Critical Mineral Gallium Sees Increased Project Activity

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Written by Eric Funderburk for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Gallium, deemed by the U.S. and EU as a critical mineral, is attracting increased project activity.

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A Critical Mineral

As modern technologies become an essential part of day-to-day life, critical minerals used in sectors such as defense, transportation and semiconductors are in increasingly high demand. A major step has been taken this week to boost global production of one of the critical minerals used in high-speed electronics: gallium.

Industrial Info Resources data show 20 major gallium-focused construction projects in development across the globe, with a combined value of US$1.25 billion.

The latest green light for a gallium project comes from global metals company Alcoa, with the support of the U.S., Japanese and Australian governments, for a plant in Western Australia.

Alcoa's Plant

Alcoa's new gallium refinery will be collocated at the site of the company's Wagerup Alumina Refinery, an obvious location as most gallium is a byproduct of processing bauxite, the primary ore used in aluminum production.

Industrial Info Resources data show that an initial phase of construction will yield about 60 tons of gallium per year and could be up and running as soon as the first half of next year. This eventually could be followed by a second phase of construction that would boost annual production by 40 tons to 100 million tons per year, or around 10% of the world's present gallium production.

The project is being backed by the governments of Australia, the U.S. and Japan, which weighed in on this week's final investment decision and presumably stand to gain a supply of the critical mineral from the Alcoa plant.

Australia and the U.S. last year signed the United States-Australia Framework for Securing of Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths, which establishes cooperation regarding the supplying of rare earth metals and critical minerals between the two countries. The gallium refinery is the second project to be given the go-ahead under the framework agreement. In May, Australia, along with the support of the U.S., Germany and South Korea, gave the green light to Arafura Rare Earths' Nolans rare earth mine and processing complex in Australia's Northern Territory.

Other Global Gallium Construction

Only a handful of other gallium-focused projects are under construction. These include:

• Metlen Energy & Metals' gallium production line addition at the Viotia alumina refinery in central Greece. A pilot-scale gallium line is operating at the plant, producing kilogram-scale qualification-scale batches in preparation for full production of around 50 metric tons of gallium per year, which is expected to be achieved in 2028.
• Another gallium line in South Korea from Korea Zinc Company Limited that broke ground a few months ago and is expected to yield 15.5 tons of gallium annually when completed in 2028.

Future Gallium Construction

With governments throughout the world aiming to secure a steady supply of critical minerals, particularly outside the domain of China, the approval of construction projects for key minerals such as gallium are often fast-tracked and, as can be seen with Alcoa's latest approval, which is backed by domestic and international governments.

Excluding Alcoa's Wagerup project, Industrial Info Resources data show more than US$1 billion worth of gallium projects in the planning and engineering phases. The U.S. leads in regard to the investment in these projects, largely due to a single project from Atlantic Alumina Company, which is considering both expanding its alumina production as well as adding a 50-ton-per-year gallium production line to its alumina refinery in Gramercy, Louisiana. Other U.S. gallium construction projects are planned in New York and Ohio.

Key Takeaways

• Alcoa will proceed with construction of a gallium refinery at its Wagerup alumina refinery in Western Australia.
• The plant eventually could produce up to 100 tons per year of gallium.
• Other gallium lines are under construction in Greece and South Korea.

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About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).