Alpha HPA says it is making good progress on a precursor plant being built in Gladstone ahead of its $308 million HPA First Project.

The company has expanded capacity of the plant by about 75 per cent, scaling it up from 200tpa Al-Nitrate precursor to 350tpa.

It said it had also scaled up infrastructure that would be used by the Precursor Production Facility (PPF). and the future Stage 2 high purity alumina facility.

This included grid power connections, water connections, septic facilities, firewater infrastructure and fibre optics data connection..

It has also boosted the capital expense budget for the Precursor Production Facility (PPF) by $7.9 million.

About half of the main building slab for the PPF has been poured, with the first full slab on track for completion early next month.

Related: Alpha HPA seals land deal for Gladstone plants

Apha has taken delivery of the structural and sheeting steel for the PPF building and said erection would follow once the main slab was complete.

All contracts for mechanical fabrication and process equipment have been awarded and delivery has started to a staging shed in Gladstone.

Alpha HPA said it was still to award contracts for structural, mechanical and piping installation, and for electrical, instrumentation and control.