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
- 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
- Recycling rate aluminum packaging Brazil 98.5% in 2022
- Investments in aluminum sustainability R$2 billion 2022-2025
- 25,000 indirect jobs supported by aluminum industry Brazil
- Hydro Brazil zero waste to landfill at Alunorte 2022
- Aluminum exports generated 50,000 jobs in logistics 2022
- Bauxite mining taxes paid R$1.5 billion CFEM 2022
- CBA's water recycling rate 95% in operations 2022
- Aluminum industry R&D investment R$500 million annually
- 15% workforce women in Brazilian aluminum sector 2023
- Renewable energy share 70% in Brazil aluminum smelters
- Alcoa Brazil reforestation 5,000 ha since 2010
- Sector training programs for 10,000 workers yearly
- GHG reduction target 30% by 2030 for ABAL members
- Community investments R$300 million by aluminum firms 2022
- Energy consumption 14 MWh/ton primary aluminum average Brazil
- Aluminum recycling saves 95% energy vs primary production Brazil
- 40,000 tons bauxite tailings reused in construction 2022
- Safety incident rate 0.5 per million hours worked industry avg
- Biodiversity offset 10,000 ha protected areas by Hydro Brazil
- Tax revenue from aluminum US$4 billion federal+state 2022
Employment 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
- 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
- Brazil imported 250,000 tons of aluminum products in 2022
- Bauxite exports from Brazil 15 million tons in 2022 mainly to USA
- Alumina exports 4.5 million tons from Brazil in 2022
- Brazil's aluminum trade surplus US$2.8 billion in 2022
- EU imported 200,000 tons primary aluminum from Brazil 2022
- Aluminum semi-fabricates exports grew 10% YoY to 800,000 tons 2022
- China share of Brazil aluminum imports 20% at 50,000 tons 2022
- Bauxite export value US$400 million from Pará ports 2022
- Aluminum foil exports 50,000 tons valued US$150 million 2022
- Brazil's aluminum export price average US$2,800/ton in 2022
- Imports of aluminum scrap to Brazil 100,000 tons in 2022
- Canada exported 30,000 tons unwrought aluminum to Brazil 2022
- Brazil alumina shipments to Europe 1.2 million tons 2022
- Aluminum bar exports 150,000 tons primarily to Mercosur 2022
- Import tariffs on aluminum products averaged 12% in Brazil 2022
- Bauxite exports via Porto do Itaqui 8 million tons 2022
- Brazil's primary aluminum exports up 5% to 1.3 million tons 2023 forecast
- Aluminum powder exports 5,000 tons US$20 million 2022
- Top import source Argentina 15% of aluminum imports 2022
Exports 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
- 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
- MRN consortium 5 partners produced 28M tons bauxite 2022
- Albras smelter operated by Hydro capacity 410,000 mtpy
- CBA employs 6,000 direct workers in aluminum operations
- Alcoa's São Luís smelter restarted with 446,000 mtpy capacity 2023
- Novelis do Brasil rolled products plant capacity 400,000 mtpy
- Alumar consortium Alcoa 54%, Rio Tinto Alcan 46%
- Hydro Paragominas mine 100% Hydro owned 10M mtpy output
- CBA's 5 aluminum plants total capacity 520,000 mtpy
- Mineração Rio do Norte (MRN) largest bauxite mine globally
- Alcoa Juruti mine workforce 2,500 employees 2022
- Hydro's Barcarena complex includes Alunorte and Albras
- CBA Aratu unit alumina production 1M mtpy capacity
- Nexa Resources bauxite exploration in Goiás state
- Alcoa Poços de Caldas smelter capacity 200,000 mtpy
- Votorantim group's CBA market cap R$5 billion 2023
- Hydro Brazil revenue US$2.5 billion from aluminum ops 2022
- Alumar refinery restarted Line 1 1.3M mtpy alumina 2022
Major 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
- 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
- CBA's aluminum smelters produced 520,000 metric tons in 2022
- Brazil's bauxite mine production reached 33 million metric tons in 2022
- Alcoa's Juruti bauxite mine output was 7.5 million metric tons in 2022
- Hydro's Paragominas bauxite mine produced 10.2 million dry metric tons in 2022
- Brazil's secondary aluminum production was approximately 600,000 metric tons in 2021
- Alumar smelter in São Luís had a production of 450,000 metric tons in 2022
- CBA's Alumínio smelter capacity is 485,000 metric tons per year
- Brazil's total alumina production capacity is 13.5 million metric tons per year in 2023
- MRN bauxite mine (Miranda do Norte) output 28 million metric tons in 2022
- Alcoa Alumar alumina refinery capacity 3.5 million mtpy
- Hydro Albras smelter produced 410,000 metric tons in 2022
- Brazil aluminum production grew 2.5% YoY in 2022
- CBA's Poços de Caldas alumina plant capacity 400,000 mtpy
- Brazil's share of global primary aluminum production was 3.2% in 2022
- Alunorte expansion to 7.1 million mtpy alumina capacity planned by 2025
- Brazil bauxite production share globally 7.5% in 2022
- Alcoa's São Luís smelter ramped up to 466,000 mtpy capacity in 2023
- CBA secondary aluminum recycling rate 85% in 2022
- Brazil's aluminum ingot production 1.2 million tons in 2021
- Paragominas bauxite mine life expectancy 30+ years at current rates
- Alumar consortium produced 1.8 million tons alumina in 2022
- Brazil's aluminum extrusion output 450,000 tons in 2022
- Hydro's Alunorte record production 6.3 million tons alumina Q4 2022
- CBA's total bauxite production 6.5 million tons in 2022
- Brazil primary aluminum output forecast 1.5 million tons for 2023
- Alcoa's Juruti mine expansion to 10 million mtpy by 2025
- Brazil's rolled aluminum products production 300,000 tons in 2022
Production 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
- 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
- Alcoa Juruti bauxite resource base 1.2 billion tons
- CBA's bauxite reserves at 110 million tons in Poços de Caldas region
- Brazil ranks 3rd globally in bauxite reserves with 11% share
- Total identified bauxite resources in Brazil exceed 2.7 billion tons
- MRN mine's bauxite reserve life over 20 years
- Paragominas bauxite deposit grade averages 50% Al2O3
- Juruti bauxite reserves certified under JORC 1.1 billion tons
- Brazil's kaolin reserves associated with bauxite 50 million tons
- CBA Aratu bauxite mine reserves 40 million tons
- National bauxite exploration investments R$500 million in 2022
- Oriximiná bauxite district resources 900 million tons
- Brazil's bauxite endowment supports 50+ years production at current rates
- Hydro's bauxite reserves replacement ratio 120% in 2022
- Alcoa's Brazilian bauxite resources 1.4 billion tons total
- Tomé-Açu bauxite project resources 200 million tons inferred
- Brazil bauxite reserves concentration 90% in Pará state
- MRN's bauxite pit reserves 180 million tons proven & probable
- Paragominas reserve expansion added 50 million tons in 2022
- Juruti mine bauxite silica content average 5%
- CBA's total mineral reserves value R$10 billion equivalent
- Brazil's bauxite resource growth 5% YoY 2018-2022
- Alumar bauxite supply secured from 500 million ton reserves
Reserves 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.
Sources & References
- Reference 1PUBSpubs.usgs.govVisit source
- Reference 2HYDROhydro.comVisit source
- Reference 3RIri.cba.com.brVisit source
- Reference 4ALCOAalcoa.comVisit source
- Reference 5WORLD-ALUMINIUMworld-aluminium.orgVisit source
- Reference 6IBRAMibram.org.brVisit source
- Reference 7MRNmrn.com.brVisit source
- Reference 8STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 9INTERNATIONAL-ALUMINIUMinternational-aluminium.orgVisit source
- Reference 10NEWSnews.alcoa.comVisit source
- Reference 11ABRALATASabralatas.org.brVisit source
- Reference 12WOODMACwoodmac.comVisit source
- Reference 13DNPMdnpm.gov.brVisit source
- Reference 14WORLDBANKworldbank.orgVisit source
- Reference 15ANManm.gov.brVisit source
- Reference 16COMEXSTATcomexstat.mdic.gov.brVisit source
- Reference 17MDICmdic.gov.brVisit source
- Reference 18ABALabal.org.brVisit source
- Reference 19ECec.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 20PORTODEVILAportodevila.com.brVisit source
- Reference 21STATCANwww150.statcan.gc.caVisit source
- Reference 22CAMEXcamex.gov.brVisit source
- Reference 23PORTODOITAQUIportodoitaqui.com.brVisit source
- Reference 24NOVELISnovelis.comVisit source
- Reference 25NEXARESOURCESnexaresources.comVisit source