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Greg Hunt offers Alcoa new power station in bid to save Portland smelter Greg Hunt offers Alcoa new power station in bid to save Portland smelter | |
(1 day later) | |
A new power station for Victoria’s south-west are among offers being made to Alcoa in a bid to save jobs at the struggling Portland aluminium smelter. | A new power station for Victoria’s south-west are among offers being made to Alcoa in a bid to save jobs at the struggling Portland aluminium smelter. |
Federal and Victorian industry ministers Greg Hunt and Wade Noonan will fly to New York on Monday to meet with senior global leaders of Alcoa in a bid to secure a future for the struggling smelter. | Federal and Victorian industry ministers Greg Hunt and Wade Noonan will fly to New York on Monday to meet with senior global leaders of Alcoa in a bid to secure a future for the struggling smelter. |
Among possible solutions is a new power station to reduce the smelter’s vulnerability. | Among possible solutions is a new power station to reduce the smelter’s vulnerability. |
Earlier this month, the smelter was crippled when it lost power for five-and-a-half hours after an interconnector from Victoria to South Australia failed. | Earlier this month, the smelter was crippled when it lost power for five-and-a-half hours after an interconnector from Victoria to South Australia failed. |
“In the longer term we will be working with all involved to find a sustainable power solution and have worked in deep co-operation with the Victorian government and the company to that effect,” Hunt said in a statement. | “In the longer term we will be working with all involved to find a sustainable power solution and have worked in deep co-operation with the Victorian government and the company to that effect,” Hunt said in a statement. |
“This could include accessing finance under the federal government’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation to help support a new power station for the plant and the region.” | “This could include accessing finance under the federal government’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation to help support a new power station for the plant and the region.” |
Noonan has visited Portland since the outage and said that despite the damaging power cut, the smelter was still a viable asset. | Noonan has visited Portland since the outage and said that despite the damaging power cut, the smelter was still a viable asset. |
“We owe it to the thousands of workers at Alcoa, their families, and the people of Portland to do all we can to fix this situation,” he said in a statement. “We will leave no stone unturned to ensure the smelter remains viable.” | “We owe it to the thousands of workers at Alcoa, their families, and the people of Portland to do all we can to fix this situation,” he said in a statement. “We will leave no stone unturned to ensure the smelter remains viable.” |
The future of the smelter, which employs more than 500 people directly, has been under a cloud for some time. | The future of the smelter, which employs more than 500 people directly, has been under a cloud for some time. |
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, confirmed in February that Alcoa was in talks with the government about the pressures it was facing. | The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, confirmed in February that Alcoa was in talks with the government about the pressures it was facing. |
In May, workers at the plant agreed to a one-year pay freeze to allow for conditions to stabilise, saving the company $1.5m. | In May, workers at the plant agreed to a one-year pay freeze to allow for conditions to stabilise, saving the company $1.5m. |