https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Kazakhstan seeks new alumina markets amid Rusal's troubles

20th April 2018

By: Reuters

  

Font size: - +

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is looking to open up new markets for its alumina exports, concerned US sanctions on Russian aluminium giant Rusal could hit business and jobs.

Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), a company part-owned by the Kazakh government, produces 1.5-million tonnes a year of alumina, which is used to make aluminium, selling two-thirds to Rusal.

Timur Toktabayev, deputy minister for investments and development, said on Thursday the cabinet was looking at various options to avoid local plant stoppages and open up new markets.

"It is hard to say (where Kazakh alumina might go instead of Russia) because contracting is mostly done early in the year," he told reporters on the sidelines of a mining conference.

"We must look at the opportunities. The price (of aluminium) has gone up and therefore I think global smelting volumes will increase, there will be fresh demand and we will find something."

Higher price, he said, could also make it feasible to ship Kazakh alumina to markets further away.

ERG, which was preparing to gradually boost its own smelting capacity in anticipation of the Rusal contract expiring at the end of 2019, has not replied to questions regarding the impact of Rusal sanctions on its operations.

Edited by Reuters

Comments

Showroom

Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East
Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East

Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
WearCheck
WearCheck

Leading condition monitoring specialists, WearCheck, help boost machinery lifespan and reduce catastrophic component failure through the scientific...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.071 0.121s - 156pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now