Oriental Yuhong's Hongjia Wins Bid for Major Taijing Aluminum Project in Indonesia

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.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has asked a federal court for a preliminary injunction to halt construction of the proposed US$4 billion primary aluminum smelter in Inola while his lawsuit seeking to block the project proceeds. The motion, filed on August 11 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, comes ahead of the town’s construction moratorium expiring on August 28. If granted, the injunction would prevent site preparation, land alteration, foundation work and other construction activities. The proposed Oklahoma Primary Aluminum smelter would have capacity exceeding 750,000 tonnes per year and is planned as a 60:40 venture between Emirates Global Aluminium and Century Aluminum. Drummond’s challenge cites potential environmental, agricultural, water and electricity-grid impacts, including expected continuous power demand of more than 1,000 MW. The developers dispute the allegations and said the injunction motion contains mischaracterizations that overlook scientific and regulatory facts.

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.