New zealands aluminium smelter nzas is new zealands only aluminium smelter and is located on tiwai peninsula, across the harbour from bluff in southland. Taxpayer support for new zealand aluminium smelter not an option. Tiwai point aluminium smelter, bluff bonisch consultants. In 2011, press metal started the development of its phase 2 aluminium smelter in samalaju industrial park, bintulu, sarawak. Kare willoch, minister of commerce and shipping, had discussions with mr. Our professional services have been called on several times over the long history of the tiwai point facility, during the initial construction and again when regular upgrades or extensions were required. Examimes the prospect of the aluminium smelter closing down and its consequences to nz. Construction of abbs rectiformer station are now in full swing. World aluminium primary aluminium smelting energy intensity. Smelting needs a lot of power it uses electricity equivalent to 776,000 households, or per cent of all the power used in new zealand. A rio tinto closure team will arrive at the tiwai point aluminium smelter near bluff next week to assess what needs to be done if a decision is made to close the site. This thesis focuses on one of the most prominent groups, the save aramoana campaign sac, founded in 1974. Purchased by north american lead recycler gopher resource, the tampa plant remained in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week during its massive upgrade. Tony abbott has said the closure of alcoas port henry aluminium smelter was a result of the carbon tax doing its job, despite the company having explicitly stated the carbon tax was.
Tiwai point aluminium smelter squarely in the black. Tiwai point smelter looks safe, despite global glut. Details the latest negotiations between rio tinto, meridian energy and the government to enable the tiwai pt. Each of the five rectiformer units can deliver 103 ka at 1,650 vdc in an ambient temperature. A detailed analysis of the tiwai point aluminium smelter. Alcan aluminium had begun to develop integrated units within each country of operations. Alcoa announces closure of point henry aluminium smelter. Aluminium is extracted from bauxite, an ore that usually contains around. Nfc and kazakhstan aluminum smelter jointstock company kas signed the epc contract of phase i project of 250kta aluminum smelter in october 2005. Tiwai smelter deal signed between meridian energy and nzas. There have been a lot of controversial pit stops in the smelters 50 year history, with closures and job losses threatened many times. Two proposals were put forth between 1974 and 1983 to build an aluminium smelter at aramoana, near dunedin. It is known for the tiwai point aluminium smelter, one of the largest industrial facilities in new zealand. In 2006, the smelter produced 350,000 tonnes of aluminium.
The smelter ceased operation on 1 august 2014 and the rolling mill closed on 19 december 2014. Our history and background the railway came to fort william in 1890 and as in all other places around the world it attracted people. New zealands aluminium smelter in tiwai point to reopen. Decision on rio tintos tiwai point smelter and 800 jobs. History has always been patterned by commodities, from the early iron or bronze. Alcan aluminium limited history 1902 2000 republic. New zealands aluminium smelter nzas converts alumina into aluminium using renewable hydroelectricity, resulting in one of the lowest carbon footprints for an aluminium smelter in the world. Century aluminum cos plans to restart production at its smelter in hawesville, in the us state of kentucky, are now official thanks to us president donald trump signing the order to levy a 10% tariff on the countrys aluminium imports last week. Alcan aluminium s shift toward finished products continued. The largely gencorowned 41% 466,000 tonnes per year smelter has, along with an upgrade of alusafs smaller bayside smelter also located near richards bay, close to doubled africas aluminium output to over 1. Sohar aluminium the worlds longest smelter potline.
Outlines the history of the tiwai point aluminium smelter. Tiwai point aluminium smelter report wood mackenzie. The two soes were looking for an experienced global company as a strategic partner in the project, antam announced in october 2015, with potential partners including, amongst others. In the 1960s, tiwai point was chosen as the location for an aluminium smelter for a number of reasons. Tiwai point is new zealands only aluminium smelter. New zealand aluminium smelter limited nzas is a joint venture operation owned by pacific.
Alcoa has announced that it will shut its point henry aluminium smelter and two rolling mills, costing a total of 980 jobs. Tiwai point aluminium smelter concerned of linwood. Liberty british aluminium are the owners of the aluminium smelter and hydro generating stations at fort william and kinlochleven. Conzinc built the smelter, at tiwai point near bluff, which opened in 1971. Tiwai point smelter closure could affect south island hydro plants genesis 8 nov 2019 the national power grid would need costly investment if tiwai point aluminium smelter closes, but it could reduce new zealands reliance on fossil fuels, a report suggests. Simon johnson argues that rio tinto alcan nz nz aluminium smelters ltd, the owner of the tiwai point aluminium smelter is godfathering the smelter, its workforce, the southland economy, the nz electricity market, meridan energy and the poor critically endangered slowbreeding kakapo, as well as godfathering the nz emissions trading scheme to get excessive free allocations of.
Malaysias press metal reopens mukah aluminium smelter. General manager carlos mesquita yesterday said a feasibility study on the expansion had been completed and bhp billiton was in talks with the authorities on how and when. About 90% of the 360ktpa aluminium produced is exported. Ancient origins articles related to smelters in the sections of history, archaeology, human origins, unexplained, artifacts, ancient places and myths and legends. Simon johnson looks at how new zealand aluminium smelter limited is behind the meridiangenesis deal keeping the huntly thermal power station burning coal as the threat of closing the tiwai point smelter is stalling the construction of consented renewable energy projects my last post at hot topic was about energy companies meridian and genesis doing a deal to keep the huntly thermal. The smelter, located at tiwai point on the southern coast of the south island.
Zealand aluminium smelters news newspapers books scholar jstor june 2015 learn how and when to remove this template message. Improved metal prices and a fixed power contract have meant a previously closed potline at the tiwai point aluminium smelter will reopen, resulting in up to 32 new jobs. Walbridge managed construction of the threeyear modification and expansion of the 40yearold envirofocus facility, which was 65,000squarefoot battery smelter and recycling plant. Alcoa said the smelter, where 500 workers are employed, would cease. Since inventing the aluminium industry, and throughout our history, our. Future of tiwai point smelter up in the air rnz news. In 1971 alcan aluminium shipped more fabricated and semifabricated tonnage than ingot for the first time. After 51 years of operation, alcoa made the difficult decision to close its point henry operations. A spit which extends from the western end of the awarua plain, it lies between awarua bay to the north and foveaux strait to the south. Tiwai point lies at the entrance to bluff harbour on the southern coast of the south island of new zealand. They own 79% the tiwai point aluminium smelter at the bottom of nz. The tiwai point aluminium smelter is an aluminium smelter owned by rio tinto group. After more than 50 years as one of geelongs major employers alcoa will close its aluminium smelter this week.
Kilowatt hours kwh per tonne of aluminium ac africa 14,512. It employs nearly people directly, and indirectly 3000 people in the region are reliant on this one industry, the 20th largest smelter in the world. Writedown of tiwai point aluminium smelter australian mining. Wednesday is d day for the future of the tiwai point aluminium smelter near bluff when its owners decide whether they want to give meridian energy notice they want to terminate the smelters electricity contract. Nzas chief executive stew hamilton confirmed members of the rio tinto closure team would travel to tiwai next week and be at the smelter for four days. With a larger production capacity of 320,000 tonnes per annum, it employs the latest 400ka smelting technology. These discussions were undertaken in pursuance of the agreement reached at the recent meeting of the e. Century makes restart of hawesville aluminium smelter.
Meridian boss briefs investors six months after its partial listing by the government, meridian energy is confident of hitting prospectus targets, but its boss concedes the. Dj dineen was commissioned by kempe international to provide structural designs for an extension to the emal aluminium smelter project. In 1929 the british aluminium company ltd completed their major hydro construction programme of dams and pipework to carry millions of litres of water to their new aluminium smelters at fort william and kinlochleven. In 1942, an aluminium smelter was built in sundsvall, producing only,000 tonnes of aluminium per annum. A decision on the future of the tiwai point aluminium smelter at bluff has been delayed for a month.
The history of the manapouri project also reflects the globalisation of the technologies and operations of multinational electroindustrial enterprises in the twentieth century, for the huge hydroelectrical potential of the scheme made it ideally suited to the emerging world aluminium industry. The whole story of aluminium industry in dates, names and events. Home, new zealands aluminium smelter, tiwai point, manapouri. Anthony crosland, president of the british board of trade, in oslo this afternoon on the plans for the establishment of new aluminium smelter production in the united kingdom. Aluminium smelting requires a large and very reliable power source to continually supply electricity to reduction cells, and tiwai point s proximity to the then proposed manapouri power station made it an attractive location. Site name fort william, lochaber aluminium smelter. The plant will process bauxite into smelter grade alumina for inalums aluminium smelter, which is the only one in the country and slated for expansion. The smelter, which employs more than 3000 people in southland, had claimed its future was in doubt as it sought to cut the price of its electricity supplies through a contract with meridian. Diversified mining house bhp billiton is in talks with mozambican authorities about the expansion of its mozal aluminium smelter, with electricity availability seen as the main constraint.
Tiwai point consumes 15% of the countries electricity and gets a reduced rate for its power. It was run by new zealand aluminium smelters nzas, a joint venture between conzinc rio tinto and japanese firms sumitomo aluminium and showa denko. Wood mackenzies asset reports are built from the bottom up, incorporating a number of. The tiwai point aluminium smelter has posted an increased bottom line result, although underlying profits have fallen in the face of volatile prices and power costs. The future of the smelter hangs in the balance as rio looks to sell many of its. These proposals garnered widespread opposition from local residents, environmental protest groups and the wider new zealand public. Commissioned in 1971 it is operated by new zealand smelters ltd nzas. Our operation home, new zealands aluminium smelter. Closing the tiwai point aluminium smelter down entirely isnt the.
The future of the tiwai point aluminium smelter appears to have become a little more secure, with the rio tintocontrolled plant thought to be roughly breaking even, largely thanks to a lower new zealand dollar and the fact the price of alumina has fallen more than that of the finished product. The background to aluminium production in fort william and kinlochleven the railway came to fort william in 1890 and as in all other places around the world it attracted people. Construction of the aluminium smelter began in 1979, with full production. Alcoa has proudly been a part of the geelong community since 1963. A chequered african history of commodity markets, part one.
Rio tintos boyne aluminium smelter in gladstone is set to slash more than 100 jobs and about 80,000 tonnes of annual production worth us160 million at current prices because it has been. New zealands aluminium smelter nzas converts alumina into aluminium using renewable hydroelectricity. Kubikenborg aluminium kubal is one of the largest industrial facilities in central sweden and the only primary aluminium producer in the country. The simplest online tool for giving and receiving instant, anonymous feedback. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Rio tinto aluminium smelter to slash jobs as power prices bite. Alcoa aluminium smelter closure is the carbon tax doing. New zealand aluminium smelters nzas major shareholder, rio tinto, has announced the. On 16 th september 2007, the first domestic made aluminum ingot in kazakhstans history was produced in the smelter. Aluminium smelting requires a large and very reliable power source to continually supply electricity to reduction cells, and tiwai points proximity to the then. Being more energy efficient, the technology enables us with a higher production output at a lower energy. Do both rio tinto and the government want tiwai smelter.
Mozambiques mozal smelter expansion on course, but. Malaysian aluminium producer press metal berhads 120,000tpy mukah smelter has resumed commercial operations, the company announced. New smelter owners arrive in fort william for exciting. Press metal sarawak sdn bhd pms, a subsidiary of press metal berhad, had declared force majeure after it shut its primary aluminium production lines at the mukah plant in the state of sarawak on june. The tiwai point aluminium smelter is an aluminium smelter owned by rio tinto group 79. Learn how and when to remove this template message. In fact, the first and only guinean alumina plant was opened in fria by the. The smelter is located on tiwai peninsula in southland and the majority of the plants alumina is supplied from our yarwun operation and queensland. Sohar aluminium company sac in the sultanates of oman is the first aluminium smelter operating with 1,650 vdc and with 360 pots, it is the longest potline in the world. Classification aluminium works 20th century alternative names north british aluminium co. One by one the pot lines are being switched off, with the point. He said the point henry smelter was an efficient but old smelter, built in 1963, but was suffering from the high australian dollar and low aluminium prices.
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