Bauxite and alumina are found in abundance at numerous locations around the globe. In 2012, the world’s total bauxite and alumina reserves were estimated at around 28 billion dry tonnes. Guinea, Australia, Brazil, Vietnam and Jamaica possess the largest reserves of bauxite and alumina. Moreover, the global bauxite resources are considered to be adequate for decades of production at the actual rate.
Bauxite and alumina: structure of the world reserves, 2012
In 2012, the world bauxite production grew by 1.3% in comparison with 2011 and reached nearly 263,000 million tonnes. Meanwhile, in 2012, the global alumina production increased by 0.7% against 2011 and was assessed at over 92.2 million tonnes. Australia was the dominant bauxite producer, accounting for almost 30% of the world’s total production volume. It was followed by China, Brazil, Indonesia and India. Meantime, China took the lead in the alumina production with a share of about 39% of the world’s total production volume. It was followed by Australia, Brazil, the US and India.
Bauxite and Alumina: world production broken down by country, 2012
The world consumption of bauxite and alumina is forecast to closely follow the trend of aluminium production. The demand for bauxite and alumina from the emerging markets is anticipated to increase considerably, as these markets continue to expand steadily, although at a slower pace than during the previous years. Meanwhile, the global consumption of bauxite and alumina for various non-metallurgical uses is forecast remain stable, with increases in consumption across the emerging markets expected to offset consumption declines in Europe.
The worldwide bauxite and alumina market is poised for healthy growth at a 2.8% CAGR through 2017. There is a range of capacity expansion projects planned in Brazil, India and Russia; but much of the new capacity will likely be consumed domestically owing to the rising internal demand for bauxite and alumina. In 2017, the global bauxite and alumina production is expected to reach 301.8 million tonnes and 105.9 million tonnes, respectively.
More information on the bauxite and alumina market can be found in the topical report “Bauxite and Alumina: 2014 Market Review and Forecast”.