Alcoa to Permanently Close its West Australia Alumina Refinery

Alcoa Corp. said it will permanently shut its Kwinana alumina refinery in Western Australia, citing negative market conditions and falling ore grades from nearby mines.

The decision followed a move last year to curtail production as the top US aluminum producer looked to cut costs. Alcoa also identified the age of the facility, scale and operating costs as factors behind the latest push to permanently halt the refinery.