Ngomhla wesi-4 kweyoKwindla, ngowama-2026, ngokweengxelo zeendaba zamanye amazwe, inkampani enkulu yezemigodi yehlabathi iRio Tinto icinga ngokunzulu ngokuqalisa kwakhona amandla ayo okuvelisa i-aluminium engasebenziyo kwi-aluminium smelter yayo yeTe Wai Point kufutshane neBluff, eNew Zealand – uthotho lwe-electrolytic oluyiNombolo 4. Inzuzo ephambili yesi sicwangciso sokuqalisa kwakhona kukunyuka okuqhubekayo kwamaxabiso e-aluminium kumazwe ngamazwe, okuye kwaphucula kakhulu ukwenzeka kweprojekthi kwezoqoqosho.

Kubikwa ukuba amaxabiso e-aluminium yamazwe ngamazwe ebesebenza kakhulu kutshanje, edlula ngempumelelo uphawu lwe-$3,000 ngetoni kwaye okwangoku asondele kwinqanaba eliphezulu lembali le-$3,148, nto leyo ephawula ukunyuka kwama-24% ukusukela ekupheleni kukaMatshi kulo nyaka. Emva koku kunyuka kwamaxabiso kukho izinto ezifana nokwanda okulindelekileyo komsantsa wemfuno yobonelelo lwehlabathi kwi-aluminium ye-electrolytic kunye nokuqiniswa kobonelelo ngenxa yokuvalwa kwabanye.izityalo zealuminiyam, eziye zanyusa ixabiso lamaxabiso e-aluminium kwaye zenza ukuba imveliso ebingasebenzi ngaphambili ifaneleke ukuqaliswa kwakhona. Kubalulekile ukuqaphela ukuba ixabiso le-aluminium le-London Metal Exchange lifikelele kwi-$3,254 ngetoni ngexesha lorhwebo ngoMatshi 4, ngokonyuka kwe-intraday okungaphezulu kwe-3.8%, nto leyo ebeka inqanaba eliphezulu elitsha kutshanje. Ingqwalasela yemarike kwindlela elandelayo yamaxabiso e-aluminium iyaqhubeka nokunyuka.

Ulwazi loluntu lubonisa ukuba uthotho lwe-electrolysis lwe-Te Wai Point aluminium smelter oluyi-4 lwanyanzelwa ukuba lumise imveliso ekuqaleni kokuqhambuka kwe-COVID-19 ngo-2020 kwaye belungasebenzi ukusukela ngoko. Njengesiseko esibalulekileyo semveliso ye-aluminium eRio Tinto eNew Zealand, i-smelter ixhomekeke kakhulu kubonelelo lwamandla, kwaye iindleko zamandla nazo ziyinto ephambili echaphazela ukuqaliswa kwakhona kwamandla ayo. Kwango-2024, iRio Tinto yayiqalise amalungiselelo okuqala kwaye yaqala ukucela izindululo zentsebenziswano kubathengisi bamandla abanomdla wokuxhasa isicwangciso sayo sokuqalisa kwakhona, ibeka isiseko sokuqaliswa kwakhona kwamandla. Ngaphambi koku, i-smelter yayifikelele kwizivumelwano zentsebenziswano yexesha elide nabathengisi bamandla abaninzi, inika iziqinisekiso ezisisiseko zemveliso kunye nokusebenza.

Ngokuphathelele inkqubela phambili ethile yokuqalisa kwakhona amandla emveliso, isithethi seRio Tinto sichaze ngokucacileyo ukuba isigqibo sokugqibela sokuqalisa kwakhona asikathathwa, kodwa uthethathethwano nababoneleli bamandla abanokubakho luyaqhubeka, kwaye umsebenzi wokulungiselela ofanelekileyo wenziwa ngendlela ehlelekileyo. Abantu abangaphakathi kushishino bahlalutya ukuba ukuba uthotho lwe-electrolysis lweNombolo 4 luqaliswe kwakhona ngempumelelo, luya kunciphisa ukunikezelwa okuncinci kwe-aluminium ye-electrolytic kwihlabathi liphela, kwaye kwangaxeshanye, luya kunceda iRio Tinto ukubamba amathuba emarike akhoyo amaxabiso aphezulu e-aluminium kwaye luphucule inzuzo yenkampani.

Ngokwembono yemeko-bume yemarike iyonke, imakethi ye-aluminium yehlabathi ibone ukunyuka okunamandla ukusukela ekuqaleni kuka-2026. Ixabiso le-aluminium leenyanga ezintathu le-LME lifikelele kwincopho ye-$3,295.5 ngetoni, nto leyo ephawula inqanaba eliphezulu ukusukela ngo-Epreli 2022. Ukunyuka kwamaxabiso e-aluminium kubangelwe ziziphumo ezidibeneyo zezinto ezininzi, kubandakanya ukuvavanywa kwakhona kokunqongophala kwezixhobo, ukwakhiwa kwakhona kweendleko zamandla, kunye neeprimiyamu zomngcipheko wezopolitiko. Ingxelo yophando kaGoldman Sachs iqikelela ukuba ixabiso eliqhelekileyo le-aluminium yokutshintsha isinyithi yaseLondon (LME) kwisiqingatha sokuqala sika-2026 liya kuba malunga ne-$3,150 ngetoni. Ukuba ukuphazamiseka kobonelelo kuyaqhubeka, amaxabiso e-aluminium anokunyuka aye kwi-$3,600 ngetoni ngokwamanqanaba, nto leyo eya kubonelela ngendawo entle yemarike kwiRio Tinto ukuba iqalise kwakhona amandla ayo okuvelisa angasebenziyo.