The location is the site of an aluminium smelter, owned by rio tinto and the sumitono group as the new zealand aluminium smelters ltd. Cumberland walks through tiwai point aluminium smelter. A deal has been signed that allows aluminium production to continue at bluffs tiwai point smelter, meaning a huge sigh of relief for. New zealands aluminium smelter nzas is new zealands only aluminium smelter and is located on tiwai peninsula, across the harbour from bluff in southland. Fire threatens power to tiwai point aluminium smelter. It is known for the tiwai point aluminium smelter, one of the largest industrial facilities in new. Jan 24, 2018 the efforts to contain a fire near bluff, southland which burnt conservation wetlands and threatened power lines and operations at the aluminium smelter at tiwai point. The facility, new zealands only aluminium smelter, is at tiwai point, near bluff. Tiwai point smelter to close line otago daily times online news.
Tiwai smelter deadline delayed by a month newscomau. However, the firm warns that, should relief for its rising power costs not be forthcoming, the financial numbers in coming years may be printed with red ink. Tiwai point aluminium smelter report wood mackenzie. Primary production is the process by which alumina is smelted to pure aluminum metal. 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 smelter s electricity contract. It was great to be back visiting the guys at tiwai after spending eight months in. Economics of tiwai point smelter still going backwards. The smelter is located on tiwai peninsula in southland and the majority of the plants alumina is supplied from our yarwun operation and queensland. Tiwai point and the governments role in transition tvhe. In 1977 he was appointed project archaeologist on the clutha power project, a position he held for 10 years until the completion of the project in 1987.
The fire at tiwai peninsula near bluff burned through the night after it began just after 7pm. Southland is has many special places for visitors to explore. Rio tintos tiwai point aluminium smelter should it stay. 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. Mar 29, 20 rio tinto the ultimate owner of the tiwai point aluminium smelter is no stranger to playing hardball with governments when it comes to securing energy contracts. Southland new zealand activity highlights, things to do in. With this harsh reality in mind, this article considers the.
Negotiations on electricity supply to the tiwai point aluminium smelter have reached a stalemate but not all hope is lost, business editor dene mackenzie finds. Tiwai smelter deal signed between meridian energy and nzas. Neville ritchie, a university of otago graduate, has been involved in archaeology since 1968 when he took part in salvage excavations on the site of the future tiwai point aluminium smelter. Details the latest negotiations between rio tinto, meridian energy and the government to enable the tiwai pt. Aluminium smelting requires a large and very reliable power source to continually supply electricity to reduction cells, and tiwai points proximity to the then. Despite rising costs and their impact upon the firms bottom line, new zealand aluminium smelter limited nzas still turned a profit in 2016. The government yesterday said it had opened discussions with the angloaustralian resource giant in a bid to broker a deal after talks between the smelter and meridian energy broke. Examimes the prospect of the aluminium smelter closing down and its consequences to nz. The tiwai point aluminium smelter is to shut down one of its lines this week in response to the covid19 crisis. The smelter, located at tiwai point on the southern coast of the south island. The plants owner, rio tinto, has been looking to sell tiwai point and other smelters for the best part of a decade but never found a buyer. Jul 27, 2018 the tiwai point aluminium smelter has employed most if its 90 extra staff and is now training them, bringing the total number of workers at the plant to 900, including contractors. With a thousand staff and contractors working onsite and another 0 jobs directly linked to the smelter. The tiwai point aluminium smelter is an aluminium smelter owned by rio tinto group.
Fire threatens power to tiwai point aluminium smelter nz herald. It imports alumina and processes it into primary aluminium. Tiwai point is new zealands only aluminium smelter. The eventual closure of the tiwai point aluminium smelter is an. Concern lingers for tiwai point aluminium smelters future. For a new history of bluff see this ngai tahu page precis of dr michael stevens book, between local and global. Join our team home, new zealands aluminium smelter, tiwai. In the 1960s, tiwai point was chosen as the location for an aluminium smelter for a number of reasons. A great attraction is the bluff maritime museum that contains an extensive collection of artefacts and displays relating to the maritime history of the town. Mining giant rio tinto has walked away from talks with the government over the future of tiwai point aluminium smelter, prime minister john key has confirmed this morning. Tiwai point aluminium smelter near bluff is one of the few big manufacturing. Tiwai point uncertainty stalls nz renewables 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. Newshub the woman says she wasnt told she had to book online to get the.
Outlines the history of the tiwai point aluminium 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 proposed manapouri power station made it an attractive location. New zealand aluminium smelter limited nzas is a joint venture operation owned by pacific. Rio tintos announcement three weeks ago that the future of the tiwai point aluminium smelter is in doubt has elicited two responses from the public one cynical, the other downright cheerful. Writedown of tiwai point aluminium smelter australian mining. The topic commences in 1904, with the first consideration of the hydroelectric potential of lakes manapouri and te anau, and concludes in 1969 with the signing of the industry agreement which confirmed the construction of an aluminium smelter at tiwai point, bluff. Learn how and when to remove this template message. Sep 11, 2012 the chart makes it very clear that the tiwai point smelter is, by a huge margin, the biggest single consumer of electricity in new zealand.
Starting at boyne island, heading south through benaraby, miriam vale and gin gin. The smelter, located at tiwai point on the southern coast of the south island, was opened in 1971 after a joint venture construction 50% comalco, 25% sumitomo chemical company and 25% showa denko kk. Opened in 1996, line 4 was built with a view to expansion at some point in the future, however in april 2012 with historically low aluminium prices and a looming increase in power prices, the very difficult decision was made to shut the potline down. The ardern government has a real headache, as global giant rio tinto threatens to close one of the countrys major manufacturing plants. It sits in the middle of bluff harbour, with bluff visible in the top left. Southland new zealand activity highlights and fun things to do. The port of bluff, famous for its oysters, is at the end or start of state highway 1, and is another of nzs oldest european settlements. 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. Tiwai point lies at the entrance to bluff harbour on the southern coast of the south island of new zealand. The tiwai point aluminium smelter will remain open, with meridian energy remaining its sole electricity supplier at an undisclosed but somewhat improved electricity price for about 30 percent of the smelter s total consumption. Comalco later purchased showa denkos share in april 1986.
Zealand aluminium smelters news newspapers books scholar jstor june 2015 learn how and when to remove this template message. May 25 businessdesk the economics of the tiwai point aluminium smelter continue to slide despite last weeks announcement that it will be the largest single beneficiary of proposed national. The smelters viability has been questioned for much of the past decade as it grappled with weak metal prices, power costs, and. Jul 01, 2015 tiwai smelter deadline delayed by a month. New zealands aluminium smelter in tiwai point to reopen. Tiwai point aluminium smelter electricity contract deadline. Commissioned in 1971 it is operated by new zealand smelters ltd nzas. The future of the smelter hangs in the balance as rio looks to sell many of its. Although the smelter is said to produce some of the worlds purest aluminium, the reality is that aluminium buyers arent prepared to pay enough of a premium for tiwais product to ensure the smelters longterm survival. The tiwai point aluminium smelter is an aluminium smelter owned by rio tinto group 79. Home, new zealands aluminium smelter, tiwai point, manapouri. Apr 02, 20 too much is at stake with the smelter to leave it to a stateappointed board. The tiwai point smelter produces high grade metal used in making cars and planes, which gives it some insulation against the swings in markets and demand. Another great activity to do in bluff is the tiwai point aluminium smelter tour that.
Secondary production is the process of recycling aluminum scrap into aluminum that can be used again. Under current market conditions and with high energy costs, we expect the short to medium outlook for the aluminium industry to be challenging and this. Tiwai point aluminium smelter nzas as seen from bluff hill. Tiwai point aluminium smelter uses per cent of new zealands power. Tiwai point aluminium smelter squarely in the black. 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. From bluff hill one can view the nearby tiwai point aluminium smelter tours available, the awarua wetlands and stewart island. The museum also features the fullsized oyster boat the monica and visitors can climb onboard. A detailed analysis of the tiwai point aluminium smelter. Shadbolt pushing power use debate the invercargill city council and venture southland will invest heavily to generate a public debate on electricity use in new zealand, if invercargill mayor tim shadbolt has his way. 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. The tiwai point aluminium smelter will get an extra month to sort out its electricity needs under a deal with provider meridian.
This is a list of primary aluminium smelters in the world. 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. New zealands aluminium smelter nzas converts alumina into aluminium using renewable hydroelectricity. About 90% of the 360ktpa aluminium produced is exported. Tiwai point aluminium smelter profitable in 2016 despite. Tiwai point, bluff, invercargill city, southland region, new zealand. Tiwai points owners have history of playing hardball otago. There have been a lot of controversial pit stops in the smelters 50 year history, with closures and job losses threatened many times.
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