Market participants in the bauxite industry in China, both metallurgical and non-metallurgical grades, have downplayed the effect of heavy rainfall in Shanxi earlier this month despite a temporary closure of alumina operation lines. But sources expressed concerns over operations in the coming winter because of the traditional environmental regulations and energy shortages.
Heavy downpours started in Shanxi in northern China on Saturday October 2. The amount of rain in many places in the province exceeded 100mm, reaching a historic high between the Sunday and Thursday. In Jinzhong and Linfen, rainfall exceeded 200mm, according to Global Times.The production lines affected at refineries in Xiaoyi and Jiaokou have capacity for 1.2 million and 800,000 tonnes per year of alumina respectively, but there was torrential rainfall in Shanxi over October 2-7, one company source told...