News: Suppliers
5 August 2025
Alcoa exploring feasibility of gallium production in Western Australia by 2026
Alcoa of Australia Ltd (a subsidiary of Alcoa Corp, which provides bauxite, alumina and aluminium products) has announced a joint development agreement (JDA) with Japan Australia Gallium Associates Pty Ltd (JAGA) — a Perth-based joint venture formed in March between Sojitz Corp and Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) — to explore the feasibility of a gallium project to be co-located at one of Alcoa’s operating alumina refineries in Western Australia.
Australia and the USA have both recognized gallium as a critical mineral. Additionally, Japan has identified gallium as one of 35 minerals important to national security.
Currently, gallium production is concentrated in China, with market controls introduced in 2023 heightening global interest in alternative supply chains.
Alcoa of Australia president Elsabe Muller says the JDA partners are assessing the potential for a co-located facility to expand global supply of gallium as an existing by-product of the alumina refining process in Western Australia.
“This opportunity could deliver additional value from our established operations and further demonstrate how Alcoa’s longstanding mineral processing capabilities can be significant in supporting state, national and global objectives in technology and national defense,” says Muller. “We welcome the opportunity to work with the JAGA partners, including Sojitz, who has considerable connection with mid-stream gallium refiners and manufacturers and would be an offtake customer in the project.”
The project has the potential to introduce supply options for Japanese semiconductor production critical to global downstream processing and manufacturing, says Osamu Matsuura, resources & recycling divisional chief operating officer at Sojitz Metals.
Subject to further commercial agreements and regulatory approvals, the JDA partners are targeting a final investment decision by the end of 2025 and to begin production in 2026. Alcoa’s participation in the JDA is not expected to have a material impact on its financial position or results of operations.
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