Ferro-alloys.com：Recently, according to foreign media reports, a French commercial court transferred the control of Alteo, a global leader in the specialty alumina industry, to the logistics expert United Mining Supply Company (UMS) headquartered in Guinea.

UMS is the last candidate to take over Alteo's production base near Marseille in the southern city. A year ago, in the context of the global aluminum crisis, the company entered bankruptcy proceedings due to a decline in orders.

Alumina is smelted to produce aluminum metal, but it is also used as a raw material for consumer products such as ceramics and smartphone screens.

The court stated that the financial support provided by UMS as a new shareholder of Alteo Holding will free up sufficient cash flow for the plant to continue operations.

UMS owned by French, Lebanese, and Guinean businessman Fadi Wazni (Fadi Wazni) will assume part of Alteo’s debt and will phase out bauxite imports within 12 to 18 months because bauxite has an impact on the environment .

Alteo mainly imports bauxite from Guinea, which is a major producer of bauxite with a high aluminum content.

After refining, the factory has been piling up bauxite residues outdoors, triggering complaints from local residents about air and water pollution.

The company was accused of dumping production residues called "red mud" into the Mediterranean.

The company’s former owner and Australia-based global mining giant Rio Tinto has pledged to clean up the site at an estimated cost of 30 million euros.

In addition to having 500 employees (UMS plans to lay off 98 employees), the Alteo plant also supports 400 jobs, including subcontractors and service providers, making it one of the largest employers in Aix-en-Provence.

• [Editor:zhaozihao]