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The Kurri Kurri aluminium smelter was located at Kurri Kurri in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It ceased production in October 2012 and was permanently closed in May 2014. At the time of its closure it was owned and operated by Hydro Aluminium, part of the Norwegian Norsk Hydro group. At the time of its closure the smelter had an annual production capacity of 180,000 tonnes of aluminium and employed around 500 people.
History
The Kurri Kurri smelter started operations in 1969. The smelter was originally owned by Alcan and uses Alcan end-to-end prebake technology. The smelter was progressively expanded to comprise three potlines. It was acquired by Norsk Hydro in 2002.
Norsk Hydro announced the smelter's closure on 5 June 2012. The company cited weak aluminium prices, a strong Australian dollar and an uncertain economic outlook for the closure. It stopped producing primary metal in September 2012 and casting house products in October 2012. The smelter's permanent closure was announced in May 2014.
Kurri Kurri was the first Australian aluminium smelter to shut permanently. In August 2014 the Point Henry smelter in Geelong, Victoria, also closed. However, the Tomago aluminium smelter continues to operate approximately 30 kilometres away in Tomago, west of Newcastle.