Published: February 12, 2025 |

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Australian miner South32 said on Wednesday that it had received environmental approval from the federal government to extend the operational life of its Worsley Alumina facility in Western Australia.

South32 owns 86 percent of Worsley Alumina, which began operations about 41 years ago and is one of the world’s biggest alumina refineries. Japan Alumina Associates (Australia) owns 10 percent of the operation, while the remaining 4 percent is held by Sojitz Alumina.

Perth-headquartered South32 said that it will now move forward with developing new bauxite mining areas, which are projected to support production through at least fiscal year 2036.

“Worsley Alumina has been operating for more than 40 years and is one of the largest employers in the region, supporting jobs for thousands of workers and contractors,” said Graham Kerr, South32 chief executive officer.

“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,” added Kerr.

In December 2024, the miner received approval from Western Australia for the extension of its Worsley mine.

South32 had initiated the environmental approval process with the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (WA EPA) in 2019, aiming to get the green light to mine more bauxite in the native forest south of Perth.

The environmental regulator approved the proposal last July, but it came with a range of conditions due to the sensitive nature of the forest area where mining will take place.

The miner then carried a value assessment of its project and recognised an impairment charge of $554 million on its Worsley Alumina mine, related to conditions prescribed by the WA EPA.

The miner produced 5.1 million tons of alumina in fiscal 2024, according to its annual report, and the commodity contributed to around 19% of the group’s annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization.

Source: Reuters

South32 operates as a diversified metals and mining company in Australia, India, China, Japan, the Middle East, Mozambique, the Netherlands, Brazil, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, the United States, and internationally. Located in a historic mining district in the Patagonia Mountains of Southern Arizona, South32’s Hermosa project is currently the only advanced mine development project in the United States that could produce two federally designated critical minerals — manganese and zinc — both of which are essential minerals for powering the nation’s clean energy future. It has a portfolio of assets producing bauxite, alumina, aluminum, copper, silver, lead, zinc, nickel, metallurgical coal, manganese, ferronickel, and other base metals.

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