Chalco Hong Kong Signs $1B Alumina Project Deal in Guinea

Vietnamese industrial group THACO is accelerating plans to expand its bauxite and alumina business in Lam Dong Province with proposed investments worth about USD 4.4 billion. The Lam Dong 2 alumina project, valued at around USD 1.9 billion, is designed to produce 2 million tones of alumina annually, with the first 1 million-tone phase targeted for commissioning by 2030. THACO also plans a USD 2.5 billion bauxite mining project with annual ore extraction capacity of about 12 million tones. In addition, the company is studying downstream industrial parks covering aluminum smelting, titanium processing and chemical production. If approved, the projects could turn Lam Dong into one of Vietnam’s largest integrated aluminum industry hubs.

China is exploring the recovery of critical metals such as germanium, aluminum, lithium and gallium from coal waste to strengthen domestic strategic mineral supply. Research shows that fly ash and gangue generated during coal mining, washing and combustion may contain recoverable metals used in batteries, semiconductors, electric vehicles and defense industries. With China’s large coal sector and mature industrial network, existing coal washing plants, chemical facilities and power stations could potentially be adapted for metal extraction. However, differences in coal waste composition across regions continue to create challenges for large-scale and standardized recovery.

Aluminum began gaining wider use in vehicle manufacturing in the 1990s when Audi launched the aluminum-bodied A8 to reduce vehicle weight compared with traditional steel designs. To offset the additional weight from its Quattro all-wheel-drive system, Audi developed the Aluminum Space Frame (ASF), allowing the first-generation A8 to weigh about 500 pounds less than a comparable BMW 7 Series. The lighter structure improved handling, fuel efficiency and performance. The success of the A8 later encouraged automakers including Ford and Jaguar to expand aluminum applications, reinforcing aluminum’s growing role in vehicle lightweighting, corrosion resistance and recyclability.