Alcoa in Australia

Across Alcoa, you’ll find experienced operators with innovative processes and industry know-how. But it’s not just what we produce, it's how we do it. Responsible production is embedded in our Alcoa values and in Australia and around the world we are consistently recognised for our approach to sustainability.

Since our Australian operations began in 1963, we have built a reputation as leaders in environmental management. Alcoa is the world’s lowest CO₂ emitting alumina producer and our Australian business was the first mining company to receive recognition from the United Nations for rehabilitation excellence. Our teams are working daily to develop and lead new and innovative processes to help achieve our Net Zero ambition and our shared corporate vision to reinvent the industry for a more sustainable future.

From mine to finished metal, we produce our products with a focus on the environment and our communities and we’re proud of our role to create shared value in the places where we operate. In Australia, annual spend is more than $3 billion locally through wages, taxes, royalties, procurement and community investment.

As we look to the future, we will strive to continue to lead our industry with courage. We will embrace opportunities to reinvent, innovate and challenge the status quo.

Learn more about our history, Australian locations, economic contributions, environmental management and accolades.

Committed to Reconciliation

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands where we operate and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Learn more about our commitment and view our Reconciliation Action Plan.

Celebrating 60 years in Australia

It’s been 60 years since Alcoa began operating in Australia and we’re taking time to reflect on our proud history and exciting future.

The aluminium we produce plays an essential part in modern life, which means we’re here for local jobs, local communities and a sustainable future.

Learn More

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At Alcoa of Australia Limited (Alcoa), we operate one of the world’s largest integrated bauxite mining, alumina refining and aluminium smelting systems. We are owned 60 per cent by Alcoa Corporation and 40 per cent by Alumina Limited.

With six decades of production under our belt, we appreciate the energy, integrity, talent and determination to succeed of the thousands of people who built Alcoa as we currently know it.

Today, our two bauxite mines and three alumina refineries in Western Australia produce approximately 50 per cent of Australia’s alumina. Our Portland Aluminium Smelter in Victoria produces more than 20 per cent of the nation’s aluminium. We also operate two dedicated port facilities and two farmlands in Western Australia.

These locations are known for being among the most cost-efficient, technologically advanced and environmentally conscious in our industry.

Aluminium is the world’s most versatile metal, used every day by everyone. From aluminium foil in your kitchen, the minerals in your laptop and smart phone, the house you live in, the bike you ride, car you drive, to the plane you holiday with – we all rely on alumina and aluminium.

Our Australian operations represent one of the world’s largest integrated bauxite mining, alumina refining and aluminium smelting systems.

Each year we mine approximately 34 million dry metric tonnes of bauxite, refine about nine and a half million tonnes of alumina and produce approximately 300,000 tonnes of aluminium.

In Western Australia, we extract bauxite at our Huntly and Willowdale mines and conduct world-class rehabilitation. The bauxite is transported to our three refineries at Kwinana, Pinjarra and Wagerup where it is turned into alumina. This alumina is shipped to smelters around the world, including our Portland Smelter in Victoria, where it is turned into aluminium.

Our ability to deliver a consistent and reliable source of bauxite, alumina and aluminium is founded on our six decades of experience. Our team of about 4,850 brings specialist expertise including some of the most committed and talented individuals in our industry.

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Our Australian mines, refineries and smelters are known across the globe for being at the forefront of operational and environmental excellence.

Today’s aluminium market demands producers be highly competitive on price, product quality and reliability, while demonstrating products are sustainably produced. It is our experienced and efficient locations and their specialty products that allow us to achieve these standards and deliver the required outcomes to our customers - giving us our competitive advantage.

Our operations include:

Two bauxite mines in Western Australia (Huntly and Willowdale)
Three alumina refineries in Western Australia (Kwinana, Pinjarra and Wagerup)
One aluminium smelter in Victoria (Portland)
Two dedicated port facilities in Western Australia (Kwinana and Bunbury)
Two Alcoa Farmlands sites in Western Australia (Pinjarra and Wagerup)

We are also overseeing the ongoing decommissioning, remediation and/or rehabilitation of an aluminium smelter, coal mine and power station.

Browse our locations for details

We care about the environment and the communities near where we operate. Protection and preservation is core to our values and drives our commitment to the highest standards of environmental performance.

For decades, our team has included some of the most highly regarded environmental experts in the resources industry. It is their loyalty to Alcoa’s environmental commitments that led us to becoming a world leader in environmental management.

In October 2021, Alcoa announced its ambition to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across all global operations by 2050.

Our Australian locations will play an important part in this. Alcoa is already the world’s lowest CO² emitting alumina producer and is at the forefront of the industry in leading the change. Proudly, we are developing new technologies that could remove almost 100 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions from the refining process.

Mechanical Vapor Recompression
Alcoa has been granted $8.8 million by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to test the potential use of renewable energy in a process known as Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR). Read more about MVR in this media release.

Electric calcination
Electric calcination, when powered with renewable energy, has the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions. Additionally, electrification of calciners would allow significant amounts of residual energy, currently lost in the atmosphere as steam, to be captured and reused, saving water and negating the need for stacks to vent that steam. Read more about electric calcination in this media release.

When combined with a decarbonised grid, MVR and electric calcination could reduce a refinery’s carbon emissions by about 98 percent and reduce fresh water use by up to 70 percent.

These achievements put us in the position to make a real difference and we are committed to doing so.

Our Australian operations manage environmental issues using a comprehensive environmental management system certified to international standard ISO 14001:2015. Our refinery quality management systems are certified to ISO 9001:2008.

Learn more about our environmental commitments by visiting the Sustainability page on this website.

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Learn about our Huntly-Pinjarra Environmental Assessment

We are proud to be part of Australia’s economic prosperity.

For six decades, we have created significant economic value by offering stable employment, procuring goods and services locally and investing in community infrastructure and initiatives.

Since 1963, we have invested more than $14.7 billion in Australia. In 2022, 84 per cent of our revenue stayed in Australia through wages, local purchasing, taxes, royalties and dividends to Australian shareholders.

More specifically, in 2022 our Australian operations:

Invested $2.6 billion with 1560 Australian suppliers
Paid $425 million in State, Federal and local government taxes and royalties
Paid $763 million in Australian wages, salaries and associated benefits
Made $4.9 million in community contributions.

We are also one of Australia’s leading exporters, contributing around $5 billion in exports each year.

Generating this value allows local and regional communities to thrive and entrenches our position as a valued and welcomed community member.

Learn more about the contribution we make

Alcoa in Australia

Alcoa in Australia