A Chinese aluminium company and an Australian university signed
an agreement Saturday to set up an international light alloy
research center.
The research center to be set up by Aluminium Corporation of
China Ltd, also known as Chalco, and Monash University of
Australia, will focus on design, processing, performance analysis,
promotion and application of light alloys as well as talent
training.
The establishment will provide strong technology and research
support for Chalco and other Chinese companies who plan to have
long-term investment in Australia, sources from the company
said.
Chalco, China's largest aluminum maker, won the bid for
Australia's Aurukun bauxite project in March this year after edging
out BHP Billiton, Xstrata, Comalco Aluminium, and Alcoa and
Alcan.
The project, with a construction cost of 3 billion Australian
dollars (about US$2.41 billion), is designed to extract 7.5 million
tons of bauxite and refine 2.1 million tons alumina annually.
Chalco is listed in New York Stock Exchange, Hong Kong Stock
Exchange and Shanghai Stock Exchange. Its market value exceeds
US$80 billion.
(Xinhua News Agency September 30, 2007)
