Alcoa has commenced construction of a gallium production plant co-located at its Wagerup alumina refinery in Western Australia (WA).
The project was launched with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by representatives from Alcoa and the Australian, Japanese and US governments.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Gallium is considered a critical mineral and is in high demand for use in modern technologies.
It plays an essential part in manufacturing semiconductors and LEDs, with applications across advanced electronics, telecommunications, renewable energy systems and defence equipment.
Products such as smartphones, bluetooth devices, AI technologies and solar panels all rely on gallium components.
Australia, the US, and Japan have all classified gallium as a critical mineral.
Alcoa will lead the construction and oversee operations of the plant.
During its construction, the plant is expected to support up to 200 construction jobs in the area. Once operational, it will maintain around 20 permanent positions.
Alcoa Australia president Elsabe Muller said: “Alcoa is proud to work alongside our partners in Australia, Japan and the US to help diversify the global gallium market.
“We are grateful to have Australian federal ministers King and Ayres and Western Australian minister Michael, along with honoured guests, be part of today’s event as we showcase Western Australia’s role in delivering essential materials to the world.”
Located roughly 150km south of Perth, the Wagerup site will house the new facility.
The Wagerup alumina refinery, established in 1984, has the capacity to produce approximately 2.9 million tonnes of alumina annually.
The property covers 8,442 hectares (ha), of which 5,520ha are used for agriculture.
The plant sits on the boundary of WA’s Peel and South West regions.
In September 2025, Alcoa announced the permanent closure of its Kwinana alumina refinery in WA following a curtailment of production in June 2024.
