Former Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter general manager Tom Campbell says the closure of the plant could have been avoided if commercial common sense was used. A former general manager of the Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter believes its closure would not be on the horizon if the relationship between electricity generators and the smelter was seen as a partnership, rather than being ‘’almost hostile’’. READ MORE:* Tiwai Point aluminium smelter to close, 1000 jobs to go* Tiwai Point aluminium smelter suffers $46m loss* Campaign being launched to save Tiwai aluminium smelterThe Tiwai smelter was one of the more efficient plants in the world which produced the highest purity aluminium, had high labour productivity and was ‘’by no means’’ the oldest plant. Robyn Edie Rio Tinto owned Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, based near Invercargill, announced on Thursday the plant will close at the end of August 2021. ‘’That’s what makes me angry ... in my view it’s a lack of willingness from the [electricity] generators to act with commercial common-sense.

Source: Stuff July 12, 2020 05:37 UTC