Diversified miner South32’s Hillside Aluminium smelter in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, could continue operating for another 20 to 30 years if a competitive long-term electricity agreement is secured with State-owned power utility Eskom.
This was stated by South32 executives at a gala event to celebrate the smelter’s 30 years in operation.
During a media briefing, South32 CEO Graham Kerr said the decision to build the Hillside Aluminium smelter in the early 1990s required courage and belief in South Africa’s future at a time of political and economic uncertainty, adding that the smelter has since become a key contributor to industrialisation, employment and regional economic development.
