 of this year and 850 kt by the end of 2020. Construction on the second phase of the project is expected to begin at the end of October and should be operational in August next year, with 800 ktpy of alumina capacity, using imported bauxite. In addition, the company also plans to build a third phase of 800 ktpy of alumina capacity. The entire project was designed with total alumina capacity of 2.4 mtpy.
At present, Australian bauxite Al2O3 50%min price is USD 41/t CIF China, and the mainstream alumina price is RMB 2,450/t ex-works in Southwestern China.
