Rio Tinto stock: Bell Bay jobs and investment secured through 2031
Published on 11/13/2026 at 17:36 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSBell Bay's operating outlook
- Rio Tinto will maintain minimum employment and continue asset investment at Bell Bay through 2031.
- Government support of up to 200 million Australian dollars is linked to aluminium prices.
- Jérôme Pécresse said he hoped the smelter would operate for many more decades.
During a Tuesday, November 10 visit to Bell Bay Aluminium in Tasmania, Jérôme Pécresse said Rio Tinto will maintain a minimum workforce and continue investing in the smelter through 2031. ABC News reported the comments on Thursday, November 12.
Support tied to aluminium prices
The commitment follows a new five-year power arrangement and government support of up to 200 million Australian dollars. Pécresse said the package may not be fully used if aluminium prices remain high, with support falling away above a certain price level.
Rio Tinto did not disclose the precise minimum workforce. ABC News said it understood the figure varied by year and was around 500 jobs, while the 71-year-old facility employs 550 people directly and supports a further 1,200 jobs.
Longer-term operating outlook
The power agreement was announced on October 1 after negotiations involving Rio Tinto, Hydro Tasmania and Australian and Tasmanian authorities. It reduces the immediate risk of a shutdown but leaves Bell Bay's economics exposed to electricity costs and aluminium prices.
Asked about the smelter's future after the current arrangement expires in 2031, Pécresse said he hoped Bell Bay would be there for "many more decades to come". He also described the asset as competitive and said it could produce more specialty value-added products than Rio Tinto's other regional smelters.
Rio Tinto at a glance
- Company: Rio Tinto plc
- ISIN: GB0007188757
- Bell Bay commitment: Minimum employment and asset investment through 2031
- Potential government support: Up to 200 million Australian dollars, linked to aluminium prices
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