A $300 million high purity alumina industrial plant is a step closer for Gladstone with Alpha HPA purchasing a 9.2 hectare site in the Queensland Government’s State Development Area.
Alpha HPA is fast tracking construction of its Stage 1, Precursor Production Facility (PPF). Stage 1 is fully funded and will enable the company to commence commercial production from August 2022, tapping into the expected alumina demand quickly. Stage 2, the full-scale project, will commence in parallel with Stage 1, and is scheduled to be commercially operating by 2024.
Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development Steven Miles said Gladstone is fast becoming a world-leading manufacturing hub drawing on the world’s demand for renewable energy to inspire new industry growth.
High purity alumina is used in items such as LED lights, lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, solar battery storage and consumer electronics, and synthetic sapphire which is used in watches and smartphone camera glass.
“These are high-technology items with rising consumer demand, particularly in China and Europe.
Alpha HPA are joining other global companies, who have also recently chosen Gladstone to establish their manufacturing hubs in the area.
Fortescue Future Industries is set to build a green hydrogen manufacturing facility, CleanCo has signed an agreement to join Sumitomo Corporation and its partners on the development of a hydrogen industry, Hydrogen Utility (H2U) plans on building the export precinct for their proposed H2-HubTM Gladstone green hydrogen and green ammonia project at Yarwun, and Queensland generator Stanwell and Japan’s largest hydrogen supplier Iwatani, will commence a $10.4 million feasibility study into the development of a large-scale renewable hydrogen facility in Gladstone.
Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni said renewables are a massive opportunity to decarbonise industry and bring manufacturing back to Queensland.
“We are making sure we are grabbing this opportunity with both hands and creating these decent, secure jobs for Queenslanders.”