Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals is a joint venture between Alumina Limited (40% share) and Alcoa (60% share) and is abbreviated to AWAC. AWAC's business is the mining of bauxite,[1] the extraction of alumina (aluminium oxide) and the smelting of aluminium. It has about 25% of the global alumina market. Alcoa acts as the day-to-day manager.

Australian operations

Alcoa has two smelters in Victoria, located at Portland and Point Henry in Victoria. It has three alumina refineries in Western Australia, located at Kwinana Beach, Pinjarra and Wagerup, and two bauxite mines at Huntly and Willowdale, also in Western Australia.[2]

Portland smelter

Main article: Portland aluminium smelter

The Portland smelter produces about 360,000 tonnes of aluminium a year, and is Victoria's largest single exporter.[2][3]

Point Henry smelter

Main article: Point Henry smelter

The Point Henry smelter commenced full production on April 4, 1963. It has a production capacity of 185,000 tonnes of aluminium a year.[4] March 20, 1969, saw Alcoa's own brown coal-fired Anglesea Power Station brought on line at augment the electricity supply from the Victorian grid.[5] The Point Henry smelter closed in 2014.

Other operations

AWAC has other operations in Brazil, Guinea, Jamaica, Suriname, Spain, and the USA

See also

References

  1. ^ Alcoa Company Profile Australian Shares. Retrieved on 2014-10-08.
  2. ^ a b "Alcoa in Australia". Archived from the original on 19 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
  3. ^ Birnbauer, William; Dowling, Jason (May 21, 2006). "The Age - 'Greenhouse showdown over smelter' - May 21, 2006". Melbourne. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
  4. ^ "About Point Henry". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
  5. ^ R. Arklay and I. Sayer – 'Geelong's Electric Supply' – September 1970
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