OUR BUSINESS

Global Operations

Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals is also known as AWAC. It is a global alumina business that is a joint venture between Alumina Limited (40% owned) and Alcoa Inc, (60% owned).

AWAC has an international network of alumina refineries in the Australia, Brazil, and Spain. AWAC is a recognised industry market leader with approximately 9% of world alumina production. Around 90% of this alumina goes to feed smelters that produce the aluminium used in transport, aerospace, building, construction and packaging.

Sites
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  • 1. Huntly, Western Australia
  • 2. Willowdale, Western Australia
  • 3. Juruti, Brasil
  • 4. CBG, Guinea
  • 5. Wagerup, Western Australia
  • 6. Kwinana, Western Australia
  • 7. Pinjarra, Western Australia
  • 8. Alumar, São Luis
  • 9. San Ciprian, Spain
  • 10. Alumina Limited Offices, Melbourne, Australia
  • 11. AWA Brasil
  • 12. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • 13. Portland aluminium smelter, Victoria
  • 14. Alcoa Steamship Inc.

Huntly, Western Australia

AWAC sources bauxite from its 100% owned Huntly and Willowdale bauxite mines located in the Darling Range south of Perth. Former WMC Limited discovered bauxite in this region in the late 1950’s which started the partnership with Alcoa. The mining lease is approximately 7,000 square kilometres and provides access to bauxite to 2044.

Huntly produces bauxite that supplies AWAC’s Pinjarra and Kwinana alumina refineries in Western Australia and is one of the world’s largest bauxite mines. The annual mining rate of the Huntly mine is in excess of 26 million metric tonnes of bauxite.

Bauxite is transported from the mines by rail to Kwinana and by overland conveyor to Pinjarra. The close proximity of mine to refinery lowers operational costs.

Bauxite from Huntly is low in alumina grade and low in reactive silica. This results in low consumption of caustic soda, which further reduces production costs.

Willowdale, Western Australia

AWAC sources bauxite from its 100% owned Huntly and Willowdale bauxite mines located in the Darling Range south of Perth. Former WMC Limited discovered bauxite in this region in the late 1950’s which started the partnership with Alcoa. The mining lease is approximately 7,000 square kilometres and provides access to bauxite to 2044.

Willowdale produces bauxite that is supplied to AWAC’s Wagerup alumina refinery in Western Australia. The mining leases provide access to bauxite to 2044. The annual mining rate of Willowdale is approximately 10 million metric tonnes of bauxite. Bauxite is transported from the mine by overland conveyor to Wagerup. The close proximity of mine to the refinery lowers operational costs.

Bauxite from the Darling Range is low in alumina grade and low in reactive silica.

This results in low consumption of caustic soda, which further reduces production costs.

Juruti, Brasil

The Juruti operations, which are part of the Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (AWAC) joint venture with Alcoa consists of a port facility, a mine and a 50 kilometre rail system to the port. Initial output at the mine was calculated at 2.6 million metric tons per year (mtpy). In 2021 the mine produced approximately 5.8 million Dry Metric Tons (DMT) of bauxite.

Bauxite from Juruti is shipped to the Alumar alumina refinery in Sao Luis, Brazil which has undergone a 2.1 million mtpy expansion program that will bring total production there to 3.5 million mtpy. Following the expansion, Alcoa Aluminio and AWAC combined hold a 54 percent share of the refinery. The remaining share is held by BHP Billiton (36 percent) and Rio Tinto Alcan (10 percent).

CBG, Guinea

AWAC has a 45% interest in the bauxite mining company, Halco (Mining) Inc. Halco owns 51% of Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinéa, the manager of several bauxite mines at Boké in north-west Guinea, West Africa. The Republic of Guinea owns the remaining 49% of Compagnie Guinee. In 2021 and on an equity basis, annual production is approximately 3.5 million Dry Metric Tons (DMT).

Wagerup, Western Australia

Wagerup Refinery with a capacity of 2.9 million tonnes per year, is the second largest alumina refinery in the AWAC global joint venture between Alumina Limited and Alcoa.

The Western Australian Government has granted approval for the planned capacity expansion of the Wagerup alumina refinery from 2.6 million tonnes of alumina per year to approximately 4.7 million tonnes per year. Gas is the primary source of energy and is from Western Australia’s North-West gas fields via the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline.

Bauxite is transported from the nearby Willowdale mine by overland conveyor. The close proximity of mine to the refinery lowers operational costs and places these operations as amongst the world’s lowest cost producers.

A storage and loading facility, which handles the majority of shipping for the refinery, is located at the nearby port of Bunbury.

Kwinana, Western Australia

Kwinana alumina refinery has an annual capacity of 2.2 million tonnes of alumina.

Bauxite is transported from the nearby Huntly mine by rail. The close proximity of mine to refinery lowers operational costs and places this operation amongst the world’s lowest cost producers. Gas is the primary source of energy and is from Western Australia’s North-West gas fields via the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline.

A shipping facility is located close by to transport alumina production to AWAC’s aluminium smelters in Victoria and overseas customers.

Pinjarra, Western Australia

Pinjarra is AWAC’s largest refinery with production capacity of 4.7 million tonnes of alumina per annum. Gas is the primary source of energy and is transported from Western Australia’s North-West gas fields via the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline. At Pinjarra two co-generation gas fired power plants operated by Alinta supply steam and electricity to the refinery.

Bauxite is transported from the nearby Huntly mine by overland conveyor. The close proximity of mine to refinery lowers operational costs and places these operations amongst the world’s lowest cost producers.

A storage and loading facility that handles the majority of shipping for the refinery is located at the port of Bunbury. Some Pinjarra production is transported through the shipping facility at Kwinana.

Alumar, São Luis

AWAC holds a part interest in the Alumar alumina refinery in northern Brazil that has a capacity from 3.9 million metric tons of alumina per year. The AWAC share of production is approximately 1.5 million mtpy.

Alumar, located in Maranhão state outside São Luis, Brazil, is jointly owned by Alcoa Aluminio and Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals/AWAC (54 per cent), South32 (36 per cent) and Rio Tinto Alcan (10 per cent). Alcoa manages the facility.

The AWAC share of the Alumar refinery expansion will be supplied by AWAC’s Juruti bauxite mine in Brazil.

San Ciprian, Spain

AWAC owns and operates the San Ciprian alumina refinery, on the east coast of Spain.

San Ciprian has an annual production capacity of 1.6 million tonnes. Bauxite for the refinery is shipped from Boké, Guinea.

Around 70% of San Ciprian’s alumina is supplied to Alcoa’s aluminium smelters in Spain. Remaining production is largely sold as commodity hydrated alumina to European chemical manufacturers. San Ciprian’s major source of energy is via natural gas.

San Ciprian’s location allows commodity grade alumina to be sold within the European Union without the high tariffs imposed on non-European suppliers.

Alumina Limited Offices, Melbourne, Australia

Alumina Limited’s offices are located in Southbank, Melbourne.

AWA Brasil

AWAC operates in Brazil holding 39.96% interest in the Alumar alumina refinery at São Luis, north-east Brazil.

Other participants are Alcoa Aluminio S.A. (14.04%), South32 (36%) and Rio Tinto Alcan (10%). The consortium is managed on a production and cost-sharing basis. Alcoa Aluminio operates the refinery and Abalco has special rights in any expansion. AWAC also owns a 6.5 million bone dry metric tonne (BDT) per year bauxite mine at Juruti.

Bauxite mine and alumina refinery Joint Venture Project, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

In December 2009, Alcoa Inc and Ma’aden entered into an agreement setting forth terms of a joint venture between them to develop a fully integrated aluminium complex in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

AWAC would have a 25.1% economic interest in the bauxite mine and alumina refinery only. The mine has an initial capacity of 4.0 million metric tonnes per year and the refinery would have an initial capacity of 1.8 million metric tonnes per year. Production from the mine commenced in May 2014 and the refinery moved to commercial production in October 2016.

In 2021. the Ma’aden refinery produced 1.9 million tonnes of alumina (AWAC’s share of production was approximately 0.5 million tonnes) and operated at 106% of nameplate capacity.

Portland aluminium smelter, Victoria

The Portland smelter has an annual production capacity of 358,000 tonnes of aluminium and is 240 kilometres west of Geelong. AWAC has a 55% controlling interest in the smelter and manages its operations and is entitled to 197,000 tonnes of its capacity. Partners are CITIC (22.5% owners) and Marubeni (22.5% owners). In 2021 Portland produced, on an AWAC equity basis, 151,000 tonnes of aluminium.

Electricity for the Portland smelter was purchased under a 30-year electricity supply agreement that expired in 2016. A new agreement was reached in 2017 that extended supply for an additional four years. In 2021 a further five year agreement was finalised with multiple energy generators. In 2021, more than 30 percent of the smelter’s consumed electricity was derived from renewable sources, including electricity from a nearby wind farm. This figure is expected to grow with implementation of the Victorian Renewable Energy Target that aims to reach 50 percent renewables by 2030.

Alcoa Steamship Inc.

AWAC owns and operates a shipping company that procures ocean freight and commercial shipping services for AWAC in the ordinary course of business. It provides transport for AWAC’s alumina business and to third parties, including Alcoa.