Australia's Wagerup Alumina Refinery Gallium Project to Supply 10% of Global Gallium

en.Wedoany.com Reported - A gallium recovery plant will be built at the Wagerup Alumina Refinery near Perth, Western Australia, with the project receiving a final investment decision (FID) from Alcoa, as well as the governments of Australia, the United States, and Japan. Once operational, the plant will supply approximately 10% of the world's gallium.

Tania Constable, CEO of the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA), stated that this final investment decision is a significant step toward establishing a secure, diversified, and resilient gallium supply chain. The project, also supported by the Western Australian government, will build new cross-border alliances and strengthen existing partnerships through value-added processing, demonstrating that Australia can remain competitive in the global critical minerals sector through government and industry collaboration.

Gallium is a soft, silvery-white metal widely used in semiconductors, radar systems, high-performance electronics, radiation therapy, and LEDs. Currently, China supplies approximately 98% of the world's gallium. The project will extract gallium from Wagerup's existing alumina refining process, requiring no new mining or on-site infrastructure. During construction, it is expected to create up to 200 construction jobs, and the plant will provide approximately 20 full-time positions once operational.

The project is one of the first selected under the U.S.-Australia Critical Minerals Framework, signed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and U.S. President Donald Trump. The Prime Minister praised it as a "game-changer" during a site visit in November. It is also one of six projects selected under the Australia-Japan Critical Minerals Declaration. Previously, Arafura's Nolans rare earth project reached a final investment decision under this framework in May.

"Australia's abundant geology, strong mining and processing capabilities, and reputation for reliability and transparency make us a trusted global supplier of critical minerals, including gallium," said Tania Constable.