Bauxite Shortage Forces More Alumina Plants to Enter Maintenance, SMM Says

On 4 March 2026, the European Commission presented its Proposal for a Regulation on establishing a framework of measures for accelerating industrial capacity and decarbonization in strategic sectors, which aims at “improving the functioning of the internal market by establishing a framework to support the development, competitiveness and resilience of the Union’s manufacturing sector, with a focus on selected strategic sectors”, in order to contribute to the EU’s “climate objective, economic security and the creation, retention of, and transition into high-quality jobs."

The Tomago aluminium smelter is planning to shift to renewable electricity, with an expectation of targeting 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035, while also strengthening the case for government-backed financial support.

Hulamin has indicated that it will post a loss for the 2025 financial year, pointing to a combination of operational setbacks and unfavourable currency movements ahead of its full-year results due on Monday. The aluminium manufacturer, headquartered in Pietermaritzburg, explained that a prolonged shutdown of its integrated plant formed part of a major project to expand its wide can body capacity. However, this interruption made it challenging to restore consistent mill performance once operations resumed.