South West silicon producer Simcoa has obtained government approval to double production capacity at their Kemerton facility near Bunbury.
The project involves the construction of two new furnaces with completion scheduled for 2013, with the first stage announced on April 6 by the Minister for Regional Development Mr Brendan Grylls.
The price tag for the first of the new smelters is $120 million and is expected to provide 150 jobs during construction and 40 permanent jobs when in operation.
Simcoa has the distinction of being Australia’s only silicon producer, exporting 85 percent of their 32000 tonne annual production. This is expected to rise by 50 percent with the commissioning of the new smelter.