The Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security, or JOGMEC, said Monday that it will take part in a joint study for gallium production in Australia in an effort to ensure a stable supply of the critical mineral used to make semiconductors.

JOGMEC, a Japanese independent administrative agency, aims to diversify sources of gallium in order to reduce the country’s reliance on imports from China.

The agency and Japanese trading house Sojitz Corp. have established a joint venture in Western Australia, Japan Australia Gallium Associates Pty. Ltd., which will conduct a joint study with Alcoa Corp. to explore the feasibility of producing gallium at an alumina refinery there owned by the U.S. company.

JAGA and Alcoa aim to complete the feasibility study by the end of fiscal 2025 and start gallium production in calendar 2026.

According to JOGMEC, Japan imported about 97 tons of gallium out of the 167 tons that the country consumed in 2021. Of the total imports, 57 pct, or 55 tons, was sourced from China. Japan’s gallium imports from China have been on the decline since Beijing tightened export controls on the mineral in 2023.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]