Comalco To Build Queensland Plant

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31976, 1 May 1969, Page 18

Comalco To Build Queensland Plant

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Cdpyriffht) MELBOURNE, April 30.

Comalco Industries, Pty, Ltd, which is developing the Weipa bauxite field in Northern Queensland, is planning to set up a large-scale alumina plant there. Announcing this yesterday, the Comalco chairman (Sir Maurice Mawby) Mid it was planned that the plant would produce 600,000 tons of alumina initially, but output could be trebled if necessary. He gave no cost for the proposed plant, which will be on Cape York, the northernmost tip of Queensland, Comalco is owned jointly by Conzinc Riotiijto of Australia, Ltd, and -Kaiser Aluminium ahd ChemiCai Corporation, of the United States. Sir Mauyice Mawby said

discussions with prospective partners in the Welpa plant had already begun. Total shipments of bauxite from the field this year were estimated to reach 4.5 million tons and Welpa would be handling more bauxite than any other port in the world.

More than half of the output would be processed at Gladstone in Queensland and Bell Bay in Tasmania, with the remainder being exported to refineries in Japan, Europe and other parts of the world.

“It takes about two tons of bauxite to make a. ton of alumina and the advantage of producing alumina on site and eliminating freight on bauxite is obvious,” the chairman said. ■