Alumina production dip at Hydro Alunorte refinery contributes to South America’s Q3 2024 output fall

The decline in South America’s alumina production for two months in a quarter led to a downfall in the total Q3 output. In July and September, South America’s alumina production decreased by 5.36 per cent and 3.83 per cent, respectively, resulting in a Q3 fall of 3.49 per cent from the previous quarter, found the International Aluminium Institute survey.

In both July and September, South America’s alumina production stood at 1 million tonnes, amounting to 989,000 tonnes and 979,000 tonnes. Only in August did the production volume reach above 1 million tonnes for an intermittent period but edged a year-on-year decline of 1.45 per cent from 1.033 million tonnes.

In total, South America’s alumina production through the third quarter of 2024 amounted to 2.986 million tonnes as against 3.49 million tonnes in Q2 and 3.039 million tonnes in Q3 2023. Thus, according to the data, South America’s alumina production in Q3 recorded an annual fall of 1.78 per cent from 3.04 million tonnes.