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Overview
Kwinana refinery is located 22 kilometres south of Perth and is part of the Kwinana Industrial area, Western Australia’s premier industrial estate.
Kwinana is also part of the Fremantle outer harbour with over 120 ships berthing at the jetty. The Kwinana jetty imports approximately 12 ships of caustic soda for use at the Kwinana and Pinjarra refineries, and exports approximately 115 ships of alumina each year.
Kwinana, the first of Alcoa’s three West Australian alumina refineries, was officially opened in July 1963. Production began three months later. The first shipment of alumina left the Kwinana port aboard the 'Lake Sorrel;' on 22 February 1964, bound for the Point Henry aluminium smelter. In March the same year, the first export shipment was despatched to Japan.
Kwinana Refinery enjoyed spectacular growth in its first decade of operation. By 1973, the original one-unit, 200,000 tonne plant expanded to a six-unit, one and a half million tonne operation. Over the years, the plant has been upgraded and improved, and now produces two million tonnes from five-units.
Kwinana refinery’s annual production of alumina is the equivalent of:
• 15,000 jumbo jets; or
• one billion recyclable drink cans; or
• 8 million four-metre dinghies!
Although close to 45 years old Kwinana refinery still makes a considerable contribution to Alcoa’s international alumina operations, and the West Australian economy.
Today, Kwinana employs about 1,000 people plus a significant contractor workforce, with approximately 60% of them living in the neighbouring townships of Kwinana, Cockburn and Rockingham.
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