BSL Cell Modernisation Project for Reduction Line 2 (Revoked)

BSL Cell Modernisation Project for Reduction Line 2 (Revoked) was an industrial energy efficiency project located at the Boyne Smelters Limited (BSL) facility on Boyne Island, approximately 20km south of Gladstone in Queensland. Registered in January 2019, the project operated under the Industrial Electricity and Fuel Efficiency methodology until its voluntary revocation in October 2022. The Boyne Island area is a major industrial hub, hosting Australia's second-largest aluminium smelter, while the surrounding region supports residential land use and coastal conservation zones.

The project aimed to reduce emissions by upgrading equipment within "Reduction Line 2," likely focusing on the electrolytic cells (pots) used to smelt aluminium. The Industrial Electricity and Fuel Efficiency methodology credits projects that improve the energy performance of industrial equipment, calculated by comparing energy use before and after the upgrades against a baseline. The revocation under "Section 30" indicates the proponent voluntarily withdrew the project, possibly due to strategic shifts; notably, BSL's majority owner, Rio Tinto, has since pivoted toward securing large-scale renewable energy power purchase agreements to decarbonize the facility's operations.

Environmentally, the Gladstone region experiences a sub-tropical climate with summer-dominant rainfall, averaging around 900mm annually. The local landscape consists of coastal sandy loams and marine clays, although the project itself was situated entirely within a highly modified heavy industrial zone. The site is adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, making environmental management of the surrounding coastal waters and air quality a critical operational focus.