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Making one tonne of aluminium requires about two tonnes of alumina. The production of two tonnes of alumina creates two to four tonnes of red mud or bauxite residue, which is presently regarded as waste from the Bayer process - but it is potentially a valuable resource. The production of 200,000,000 tonnes of red mud every year has a serious effect on the environment. For now, technology enables us to store the residue harmlessly, but this does not remove the problem.

UC Rusal has launched its red mud pilot plant at its Urals aluminium smelter (UAZ) in Russia. It will test the viability of producing scandium concentrate from the alumina refining waste product.

Aluminium is being substituted for copper in China’s power cable sector as a result of the red metal’s high prices and volatility.

Chile, the world’s main copper producing country, said Monday output is likely to reach a record high this year as BHP Billiton (ASX, NYSE:BHP) ramps up supply and state-owned Codelco starts a new mine in the Atacama Desert. Based on the report published by the Chilean Copper Commission (Cochilco), the South American nation expects to generate 5.59 million tons of red metal this year, up 3% from 2012 levels. The country also forecasts world copper supply exceeding demand by 56,000 tons this year and 68,000 tons in 2014. BHP is increasing production at its Escondida mine, in Chile’s arid north, over 20%, while State’s owned Codelco is aiming to lift output to 1.7 million tons with activity starting at its Ministro Hales mine, reports Diario Financiero (in Spanish).

Five major copper mines, with an estimated investment of $13 billion, are expected to begin production in Peru before 2016, upping the country’s output of the red metal from 1.3 million tonnes last year to 2.8 million tonnes.

Almost 25m tonnes of the liquid has already been deposited on the land bank adjacent since the plant’s opening, leading to concern from farmers and other locals.

According to the country’s Minister of Energy and Mines (MEM), the start up of both mines is the last push Peru needs to take over China as the world’s No. 2 producer of the red metal, a title the South American nation lost in 2012.

At stake is a copper-molybdenum-silver mine which when built will be the third largest copper operation in the US and supply 10% of the country's red metal.

He said that during Q2, global copper demand was up 4.8% QoQ thanks to demand from emerging economies led by China and a recovery in physical consumption in the US and Europe. During the Q2 of this year, US and European demand for fine copper increased by 22% and 4% respectively when compared to the Q1 of this year. These are very positive developments that support our conviction of higher physical demand from now on. In addition, copper production has not grown at the same rate as demand which will further support prices for the red metal. He added that a clear sign of this is the consistent reduction of the combined copper inventories of the London Metal Exchange, COMEX and Shanghai warehouses. At their latest peak in February this year combined inventories were 815,000t." According to Chilean state copper commission Cochilco's weekly report, global stocks stood at 609,478 tonnes.

SANTIAGO, March 30 - Chile, the world's No. 1 copper producer, said Tuesday its output of the red metal rose 3.8 percent to 394,742 tonnes in February from a year ago, reinforcing the view that a massive earthquake on Feb. 27 had no real impact on production.