WA alumina posts $8.2B record sales despite production decline

Western Australia’s alumina industry has emerged as one of the quiet stabilisers of the state’s resources sector in 2024–25, securing its second-highest sales value on record at USD 8.2 billion despite lower production volumes.

New figures from the Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA) show that stronger pricing helped offset operational softness, allowing alumina to hold its ground in a year defined by volatility across several commodities.

The broader resources sector delivered USD 220 billion in total sales for the financial year, supported by more than 134,000 on-site full-time equivalent (FTE) workers. But within that landscape, alumina’s performance stood out for its resilience.

While gold and mineral sands enjoyed record highs and iron ore continued to dominate, alumina maintained a firm contribution even as lithium and nickel came under pressure from weaker global markets.

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GSWA’s data shows the strength of the state’s other major export streams:

• Gold surged to an all-time high of USD 29 billion, with prices reaching unprecedented levels.
• Iron ore, still the cornerstone of WA’s economy, generated USD 122 billion on near-record shipments of 864 million tonnes.
• LNG added another USD 36 billion, among its strongest results on record.
• Mineral sands posted a record USD 1.4 billion, and manganese saw its second-highest result at USD 409 million.

Exploration spending remained elevated at USD 2.57 billion, reflecting both strong interest in future resource development and climbing input costs for labour, machinery and fuel. Investment levels across mining and petroleum topped USD 33 billion, consistent with last year’s highs, with a further USD 49 billion in projects currently committed or under construction. Employment in exploration and petroleum remained robust, with about 4,250 and 9,430 on-site FTE roles respectively.

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