NgoMashi 4, 2026, ngokusho kwemibiko yabezindaba zakwamanye amazwe, inkampani enkulu yezimayini emhlabeni wonke iRio Tinto icabanga ngokujulile ukuqala kabusha amandla ayo okukhiqiza i-aluminium engasebenzi eTe Wai Point aluminium smelter eduze kwaseBluff, eNew Zealand - uchungechunge lwe-electrolytic oluyinombolo 4. Inzuzo eyinhloko yalolu hlelo lokuqalisa kabusha ukwanda kwamuva kwamanani e-aluminium aphesheya kwezilwandle, okuthuthukise kakhulu ukwenzeka kwezomnotho kwale phrojekthi.

Kubikwa ukuthi amanani e-aluminium aphesheya kwezilwandle abesebenza kahle kakhulu muva nje, adlula ngempumelelo uphawu lwe- $3,000 ngethani futhi okwamanje asondela esicongweni somlando esingu-$3,148, okuphawule ukwenyuka okungu-24% kusukela ekupheleni kukaMashi kulo nyaka. Ngemuva kwalokhu kwenyuka kwamanani kunezici ezifana nokwanda okulindelekile kwegebe lokufunwa kokunikezwa komhlaba wonke kwe-aluminium ye-electrolytic kanye nokuqina kokunikezwa ngenxa yokuvalwa kwabanye.izitshalo ze-aluminium, okuqhubekisele phambili ukukhushulwa kwentengo ye-aluminium futhi kwenza umthamo wokukhiqiza ongasebenzi ngaphambilini ngenxa yezinkinga zezindleko ufanele ukuqala kabusha. Kubalulekile ukuqaphela ukuthi intengo ye-aluminium ye-London Metal Exchange ifinyelele phezulu ku-$3,254 ngethani ngesikhathi sokuhweba ngoMashi 4, ngokunyuka kwangaphakathi kosuku okungaphezu kuka-3.8%, okubeka izinga eliphezulu elisha muva nje. Ukunaka kwemakethe ekuthambekeleni okulandelayo kwamanani e-aluminium kuyaqhubeka nokukhuphuka.

Ulwazi lomphakathi lubonisa ukuthi uchungechunge lwe-electrolysis lwe-No. 4 lwe-Te Wai Point aluminium smelter lwaphoqeleka ukumisa ukukhiqizwa ekuqaleni kokuqubuka kwe-COVID-19 ngo-2020 futhi belulokhu lungasebenzi kusukela ngaleso sikhathi. Njengesisekelo esibalulekile sokukhiqiza i-aluminium seRio Tinto eNew Zealand, i-smelter ithembele kakhulu ekuhlinzekweni kwamandla, futhi izindleko zamandla nazo ziyisici esibalulekile esithinta ukuqala kabusha kwamandla ayo. Kusukela ngo-2024, iRio Tinto yayisiqalile amalungiselelo okuqala futhi yaqala ukucela iziphakamiso zokubambisana kubahlinzeki bamandla abanesifiso sokusekela uhlelo lwayo lokuqalisa kabusha, ibeka isisekelo sokuqalisa kabusha amandla. Ngaphambi kwalokhu, i-smelter yayisifinyelele izivumelwano zokubambisana zesikhathi eside nabahlinzeki bamandla abaningi, ihlinzeka ngeziqinisekiso eziyisisekelo zokukhiqiza nokusebenza.

Ngokuphathelene nenqubekela phambili ethile yalokhu kuqaliswa kabusha kwamandla okukhiqiza, okhulumela iRio Tinto usho ngokusobala ukuthi isinqumo sokugcina ngokuqaliswa kabusha asikakenziwa, kodwa izingxoxo nabaphakeli bamandla abangaba khona ziyaqhubeka, futhi umsebenzi wokulungiselela ofanele nawo wenziwa ngendlela ehlelekile. Abangaphakathi embonini bahlaziya ukuthi uma uchungechunge lwe-electrolysis lweNombolo 4 luqalwa kabusha ngempumelelo, luzonciphisa ngempumelelo ukuhlinzekwa okuqinile komhlaba wonke kwe-aluminium ye-electrolytic, futhi ngesikhathi esifanayo, luzosiza iRio Tinto ukuthi ibambe amathuba emakethe amanje entengo ephezulu ye-aluminium futhi ithuthukise inzuzo yenkampani.

Ngokombono wendawo yonke yemakethe, imakethe ye-aluminium yomhlaba wonke ibone ukuthambekela okunamandla okukhuphuka kusukela ekuqaleni kuka-2026. Intengo ye-aluminium yezinyanga ezintathu ye-LME ifinyelele esicongweni esingu-$3,295.5 ngethani, okumaka izinga eliphakeme kakhulu kusukela ngo-Ephreli 2022. Ukwenyuka kwamanani e-aluminium kubangelwa yimiphumela ehlangene yezici eziningi, okuhlanganisa ukuhlolwa kabusha kokuntuleka kwezinsiza, ukwakhiwa kabusha kwezindleko zamandla, kanye namaphrimiyamu engozi ye-geopolitical. Umbiko wocwaningo lukaGoldman Sachs ubikezela ukuthi intengo emaphakathi ye-aluminium yokushintshaniswa kwensimbi yaseLondon (LME) engxenyeni yokuqala ka-2026 izoba cishe ngu-$3,150 ngethani. Uma ukuphazamiseka kokuhlinzekwa kuqhubeka, amanani e-aluminium angase akhuphuke aze afike ku-$3,600 ngethani ngezigaba, okuzohlinzeka ngendawo yemakethe enhle yeRio Tinto ukuqala kabusha amandla ayo okukhiqiza angasebenzi.