Huntly-Pinjarra Environmental Assessment

Huntly-Pinjarra Environmental Assessment

Alcoa has been operating its bauxite mines and alumina refineries in Western Australia since 1963.

Bauxite is the raw material needed to make aluminium – one of the most commonly used metals in the world. 

We rely on it every day.  It’s in our homes, our phones, we drink from it, drive with it, even cook with it. Its unique qualities including its strength, light weight and durability also make it a key metal used widely in renewable energy infrastructure and technology.

Our Huntly and Willowdale mines currently supply bauxite to our Pinjarra and Wagerup refineries* where it is transformed to alumina – the feedstock for aluminium. 

Combined, our operations employ thousands of people, with a significant portion of our workforce living near the communities where we operate.

Huntly Bauxite Mine and Pinjarra Alumina Refinery Environmental Assessment

We are seeking approval to transition our bauxite mining at Huntly mine to the Myara North and Holyoake mine regions and increase alumina production at the Pinjarra refinery by 5 per cent.

Before these activities can proceed they must first be assessed in accordance with the:

  • State Environmental Protection Act(1986); and
  • Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999).

The assessment will be undertaken at the highest level – being a  Public Environmental Review. This will include a 10-week public comment period which we anticipate will occur in the second half of 2024.

Transitioning to the new mine regions is essential for the continued operation of our Huntly mine and Pinjarra refinery. Around 300 jobs will be created during construction and​ thousands of ongoing local jobs will be sustained. Combined, the mine regions will provide approximately 10 years of ore supply.

The assessment process commenced in mid-2020 and is continuing.

Huntly mine – proposed future mine regions

Huntly Pinjarra Map