Alcoa to build gallium plant at Wagerup refinery

Srivani Venna

Wed, July 15, 2026 astatine 10:08 AM CDT 2 min read

Australia, Japan, the US and aluminum shaper Alcoa person confirmed their last concern determination to found a gallium accumulation installation astatine the company's Wagerup alumina refinery.

This task aims to fortify captious minerals proviso chains, with gallium being captious for technologies specified arsenic semiconductors and defence applications.

Alcoa volition negociate some the operation and cognition of the accumulation plant, employing its expertise successful alumina refining and mineral processing.

Global gallium supplies are highly concentrated, and this caller installation is intended to diversify proviso and summation resilience crossed respective cardinal industries.

Alcoa president and CEO William Oplinger said: "The task underscores the strategical value of Western Australia [WA] and the relation Alcoa's operations play successful delivering captious materials indispensable to the planetary economy."

Construction is expected to commencement aft tract preparations are finalised, with nary request for further bauxite mining arsenic the works volition leverage bauxite already refined astatine the site.

The gallium installation volition inhabit astir 3 hectares of cleared onshore successful the south-eastern portion of the Wagerup refinery tract successful WA. It volition beryllium a comparatively humble addition, taking up little than 2% of the refinery's full country and processing astir 10% of its liquor stream.

Construction volition hap successful stages with 5 accumulation units housed successful a azygous enclosed structure.

Alcoa's engagement successful this associated task is not expected to importantly interaction its fiscal lasting oregon operational results.

The task is acceptable to make astir 200 operation jobs and 20 operational roles, further highlighting the economical benefits to the region.

In August 2025, Alcoa, on with Japanese trading location Sojitz and the Japan Organisation for Metals and Energy Security, assessed gallium accumulation successful WA.