Bell Bay from the air

Bell Bay Aluminium

100%

Ownership

Aluminium

Product

186

Kt

Production

1955

Started

Northern Tasmania

Our Bell Bay Aluminium smelter began operating in 1955 and holds a unique place in Tasmanian and Australian history as the first aluminium smelter in the Southern Hemisphere.

Innovation at Bell Bay

We use leading technology at our smelter to find new ways to increase productivity and reduce our use of natural resources.

For example, we have been working with carbon baking technology to run our furnace at a lower intensity. Gas consumption has decreased by 30% in the furnace sections using this technology.

We have embraced smart technology and our 2 autonomously guided vehicles (AGVs) transport approximately 40,000 tonnes of aluminium a year from the cast house to the warehouse each day.

In 2024, Bell Bay was Provisionally Certified under Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Performance Standard V3, and is transitioning to compliance over the next year. Bell Bay is ASI Chain of Custody Certified. This means we support responsible production of aluminium. 

Aluminium, Bell Bay

Bell Bay communities

We have a long and proud history in Tasmania of supporting our community and are committed to building enduring relationships built on mutual respect, collaboration, and genuine partnership.

In 2017, we were a founding member of the Bell Bay Advanced Manufacturing Zone Ltd (BBAMZ), an industry based economic development group. BBAMZ’s strategic vision is to secure the economic prosperity of the region by working in partnership with industry, community and government on business diversification, investment attraction, skills, and workforce development. Since 2018, we have partnered with the George Town Council and the Australian Government to develop the George Town Mountain Bike Trails. By providing access to land owned by the smelter for a significant portion of the Mt George and the Tippogoree Hills trails network, we are supporting our local community and improving the liveability of the region while attracting more visitors to the George Town municipality.

Generations of Tasmanians have benefited from our apprenticeship program that combines quality training and mentorship in electrical and mechanical disciplines.

We also recruit, train and mentor top graduates from all over Australia. Our graduates are offered a variety of challenging work with opportunities to develop leadership and technical skills.

Partnering with the Tasmanian government

Partnering with the Tasmanian Government

Since 2022, we we’ve been working with the Tasmanian Government to jointly investigate how the smelter’s manufacturing capability and electricity demand can help support job creation, the development of new industries and more renewable energy supply in the region.

Community grants

Bell Bay’s annual community grants program offers financial support to organisations based in Tasmania that positively support the Tasmanian community in key social, environmental, and economic focus areas.

Preserving the environment

At Bell Bay, we collaborate with other organisations and businesses to find better ways to minimise our waste and repurpose the by-products of the smelting process.

For example, in partnership with Cement Australia in Northwest Tasmania, we transport 10,000 tonnes of Spent Cell Lining, a by-product of our process, in a purpose-built trailer. This by-product is used by Cement Australia as a fuel source for the kilns at their Railton operation.

Together with local schools in our community, we hold an annual tree-planting event. To date, more than 33,000 trees have been planted in the Launceston and Tamar Valley region in Tasmania. We donate the trees for the event which are grown by Sustainable Timber Tasmania and include oak, eucalypt, swamp paperbark and banksia trees. The initiative is an opportunity for students to learn about the importance of tree planting for the environment and their local community.

Bell Bay Aluminium downloads

Summary Environmental and Social Management Plan
PDF
1.27 MB
Community Feedback and Complaints process
PDF
1.43 MB
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Australia

Our operations in Australia

Contact Bell Bay Aluminium

Smelter address

Bell Bay Rd
Bell Bay TAS 7253
Australia

T: +61 3 6382 5111

Community feedback

T: 1800 005 171