South32 gets Australian nod for Worsley Mine development project

South32’s Worsley Alumina has received federal environmental approval for the Worsley Mine Development Project, the diversified miner said on Wednesday.

The approval, under Australia’s Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, is subject to conditions which, where applicable, are substantively consistent with the state environmental approval received in December, the group said in a statement.

Worsley Alumina is an integrated bauxite mining and alumina refining operation in the southwest of Western Australia. Beginning operations in 1984, it is recognised as one of the largest alumina refineries in the world.

The project will enable access to bauxite to sustain production at Worsley Alumina, with mining of bauxite areas located near the group’s existing operations expected to commence in the fourth quarter of the 2025 financial year.

South32 will now also commence the development of new mining areas. 

“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,” CEO Graham Kerr said.

“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,” he said.

“The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has awarded Worsley Alumina multiple certifications against its global standards for responsible production of alumina, a vital component in the production of aluminium which is a metal critical to the global energy transition,” he added.

MackenzieJ@arena.africa