The Queensland Government has announced plans to invest in Alpha HPA to support sapphire glass production.
The investment, made through the Queensland Investment Corporation-managed (QIC) $100 million Queensland Critical Minerals and Battery Technology Fund, will hasten the delivery of two purpose-built furnaces used to ‘produce’ sapphire glass at Alpha HPA.
“The Queensland Critical Minerals and Battery Technology Fund’s first investment in Alpha HPA is a logical value-add complementing the existing alumina project,” QIC CEO Kylie Rampa said.
“A looming shortage of natural sapphire glass in the market and growing demand for more energy conscious manufacturing processes makes this an attractive opportunity to enter a fast-growing market with all the competitive advantages Queensland has to offer,” Rampa added.
The units will allow Alpha HPA to produce over four tonnes of sapphire glass annually from High Purity Alumina (HPA).
Sapphire glass’s exceptional resilience makes it perfect for usage in micro-LEDs and smartphone screens, making it a popular commodity for many manufacturers worldwide.
“By improving the viability of the HPA Project, our investment will support the local High Purity Alumina industry and downstream uses like the semiconductor, lithium-ion battery, and LED lighting sectors,” Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing Glenn Butcher said.
According to the State Government, local sapphire glass production will enable Queensland to capture considerable value in the advanced materials supply chain and open up new export options.
Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick said with the assistance of the State Government’s Industry Partner Program, Alpha HPA is already manufacturing high purity alumina. With this investment from QIC, Treasurer Dick noted that Alpha HPA will be able to improve the value of its completed product by 1000%.
“That means more highly-skilled advanced manufacturing jobs in here in Gladstone that would otherwise be lost overseas, he stated.
“Now, this industrial powerhouse can become a hub for world-leading advanced manufacturing thanks to Queensland’s leadership in the development of critical minerals,” he added.
“Through this $100 million Fund and our $245 million Queensland Critical Minerals Strategy, we can turn Queensland’s mineral wealth into new jobs in new industries, especially in regional Queensland.”
Alpha HPA Managing Director Rimas Kairaitis commented, “Alpha HPA is delighted to have reached agreement with QIC on funding for Alpha Sapphire and for the broader support from QIC and the Queensland Government to support private sector investment to add value via downstream processing of Queensland’s materials.”
