Opening of Alcoa's worldwide engineering centre of excellence in Pinjarra

24/4/97

Western Australia has again benefited from the upsurge of resources development, with the opening today of a $3 million worldwide engineering centre of excellence for Alcoa of Australia at Pinjarra.

The centre will house 80 engineering and project staff to provide support to Alcoa's three alumina refineries at Kwinana, Pinjarra and Wagerup and associated mining operations.

The Pinjarra facility will also become one of Alcoa's three worldwide hubs of engineering excellence which will share information and technology within the Alcoa World Alumina and Chemical business.

The other engineering hubs are in Brazil and the United States.

Officially opening the engineering centre this morning, Resources Development Minister Colin Barnett said the facility was an example of Alcoa's commitment to Western Australia and the State's resources industry.

"The global alumina engineering centre is a real win for Western Australia and follows decisions by Alcoa to focus world refinery technical research and development at Kwinana and the relocation of its Australian corporate headquarters from Melbourne to Perth," Mr Barnett said.

"At the centre, projects will be designed and supervised to keep Alcoa's refineries up-to-date and maintain a low production costs status.

"The facility will be crucial to Alcoa's ongoing operations including a proposed $960 million expansion of its Wagerup refinery to double production."

Alcoa's operations in WA involve mining bauxite at Jarrahdale, Huntly near Pinjarra, Willowdale near Waroona and refining it to alumina at Kwinana, Pinjarra and Wagerup.

Media contact: Justine Whittome (09) 222 9699