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Since 2005, China has accounted for virtually all the world’s incremental aluminium smelting capacity, reaching a global share of almost 58 per cent in 2021 in a market of 67 million tons. China isn’t growing its smelting capacity any more because Beijing is trying to reduce both energy consumption and carbon-dioxide emissions. Last year, China actually forced dozens of smelters to cut output to conserve electricity as the country faced shortages. In Europe, some smelters also cut production in late 2021 due to ultra-high electricity prices. Their return will depend on natural gas and power prices in Europe.
well just buying more Russian gas has hit a bit of a snag ( for Europe ) , and Russia has it's own alumina and aluminum processing capabilities including various types of power plants ( including nuclear ones )Anyone can enlighten me vs the story of Australia not shipping alumina to Russia?
Is it just me but are we not the sucker there?
Russia is 80% self sufficient in alumina and nevertheless is producing for the world market, not for Russia
So we breach our contracts preventing our sale of alumina, to a country which does not need it anyway as they are supposedly not able to sell russian aluminium?
The European smelters will just buy more russian gas and oil at a higher price to produce aluminium for the west using more expensive ore....
So we barely hurt Russia but ensure aluminium gets more expensive...
If the Aluminium price increases by more than 20%, then the Russian sales to ...China now.. will ensure a net win for Russia...?
With strategies like that..
Not much of a problem...i see rising energy costs as the main worry with aluminum
the operative work is 'help' however battery-makers will have a BIG GRIN at the thought of that little exercise ( the guys repairing the turbines will have an employment future , as well )Not much of a problem...
Alcoa's Portland aluminium smelter subsidy secures jobs, fails green energy test
and then a bit later...
Alinta proposes 1,000MW offshore wind farm to help power Portland smelter
it's actually scary as there is one thing you can not do with smelters is shutting power..and end up with a jack hamer trying to cut thru a big blob of solidified metal..the operative work is 'help' however battery-makers will have a BIG GRIN at the thought of that little exercise ( the guys repairing the turbines will have an employment future , as well )
haven't worked with smelters but have worked where a ( steam ) boiler was essential to production ( rubber moulded products ) and the boiler going down put a real kink in production for quite a while ( so couldn't begin to grasp the same problem with a smelter )it's actually scary as there is one thing you can not do with smelters is shutting power..and end up with a jack hamer trying to cut thru a big blob of solidified metal..
Did we not experience that in SA.
It s as critical as hospital power except you can not run it on generator..so intermitten energy source and smelter do not mix
yes i remember an article ( several years back ) where a Mexican firm had the major steel components of wind turbines , made in the USA , because transport costs were heavier than the savings on cheap Mexican labour ( for turbines to be erected in the USA , of course )Oh the irony...
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