Australian aluminium industry backs rethinking on energy target

Mining reported that the Australian aluminium industry has welcomed amendments to the Federal Government's renewable energy target legislation. The industry warned jobs could have been at risk at Gladstone in central Queensland and other smelters, if concessions were not granted to aluminium. Mr Miles Prosser ED of Aluminium Council said that changes negotiated between the Government and Opposition should reduce the impact on the industry. He said that "The costs are still quite sizeable in magnitude but they have been reduced from what we were looking at a few days ago, so we hope it wouldn't have that impact in the same way that the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme does. So it's really once we've got a clearer idea about what the costs will be from that scheme, it's the combined cost of the 2 schemes that's most important." Rio Tinto has welcomed the recognition given to the aluminium industry in amendments to the renewable energy target legislation. The company said that it will need to see the final legislation before it can say how its aluminium operations in Gladstone will be affected. Mr Ian Macfarlane the Opposition Resources and Energy spokesman said that the government has accepted commonsense changes that will protect jobs in Gladstone. He said that "The Rudd Government was pushing forward with a set of legislations that would have seen things like that aluminium industry basically put out of business in Australia. We've now successfully negotiated a different array of regulations and costing to ensure that jobs are protected." (Sourced from Mining.com)