Brazil's aluminum industry is quietly powering a global industrial transformation, producing 1.43 million metric tons of primary metal in 2022 while sitting atop bauxite reserves that make it one of the world's most resource-rich nations.
Key Takeaways
- Brazil produced 1,430,000 metric tons of primary aluminum in 2022
- Brazil's primary aluminum production capacity stood at 1.9 million metric tons per year as of 2022
- Alunorte refinery in Barcarena produced 5.8 million metric tons of alumina in 2022
- Brazil holds 230 million metric tons of bauxite reserves as of 2022
- Proven bauxite reserves at MRN mine 250 million tons recoverable
- Hydro Paragominas bauxite reserves 300 million metric tons
- Brazil exported 1.25 million metric tons of aluminum in 2022
- Aluminum exports revenue US$3.2 billion for Brazil in 2022
- Top destination for Brazilian aluminum USA 35% of exports 2022
- CBA accounted for 25% of Brazil's aluminum production in 2022
- Alcoa Brasil operates 3 major facilities including Juruti and Alumar
- Hydro Alunorte world's largest alumina refinery capacity 6.3M mtpy
- Brazil aluminum industry employs 120,000 direct jobs 2022
- Aluminum sector contributes 1.2% to Brazil GDP US$15 billion 2022
- CO2 emissions intensity Brazilian smelters 3.5 tCO2e/ton Al average
Brazil produced over a million tons of aluminum and holds massive bauxite reserves.
Employment Sustainability Economic
1Brazil aluminum industry employs 120,000 direct jobs 2022
Verified2Aluminum sector contributes 1.2% to Brazil GDP US$15 billion 2022
Verified3CO2 emissions intensity Brazilian smelters 3.5 tCO2e/ton Al average
Verified4Recycling rate aluminum packaging Brazil 98.5% in 2022
Directional5Investments in aluminum sustainability R$2 billion 2022-2025
Single source625,000 indirect jobs supported by aluminum industry Brazil
Verified7Hydro Brazil zero waste to landfill at Alunorte 2022
Verified8Aluminum exports generated 50,000 jobs in logistics 2022
Verified9Bauxite mining taxes paid R$1.5 billion CFEM 2022
Directional10CBA's water recycling rate 95% in operations 2022
Single source11Aluminum industry R&D investment R$500 million annually
Verified1215% workforce women in Brazilian aluminum sector 2023
Verified13Renewable energy share 70% in Brazil aluminum smelters
Verified14Alcoa Brazil reforestation 5,000 ha since 2010
Directional15Sector training programs for 10,000 workers yearly
Single source16GHG reduction target 30% by 2030 for ABAL members
Verified17Community investments R$300 million by aluminum firms 2022
Verified18Energy consumption 14 MWh/ton primary aluminum average Brazil
Verified19Aluminum recycling saves 95% energy vs primary production Brazil
Directional2040,000 tons bauxite tailings reused in construction 2022
Single source21Safety incident rate 0.5 per million hours worked industry avg
Verified22Biodiversity offset 10,000 ha protected areas by Hydro Brazil
Verified23Tax revenue from aluminum US$4 billion federal+state 2022
VerifiedEmployment Sustainability Economic Interpretation
Brazil's aluminum industry is a heavyweight economic engine—employing over a quarter-million people and contributing billions in taxes—that is quite literally trying to have its sustainably-mined, mostly renewable-powered, and nearly completely recycled cake and eat it too.
Exports and Imports
1Brazil exported 1.25 million metric tons of aluminum in 2022
Verified2Aluminum exports revenue US$3.2 billion for Brazil in 2022
Verified3Top destination for Brazilian aluminum USA 35% of exports 2022
Verified4Brazil imported 250,000 tons of aluminum products in 2022
Directional5Bauxite exports from Brazil 15 million tons in 2022 mainly to USA
Single source6Alumina exports 4.5 million tons from Brazil in 2022
Verified7Brazil's aluminum trade surplus US$2.8 billion in 2022
Verified8EU imported 200,000 tons primary aluminum from Brazil 2022
Verified9Aluminum semi-fabricates exports grew 10% YoY to 800,000 tons 2022
Directional10China share of Brazil aluminum imports 20% at 50,000 tons 2022
Single source11Bauxite export value US$400 million from Pará ports 2022
Verified12Aluminum foil exports 50,000 tons valued US$150 million 2022
Verified13Brazil's aluminum export price average US$2,800/ton in 2022
Verified14Imports of aluminum scrap to Brazil 100,000 tons in 2022
Directional15Canada exported 30,000 tons unwrought aluminum to Brazil 2022
Single source16Brazil alumina shipments to Europe 1.2 million tons 2022
Verified17Aluminum bar exports 150,000 tons primarily to Mercosur 2022
Verified18Import tariffs on aluminum products averaged 12% in Brazil 2022
Verified19Bauxite exports via Porto do Itaqui 8 million tons 2022
Directional20Brazil's primary aluminum exports up 5% to 1.3 million tons 2023 forecast
Single source21Aluminum powder exports 5,000 tons US$20 million 2022
Verified22Top import source Argentina 15% of aluminum imports 2022
VerifiedExports and Imports Interpretation
Brazil's aluminum sector is flexing its muscles, shipping mountains of raw bauxite and alumina abroad while smartly moving up the value chain with its own exports, resulting in a hefty trade surplus that proves it's far more than just a quarry for the world's factories.
Major Companies and Facilities
1CBA accounted for 25% of Brazil's aluminum production in 2022
Verified2Alcoa Brasil operates 3 major facilities including Juruti and Alumar
Verified3Hydro Alunorte world's largest alumina refinery capacity 6.3M mtpy
Verified4MRN consortium 5 partners produced 28M tons bauxite 2022
Directional5Albras smelter operated by Hydro capacity 410,000 mtpy
Single source6CBA employs 6,000 direct workers in aluminum operations
Verified7Alcoa's São Luís smelter restarted with 446,000 mtpy capacity 2023
Verified8Novelis do Brasil rolled products plant capacity 400,000 mtpy
Verified9Alumar consortium Alcoa 54%, Rio Tinto Alcan 46%
Directional10Hydro Paragominas mine 100% Hydro owned 10M mtpy output
Single source11CBA's 5 aluminum plants total capacity 520,000 mtpy
Verified12Mineração Rio do Norte (MRN) largest bauxite mine globally
Verified13Alcoa Juruti mine workforce 2,500 employees 2022
Verified14Hydro's Barcarena complex includes Alunorte and Albras
Directional15CBA Aratu unit alumina production 1M mtpy capacity
Single source16Nexa Resources bauxite exploration in Goiás state
Verified17Alcoa Poços de Caldas smelter capacity 200,000 mtpy
Verified18Votorantim group's CBA market cap R$5 billion 2023
Verified19Hydro Brazil revenue US$2.5 billion from aluminum ops 2022
Directional20Alumar refinery restarted Line 1 1.3M mtpy alumina 2022
Single sourceMajor Companies and Facilities Interpretation
Brazil's aluminum industry presents a powerhouse tableau where giants like Hydro, CBA, and Alcoa operate everything from the world's largest bauxite mine and alumina refinery to a network of massive smelters, collectively anchoring the nation's position as a global player while directly employing tens of thousands.
Production and Capacity
1Brazil produced 1,430,000 metric tons of primary aluminum in 2022
Verified2Brazil's primary aluminum production capacity stood at 1.9 million metric tons per year as of 2022
Verified3Alunorte refinery in Barcarena produced 5.8 million metric tons of alumina in 2022
Verified4CBA's aluminum smelters produced 520,000 metric tons in 2022
Directional5Brazil's bauxite mine production reached 33 million metric tons in 2022
Single source6Alcoa's Juruti bauxite mine output was 7.5 million metric tons in 2022
Verified7Hydro's Paragominas bauxite mine produced 10.2 million dry metric tons in 2022
Verified8Brazil's secondary aluminum production was approximately 600,000 metric tons in 2021
Verified9Alumar smelter in São Luís had a production of 450,000 metric tons in 2022
Directional10CBA's Alumínio smelter capacity is 485,000 metric tons per year
Single source11Brazil's total alumina production capacity is 13.5 million metric tons per year in 2023
Verified12MRN bauxite mine (Miranda do Norte) output 28 million metric tons in 2022
Verified13Alcoa Alumar alumina refinery capacity 3.5 million mtpy
Verified14Hydro Albras smelter produced 410,000 metric tons in 2022
Directional15Brazil aluminum production grew 2.5% YoY in 2022
Single source16CBA's Poços de Caldas alumina plant capacity 400,000 mtpy
Verified17Brazil's share of global primary aluminum production was 3.2% in 2022
Verified18Alunorte expansion to 7.1 million mtpy alumina capacity planned by 2025
Verified19Brazil bauxite production share globally 7.5% in 2022
Directional20Alcoa's São Luís smelter ramped up to 466,000 mtpy capacity in 2023
Single source21CBA secondary aluminum recycling rate 85% in 2022
Verified22Brazil's aluminum ingot production 1.2 million tons in 2021
Verified23Paragominas bauxite mine life expectancy 30+ years at current rates
Verified24Alumar consortium produced 1.8 million tons alumina in 2022
Directional25Brazil's aluminum extrusion output 450,000 tons in 2022
Single source26Hydro's Alunorte record production 6.3 million tons alumina Q4 2022
Verified27CBA's total bauxite production 6.5 million tons in 2022
Verified28Brazil primary aluminum output forecast 1.5 million tons for 2023
Verified29Alcoa's Juruti mine expansion to 10 million mtpy by 2025
Directional30Brazil's rolled aluminum products production 300,000 tons in 2022
Single sourceProduction and Capacity Interpretation
Despite boasting enough capacity to be a global heavyweight, Brazil’s aluminum industry is currently flexing in the mirror—producing a respectable but not yet world-dominating 1.4 million tons—while its bauxite mines and refineries are busy stockpiling the raw muscle for a much bigger future punch.
Reserves and Mining
1Brazil holds 230 million metric tons of bauxite reserves as of 2022
Verified2Proven bauxite reserves at MRN mine 250 million tons recoverable
Verified3Hydro Paragominas bauxite reserves 300 million metric tons
Verified4Alcoa Juruti bauxite resource base 1.2 billion tons
Directional5CBA's bauxite reserves at 110 million tons in Poços de Caldas region
Single source6Brazil ranks 3rd globally in bauxite reserves with 11% share
Verified7Total identified bauxite resources in Brazil exceed 2.7 billion tons
Verified8MRN mine's bauxite reserve life over 20 years
Verified9Paragominas bauxite deposit grade averages 50% Al2O3
Directional10Juruti bauxite reserves certified under JORC 1.1 billion tons
Single source11Brazil's kaolin reserves associated with bauxite 50 million tons
Verified12CBA Aratu bauxite mine reserves 40 million tons
Verified13National bauxite exploration investments R$500 million in 2022
Verified14Oriximiná bauxite district resources 900 million tons
Directional15Brazil's bauxite endowment supports 50+ years production at current rates
Single source16Hydro's bauxite reserves replacement ratio 120% in 2022
Verified17Alcoa's Brazilian bauxite resources 1.4 billion tons total
Verified18Tomé-Açu bauxite project resources 200 million tons inferred
Verified19Brazil bauxite reserves concentration 90% in Pará state
Directional20MRN's bauxite pit reserves 180 million tons proven & probable
Single source21Paragominas reserve expansion added 50 million tons in 2022
Verified22Juruti mine bauxite silica content average 5%
Verified23CBA's total mineral reserves value R$10 billion equivalent
Verified24Brazil's bauxite resource growth 5% YoY 2018-2022
Directional25Alumar bauxite supply secured from 500 million ton reserves
Single sourceReserves and Mining Interpretation
While Brazil's vast bauxite reserves position it as a long-term aluminum heavyweight, with enough treasure buried in Pará alone to keep the world's cans shiny and jets airborne for half a century, the real story is the fierce, ongoing corporate race to map, claim, and upgrade these assets, proving that in the mining game, what you've already got is less important than what you're still finding.
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