Sojitz and ITOCHU Invests for Alumina Expansion in Worsley

Sojitz Corporation and ITOCHU Corporation, both of which are Japanese major trading houses, announced on Thursday the firms decided capital expenditure for output expansion at Worsley Alumina Joint Venture in Western Australia, co-operated with BHP Billiton of Australia. The alumina production will be expanded to 4.6 million tonnes per year from current 3.5 million tonnes. The total capex for the expansion is approximately 178 billion yen. Sojitz invests 16 billion yen while ITOCHU 8.9 billion yen. The construction will complete during April-June 2011.

Another capex at about 42 billion yen is planned for output expansion of a bauxite mine owned by Worsley Alumina JV. With this capex, a new mining site will be developed and the transporting capacity be reinforced. The capex totals to 220 billion yen including both alumina and bauxite expansions, 19.8 billion yen invested by Sojitz and 11 billion yen by ITOCHU.

Worsley Alumina JV started operation in 1984. The JV mines bauxite and refines ores into alumina in Worsley province, 150 kilometers southeast from Perth. The JV is controlled by BHP Billiton with 86% shares, Sojitz with 9% shares and ITOCHU with 5% shares.

After the output expansion, Sojitz will gain alumina at 414,000 tonnes per annum from Worsley while ITOCHU will take 230,000 tonnes per annum.