South32 (ASX:S32) advises that Worsley Alumina has received federal environmental approval for the Worsley Mine Development Project.
The project will enable access to bauxite to sustain production at Worsley Alumina, with mining of bauxite areas located near our existing operations expected to begin in Q4 FY25
South32, which owns 86% of Worsley Alumina with 10% held by Japan Alumina Associates (Australia) and 4% by Sojitz Alumina, will now also commence the development of new mining areas that are expected to sustain production to at least FY36.
South32 CEO Graham Kerr says Worsley Alumina has been operating for more than 40 years and is one of the largest employers in the region.
“The federal government’s approval of the Worsley Mine Development Project is a positive outcome for Worsley Alumina and its workforce, the Peel and South West communities, and the local economy,” he says.
Bauxite is mined near the town of Boddington, 130km south-east of Perth. It is transported by overland conveyor to the alumina refinery near Collie and turned into alumina powder, before being transported by rail to the Bunbury port.
It is then shipped to smelters around the world, including South32’s Hillside and Mozal aluminium smelters in Southern Africa. Operations began in 1984 and today Worsley Alumina is recognised as one of the largest alumina refineries in the world.
First discovered in 1821 by geologist Pierre Berthier, bauxite is a sedimentary rock mineral that is the primary source of aluminium. It is formed through the weathering of aluminium-rich rocks in tropical and subtropical regions.
Bauxite is typically found in layers beneath a few metres of overburden, which can vary in thickness depending on the location. It is the primary ore of aluminium, which is one of the most widely used metals in the world.
The name bauxite is derived from the French village of Les Baux where it was discovered.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: South32
