Smelter snub drives up carbon prices

Smelter snub drives up carbon prices
Carbon prices have risen following the govt cutting Tiwai smelter's carbon subsidy. (Image: Getty)
Ian Llewellyn
Carbon prices have risen in the wake of news that the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter’s free allocation of units was being cut.Last week, the government released papers detailing how the smelter is losing a $60 million-plus carbon subsidy.The move was part of the government’s rethink and recalculation of how free units are allocated to protect "export-exposed energy-intensive" industries from costs their competitors do not face.In this case, climate change minister James Shaw successfully argued that the electricity componen...

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