The US-based world’s eighth largest aluminium producer Alcoa is reportedly planning to increase the nameplate capacity of its biggest alumina refinery at Pinjarra by almost 20 per cent.
Per the report, the company has written an application to the Environmental Protection Authority seeking for an approval to shift bottlenecks at the Pinjarra refinery so that it can increase its capacity to 5 million tonnes of alumina per year, the maximum allowed under current environmental approvals.
The current nameplate capacity of the Pinjarra refinery is 4.2 million tonnes per year. But in 2018, it had produced 4.5 million tonnes per year, according to 40 per cent owner Alumina.
Alcoa and Alumina also together own 2.6 million tonnes per annum Wagerup and 2 million tonnes per annum Kwinana refineries.
An Alcoa spokeswoman intimidated that no investment decision is made yet for the expansion as it is in the early phase of assessment now.
“Alcoa considers a range of factors when evaluating investment opportunities,” the spokeswoman said.
According to the application, the construction is planned to start in the June quarter of 2020 and operations to commence in the December quarter of 2021.
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