Queensland’s Coordinator-General has approved an application allowing a high purity alumina (HPA) plant to be built in the Gladstone State Development Area.
The proposed $300 million plant is set to create 120 jobs and be the basis for a new State export industry.
Minister for State Development, Steven Miles said a material change of use application had been granted, allowing advanced manufacturer Alpha HPA to build its plant.
“This means Gladstone is now one step closer to becoming the home of an exciting new industry, with the production and export of high purity alumina used around the world in new-economy manufacturing,” Mr Miles said.
“The high purity alumina will provide the raw materials used by low-carbon growth industries including LED lighting and lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.”
Minister for Regional Development, Glenn Butcher said the Government had assisted in bringing Alpha HPA to Gladstone by conditionally making a 9.2-hectare site available.
“The extensive infrastructure and port facilities in the Gladstone region, an established industrial sector and skilled workforce all helped attract Alpha HPA to Gladstone,” Mr Butcher said.
“Alpha HPA plans to produce 10,000 tonnes of HPA equivalent annually at Gladstone using its proprietary licenced solvent extraction and refining technology.”
He said this process had lower environmental impacts and included recycling the chemical reagents used in the alumina purification process.
