Tiwai Point talks bogged down in technical detail

NZ aluminium destined for use in catalytic converters in the US. (Image: BusinessDesk)

Tue, 30 May 2023

Chris Blenkiron likens the Tiwai Point smelter negotiations to “buying a house from the five different people who own your house, but those people aren’t allowed to talk to each other”.Blenkiron, who stepped into the role of chief executive at NZ Aluminium Smelters (NZAS) last February, has been tasked with tidying up the operations. The gig includes presiding over an expensive remediation job, last costed at a whopping $687 million for the smelter’s parent, multinational mining group Rio Tinto. All going well...

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