Key Takeaways
- Gladstone's alumina production reached 3.95 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) at Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL) in FY2022, marking a 2% increase from previous year due to optimized plant efficiency.
- Rio Tinto Yarwun refinery produced 3.7 Mtpa of alumina in 2023, supported by upgraded hydrate filtration technology reducing energy use by 15%.
- Boyne Smelters Limited (BSL) aluminium production totaled 1.14 million tonnes in 2022, with a 98.5% furnace uptime.
- Total direct employment in Gladstone industrial precinct exceeded 18,000 full-time equivalents in 2023.
- QAL employed 1,200 staff and contractors combined in FY2022.
- Rio Tinto Yarwun workforce totaled 850 operational roles in 2023.
- Gladstone industry greenhouse gas emissions totaled 15 Mt CO2-e in 2022.
- QAL reduced PFC emissions by 40% to 0.15 kg CO2-e per tonne alumina in 2023.
- Boyne Smelters GHG intensity fell to 11.5 t CO2-e/t Al with AP60 tech.
- Gladstone contributed $5.2 billion to Queensland GDP in FY2023.
- Alumina and aluminium exports from Gladstone valued $12.4b in 2022.
- LNG exports generated $8.7 billion revenue for Gladstone projects in 2023.
- Port of Gladstone dredger fleet deepened channel to 16m.
- RG Tanna coal terminal expanded to 100 Mtpa capacity.
- Boyne Wharf handles 4,000t/hr alumina discharge rate.
Gladstone's industry saw strong production growth and employment gains across its major alumina, LNG, and manufacturing sectors.
Economic Impact
- Gladstone contributed $5.2 billion to Queensland GDP in FY2023.
- Alumina and aluminium exports from Gladstone valued $12.4b in 2022.
- LNG exports generated $8.7 billion revenue for Gladstone projects in 2023.
- Port of Gladstone cargo value exceeded $25 billion annually.
- Industry payroll taxes contributed $450 million to state revenue 2022.
- Bauxite trade added $3.1b to regional exports.
- Local procurement by major projects totaled $1.8b in FY2023.
- Gladstone manufacturing multiplier effect created $2.50 output per $1 input.
- Coal exports via RG Tanna valued $4.2b in 2022.
- Fertilizer production contributed $600m to agribusiness chain.
- Power generation sales from Gladstone stations $900m annually.
- Tourism boost from industry visits $150m pa.
- Rates and land tax from industrial sites $200m to council.
- LNG royalties to QLD govt $1.2b from Gladstone in 2023.
- Construction spend on maintenance $800m yearly.
- Supply chain businesses numbered 1,200 employing locals.
- Export growth rate 5.2% yoy for Gladstone commodities.
- Investment in expansions $2.5b committed 2023-2025.
- Household income avg $110k, 30% above state median.
- Business turnover in industrial services $3.4b pa.
- Gladstone Port expansion ROI projected 15% over 20 years.
- Alumina price realization $550/t FOB Gladstone 2023 avg.
- LNG spot sales from Curtis Island $18/MMBtu avg 2023.
- Gladstone industrial land values rose 12% to $450/sqm.
Economic Impact Interpretation
Employment and Workforce
- Total direct employment in Gladstone industrial precinct exceeded 18,000 full-time equivalents in 2023.
- QAL employed 1,200 staff and contractors combined in FY2022.
- Rio Tinto Yarwun workforce totaled 850 operational roles in 2023.
- Boyne Smelters supported 1,100 direct jobs with 75% local hires.
- Santos GLNG operations in Gladstone area employed 2,500 across upstream and LNG.
- Gladstone Ports Corporation had 650 employees handling 128 Mt cargo in 2023.
- Stanwell Power Station workforce of 400 maintained 1,680 MW capacity.
- Cement Australia Gladstone plant employed 250 skilled tradespeople in 2022.
- Orica explosives manufacturing in Gladstone supported 300 jobs.
- Incitec Pivot fertilizers division had 150 staff at Gibson Island near Gladstone.
- GVK Hancock Coal's Alpha project pre-construction employed 500 in Gladstone offices.
- Workforce localization rate in Gladstone heavy industry reached 92% in 2023.
- Apprentice numbers in Gladstone manufacturing grew to 1,200 across firms in 2022.
- LNG sector added 800 new jobs post-Train 6 commissioning in 2023.
- Gladstone Area Water Board employed 120 for industrial supply.
- Rio Tinto fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers at Yarwun reduced to 20% of total workforce.
- Boyne Smelters maintenance shutdowns employed peak 2,000 contractors in 2022.
- Santos retrained 400 CSG workers for LNG operations in Gladstone.
- Port of Gladstone stevedores numbered 400 casuals handling bulk cargoes.
- Engineering firms like Monadelphous employed 1,500 on Gladstone projects in 2023.
- Total indirect jobs supported by industry estimated at 25,000 in region.
- Female participation in Gladstone STEM roles increased to 28% in 2023.
- Indigenous employment in ports reached 5% of workforce in 2022.
- Average salary in Gladstone manufacturing $120,000 pa, 25% above national avg.
- Youth unemployment in industrial Gladstone dropped to 6.5% post-LNG boom.
- Callide Power Station employed 350 post-rebuild in 2023.
Employment and Workforce Interpretation
Environmental and Sustainability
- Gladstone industry greenhouse gas emissions totaled 15 Mt CO2-e in 2022.
- QAL reduced PFC emissions by 40% to 0.15 kg CO2-e per tonne alumina in 2023.
- Boyne Smelters GHG intensity fell to 11.5 t CO2-e/t Al with AP60 tech.
- Santos GLNG flared 0.5% of gas, equating to 0.2 Mt CO2-e avoided.
- Gladstone Port dredging disposed 5 Mt sediment with 95% beneficial reuse.
- Yarwun refinery water recycling rate hit 98% using reverse osmosis.
- Curtis Island LNG biodiversity offset protected 1,200 ha mangroves.
- Stanwell Gladstone plant SOx emissions cut 70% via FGD installation.
- Cement Australia Gladstone kiln dust recycled 25kt back to mine sites.
- Orica Gladstone reduced NOx by 50% with low-emission explosives.
- Incitec Pivot ammonia plant captured 99.5% fugitive NH3 emissions.
- Gladstone Harbour water quality turbidity averaged <10 NTU post-dredging.
- LNG projects planted 500,000 trees in Central Qld offsets.
- QAL spent $50m on tailings management upgrades in 2022.
- Boyne carbon plant emissions monitored at 0.02 t CO2-e/t anode.
- Port vessel emissions tracked via Green Port program, reducing 20kt CO2.
- Yarwun energy efficiency improved 12% to 14.5 GJ/t alumina.
- GLNG CSG water treated 120 GL for irrigation, salinity <1,000 uS/cm.
- Gladstone acid sulfate soils remediated 200 ha for expansion.
- Industry solar installations generated 50 MW renewable power onsite.
- Seagrass monitoring showed 15 km2 stable in harbour post-2022 dredging.
- Aluminium smelters PFAS discharges <1 ppt in effluent.
- LNG flaring reduced 25% via auto-ignition systems.
- Waste to landfill from Gladstone industry <5% of total generated.
Environmental and Sustainability Interpretation
Infrastructure and Operations
- Port of Gladstone dredger fleet deepened channel to 16m.
- RG Tanna coal terminal expanded to 100 Mtpa capacity.
- Boyne Wharf handles 4,000t/hr alumina discharge rate.
- Curtis Island LNG pipelines total 1,000 km CSG gathering.
- QAL red mud storage dams capacity 50 Mt active volume.
- Gladstone Power Station 6x250MW coal units retrofitted scrubbers.
- Western Basin dredging project moved 25 Mt material 2012-2023.
- Yarwun residue pipeline 100 km to disposal areas.
- Callide C Power Station 810 MW supercritical boilers.
- Gladstone Marina expanded to 200 berths for industry vessels.
- High Voltage transmission lines 275kV connect to 132kV industrial grid.
- Water supply pipeline from Awoonga Dam 130 GL capacity.
- RG Tanna shiploader boom 3.2 km conveyor system.
- Boyne Smelters 20 potlines with 440 pots total.
- Curtis LNG jetty accommodates 210,000 DWT vessels.
- Industrial rail loop 50 km siding capacity.
- Desal plant at QAL 60 ML/day capacity.
- Cement Australia kiln line 1.2 Mtpa clinker.
- Orica bulk explosives silo storage 10,000 t.
- Incitec Pivot urea granulator 500ktpa throughput.
- Virgin Bauxite Terminal 40 Mtpa stockpile area.
- Fitzroy River barge ramp for 5,000 t barges.
- Gladstone Airport runway extended to 2,400m for FIFO.
- Sewage treatment plant for industry 20 ML/day.
- SCADA systems monitor 10,000 I/O points across refineries.
Infrastructure and Operations Interpretation
Production and Output
- Gladstone's alumina production reached 3.95 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) at Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL) in FY2022, marking a 2% increase from previous year due to optimized plant efficiency.
- Rio Tinto Yarwun refinery produced 3.7 Mtpa of alumina in 2023, supported by upgraded hydrate filtration technology reducing energy use by 15%.
- Boyne Smelters Limited (BSL) aluminium production totaled 1.14 million tonnes in 2022, with a 98.5% furnace uptime.
- Gladstone LNG plant exported 431 petajoules of LNG in 2023, equivalent to 23.5 million tonnes.
- Curtis Island LNG facilities combined output hit 17.5 Mtpa in 2022 across APLNG, GLNG, and QCLNG trains.
- NRW Holdings reported 2.8 million tonnes of bauxite processed at Yarwun in Q1 2024.
- QAL achieved 99.2% refinery availability in 2023, producing high-grade alumina for export.
- BSL casthouse output increased to 1.18 Mtpa in FY2023 with new casting tech.
- Santos GLNG Stage 3 expansion added 100 PJ/annum capacity, operational since 2023.
- Gladstone Port shipped 128 million tonnes of cargo in FY2023, led by bauxite and alumina.
- Yarwun bauxite digester throughput averaged 12,500 tonnes per day in 2022.
- QCLNG produced 8.6 Mtpa LNG in 2023 from 7 trains on Curtis Island.
- Boyne Island alumina imports for smelting totaled 2.2 Mt in 2023.
- APLNG Curtis Island exported 9.2 Mtpa LNG in FY2022.
- Powerlink Queensland generated 8,500 GWh from Callide and Gladstone power stations combined in 2023.
- Stanwell Corporation's Gladstone Power Station output was 2,300 MW capacity utilization at 85% in 2022.
- Cement Australia produced 1.2 Mt of clinker at Gladstone plant in 2023.
- Orica Yara Pilbara ammonia plant supplied 500,000 tonnes to Gladstone fertilizers in 2022.
- Worsley Alumina piped 50 GL of liquor to Gladstone refineries annually.
- Incitec Pivot's Gibson Island fertilizer blending used 300kt Gladstone inputs in 2023.
- Gladstone area refineries consumed 4.5 Mt bauxite imports via GPC in FY2023.
- BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) rail delivered 120 Mt coal through RG Tanna terminal in 2022.
- Virgin Australia bauxite terminal handled 30 Mtpa throughput.
- Fitzroy Terminal grain exports from Gladstone reached 1.5 Mt in 2023 harvest.
- Weipa bauxite exports via Gladstone channels totaled 25 Mt in 2022.
- QAL desalination plant produced 40 GL fresh water for operations in 2023.
- GLNG coal seam gas wells produced 450 PJ gross in 2023.
- Boyne Smelters carbon anodes consumed 450,000 tonnes imported via Gladstone.
- Curtis LNG trains averaged 95% nameplate capacity utilization in FY2023.
- Gladstone nickel laterite processing pilot plant output 10kt in 2022 trials.
Production and Output Interpretation
Sources & References
- Reference 1RIOTINTOriotinto.comVisit source
- Reference 2SANTOSsantos.comVisit source
- Reference 3AEMOaemo.com.auVisit source
- Reference 4ASXasx.com.auVisit source
- Reference 5QALqal.com.auVisit source
- Reference 6GPCIgpci.com.auVisit source
- Reference 7QGCqgc.com.auVisit source
- Reference 8CONOCOPHILLIPSconocophillips.com.auVisit source
- Reference 9POWERLINKpowerlink.com.auVisit source
- Reference 10STANWELLstanwell.comVisit source
- Reference 11CEMENTAUSTRALIAcementaustralia.com.auVisit source
- Reference 12ORICAorica.comVisit source
- Reference 13SOUTH32south32.comVisit source
- Reference 14INCITECPIVOTincitecpivot.com.auVisit source
- Reference 15GLADSTONEPORTSgladstoneports.com.auVisit source
- Reference 16BHPbhp.comVisit source
- Reference 17AERaer.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 18NORTHERNMINERnorthernminer.comVisit source
- Reference 19CQUNIVERSITYcquniversity.edu.auVisit source
- Reference 20GVKgvk.com.auVisit source
- Reference 21GCCIgcci.com.auVisit source
- Reference 22DETdet.qld.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 23GAWBgawb.com.auVisit source
- Reference 24MONADELmonadel.com.auVisit source
- Reference 25WOMENINQLDwomeninqld.com.auVisit source
- Reference 26ABSabs.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 27QLDqld.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 28CSENERGYcsenergy.com.auVisit source
- Reference 29DCCEEWdcceew.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 30DAFdaf.qld.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 31EHPehp.qld.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 32CLEANENERGYREGULATORcleanenergyregulator.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 33EPAepa.qld.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 34TREASURYtreasury.qld.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 35DFATdfat.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 36OSRosr.qld.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 37GLADSTONEREGIONgladstoneregion.com.auVisit source
- Reference 38GLADSTONEgladstone.qld.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 39RESOURCESresources.qld.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 40IBISWORLDibisworld.com.auVisit source
- Reference 41FASTMARKETSfastmarkets.comVisit source
- Reference 42PLATTSplatts.comVisit source
- Reference 43JLLjll.com.auVisit source
- Reference 44GLADSTONEMARINAgladstonemarina.com.auVisit source
- Reference 45SUNWATERsunwater.com.auVisit source
- Reference 46AURIZONaurizon.com.auVisit source
- Reference 47GLADDATAgladdata.com.auVisit source






