Production at South32's Hillside aluminium smelter in South Africa increased by 3,000 tonnes to a record 715,000 tonnes during its 2019 financial year ended June 30, 2019, the producer said on Thursday July 18.
Sales at the smelter increased by 4% in the June 2019 quarter to 191,000 tonnes from 183,000 tonnes in the same quarter in 2018. "We achieved record annual production at Hillside... The smelter continued to test its maximum technical capacity, despite an increase in the frequency of load-shedding events," South32's quarterly report said. The producer also completed a restructure of the workforce during the June 2019 quarter to ensure the smelter's ongoing sustainability and to improve its cost competitiveness. Despite the continued strong operating performance during the year, lower aluminium prices and high...