The Biggest Aluminum Producers 2014

UC Rusal of Russia tops the list of the world's largest primary aluminum producers for another year.

Despite a seven percent drop in production as a result of a capacity curtailment program, the company produced over 3.6 million tons or about 6.7 percent of global output, in 2014.

The company currently operates 14 aluminum smelters in three countries. Twelve are located in Russia, with one each in Sweden and Nigeria. Rusal's core assets are located in Siberia, which accounted for about 95 percent of the company's aluminum production in 2014.

Website: www.rusal.ru/en

The Aluminum Corporation of China (Chalco) remained China's largest aluminum producer in 2014. Although production reached nearly 3.4 million tons, this represented a more than ten percent decrease from 2013. 

Chalco employs over 100,000 staff and also has operations in copper refining, carbon products, gallium,  and rare earths.

The state-owned company is listed on the Shanghai, Hong Kong, and New York Stock Exchanges. 

Its primary aluminum assets include the Shandong Aluminum Company, Pingguo Aluminum Company, Shanxi Aluminum Plant and the Lanzhou Aluminum Plant.

Website: www.chalco.com.cn

The Australian mining giant Rio Tinto held onto its spot as the world's third largest primary aluminum producer from 2013 despite a five percent drop in output. 

The decreased output was offset by cost reduction and productivity improvements, which resulted in Rio Tinto's aluminum group reporting a 124 percent increase in earning in 2014. 

The company's primary aluminum smelters are located in Canada (8 smelters), Cameroon, France, Iceland, Norway, and the Middle East.

Value-added products represented 62 percent of primary metal produced in 2014.

Website: www.riotinto.com

China Hongqiao, which only first showed up on the list of the world's ten largest aluminum producers in 2010, continued to rise up the list in 2014. 

The company leapfrogged Alcoa after increasing output by over 700,000 metric tons (a roughly 30 percent increase) from 2013. 

Output growth has been driven by capacity expansions and acquisitions, which have provided China Hongqiao with the largest aluminum production capacity in China. 

China's largest private aluminum producer was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Zouping, Shandong. China Hongqiao Group Limited is a subsidiary of China Hongqiao Holdings Limited.

Website: www.hongqiaochina.com

The Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa Inc.), America's largest aluminum producer, continued to reduce capacity in 2014 while focussing on the development and sale of value-added products.

Total aluminum output was down over ten percent from 2013 to 3.125 million tons following the temporary curtailment of two smelters in Brazil and the permanent closure of the Portovesme smelter in Italy.

However, sales of value-added aluminum allowed the company reported an average price of US $2,405 per metric ton in 2014, a seven percent increase over the year prior.  

Founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1888, Alcoa now operates in 31 countries worldwide.

Key aluminum assets include the Fjardaál smelter (Iceland), Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (Australia), the Baie-Comeau and Becancour smelters (Canada), as well as the San Cibrao smelter (Spain) and smelters in Newburgh (Indiana), Ferndale (Washington), and Rockdale (Texas).

Website: www.alcoa.com/

China Power Investment Corporation's (CPI) aluminum assets increased output after falling in 2013. 

Total primary aluminum output reaches nearly 2.7 million tons, representing an increase of about 10 percent from the year prior.  

CPI, China's second largest state-owned aluminum producer - and third-largest in the country - is a comprehensive investment group that holds assets in power generation, coal, aluminum, railways, and ports.

The company was founded in 2002. Its major aluminum assets include the Ningxia Qingtongxia Energy and Aluminum and CPI Aluminum International Trading Co. Ltd.

Website: http://eng.cpicorp.com.cn/

Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA) was formed in 2013 with the merging of Dubai Aluminium (“DUBAL”) and Emirates Aluminium (“EMAL”).

With  a combined production capacity of 2.4 million tons per annum, the company is owned equally by Mubadala Development Company of Abu Dhabi and Investment Corporation of Dubai.

EGA's aluminum assets include the Jebel Ali smelter and power station, as well as the El Taweelah smelter - the world’s largest single-site primary aluminum producer.

Website: www.ega.ae

Shandong Xinfa Aluminum Group Co. Ltd. is China's second largest private aluminum producer.

Following a 20 percent rise in output in 2013, the company again increased output in 2014 - this time by about ten percent - to over 2.3 million tons.

Founded in 1972 and headquartered in the Shandong Province of eastern China, the company has over 50 subsidiaries in power generation, alumina and aluminum refining, carbon production and downstream aluminum product manufacturing.

Shandong Xinfa's major aluminum assets include Chiping Huaxin Aluminum Industry Co. Ltd., the Shandong Xinfa Hope Aluminum Co. Ltd. (East Hope Group) and Guangxi Xinfa Aluminum Co. Ltd.

Website: www.xinfagroup.com.cn

Reporting a one percent increase in output over 2013, Norsk Hydro's aluminum production reached nearly 1.96 million tons in 2014. 

The Norwegian company is a fully integrated aluminum producer, with operations that include bauxite mines, alumina refining, primary metal production, as well as value-added casting.

Norsk employs 13,000 people in 50 countries and is Norway's second-largest power production operator. 

The company's largest aluminum smelters include Sunndal (Norway), Ardal (Norway), Alouette (Canada), a 51 percent stake in Albras (Brazil) and a 50 percent stake in Qatalum (Qatar). 

Website: www.hydro.com

East Hope Group is another of China's rapidly growing private aluminum producers.

The company's output grew from 1.24 million tons in 2013 to nearly 1.4 million tons in 2014.

Founded in 2003 and based in Sanmenxia, Henan Province, East Hope Aluminum Co. Ltd. is a subsidiary of East Hope Group Company Ltd.

The company's main aluminum assets are located in Henan, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang. East Hope Aluminum confirmed late in the year that it is still expecting to bring phase one of an 800,000 ton-per-year aluminum smelter in  online in 2015.

Company website: www.easthope.cn

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