Aluminium Recycling Pilot Plant to Launch in Tasmania
A groundbreaking aluminium waste recycling pilot facility is set to begin operations next to Rio Tinto’s aluminium smelter in Bell Bay, Tasmania. Driven by ABx Group, a subsidiary of Alcore Limited, the project utilizes a proprietary process to recover and reuse chemicals from the aluminium manufacturing process, reducing costs and reliance on imports.
One key focus is the recovery of hydrogen fluoride, which is converted into aluminium fluoride—an essential chemical for aluminium smelting. Currently, all aluminium smelters in Australia rely on imported aluminium fluoride. Rio Tinto Bell Bay aluminium general manager Richard Curtis noted the potential benefits: “If ABx can do this locally, that’s good for the community and the state of Tasmania, so we are happy to contribute to this pilot plant.”
Environmental and planning approvals for the plant are underway, with Alcore expecting to order equipment for the site within the next few months. ABx Group’s managing director and CEO, Mark Cooksey, emphasized the strategic advantages of the location, including proximity to key infrastructure and the ability to progress rapidly with minimal upfront costs. “This is a significant advantage as we move closer to our goal of recycling fluorine waste into industrial chemicals at a commercial scale,” he said.
The Tasmanian Government has supported the project since 2017, including a $1 million investment via a commercial loan to back the early phases of development. Tasmanian Minister for Business, Industry and Resources Eric Abetz praised the initiative: “This project demonstrates how innovation and sustainability go hand in hand, as Alcore tests its process to reprocess what would otherwise be a waste product into a high-value additive for aluminium smelting.”
Initial operations at the pilot plant will create up to 10 highly skilled full-time jobs, with potential to scale to over 100 full-time positions as the project advances toward full-scale commercialisation.
