Alpha HPA Advances Battery Metals Production and Expands to Canada
Alpha HPA, an Australian-based aluminium chemicals company, has begun production of battery metals precursor materials at its Stage 1 plant in Gladstone, Queensland. Construction of the company's Stage 2 commercial plant is also well underway, according to a recent investor update. Now, the company is planning to develop an additional high-purity aluminium (HPA) manufacturing facility in Alberta, Canada, adjacent to chemicals and explosives manufacturer Orica’s facility.
The decision to explore the Canadian expansion comes in response to strong market signals and ongoing customer engagement, indicating favorable timing for expanding the company's footprint in North America. Alpha HPA has started concept studies in collaboration with Orica to assess the potential project capacity for the new facility.
The Canadian facility would utilize Alpha HPA's proprietary, low-carbon solvent extraction and HPA refining technology. The plant is being developed in partnership with Orica, leveraging Alpha's expertise in low-carbon production methods. The planned Stage 2 facility in Gladstone, expected to cost \$550 million, will be capable of producing up to 10,000 tonnes of HPA equivalent annually, while the Stage 1 facility currently produces 500 kg per week of HPA with a purity greater than 99.995%.
In Gladstone, earthworks for Stage 2 are progressing on schedule, with retaining wall emplacement and site fill now complete. The project engineering team in Brisbane is focusing on completing key engineering requirements to allow for final civil design and site tendering packages.
Alpha HPA Managing Director Rimas Kairaitis emphasized the company’s commitment to advancing its business across multiple fronts. “The expanding interest from the semiconductor and direct lithium extraction (DLE) sectors is particularly encouraging. We are also very pleased to advance concept work on a potential second large-scale facility in Canada,” Kairaitis said.
The company has seen growing engagement from customers for product qualification, with increasing orders for test and sales. Recent marketing metrics include 170 test or sales orders received since the Stage 2 Final Investment Decision (FID) in May 2024, with over 3,000 kg of orders under manufacture.
The Canadian government recently passed the "Future Made in Australia (Production Tax Credits and Other Measures) Bill 2024," which supports local production and innovation in high-purity materials, aligning with Alpha HPA's goals.
