We Subsidise Their Electricity But Alcan Is Running At A Loss

We subsidise their electricity but because we are only voters they can never tell us by how much. Giddings renewed their contract for bargain basement electricity last year after Alcan threatened to close down in Tasmania. Looks like they are losing money even if the Tasmanian government gives them free power. The owner of the Bell Bay smelter RioTinto has made a $10 billion loss from its Alcan world operations. The result led to the resignation of the groups CEO. Expect this result to have some impact on the Bell Bay operation. Rio also lost money on coal but don't they ship the Bell Bay ore past the huge Queensland coal fields so they can use Tasmanian hydro power? They do, and the fact they are in the dirty energy business themselves proves the 'ship in, ship out' Bell Bay operation is more about perception than reality. Maybe their own coal customers are making cheaper 'dirty' aluminium and undercutting RioTinto-Alcan? Footnote. Alumina smelting uses more electricity than any other industry.