Alcoa’s Gallium Plant in Australia Gets Green Light

Alcoa has gotten approval to construct a new critical mineral facility in Western Australia (Pittsburgh Business Times, subscription).

What’s going on: On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania-headquartered “manufacturer, one of the largest aluminum and alumina producers in the world, announced a final investment decision on the new gallium plant at its Wagerup alumina refinery about 120 miles from Perth.”

• The new facility’s construction is happening thanks to a partnership between Alcoa, which will build and operate the plant, and the U.S., Australian and Japanese governments.
• The plant will operate alongside Alcoa’s current facility at the site, “extracting further value from the bauxite already mined and refined to produce alumina, the feedstock for aluminum. No additional bauxite mining will be required to feed the gallium plant” (Alcoa).

Why it’s important: Gallium, a byproduct of alumina refining, is crucial to the defense and technology sectors, particularly in the production of advanced technologies like semiconductors.

• China dominates the global gallium marketplace, accounting for 99% of primary low-purity gallium production. In 2024, China banned gallium exports to the U.S. but suspended the ban for one year in November 2025.
• The administration has made critical minerals a cornerstone of its foreign and energy policy and Australia has significant deposits of the materials.
• Alcoa’s announcement this week marks a significant development in the critical minerals pact signed by President Donald J. Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in October 2025.

The NAM says: “Alcoa’s gallium recovery project demonstrates the strategic potential of leveraging partnerships across the private sector, the U.S. government and our allies to reduce unsustainable dependencies and strengthen supply chain resilience, particularly for acutely needed byproduct minerals like gallium,” said NAM Director of International Policy Rachel Minogue. “The NAM strongly encourages leveraging international partnerships to strengthen supply chains in its critical mineral policy agenda.”