Alcoa warns of lower Australian alumina shipments following cyclone
2026-06-12 10:30:45 [Print]
Alcoa Corp expects its second-quarter shipments from the Pinjarra alumina refinery in Australia to drop by around 120,000 metric tons compared to the first quarter, due to the impact of Cyclone Narelle, according to the company's chief financial officer.
Speaking Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Industrials & Materials Conference in Chicago, CFO Molly Beerman said the cyclone-which hit Australia in March-disrupted liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to the Pinjarra facility, which has an annual capacity of 4.7 million tons. The disruption added $30 million to the refinery's second-quarter production costs.
Beerman also noted that Alcoa expects an additional $15 million in fuel costs during the quarter at its S?o Luís alumina refinery in Brazil, attributing the increase to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
While the Sao Luis refinery remains profitable, Beerman described Alcoa's overall alumina business as "very pressured right now." She added that the company's Western Australian refineries are "really challenged" by low alumina prices and poor-quality bauxite. "So the segment as a whole will be under water," she said.
Speaking Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Industrials & Materials Conference in Chicago, CFO Molly Beerman said the cyclone-which hit Australia in March-disrupted liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to the Pinjarra facility, which has an annual capacity of 4.7 million tons. The disruption added $30 million to the refinery's second-quarter production costs.
Beerman also noted that Alcoa expects an additional $15 million in fuel costs during the quarter at its S?o Luís alumina refinery in Brazil, attributing the increase to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
While the Sao Luis refinery remains profitable, Beerman described Alcoa's overall alumina business as "very pressured right now." She added that the company's Western Australian refineries are "really challenged" by low alumina prices and poor-quality bauxite. "So the segment as a whole will be under water," she said.

