Alcoa Corporation, listed on both the ASX and the NYSE, has begun construction of its new gallium production plant in Western Australia, an event marked by the presence of senior government figures including Australian Minister for Industry and Innovation Tim Ayres, Western Australian Minister for State Development David Michael and Australian Minister for Resources Madeleine King.
The ceremony signals the formal start of work on the facility, which is being built alongside Alcoa’s Wagerup alumina refinery. The project, fully constructed and operated by Alcoa, is the product of collaboration between government and industry partners in Australia, Japan and the United States—an international alignment aimed at reinforcing critical‑mineral supply chains at a time of heightened strategic demand.
Alcoa Australia president Elsabe Muller described the groundbreaking as a pivotal moment for the joint venture, noting that it establishes a new, dependable source of gallium and underscores the importance of Alcoa’s Western Australian operations in supplying materials essential to the global economy.
Once operational, the plant will produce up to 100 t/y of gallium, recovered as a byproduct of alumina refining. At full capacity, this output will meet roughly 10% of global demand for gallium used in advanced semiconductor manufacturing and defence technologies.