Oklahoma AG Seeks Injunction to Halt $4B Aluminum Smelter Project Amid Environmental Concerns

LME aluminium hit its highest level since June, trading around $3,337 per tonne on August 11, up more than 8% since the end of June, as stalled US-Iran negotiations over reopening the Strait of Hormuz—a route that once carried around 10% of global aluminium production, raise fears of prolonged Middle East supply disruption; the concern is amplified by LME warehouse inventories sitting near 250,000 tonnes, their lowest since November 1990, with new supply from China and Indonesia unable to offset the decline, while Norsk Hydro has warned the global aluminium deficit could exceed 900,000 tonnes this year if Hormuz trade isn't normalized, leaving the market caught between fresh Asian supply and a shrinking inventory cushion against further Middle East shocks.

According to Oriental Yuhong, its Hongjia Industrial Coatings has successfully won the bid for the 600,000 mt aluminum project of Taijing Aluminum Indonesia, and will provide professional heavy-duty anti-corrosion protection solutions for the project. The project is located in the Morowali Industrial Park in Indonesia and is jointly invested by China's Xinfa Group and Tsingshan Group. It uses industry-leading 600 kA large-scale electrolytic cells, and the first phase with a capacity of 300,000 mt is expected to commence production in 2026.

On August 11, it was reported that Guinea’s Mines Minister Bouna Sylla revealed that state-owned mining company Nimba Mining Company would sell bauxite to global traders and miners through monthly tenders. According to Nimba CEO Patrice L’Huillier, the company planned to secure trading partners through agreements setting a minimum guaranteed annual sales volume, while selling additional output via monthly spot tenders. Sylla said the move was aimed at enabling Nimba to operate on a par with international mining companies, with potential partners including Mercuria, Glencore, Rio Tinto, and Vedanta.