Our Refinery/Smelter Project is currently a Stage 2 development.
Stage 2 (Longer Term) - Alumina Refinery /Smelter Business Case
Analysis by BRL’s in‐house team in conjunction with leading external consultants experienced in this field are working through a scoping analysis and order of merit study to provide likely costing scenarios for BRL’s Stage 2 Alumina Refinery and possible longer term Smelter business case. This includes the preliminary scoping studies to address and evaluate such issues as available energy requirements (coal or gas), potential refinery sites, availability of existing infrastructure (rail and port) and assessment of opportunities to develop a refinery in conjunction with other energy providers.
Following a number of high level meetings with relevant stakeholders and authorities, potential refinery sites have been identified, a number of the ‘key issues’ to support a refinery identified and long lead-time items have been initiated. In this regard the South West of Western Australia is extremely well placed with ample supplies of the key ingredients necessary for alumina refining /smelting. These include silicon from the Kemerton Industrial Park, Bunbury, (currently being shipped overseas or interstate) low ash and low sulphur thermal coal located within the South West region of the State around Collie, thus raising the construction of an alumina refinery, and aluminum smelter as a potentially viable longer term business opportunity. The South West is also well serviced by the existing rail network, Bunbury Port and skilled labour force.
Further work addressing the requirements of a refinery continues, however, until the Direct Shipping Operation (DSO) is established or a joint venture partner is secured with suitable funding arrangements, the expenditure to progress the Stage 2 business case will be carefully managed.
Globally, energy requirements are a critical issue. For delivering a power solution to the proposed refinery (project) BRL will be implementing an Integrated Energy Plan (IEP). An IEP is a process that selects from a full array of demand and supply side options that combination of actions, risks and investments which:
- satisfies the energy needs,
- is achieved at optimal value of energy to the project.
In essence IEP provides the means by which a rational balance may be obtained between the employment of the actual and potential resources. This balance is struck primarily in terms of minimising the present value cost of energy used by the project, (but not until the risks and uncertainties involved have been carefully explored), as well as the potential environmental consequences.
For the project BRL plans to operate under the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. (http://www.asiapacificpartnership.org/)
The Asia-Pacific Partners include Australia and China and account for 52 percent of the world's aluminium production. Through the Partnership reductions in emissions are achieved by promoting best practice performance by deployment of best available and affordable technology.
Currently BRL has a working relationship with the CSIRO - Light Metals Flagship. CSIRO, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world. The Lights Metals Flagship(http://csiro.au/org/LightMetals.html/) brings together capabilities from CSIRO and the broader research community to work across the entire value chain from aluminium, titanium and magnesium production to manufactured products and components. CSIRO also operates under the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate.
Darling Range bauxite is:
- gibbsitic in nature,
- low in reactive silica (1‐3%),
- it requires lower energy in the refining process,
- is located in a politically secure and mature business location and
- is relatively close to the emerging markets of India and China.
Which combined adds significant weight to the feasibility of an alumina refinery.
The company continues to progress refinery business opportunities with prospective parties.