Cameroon Announces Public Hearings for Camalco's Proposed Alumina Refinery, Oct 12–17

Rio Tinto is investing $1.5 billion to expand the AP60 smelter in Quebec, with the project expected to be fully operational by the end of 2026, supplying low-carbon aluminum to clients in transportation, construction, electrical, and consumer goods. Once operational, AP60 primary aluminum capacity will increase by approximately 160,000 mt/year, bringing total AP60 production at Complexe Arvida to approximately 220,000 mt. Compared with the older Arvida technology, the expansion project is expected to reduce emissions by approximately 290,000 mt annually, further underscoring the advantages of energy-efficient primary aluminum production based on hydropower.

[Expectations for US Fed interest rate hikes and post-holiday inventory buildup weigh on aluminum prices, which consolidate on a subdued note in the near term] Macro-wise, elevated US Treasury yields and a strong US dollar continue to pressure valuations across the nonferrous metals sector, while shifting expectations for US Fed interest rate hikes this year repeatedly disrupt market sentiment. Industry-wise, China's aluminum ingot inventories have built up after the holiday, weakening price support. Coupled with softer demand for liquid aluminum and a rebound in casting ingot output, position adjustments around the long holiday have intensified the tug-of-war between longs and shorts. Overall, bullish and bearish factors are intertwined in the near term, and aluminum prices are expected to remain in the doldrums.

In September 2026, Rio Tinto partnered with Prysmian to supply low-carbon aluminum cables produced using ELYSIS inert anode technology to an Amazon data center in Ohio. The technology eliminates direct greenhouse gas emissions from the smelting process, marking the first known application of inert anode smelted aluminum in a data center. Through the collaboration with Amazon, the parties have further extended the application of low-carbon aluminum to artificial intelligence infrastructure, helping reduce the embodied carbon of electrical systems required for the rapid expansion of data centers and opening another downstream application scenario for near-zero-carbon aluminum.