Brimstone to Produce US-Sourced Alumina by 2030

Brimstone

Brimstone, a California-based cement manufacturer, has announced plans to produce smelter-grade alumina in the United States by 2030. This initiative will be integrated into the company's decarbonized cement manufacturing process.  Currently, the sole operational alumina refinery in the US relies entirely on imported unrefined alumina.

Reducing Reliance on Imports

Brimstone's innovative approach will produce alumina from carbon-free calcium silicate rocks, reducing the need for both imported alumina and imported bauxite, the raw material typically used in alumina production.  The US relies heavily on imported alumina and bauxite.  From January to September, the US imported 989,000 metric tonnes of alumina, with 749,000 tonnes coming from Brazil.  During the same period, the US also imported 1.6 million tonnes of unrefined bauxite, including 1.3 million tonnes from Jamaica and 232,000 tonnes from Turkey, along with 272,000 tonnes of calcined bauxite.

Project Timeline and Funding

Brimstone will begin pilot operations in 2025 and aims to have its commercial demonstration plant operational by 2030.  The company has received $8.7 million in federal cost-share funding from the Department of Energy's Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (part of a total $189 million commitment) to support site selection and initial studies.