BSL Cell Modernisation Project for Reduction Line 2 (Revoked)

BSL Cell Modernisation Project for Reduction Line 2 (Revoked) is an industrial energy efficiency project located at the Boyne Smelters Limited facility on Boyne Island in Central Queensland, approximately 20km south of Gladstone. It was registered in January 2019 and spans the smelter's 60-hectare site.

Industrial Electricity and Fuel Efficiency projects involve improving site energy efficiency by modifying, installing, removing, or replacing components that affect the energy consumption of existing energy-consuming equipment. For an aluminum smelter, this methodology typically applies to technological upgrades that significantly reduce the volume of grid electricity required to produce each tonne of aluminum.

The broader Boyne Island and Gladstone region is known for heavy industrial operations, port infrastructure, and cattle grazing. The area is considered to have a sub-tropical climate with highly variable, moderate to high summer-dominant rainfall averaging around 880mm annually. Soils in the region are variable, generally consisting of coastal sands, shallow rock profiles, and hardsetting clays with elevated sodium levels.

An interesting note about this project is that the Boyne Smelters Limited facility is Australia's second-largest aluminum smelter, producing over 500,000 tonnes of metal annually, and is majority-owned by Rio Tinto. While this specific carbon project was revoked under section 30 of the CFI Rule in October 2022, the facility remains a focal point for emissions reductions. In 2026, Rio Tinto struck a landmark partnership with the Queensland and Commonwealth governments to future-proof the smelter by transitioning it to gigawatt-scale renewable solar and wind power, ensuring the facility remains viable and internationally competitive through to at least 2040.