Chalco Delays Queensland Alumina Development, Australian Says

Nov. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd., or Chalco as the Beijing-based company is known, has delayed a development decision on the A$2.2 billion ($2 billion) alumina refinery in Australia’s Queensland state because there is still uncertainty in the market, the Australian reported, citing the company. The decision on developing the Aurukun bauxite mine and the Bowen refinery was due last September or October and now won’t be made this year, the newspaper said, citing Dan Foo, head of the mine study in Australia. It may take some years for the alumina market to recover to levels it was at before the global financial crisis, it said, citing Foo. To contact the reporter on this story: Rebecca Keenan in Melbourne at rkeenan5@bloomberg.net