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June 30, 2006
Alcoa’s investment in Western Sydney
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Alcoa Australia Rolled Products has made a $17.5 million vote of confidence in Western Sydney and the Australian manufacturing sector with an expansion of its aluminium manufacturing operation in Yennora, Western Sydney.
Alcoa ARP has installed a new manufacturing line which will provide clean aluminium sheet and coil import replacement. The line will produce more than 9000 tonnes of clean aluminium sheet and coil annually, worth over $50 million in sales.
Clean aluminium sheet and coil are used to produce products such as solar hot water systems, boats, road signs, license plates, building products, roofing coil, and many other general engineering products. Until now Australian industry has relied on imported product.
The new Cleaning and Cut to Length Line was officially opened by the Hon Joe Tripodi MP, Member for Fairfield and Minister for Energy.
Mr Tripodi congratulated Alcoa on its contribution to productive manufacturing capacity, keeping jobs in Australia and commitment to best practice environmental management.
Alcoa Australia Rolled Products Managing Director, Mike McKinstry said the new line was the first of its kind in Australia and would expand the company’s product range, opening new domestic and export opportunities.
“This manufacturing operation has been part of Yennora for over 40 years, and this new investment will help ensure our future and the jobs of the 350 people who work here,” Mr McKinstry said.
“Our employees have worked hard to get the new line up and running and having the Minister here to launch it is a great honour for all of the people who have been involved in this project,” said Mr McKinstry.
Background
The Yennora plant is one of two aluminium rolling mills in Australia operated by Alcoa. The other is at Point Henry near Geelong. They have a combined annual production capacity of more than 200,000 tonnes.
Alcoa ARP is Australia's largest recycler of aluminium products, recycling about 70,000 tonnes per year, including 550 million cans. Around 90% of aluminium fabricated at Yennora is from recycled material.
The Yennora site has operated for more than 40 years and has been a part of the Alcoa family of companies since 1996.
The installation of the $17.5 million Cleaning and Cut to Length Line at Alcoa Australia Rolled Products at Yennora has enabled the production of locally produced clean aluminium sheet and coil, reducing the need for Australia to import these products. The advanced technology sheet cleaning line is the first of its kind in Australia.
Alcoa Australia Rolled Products identified an opportunity for its Yennora operations to broaden its product mix to include higher value-added products which require clean aluminium sheet free from rolling residue which was not previously produced in Australia.
The production of clean aluminium sheet and coil in Western Sydney will stimulate new business and employment opportunities among contractors, service suppliers, product distributors and manufacturers in our community and Australia more generally. The new cleaning line will broaden Alcoa Australia Rolled Products at Yennora’s product mix and increase our production capacity and capability, to better meet both local and international customer needs and increase export opportunities.
The line operates with state of the art cleaning technology based on water rather than older hydro-carbon (oil) processes. This technology enables us to reduce water usage through reuse and recycling as well as provide greater energy efficiency for the cleaning line. Alcoa Australia Rolled Products at Yennora is proud to transfer international best practice aluminium sheet cleaning technology to Australia.
ENDS
Contact information-
Josephine Parrett
Community Relations Officer
Alcoa Australia Rolled Products, Yennora
02 9681 9554 or 0404 800 542
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