Rio Tinto closes NZ aluminium smelters

Major Rio Tinto on Thursday announced that it would wind down operations and eventually close the New Zealand aluminium smelters (NZAS), following the conclusion of a strategic review.


The company in October last year announced a review into the future of the smelter, to determine the operation’s ongoing viability and competitive position, and in April this year closed one of the four potlines at the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter as part of measures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.