On September 11, Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahrie Lahadalia confirmed in Jakarta that Rusal is pursuing an integrated bauxite extraction and alumina production facility in Kalimantan. The initiative will be executed through a partnership with domestic firms and remains under final-stage regulatory review while feasibility assessments continue.
The development aligns with broader Indonesian policy directives outlined by President Prabowo Subianto regarding foreign investment in mineral processing infrastructure. According to reports cited by Tass on September 10, Rusal frames the Kalimantan venture as a continuation of its strategic expansion across the Asia-Pacific region. Officials emphasized that the proposed complex will focus exclusively on upstream processing, deliberately omitting electrolytic aluminium smelting capacity.
The project underscores Indonesia’s continued pivot toward higher-value mineral exports and away from raw ore shipments. For the global alumina market, the addition of a new integrated refinery in Southeast Asia could gradually shift regional supply chains, while Rusal’s existing footprint—spanning seven mines across Russia, Guinea, Guyana, and Jamaica holding approximately 1.89 billion tonnes of reserves—positions the group to scale feedstock logistics ahead of the planned operational timeline. With the company reporting 3.91 million tonnes of primary aluminium output in 2025, representing roughly 5.3 percent of worldwide production, securing reliable alumina sources remains critical to maintaining its export margins.