Bell Bay smelter

The Bell Bay smelter began production in 1955. It was Australia's first aluminium smelter and was developed as a joint venture of the Commonwealth and Tasmanian Governments. This smelter is located on the north coast of Tasmania and has an annual production capacity of 160,000 tonnes. The site on the Tamar River in Northern Tasmania was chosen due to the availability of competitive hydro-electric power and deep water port facilities.

Comalco purchased the smelter in 1960, when production was about 12,000 tonnes. Since that period, plant expansions have increased production capacity to 160,000 tonnes a year. About half of the smelter's metal is shipped to domestic markets with the balance exported mainly to South East Asia, New Zealand and the US. In recent years, Comalco has been optimising the smelter's production and performance, resulting in operating cost savings and environmental improvements. As Tasmania's major consumer of electricity, the Bell Bay smelter has helped to support development of Tasmania's hydro-electric industry.