Alcoa’s Australian operations represent the world’s largest integrated bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminium smelting and rolling system. Also operating the country’s largest aluminium recycling plant, Alcoa adds value to Australia’s local, state and national economies at every stage.
Alcoa of Australia operates the mines, refineries and smelters, while Alcoa Australia Rolled Products operates the rolled products plants and recycling operation. Together, these businesses support around 6000 direct jobs, predominantly in regional Australia.
Our operations in Australia include:
Two bauxite mines in Western Australia (Huntly and Willowdale);
Three alumina refineries in Western Australia (Kwinana, Pinjarra and Wagerup);
Two aluminium smelters in Victoria (Point Henry and Portland Aluminium);
Two aluminium rolling mills in Victoria (Point Henry) and NSW (Yennora);
An aluminium recycling plant in New South Wales (Yennora);
Two dedicated port facilities in Western Australia (Kwinana and Bunbury);
A coal mine and power station in Victoria (Anglesea);
Three Alcoa Farmlands sites in Western Australia (Pinjarra, Wagerup and Boddington);
The Marrinup Nursery in Western Australia (for our WA mine site rehabilitation); and
Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline in Western Australia (20% ownership).
Alcoa’s other operations in Australia are Alcoa Wheel Products Australia which distributes aluminium truck wheels and Alcoa Fastening Systems & Rings Australia which manufactures and distributes specialist fasteners.
Alcoa of Australia Limited is 60% owned by Alcoa Inc. and 40% by Alumina Limited. Alcoa Australia Rolled Products, Alcoa Wheel Products Australia and Alcoa Fastening Systems & Rings Australia are owned 100% by Alcoa Inc.
Alcoa of Australia is part of the primary aluminium production business, with the process starting at the Huntly and Willowdale bauxite mines in the Darling Range south of Perth. The Huntly Mine is the world’s largest bauxite mine. These two mines supply bauxite to Alcoa’s alumina refineries at Kwinana, Pinjarra and Wagerup. The refineries extract alumina from the bauxite. Some of the alumina is exported, while the remainder is shipped to Alcoa’s smelters in Victoria.
Our two aluminium smelters, Point Henry in Geelong and Portland Aluminium in Portland, smelt the alumina into aluminium ingots. Portland Aluminium is an unincorporated joint venture project between Alcoa of Australia Limited (45%) (Alcoa), Eastern Aluminium (Portland) Pty Ltd (10%) (EAPL), CITIC Nominees Pty Limited (22.5%) (Citic) and Marubeni Aluminium Australia Pty Ltd (22.5%)(Marubeni) (“Portland Joint Venture (PJV)”). Eastern Aluminium (Portland) Pty Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alcoa of Australia Limited. Alcoa Portland Aluminium Pty Ltd (Alcoa Portland) (also a wholly owned subsidiary of Alcoa) manages the smelter.
Our Victorian operations also include a coal mine and power station at Anglesea which supplies around 40% of the electricity needed to power the Point Henry Smelter.
In 2010, Alcoa of Australia mined around 33 million tonnes of bauxite, produced 9 million tonnes of alumina, and 490,000 tonnes of aluminium.
Alcoa produces almost 45% of Australia’s alumina and over 25% of Australia’s aluminium. Our alumina production in Western Australia accounts for 10-11% of total world demand.
Alcoa Australia Rolled Products, at Point Henry in Victoria and Yennora in Western Sydney, produces rolled aluminium products for beverage cans, wine screw tops, pharmaceutical packaging, building materials, road signs and boats. Alcoa Australia Rolled Products is the only manufacturer of aluminium rolled products in Australia and is also the largest recycler of aluminium in the country, recycling around 55,000 tonnes of aluminium each year at Yennora. In 2010, Alcoa Australia Rolled products produced 108,000 tonnes of aluminium rolled products.