New Zealand's Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) is New Zealand's only aluminium smelter and is located on Tiwai Peninsula, across the harbour from Bluff in Southland.
NZAS is 79.36 per cent owned by Rio Tinto and 20.64 per cent owned by Japan's Sumitomo Chemical Company. NZAS is a tolling plant, producing primary aluminium in the form of ingot, billet and rolling block. The majority of the plant's alumina is supplied from the Yarwun and Queensland Alumina refineries at Gladstone in Queensland, Australia. Around 90 per cent of the aluminium produced at NZAS is exported.
In the 1960s, Tiwai Point was chosen as the location for an aluminium smelter for a number of reasons. 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. In addition, Tiwai Point was close to the deep sea port of Bluff and the well established infrastructure of the City of Invercargill. The smelter commenced operations in 1971.
NZAS contributes $406 million to the Southland economy (6.5 per cent of Southland's GDP) with export revenue of around $1 billion each year. Approximately 1,000 full time equivalent employees and contractors work at the smelter.
In January 2021 Rio Tinto secured an electricity arrangement to enable NZAS to continue operating until December 2024. This extension provides certainty to employees, the local community, and customers while providing more time for all stakeholders to plan for the future.
Physical Address:
Tiwai Road
Invercargill, New Zealand
Phone : +64 3 218 5999
Postal Address:
NZAS
Private Bag 90110
Invercargill 9840, New Zealand
Courier Address:
NZAS
C/O 3 Spey Street
Invercargill, New Zealand
Wellington Office:
Level 10, 342 Lambton Quay
PO Box 1665
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
Phone: +64 4 916 1496
694,000
$394 million
$600 million
Another six Southland community-based organisations have benefitted from $183,000 worth of donations from Rio Tinto, the majority owner of NZAS ... Read more
New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) is focusing initial stages of its remediation planning on specific areas of the smelter site following the results of an independent report by global services company GHD ... Read more
Rio Tinto has appointed Chris Blenkiron to the role of Chief Executive and General Manager of New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) ... Read more
Rio Tinto’s wholly-owned subsidiary Pacific Aluminium (New Zealand) Limited has reported financial results relating to its interest in New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Limited (NZAS), showing an underlying net loss of NZ$100 million for 2020 ... Read more
New Zealand's Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) had today released 25 years of reports that detail the extensive environmental monitoring conducted at Tiwai Point ... Read more
Stew Hamilton, Chief Executive and General Manager of New Zealand's Aluminium Smelter (NZAS), has accepted a new position with Mercury Energy and will leave the company in June ... Read more
New Zealand Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) has today updated the reported volume of SCL stored on site at Tiwai Point to 217,00 tonnes, up from the previously reported 181,000 tonnes of the material advised in March ... Read more
New Zealand Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) has today released a package of reports containing results of extensive environmental monitoring conducted at Tiwai Point and detailed plans for further monitoring that will be undertaken as part of the Closure Study ... Read more
NZAS will be brightening up the night sky for the next month as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, starting on the evening of Thursday 22 April 2021 ... Read more
Rio Tinto is helping to foster Koha Kai’s aim of encouraging a life of purpose for people living with disabilities by donating $90,000 to the organisation as part of its COVID-19 relief package ... Read more
New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) has confirmed it will move the remaining Ouvea Premix currently stored at the former paper mill in Mataura to Tiwai Point to be stored as it awaits processing and export ... Read more
Rio Tinto has reached an agreement on a new electricity agreement with Meridian Energy that allows New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) to continue operating the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter until December 31, 2024. ... Read more
While the threat of COVID-19 is currently under control in New Zealand, the consequences of lockdown are still being felt by many New Zealand families. These include reports of a significant rise in calls to police and support services regarding family harm. ... Read more
Rio Tinto will start planning for the wind-down of operations and the eventual closure of New Zealand Aluminium Smelters (NZAS) following the conclusion of its strategic review which has shown the business is no longer viable given high energy costs and a challenging outlook for the Aluminum industry ... Read more
NZAS’ mental health and support services, previously offered exclusively to the smelter’s employees, will be extended to assist the residents of Invercargill and Bluff as part of Rio Tinto’s COVID-19 relief package. ... Read more
To be attributed to NZAS chief executive and general manager Stewart Hamilton: To support the health and safety of our employees at NZAS and in accordance with government directives in relation to containing the spread of Covid-19 we have implemented a number of new controls. ... Read more
Rio Tinto’s wholly-owned subsidiary Pacific Aluminium (New Zealand) Limited has reported financial results relating to its interest in New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter Limited (NZAS) ... Read more
NZAS remains committed to the 2018 agreement with Southland District and Regional Councils, Invercargill City Council, Gore District Council and the New Zealand Government to provide financial assistance in the removal and disposal of a fertilizer premix (Ouvea Premix) material currently stored at the Mataura Paper Mill and other facilities ... Read more
Rio Tinto will conduct a strategic review of its interest in New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) at Tiwai Point, to determine the operation’s ongoing viability and competitive position ... Read more
Pacific Aluminium (New Zealand) Limited (PacAl NZ), a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, has reported its interest in the Tiwai Point smelter operated by New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Limited (NZAS)... ... Read more
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today officially re-opened Potline 4 at New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) at Tiwai Point. Majority owner Rio Tinto has invested NZ$6 million this year to upgrade and restart Potline 4 at the smelter, adding 31,000 tonnes of production capacity. ... Read more
Pacific Aluminium (New Zealand) Limited (PacAl NZ) has reported its financial results relating to its interest in New Zealand's Aluminium Smelter (NZAS), showing underlying earnings of NZ$75 million for 2017, an increase of NZ$50 million on the previous year. ... Read more
New Zealand's Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) has secured a power contract for 50 MW to enable it to restart its fourth potline which was mothballed six years ago. ...
New Zealand's Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) is delighted to welcome Stewart (Stew) Hamilton back to site in his new role of Chief Executive and site General Manager. Stew will begin in the role on 2 July 2018 and will have a two-week handover with Gretta Stephens in May. ...
After four years as the Chief Executive and General Manager of New Zealand's Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) Gretta Stephens has announced her resignation to join BlueScope Steel as Chief Executive New Zealand and Pacific Islands. ...
Pacific Aluminium (New Zealand) Limited (PacAl NZ) has reported its financial results relating to its interest in New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter (NZAS), showing underlying earnings of NZ$25 million for 2016, a decrease of nearly NZ$30 million on the previous year. ... Read more
Pacific Aluminium (New Zealand) Limited (PacAl NZ) has reported its interest in New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter (NZAS), showing underlying earnings of NZ$54 million for 2015, a decrease of NZ$2 million on the previous year. ... Read more
NZAS has today received the decision of the Supreme Court declining its application for leave to appeal the lieu days matter. ... Read more
NZAS has today sought leave to the Supreme Court to appeal the Court of Appeal’s decision on the ‘lieu days’ claim. ... Read more