Australia's sole manganese smelter to shut down after sale collapses
2026-07-17 12:00:01 [Print]
Australia's only manganese smelter-the Liberty Bell Bay facility in Tasmania-will close with immediate effect after a proposed sale failed to materialize, administrators announced on Thursday.
The smelter, previously owned by British billionaire Sanjeev Gupta's GFG Alliance, entered voluntary administration in March following a suspension of operations in mid-2025.
The closure caps a turbulent period for the plant, which had previously cited challenging market conditions and ore supply disruptions linked to cyclone-related setbacks at key supplier South32's Groote Eylandt Mining Company (GEMCO).
Industry Minister Tim Ayres said no serious buyer could be secured, despite support from both federal and state governments. That assistance included A$10 million ($6.99 million) in wage subsidies, a A$20 million restart package, and the continuation of a 10-year concessional power agreement originally struck with GFG Group last year.
Located in Bell Bay, northern Tasmania, the facility comprises four submerged arc furnaces and a sintering plant. It has an annual production capacity of approximately 150,000 tons of high-carbon ferromanganese and around 120,000 tons of silicon-manganese alloy.
The smelter, previously owned by British billionaire Sanjeev Gupta's GFG Alliance, entered voluntary administration in March following a suspension of operations in mid-2025.
The closure caps a turbulent period for the plant, which had previously cited challenging market conditions and ore supply disruptions linked to cyclone-related setbacks at key supplier South32's Groote Eylandt Mining Company (GEMCO).
Industry Minister Tim Ayres said no serious buyer could be secured, despite support from both federal and state governments. That assistance included A$10 million ($6.99 million) in wage subsidies, a A$20 million restart package, and the continuation of a 10-year concessional power agreement originally struck with GFG Group last year.
Located in Bell Bay, northern Tasmania, the facility comprises four submerged arc furnaces and a sintering plant. It has an annual production capacity of approximately 150,000 tons of high-carbon ferromanganese and around 120,000 tons of silicon-manganese alloy.
Ferro-manganese Mn 78%min, C 8%max Delivered Europe
Unit:EUR/mt
China's medium and low carbon ferromanganese producers' inventory to production ratio statistics by province by month
Unit: %
