Alumina expects market to grow 12%

Alumina Ltd's chief executive has told shareholders he expects the aluminium market to grow by 12 per cent this year.

The Melbourne-based company has a 40 per cent stake in Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (AWAC), the world's largest alumina business with 17 per cent of global production.

It would be a second consecutive year of double digit growth, CEO John Bevan said at the company's annual general meeting on Thursday.

Advertisement: Story continues below "We expect the aluminium market in 2011 to show strong growth of 12 per cent," he said.

"Growth outside of China is expected to be over 10 per cent.

"Demand from all sectors, with the exception of building and construction in the developed world, is strong, with vehicle production growing, and increased aluminium usage in most vehicles."

In China alone, 120 million vehicles are expected to be built over the next five years, he said.

AWAC was likely to make record production again in 2011.