Eskom and South32 have moved forward with a long-term renewable energy plan for the Hillside Aluminium smelter in KwaZulu-Natal, to keep it running past 2031. The proposed solution, currently under discussion, is expected to begin when the smelter’s existing electricity contract expires in 2031,...
South Africa’s Hillside Aluminium smelter continues to hold a key role in developing and running the country’s manufacturing base. Operating since 1996, the smelter at Richards Bay has become one of the largest aluminium producers in the southern hemisphere. It is processing imported alumina into...
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<p>South Africa's manufacturing sector has logged a moderate to slow growth over the last three years. One of the two major smelters in the country- Bayside Aluminium operated by South32, erstwhile BHP Billiton, shut down in 2015. The other smelter, Hillside Aluminium in Richards Bay, has been...
<p>Mining giant BHP Billion spin-off South32 indicated last week Thursday that it has no plan to restart idled capacity at its aluminium facilities in Southern Africa in the next couple of years. The Australian metals and mining company had idled the aforesaid capacity on being unable to cope with...
BHP Billiton owned South32 anticipates declaring a dividend at the end of next year.This was revealed in the company’s third quarterly report, which it issued to shareholders yesterday. In the statement, South32 notes it has hit four annual production records including saleable alumina at Brazil...
Smelters and foundries need support if they are to survive. As a start, Eskom has to sort out its electricity supply problems, and government’s R4-trillion infrastructure plan needs to get under way soon. Better still, the private sector should be encouraged to provide more traditionally sourced...
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) said on Monday that global mining giant BHP Billiton had not "officially" consulted it about the possible closure of parts of the Bayside aluminium smelter in the port of Richards Bay, in KwaZulu-Natal. On Friday last week, the world’s...
BHP Billiton’s aluminium output in the September quarter rose 15% year-on-year boosted by strong performance at its South African smelters with record production at Hillside. In the three months ended September 30, 2013, BHP’s aluminium output was 310,000 tonnes, unchanged from output in the June...
BHP Billiton has become embroiled in a public dispute in South Africa over the price its aluminium smelters pay for electricity, amid fears power shortages will occur this winter as demand rises. South African power utility Eskom has called on customers to cut power usage by 10 per cent. And, amid...
After a long time, Eskom has responded to public pleading for information on its sweetheart deal with BHP Billiton to supply cheap power to the Hillside and Mozal aluminium smelters. A few days ago, Eskom chief financial officer Paul O’Flaherty treated the nation to a lesson in modern arithmetic...
BHP Billiton came out with its annual report recently showing that the record annual production at the Alumar refinery, Brazil, contributed to a 4% increase in total alumina production in FY2012. Metal production was lower as potline capacity at Hillside in South Africa was temporarily curtailed...
BHP Billiton may apply for leave to appeal against the judgment handed down by the South Gauteng High Court on last week whereby it and power utility Eskom were ordered to disclose the power pricing agreement for BHP’s Mozal and Hillside aluminum smelters.
While the High Court has ordered Eskom to release the details of its pricing agreement with BHP Billiton's Hillside and Mozal smelters, which consume an estimated 5.7% of the South African utility's total supply, the ruling might be opposed by BHP Billiton. BHP Billiton, which is reportedly...
