Media Release
Queensland Government and Rio Tinto partnership to support
Gladstone’s Boyne Smelters
15 August 2024
MELBOURNE, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Queensland Government and Rio Tinto will work
together to safeguard a pillar of the State’s heavy industrial manufacturing base around Gladstone
under a partnership to support investment in renewable energy projects.
The agreement announced today represents an important step towards securing a long-term future for
Australia's second-largest aluminium smelter, Boyne Smelters Limited (BSL) and thousands of jobs in
central Queensland supported by the operations.
The partnership supports Queensland's vision to establish Gladstone as a renewable energy hub and
strengthens the electricity grid as Australia transitions to a cleaner energy future. The cooperation
between Rio Tinto and the Queensland Government will complement ongoing policy development by
the Australian Government to support a decarbonised aluminium industry as part of its Future Made in
Australia Plan.
Highlights of the agreement between the Queensland Government and Rio Tinto include:
•Economic Support: Through its “Energy and Jobs Plan’, the Queensland Government will
support BSL’s financial viability from 2029 as the smelter transitions to renewable energy.
•Operational Commitments & Employment: Rio Tinto will invest to maintain BSL's full
operational capacity, supporting Australia’s ambition to remain a major exporter of aluminium.
This ensures BSL, which has an annual production capacity of more than 500,000 tonnes of
aluminium and directly employs more than 1000 people, will continue to be a significant
contributor to the local, Queensland and national economy. Rio Tinto will also work to expand its
coastal shipping capacity, to add a fifth domestically crewed vessel to its existing fleet of four.
These ships transport bauxite from the company's Gove and Weipa mines to operations in
Gladstone.
•Renewable Energy Investment: Rio Tinto commits to additional sustainable energy
investments in Queensland, building on its existing commitments to Australia's largest solar and
wind projects across the State.
•Gladstone Transformation: Support for Queensland's vision to establish Gladstone as a
renewable energy hub, with BSL to develop capabilities to manage power consumption during
times of peak demand and strengthen the electricity grid.