Australia’s largest smelter consults workers over potential closure

“Unfortunately, all market quotes received so far suggest that future energy prices are not commercially viable, and there is significant uncertainty about when renewable projects will be available at the scale we need.”

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Tomago Aluminium, Australia’s largest aluminum smelter, produces up to 590,000 tonnes a year of the metal, which is widely used in the production of building materials, cars, drinks cans, foil packaging and electrical products. Aluminum is also increasingly in demand in the construction of solar panels and wind turbines.

If a taxpayer-funded support deal for Tomago is reached, it would mark the fourth time this year that the Albanian government has intervened to support a struggling metal processor after contributing to the rescue of Tomago. Glencore’s Queensland copper smelter and the refinery collapsed earlier this month, Nyrstar’s smelters in Port Pirie and Hobart collapsed in August and the Whyalla steelworks collapsed in February.

Dozol said no decisions have been made about Tomago’s future and that the company remains focused on operating safely and providing employees with “certainty as quickly as possible.”