Market Survey Metals - Bauxite, Alumina, Aluminium

Market Survey Metals – Bauxite, Alumina, Aluminium

May 9, 2018

Supply-Side: 

  • Characteristic of aluminium:
    • Light-Metal (1/3 of the density of steel)
    • High electric conductivity
    • High resistance against corrosion
  • Bauxite-Reserves
    • 23 Bio. t (Guinea, Brasilia, Australia, Jamaica, China)
  • Mining Production
    • 200 Mio. t (Australia, Guinea, Brasilia, Jamaica, China)
  • RPR (static)
    • > 150 years. Specific demand: rd. 4 t Bauxite / 1 t Al.
  • Bayer Process
    • Bauxite -> Alumina-> Aluminium metal (electricity: 12,5 kWh/kg – 14,5 kWh/kg)
  • Met. Production:
    • rd. 40 Mio. t Al (China, Russia, USA, Canada, Australia)
  • Recycling
    • 30 % – 40 %;Energy demand for Recycling is only 5 % of primary production

Demand-Side: 

  • Consumer of Bauxite:
    • 90 % Al-metal, 10 %Others
  • Consumer of Aluminium:
    • 35 % Transport (aircraft, busses,)
    • 25 % Packaging (Tin-Cans,)
    • 15 % Construction Engineering
    • 15 % mechanical &electrical engineering
    • Long-living Consumer goods
  • Prices:
    • Bauxite: 20 – 30 US$/t,
    • Al: …. USD/t (UScents/lb)
  • Substitution
    • Transport: steel, plastic, Packaging: glass, plastic, electrical engineering: Cu
  • Outlook
    • Further high increasing rates in consumption (> 2 % p.a.); Increasing recycling

Production 1900 – 2008

  • World production of Bauxite – Alumina – Aluminium (USGS)

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