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The Worsley Alumina Refinery takes its name from the historic
timber settlement of Worsley,
near Collie in the south west corner of Western Australia.
The history of the Worsley
Project dates back to the early 1960s when a group of local
business people formed a company to explore, develop and sell
deposits of bauxite ore on the eastern side of the Darling
Range, near Boddington.
Construction of a mine site and refinery began in 1980 and
the first alumina was produced in April 1984. In May 2000,
Worsley completed an $1 billion expansion and annual production
has increased to 3.1 million tonnes.
Alumina is carted by rail and exported through the Port of
Bunbury.
More than 1200 people are employed at the mine site and refinery.
Many more jobs have been created through the employment of
sub-contractors and through the support of local businesses
and suppliers.
The company is also an active supporter of local community
projects and programs.
Worsley Alumina is a joint
venture between BHP Billiton (86 per cent), Japan Alumina
Associates (Australia) Pty Ltd (10 Percent) and Sojitz Alumina
Pty Ltd (4 Percent).
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