MORE ALUMINA

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31943, 21 March 1969, Page 14

MORE ALUMINA

(N.Z. Press Association)

SYDNEY, March 20.

The potential demand from the 100,000 ton-a-year Anglesey aluminium smelter in Britain, due to begin production late in 1970, was behind a plan to raise the capacity of Queensland Alumina, Ltd, from 900,000 to 1,275,000 tons of alumina a year, the “Australian Financial Review” said today.

Another further expansion in capacity, probably to about 1,800,000 tons a year, was likely to be the next step for Queensland Aiuminia to meet the demands of the Bluff smelter, which would come on stream late in 1971.

The first move, announced yesterday by the Queensland premier (Mr J. Belke Peterson), will make

the Gladstone, Central Queensland, alumina refinery the biggest in the world and will cost more than ss3m.

After the expansion, the respective interests in Queensland Alumina will be: Kaiser 43 per cent; Alcan of Canada 22 per cent; Pechiney of France 20 per cent; and Conzinc Riotinto of Australia 15 per cent.

The Anglesey smelter Is scheduled to start production at Holyhead late in 1970 and to reach full production of 100,000 tons of aluminium by late 1972. This will require about 200,000 tons of alumina a year, of which Queensland Alumina will supply 120,000 tons and the Caribbean plants of Kaiser Aluminium the remaining 80,000 tons.